Betway Sportsbook Review
Betway is no longer live in the U.S., so while there’s no Betway promo code for you to claim, you can scoop up these other offers at gambling and gaming sites:
We’ve left our review of Betway Sportsbook up, but note that it won’t be updated going forward since the platform is defunct.
Betway has a long history of success in Europe dating back to its creation in 2006. In fact, Betway is one of the biggest licensed, legal operators in many European countries including England, Italy, Ireland, and Spain. The company has done great things in Europe but now has its eyes set on the burgeoning American market.
Betway is headquartered in Malta, a small country in the Mediterranean that is home to several sports betting companies. Digital Gaming Corporation (DGC), a Florida-based company, creates online casino games and has been a player within the industry for several years. DGC appears to be ready to expand into sports betting, and in early 2021 finalized a branding agreement with Betway to use its name here in America. So while the Betway name is popping up in Colorado, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Iowa, and Indiana, with more likely to come, the company behind the Betway brand in America is actually DGC. Let’s have a look at Betway online sportsbook.
States Where Betway is Live
DGC partnering with Betway is a savvy business move that will bring an established brand to the American market, beginning in Colorado, New Jersey, Iowa, Indiana, and Pennsylvania. Expansion to additional markets are already in the works.
| State | License Partner | Launch Date | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Colorado | Famous Bonanza Casino | April 5, 2021 | |
| Indiana | Belterra Casino Resort | May 28, 2021 | |
| Pennsylvania | Live! Hotel & Casino Philadelphia | June 28, 2021 | |
| New Jersey | Golden Nugget Atlantic City | August 18, 2021 | |
| Iowa | Diamond Jo Casino | October 1, 2021 |
Colorado
- License Partner: Famous Bonanza Casino (Central City)
- Launched: April 2021
- Betway is the online skin for Digital Gaming Corporation.
- Betway is currently online only in Colorado and does not have a branded sportsbook at a retail casino. Since over 80 percent of bets in Colorado are made online, not being able to access a casino cage for deposits and withdrawals is likely not a deal-breaker for bettors in the state.
New Jersey
- License Partner: Golden Nugget Atlantic City
- Launched: August 2021
- Betway’s New Jersey offerings are extremely competitive, given the Garden State’s numerous other licensed operators.
- New Jersey prohibits betting on in-state college teams, and collegiate competitions held in-state.
Indiana
- License Partner: Belterra Casino Resort
- Launched: May 2021
- Partnering with riverboat casino Belterra Casino Resort on the Ohio River, Betway burst onto the scene in 2021, backed by over two decades of gaming experience from the Switzerland County operator.
Iowa
- License Partner: Diamond Jo Casino
- Launched: October 2021
- Betway became the 15th sportsbook to open up shop in Iowa.
- Iowa does not allow prop bets on individual college athletes but allows wagers on college sports.
- Betway’s land-based partner the Diamond Jo Casino also houses two retail locations for FanDuel Sportsbook.
Pennsylvania
- License Partner: Live! Casino Hotel Philadelphia
- Launched: June 2021
- When Betway launched their online sportsbook, they became the 17th operator in the Keystone State to be granted a license by the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board.
Other States
Betway hasn’t announced where it will head next, but we expect the company to go live in at least some of the following states that have legalized sports betting, including:
Betway Sportsbook in Canada
Betway currently accepts bets from Canadian residents and has done so for several years. Prior to legislation being passed by the federal government, sportsbooks in Canada operated in a legal gray area. Single-game wagering was not legal, but it wasn’t officially illegal either. This resulted in sportsbooks accepting wagers because it wasn’t technically illegal for them to do so. The federal government changed the law in 2021 to allow for each province to explicitly legalize (or make illegal) sports betting and regulate the activity as they see fit.
Ontario led the way, quickly enacting rules that legalized sports betting and added single-game wagering to its existing Proline+ province-run sports betting app. Ontario also decided to open up the province to outside sportsbooks beginning on April 7, 2022. Betway is planning on going live on opening day, bringing its great sports betting product to the people of Canada’s most populous province.
Additional Promotions
Every sportsbook tends to have an enticing new customer promotion. What separates some operators from others is the ongoing promotions offered. Sports bettors tend to be a knowledgeable bunch, and they like to take advantage of both timely and generous promotions. This usually favors the sportsbook because it is harder to sign up new customers than it is to keep them. So people sign up for the new customer offer and stick around because of competitive lines, variety of markets offered, and ongoing promotions, such as:
Cash Out
Betway offers a Cash Out option where customers can “cash out” their bet before the game has ended. Say you took a big NFL moneyline underdog, like +500. Imagine the Jaguars playing the Chiefs. The Jaguars are playing as well as they have all year and miraculously lead the Chiefs by 6 in the 4th quarter. If they win the game, you win your +500 bet. But the Chiefs could still come back to win, in which case you would lose the bet. If you want to book a win early because you think the Chiefs might come back, the Cash Out option will pay you even though the game hasn’t ended yet.
The exact amount paid depends on how much time is left, among other factors. It would not be the total +500 that you would get if the Jaguars ended up winning, but it’s not the $0 you would get if the Chiefs pulled it out. This is a popular option offered by a growing number of sportsbooks.
Add To Bet
In addition to the Cash Out option offered by Betway and some other sportsbooks, Betway offers an Add To Bet feature that is very uncommon. The Add To Bet feature expands on the Cash Out promotion by allowing bettors to modify their existing bet while the game is still going on. This is like live betting but without having to make a new bet.
Using the same NFL example, if the Jaguars are winning but there is lots of scoring and you want to take the Over as a live bet, you can “add” the Over to your existing bet as long as the Cash Out option is available. The moneyline bet is cashed out at the offered Cash Out price and the proceeds would be applied to the new Over bet, which, in theory, would have a better chance to win. So you wouldn’t have a moneyline bet anymore, but you would have an Over bet with the proceeds from the cashed out moneyline bet.
One-Game Parlay
The one-game parlay offering is gaining traction in legal sportsbooks throughout the country. Think your team and the over will both hit? Bet it in a one-game parlay. Pretty simple. Betway’s version of a one-game parlay takes things a step further by allowing up to six legs in two different sports. How is two different sports a one-game parlay, you might ask? Very good question. The answer is confusing, as is Betway’s execution of the one-game parlay promotion.
For example, every sportsbook offered many different wagers for the men’s NCAA basketball championship game. Betway’s one-game parlay for the big game was disappointingly limited. The only offerings were moneyline, spread, over/under, and team total points odd/even. You can barely even fit those offerings into a six-leg bet and most people don’t want to take both the moneyline and the spread. During testing, the over/under wasn’t even available as part of the parlay. The one-game parlay offering could be useful and entertaining in the future, but it still needs some work before it becomes a popular offering.
Banking
One of the biggest advantages of doing business with a licensed, regulated sportsbook operator is the security of your deposits and availability of your withdrawals. Offshore operators may say they have secure deposit options, but do you really know if that is true or not? Offshore operators are based offshore. The necessary regulatory structure to keep your cash safe may be lacking, and there’s no way to know since they aren’t subject to U.S. law. Every sportsbook here in the States is regulated in each state in which they operate, and the regulators have spent a great deal of time and effort crafting rules governing all aspects of their operations. There is particular focus given to how sportsbooks handle deposits and withdrawals. In other words, your money is safe at legal, regulated sportsbooks like Betway.
Deposit Options
Online banking – Choose your bank from a list of supported banks, log in securely, and make a deposit as easily as paying a bill online. It’s that simple. Betway has no access to your banking information.
Play+ branded prepaid card – Play+ might be the most popular option among sportsbook operators. Each sportsbook has their own branded prepaid card, like a gift card that you can access online. Betway’s Play+ prepaid card is a quick and easy way to fund your account.
PayPal – Make deposits at Betway the same way you pay your friends for greens fees and March Madness pool dues.
PayNearMe – PayNearMe is another popular option among sportsbooks. Once you sign up for an account, a barcode will be emailed to you. Take the barcode to your local CVS, 7-Eleven, Family Dollar, or other participating establishment, and after they scan it you will be able to make a cash deposit on the spot that is immediately posted to your Betway account.
ACH eCheck – Link your checking account to your Betway account to make a deposit.
Visa/Mastercard Credit and Debit cards – Use your Visa or Mastercard credit or debit card to make a deposit to your account. Your financial institution may charge additional fees for this type of transaction.
Withdrawal Options
ACH eCheck – Cash out the same way you make deposits with the popular and reliable eCheck option linked to your checking acocunt
Play+ branded prepaid card – Also a very reliable and easy way to withdraw funds. It’s easy to send cash from your Betway account to your Betway Play+ card. Users will actually have a physical card at their disposal, too. The cards balance can be withdrawn at ATMs or used for real world purchases.
PayPal – Again, not complicated. Withdraw funds to your PayPal account the same way you make deposits
- For security purposes, in order to verify your identity, the address on your Betway account needs to be the same address listed on your bank account(s). You will be unable to make deposits if the addresses don’t match.
- Be sure to check with your financial institution before making a deposit to your Betway account. Some financial institutions have specific rules about making deposits to sportsbooks
- Available deposit methods may vary by state.
Betting Markets
One area where Betway separates itself from the competition is the wide variety of sports and sports leagues available to wager on. It makes sense that Betway would use its expertise in European-based sports to bring those wagering opportunities to the States. What is Floorball? A Google search reveals that it is a women’s sport in Sweden. With Betway, you can bet on the big Pixbo Wallenstam IBK – Endre IF match.
At Betway, you don’t have to know what a sport is in order to bet on it. Wager on the World Snooker Championship, held in lovely Sheffield, England. Meanwhile, over in Kazakhstan the highly anticipated Kazakhstan Hockey Championship is available. Other sportsbooks don’t come close to offering this many different sports and sports leagues to bet on. The more available bets, the more action you can enjoy.
Sports markets include:
- Basketball – NBA and NCAA
- Hockey
- Baseball
- Soccer
- Tennis
- Golf
- Football – NFL and NCAA
- Aussie Rules
- Boxing
- Cricket
- Cycling
- Darts
- Floorball
- Handball
- MMA
- Motor Racing
- Rugby
- Snooker & Pool
- Volleyball
Desktop and App Review
The desktop version of Betway is functional and intuitively laid out. Odds boosts and other promotions are prominently displayed in the middle of the screen. Live events, including the aforementioned wide variety of sports and sports leagues, are the first betting markets that greet you on the home page. Available sports are easily found on the left side of the screen, where they can easily be found by players. Below that, for the statistically-minded bettor, is the Statistics button, which allows you to view and analyze stats for every sport offered by Betway! All in all the browser version is a good experience for bettors who like to wager from their laptop/desktop.
Betway Sportsbook Mobile App
The app is very similar to the desktop version. Promotions are prominently displayed, live events are listed first, and sports are available in a row toward the top of the page. The Highlights tab features many of the biggest upcoming events, but the date is confusingly listed in European format. This is not the case on the browser version, which lists the date(s) as “Today” and “Tomorrow.”
During testing, Baltimore was listed on the app as playing the Yankees on 06/04 at 3:35 pm PT. This would make sense for a European bettor, who would immediately know that the game will be played on April 6. On the other hand, Americans using the app in April would likely wonder why Betway is featuring a game being played on June 4. Aside from that, the app is solid, if unexceptional. There’s nothing wrong with it, but the user experience is not ground-breaking either.
Advantages and Disadvantages
Advantages
Variety of sports available – The wide variety of sports offered by Betway is what separates the operator from the competition. Simply put, Betway offers an exceptional number of wagering opportunities on sports all over the world. If you are into betting on lesser-known sports, Betway is a good option for you.
Customer service – Effective, easy-to-access customer service can sometimes be elusive, both at sportsbooks and in regular life. Thankfully, Betway offers terrific customer service, including a chat option with representatives that immediately respond to your questions. You may not use the customer service function very often, but when you need it, you want it to work. Betway’s customer service is a shining light in the often mediocre world of sportsbook customer service.
Disadvantages
Promotions – The promotions offered by Betway are not exceptional. They are pretty blah, to be honest. The welcome offer is fine. It’s always nice to bet with house money, but the promotion does not offer premium value compared to other sportsbooks. The other promotions, including odds boosts, cash out, and add-to bet, are average at best and convoluted at worst. These offerings are frankly below average and do little to entice new bettors to check out Betway’s product.
Access – This will change in the future, Betway’s reach within the U.S. is still a touch limited. For a company that is spending so much money sponsoring American professional sports teams (NBA’s Brooklyn Nets, Chicago Bulls, Cleveland Cavaliers, Los Angeles Clippers, Golden State Warriors, and the NHL’s New York Islanders), Betways’ presence in the sports betting landscape has room to grow. Of course, Betway is a global brand that invests in its markets for the long term, but right now Betway’s product is facing solid competition in the US. Ironically, the brand isn’t active in any of the states in which its sponsored teams play, but that could change in the future.
Customer Service
We all have questions. Betway has answers. If you have a question about your account or anything else related to Betway, you can submit a message to create a “ticket” that will be replied to in a timely manner. Or you can be all 2021 and chat online with a customer service representative. The representatives are very responsive and have answers to most questions. If they don’t have the answer right away, they will send you an email once they confirm the information you requested. Overall, Betway’s customer service is above-average.
FAQ
Where can I use Betway?
Betway is live in Colorado, New Jersey, Indiana, Iowa, and Pennsylvania. This page will be updated as Betway goes live in new states. The company says it will open in New York soon, but after that, it’s anyone’s guess where Betway will appear. However, it is safe to say that Betway will be in more states sooner or later because the globally recognized company is making a sizable investment in sponsorships and marketing here in North America. Check the table above for a complete list of active states.
If Betway is a European company, is it legal to use the app to wager here in America?
Yes! However, only in certain states. Sportsbook operators are licensed and regulated in the states in which they operate. In Colorado, for example, Betway, like every other operator, is regulated by the Colorado Department of Revenue. Betway will be regulated by individual state regulators as the company goes live in other states. Betway is a European company but it has a licensing agreement with Florida-based Digital Gaming Corporation, which gives it access to the American market.
What separates Betway from other sportsbooks?
Betway offers significantly more sports and sports leagues to bet on than other sportsbooks. Its European influence is found in the wide variety of sports available for wagering. The browser and app versions are fine, and its promotions are ok, but Betway is almost unmatched in the number of lesser-known sports and sports leagues offered on its platform.