138Bet Bookmaker Review
138bet came into the world christened 138SunGame but has since changed its name, presumably for the sake of simplicity and also to broaden its appeal with Western audiences. That’s because, until recently, 138bet focused primarily on the Asian market and Asian sports. Having conquered the East though they have now set their sights on Western punters. Besides shortening the name another way they apparently intend to attract the European better is to ramp up their focus on Football and that certainly seems like a common-sense approach and one that will ultimately pay off.
While their focus on football is bound to attract some Euro-attention their Eastern origin has a tendency to make some Europeans cautious about doing business with them but there’s no reason to be wary. They’re licensed and regulated by the Isle of Man and subjected to the same type of oversight as all of the other major online sportsbooks doing business in the UK and beyond. They’re not going to take your money and disappear. They’re here for the long haul. So let’s get into this review by starting with their website. As well as this 138Bet offer an excellent sign up bonus for all new customers as a free bet.
138 bet online betting website
The first thing you’ll notice when you arrive at 138.com main page is that the design is much busier than you’d expect to see from the average British or Irish betting site. In this sense, the company betrays its Asian roots. There’s lots of red (considered a lucky colour by our Chinese friends), lots of garish imagery and, depending on where you access them from, scantily clad Asian hotties staring at you from a variety of seductive poses. That’s cool. We like pretty girls as much as anyone. But it can be a bit distracting for someone used to the more business-like front of Bet365, SkyBet and the like.
That said when you access the European sportsbook page things take on a different look and feel altogether. The background is white, the layout is the well understood 3 column affair and the hotties are pretty much non-existent. That 3 column architecture features the standard list of available sports down the left side, relevant information in the centre and betting slip on the right. 138 bet offer both in-play and pre-event betting with their in-play section being generously stocked with markets from both Asia and elsewhere. What’s missing is live streaming and they don’t get any points for excluding that important feature. In general, however, the website is attractive and fairly easy to navigate.
138bet In-Play betting markets
As we alluded to above the 138 bet in-play live betting section is stocked with offerings. Sports markets available for live betting include:
- Football
- Basketball
- Horse Racing
- Golf
- Tennis
- American Football
- Badminton
- Rugby League
- Rugby Union
- Cycling
- Olympics (when applicable)
- Baseball
- Ice Hockey
- Boxing
- Cricket
- Aussie Football
- Bandy
- And many more…
Odds on most sports are considered competitive and we had no problems with them settling bets in a timely, no-hassle fashion. And for the record live betting is essentially the same for both the regular and mobile versions of the site which is a major plus.
138 Free Bet, 138 Bet Deposit Bonus and Other Promotions
138bet offers a fair number of promotions that change frequently. A 138 bet bonus may be a 138 free bet in return for your horse winning or enhanced odds on selected football matches. They also offer a decent new customer sign up bonus.
- 138Bet Deposit Bonus – Open a new account and place a wager of £100 or more and you’ll be eligible for a 138 free bet of up to 50% of the stake. You’ll need to place your wager on a selection with odds of 2.0 or better though to take advantage of this 138 bet deposit bonus, so keep that in mind.
- Other 138Bet Bonus offers – As we mentioned 138bet free bet bonuses and promotions tend to change on an almost daily basis so it wouldn’t make sense to try and list them all here. They’d be obsolete by the time you read this. Still, those 138 bet bonus offers are quite often innovative and attractive so punters should always check today’s promos before placing any wagers.
138bet Deposits and Payments methods
Making deposits and collecting payments is a simple and straightforward process with 138 although calling their list of options “extensive” would be a mistake. Still, if you need assistance at any point live online chat is available to help. Currently, acceptable methods for transacting business with 138 bet include:
Deposits
- VISA debit
- MasterCard debit
- UKash
- Neteller
- Skrill Moneybookers
Payments
- VISA debit
- UKash
- Neteller
- Skrill Moneybookers
Note that any payouts can only be made in the same form in which the deposit was received. So if you deposited money using your MasterCard debit card payments must be made to that same account
Things we Like About The 138Bet Online Bookmaker Site
We like the vast number of football markets. We like that they often payout within 24 hours. We like that they offer a lot of promotions, especially in football and horse racing; two events dear to the heart of most Western bettors. We like that they’ve designed the sportsbook to appeal more to European tastes. And we like the 138bet deposit bonus that could wind up being £50.
What We’re Not Crazy About 138Bet
We’re not crazy about the lack of long term 138 bet bonus promos or having to chase down the daily promotions they do have. We’re not crazy about the limited number of deposit and payout options, dependable though they may be, and we really don’t appreciate the lack of live streaming. In general the website could also be a bit more user friendly. And they don’t offer a “best odds guarantee” for their horse racing, which seems an oversight.
138Bet Bookmaker Conclusion
All in all 138 is a professionally run sportsbook that falls into the middle of major sportsbooks when it comes to satisfaction with the overall experience. They’re not the greatest out there but they’re dependable, offer decent odds, plenty of markets and payout quickly. Give them a try. You likely won’t be disappointed.