From 1984 until 2011, Evander Holyfield competed as a professional boxer. He became the first undisputed champion in both the cruiserweight and heavyweight divisions, which earned him the nickname ‘The Real Deal’. Why am I talking about a former American boxer in a review of a bookmaker? Because the company teamed up with the former champ when they decided to release their fixed odds betting sportsbook back in 2015, taking his name and using him as the face of the newest kid on the block to prove that they intended to pack some serious punch.
Whilst the presence of Holyfield on the advertising and the use of his name both give some legitimacy to the company’s sports coverage, particularly of boxing events, one of the best things it’s done is allow them to use puns all over the place. You’ll get a knockout deal, for example, and often feel that Evander’s there fighting your corner. In reality he has little to with the whole enterprise apart from lend his name and face to it, but that’s not really a bad thing. After all, what are the chances that Evander Holyfield will have a good sense of what the odds should be for a match between Stoke and West Brom on a wet Wednesday night?
Sports Betting at RealDealBet
The Site
The RealDealBet site is best described as ‘busy’. When you open the sportsbook homepage you’ll be greeted by a whole host of information. Close to the top of the page is a banner giving you information about the latest deals and any featured events that you might want to know about, whilst over on the lefthand side is a list of popular markets and all available sports. Down the righthand side you’ll find your betting slip and any offers that RealDealBet are hoping to draw your attention to and in the middle of the page you’ll see all live events taking place at that exact moment.
If you’ve read any of my other reviews then you’ll know that I’m a fan of a nice, clean interface. I have to say, therefore, that RealDealBet’s sportsbook homepage isn’t quite to my taste. Having said that, the colour scheme of black, white and gold is certainly crisp enough to mean that I can read everything without a struggle. The site also responds to requests you throw at it quickly enough, meaning that you don’t have to sit around for ages and wait for pages to load up. It isn’t to my taste, but I’d readily admit that I’m a bit peculiar in terms of what I do and don’t like in a website, so you might find that it ticks all of your boxes.
Features
There’s no question that In-Play is an area of the site that RealDealBet feel that they excel. The main bulk of the sportsbook homepage is taken over by all of the various live markets that you can bet on, with quick links also offered to both Live Betting and Today’s Events on the righthand side of the page.
Live Streaming is notable by its absence, but Cash Out is a feature that you can take advantage of should you wish to. No surprise really, considering that the ability to react quickly to your bet goes hand-in-hand with In-Play betting. There is a fancy graphic above the event your betting on, complete with sound effects.
What to Bet On
The list of sporting events covered by RealDealBet is surprisingly comprehensive. Obvious ones like football, tennis and horse racing make the list, whilst it’s not a shock to see the company promote their boxing coverage reasonably heavily. Given the fact that Evander Holyfield is American I probably should have expected the likes of American football and baseball to be covered, too.
It’s the presence of slightly more unusual sports, such as handball, trotting and futsal that I wasn’t expecting to see. Regardless, unless you’ve got a penchant for betting on some of the most unusual sports around, you’re unlikely to struggle to find an event you want to place a wager on. In fact, greyhound racing is the only notable absentee.
Other Products
Unlike most big bookmakers, who often offer the likes of poker and bingo to their customers, RealDealBet have opted for a more streamlined experience. There are slot-style games for those of you who enjoy having a little slice of Vegas right there in your living room, whilst fans of online casinos will be pleased to not that there’s not one but two on offer. You can opt for the verisimilitude of real life dealers in the live casino if you wish, or else you can stick with a more classical online casino if that’s more your style.
Banking & Limits
RealDealBet ask for a minimum deposit of £5 if you’re using your debit card, a paysafecard, PayPal or Skrill, whilst those of you that prefer ecoPayz, NETeller or bank transfer will have to put in at least £10. It’s a minimum of £10 for most withdrawal methods, however, with the exceptions being Skrill that will let you take out £5 and bank transfer where you’ll need to withdraw at least £25.
Who Are RealDealBet?
RealDealBet actually comes under the ownership and operation of Blue Star Planet Limited, the company that is also responsible for 10Bet. They are based in Malta and UK Gambling Commission Licences for both of their operations. Past that there’s not an awful lot I can tell you, but then RealDealBet itself has only been in operation since 2015. The licence, combined with the fact that they have such a high-profile sporting personality acting as the face of the company, should give you all the confidence that you need to give them a try and see if you like them.