bet365

bet365 is among the most popular sports betting sites in New Zealand, with over 20 years of expertise and numerous awards to recognize its continued excellence. If you’re seeking sports or market variety, this bookie does not disappoint. It hosts over 45 sports with multiple markets, competitive pre-match and in-play odds, and specialised promotions, all hosted on a platform licensed and regulated by the Malta Gaming Authority (MGA). To top it all off, the site has an excellent bet builder, early payouts, cashouts, live sports streaming, and quick bet options.

In this bet365 review, I’ll look closely at the site’s main features, bonuses, betting options, and the general user experience. Let’s get right into it.

bet365 Bonuses

Like any good sportsbook, bet365 caters equally well to new and existing players, with numerous bonuses and promotions well worth checking out.

Welcome Bonus

New players signing up for a bet365 account can claim up to NZ$100 in bet credits. Here is how it works:

1. Register a new account with bet365 and deposit NZ$10 or more.
2. Claim the offer via the ‘Promotions’ tab.
3. bet365 will match your qualifying deposit in bet credits (up to a maximum of NZ$100) after you place and settle qualifying bets equal to your deposit value.
4. Use your earned bet credits to place bets across any sport without touching your cash balance.
5. Any winnings from bets placed with bet credits will be added to your withdrawable balance, but will not include the bet credits stake.
6. You can fund bets using a combination of bet credits and your cash balance.

What I really liked about the bet365 welcome offer is its user-centric approach. If, for any reason, you missed your chance to claim the offer during your first deposit, you have another shot within 30 days of signing up on the site. On top of that, there are no wagering hoops to jump through — meaning you keep what you win, minus the bonus stake, of course.

Other Promotions at bet365

Past the welcome offers, bet365 continues treating Kiwi players with ample bonuses and promotional features. Among the offerings are price boosts on selected markets, early payout options for NRL, AFL, rugby union, football, basketball, baseball, and ice hockey, and even multipliers of up to 70% on some pre-match accumulators.

Horse and greyhound races receive equal attention; promos like the ‘Price Promise,’ ‘Best Odds Guaranteed,’ and ‘Racing Value’ assure bettors the best odds and special benefits even for disqualified selections. The ‘Odds Drift Protector’ and ‘365 Top Tote+’ guarantee the best payout for fluctuating odds and tote bets, respectively, while the ‘365 Mid+’ promise an additional percentage on top of winnings for greyhound and harness racing.

Sports Betting at bet365

bet365 is home to over 30 different sports, allowing you to bet on rugby, football, Aussie rules, basketball, and cricket, but also more niche speciality selections like table tennis, volleyball, and speedway. Markets are just as varied, with offerings that cover traditional outcomes, point spreads, over/under totals, player performance, parlays, and head-to-head matchups across numerous international and local competitions.

In-Play Betting & Live Streaming

If you’re looking for a platform that allows wagering while simultaneously following the action in one integrated window, bet365 has you covered. The site has some of the best live-streaming options on the market, with thousands of games from most sports offered on the site broadcast every year. This is available at no additional cost to the player, provided that the account is funded or a bet has been placed within the previous 24 hours. The user interface is also extremely clean and intuitive; live odds are displayed next to the feed, along with a wealth of data and stats about the events as they happen.

Bet Builder

The Bet Builder is a popular tool at bet365. It allows bettors to assemble a unique wager (on a single game) by merging various bet types, such as goal scorers, number of corners, and card counts. How does it work? Let’s take a step-by-step look:

1. Choose one of the eligible sports (football, tennis, basketball, American football, baseball, rugby union, rugby league, etc.).
2. Navigate to the specific event you want to bet on.
3. Click on ‘Bet Builder’ (look among the top market options – typically the second one from the left)
4. Start adding your selections from the available bet types.
5. Review the odds as they pile up at the bottom of the screen.
6. Adjust your picks as needed.
7. Enter your stake in the bet slip once all selections are made.
8. Confirm your bet.

Remember: All selections within your Bet Builder must come through to cash out!

Fantasy Sports

Fantasy Sports involves bettors creating virtual teams from real athletes across various sports and competing with those teams in fantasy leagues or tournaments. Users manage their squads and win points based on their selected players’ real-life performances. bet365 has numerous fantasy sports available for all the would-be coaches among us. The site also features a detailed How to Play section under Fantasy Sports that will get all newcomers up to speed in no time.

Mobile Betting at bet365

Mobile betting is a big deal for bet365. The sportsbook has not only optimised its website to operate on different screen sizes seamlessly but also developed an excellent proprietary mobile app. It’s available for both Android and iOS systems and comes with plenty of exclusive features like mobile-only promotions and secure Face ID logins, alongside everything you’d typically find on the desktop. The site’s theme is consistent throughout, and the mobile app also supports live streaming capabilities and elements like the Bet Builder and Cash Out.

Deposit and Withdrawal Methods at bet365

From a traditionalist’s perspective, I believe bet365’s range of payment methods adequately covers the essentials. There are 22 fiat currencies available, including popular options like NZD, USD, Euro, GBP, and CAD. However, if you prefer transacting with digital currencies like Bitcoin, Litecoin, and Tether, you may find platforms like Sportsbet.io and Club Riches more to your liking. Here’s a summarised breakdown of the options available:

Deposit Methods:

• Visa/MasterCard Credit Card
• Visa Debit Card
• Apple Pay
• Paysafecard
• Bank Wire Transfer

Withdrawal Methods:

• Visa Debit Card
• Visa/MasterCard Credit Card
• Bank Wire Transfer

All deposits are carried out instantly. For withdrawals, the processing times shift notably, with even the fastest options — Visa debit and credit cards — taking 1-2 banking days. Caps are consistent with industry standards, maintaining a NZ$10 baseline for card transactions, Apple Pay, and Paysafecard.

Wire transfers require a higher starting point: NZ$200 for deposits and NZ$60 for withdrawals, and come with a processing window of up to three banking days. They cater better to high rollers, though, with a NZ$200,000 limit on deposits.

bet365 Customer Support

I found bet365’s customer support system very accessible and convenient. To reach out, players can click on ‘Contact Us’ (bottom of the page) and choose among the 3 available options.

Live chat is undoubtedly the quickest and is available 24/7. If you favour a more traditional approach, you can send an email directly from a private account to [email protected]. bet365 also provides postal service details, a more old-fashioned but still relevant channel for those who might need to send or receive physical documents. The site also features a comprehensive FAQ section for quick answers to common queries, and detailed information pages such as Responsible Gambling, Terms and Conditions, and Complaints Procedure.

Reliability of bet365

bet365 has an excellent reputation worldwide and the Malta Gaming Authority (MGA) licence it operates under reinforces its stature as a trustworthy platform. The website employs TLS encryption across all pages, while robust firewalls create fortified defence layers against unauthorised access. bet365 operates as an Information Security Management System (ISMS) and proactively safeguards information integrity.

Problems with bet365

While I’ve had a very good experience with bet365, I can’t help but notice a few areas where the brand could use some improvements. For starters, the digital wallet and prepaid options available are minimal, and the complete absence of crypto payment methods is a big miss, considering their rising popularity in New Zealand. The operator also trails behind competitors like Sportsbet.io when it comes to offering regular matchup bonuses or cashback deals, which are very popular with long-time bettors.

bet365 Key Facts

• Founded in 2000 by Denise Coates in Stoke-on-Trent, UK.
• by Hillside (Sports) ENC.
• Offers sports betting, casino, live casino, poker, and bingo.
• Serves over 80 million customers worldwide.
• Available in English, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Danish, Swedish, Simplified Chinese, Bulgarian, Greek, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Czech, Hungarian, Slovak, Dutch, Estonian, Russian, and Japanese.
• Promotes responsible gambling with tools like Deposit Limits, Reality Checks, Time Out, and Self Exclusion.
• Great live streaming and in-play betting products.

Final Thoughts About bet365

I’ll get right to it; this brand is a solid win in my book. Sure, enhancing payment avenues, weekly offers, and more rewards for loyal punters wouldn’t hurt. However, such shortcomings are dwarfed by the site’s diverse range of well-implemented features — bet builder, cash out, fantasy sports, racing price guarantees, odds boosts, and much more. What truly sets bet365 apart are its exceptional in-play and live-streaming options, which are some of the best the industry has to offer.