Hollywood Bets is an old school, truly local and authentic South African bookie. They’ve been taking bets since 2000 when they opened up their first store in Durban. Since 2006 they have been leaving their mark on the online sports betting industry as well. Their marketing and trademark purple are visible all over South Africa, making them one of the best-known bookies around.
- Very competitive odds, Hollywood Bets have some of the best and quickest odds in the local market.
- 24/7 Customer support, they have a huge team that ensure your queries are answered quickly, with the added bonus of having stores that you can visit if need be.
- Local is lekker, they are a truly South African company, also very involved in charity.
- R25 Sign-up bonus
- Interface, their site is really confusing and complicated.
HollywoodBets at a glance
| url | https://www.hollywoodbets.net/default.aspx |
| Licensed | Licensed by the Gauteng Gambling Board, the Limpopo Gambling Board and the Mpumalanga Economic Regulator. |
| Currency | Rand |
| Established | Opened up shop in 2000 and launched their online platform in 2006. |
| Products | Sports betting, Live play, Evolution Games, Ezugi Games, Jika Sports, Instant WIn, Lucky Numbers and Fantasy Soccer |
| Platform | PC, Android and IOS |
| Quality of odds | Very competitive odds and are usually one of the first sites to post them. |
| Betting limits | The maximum amount any one person is allowed to win per day is 20 Million Rand. The minimum stake is R1, the minimum deposit is R5 and the maximum deposit through third party entities is R199 999. |
HollywoodBets user experience
Unfortunately, Hollywood Bets’ interface is extremely confusing. While their odds are great and they cover almost every sporting event you might want to wager on, getting there is unnecessarily complicated. Their homepage is mostly filled by ads for their promotions and games. This is probably meant to give it the exciting feel of Vegas gambling, but really just distracts from the main service they offer.
To make a wager, you either have to search for the event you are looking for in the search bar hidden between ads on the top right or pick one from the event browser on the left-hand side of the homepage. The event browser has no discernible organizational method, different sporting codes are randomly listed in between their other games.
HollywoodBets cash out
Hollywood Bets make use of the latest trend in online sports betting, namely, the cash out option, which allows punters to withdraw their bets. While most bookies who are implementing this feature allows users to cash out at any time, and get their returns based on the flow of the game, Hollywood Bets only allow you to withdraw your bet before the match starts and the feature is only available on their app.
HollywoodBets sports
Although their layout may be a bit chaotic, you will find a very impressive range in the events they cover. They have local and international events in Soccer, Cricket, Rugby, Horse Racing, Esports, Tennis, Golf, American Football, Aussie Rules, Bandy, Baseball, Basketball, Boxing, Cycling, Darts, Floorball, Handball, Ice Hockey, MMA, Motorsports, Snooker, Table Tennis and Volleyball. Their coverage of Horse Racing is some of the best in the industry, and their odds throughout are very good.
HollywoodBets deposits and withdrawals
When depositing currency to bet with, there is a minimum of R5 which can be deposited through a variety of ways. Hollywood Bets accept bank deposits, EFT transfers, credit cards, Payfast, vouchers, branch deposits, OZOW, Peach Payments, Zapper and SID.
You can withdraw your winnings straight to any South African bank account, or you could physically collect cash at any of their retail stores, which is a super convenient service that they offer. If you do decide to have them deposit the money into your account, they have one of the fastest deposits on the market. It usually only takes about a day, and if you withdraw early enough you might even have the funds available on the same day.
HollywoodBets customer service
Excellent customer service has paved the way for much of the success of this brands. They have a huge pool of employees, who are well trained and friendly. Their 24/7 support allows customers to get quick help at any time.
To reach them, you can submit a query, send an email, phone them, send them a letter, make contact on their social media pages or simply visit their stores.
Another very cool feature is their sports betting blog, which is well written, informative and regularly updated.
Register at HollywoodBets
Registering is pretty standard. They require your name, ID, email address, phone number and home address. After completing this form you will receive your R25 free sign up bet within 30 minutes
HollywoodBets in South Africa
Hollywood Bets is one of SA’s most beloved bookies. The reason for this isn’t necessarily their product, as we’ve discussed, their website is lacking and even though their odds are very good, that alone isn’t enough to make them as big as they are.
Their success can likely be attributed largely to their community. Since the year 2000, Hollywood Bets have been employing South Africans, helping South African charities and simply being an outstanding South African enterprise.
Almost everyone knows their distinctive purple from seeing a close friend or relative working for them wearing their shirt.
They are also the very first South African brand to offer punters virtual sports games to bet on.
HollywoodBets promotions
Even though their sign up bonus could be considered lacking, they give you R25 free bet upon registration, they do constantly have promotions on certain events, especially horse racing. Check in regularly as these promotions are constantly changing.
You can also get an additional R50 free to bet with every time you refer someone to Hollywood Bets.
HollywoodBets App
The app is a little bit easier to navigate and provides all the same functions as the website. So it might be wise to download the app which is compatible to all mobile devices. From time to time there might even be promotions that are exclusive to the app.
HollywoodBets Summary
HollywoodBets is a great local bookie, with very competitive odds and a great reputation. Their downfall, however, is their interface. It’s nearly impossible to make out for a rookie and even veterans will find it unorganized and complicated.
It’s not all bad though, they have comprehensive coverage of all sporting events, efficient customer support and they allow easier access through their app.
If they were to revamp their interface and make it more user-friendly they would be a strong contender for being the top sports betting platform in South Africa.
Hopefully this is something that they are planning to address in the near future.
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