3.3/5

Unibet

Item: Unibet
Rating: 3.25
Author: Indran Naidoo

100%
up to
R425 on deposit

Unibet is one of the oldest digital bookmakers in the market, having been founded in 1997 as a betting advice telephone service. They have grown to be one of the biggest betting sites in the UK. When you visit their site it has a green feel good vibe which I quite liked and the betting interface is not too clustered. They have all the events that you could possibly bet on and must rank as having one of the largest sportsbooks on the market. Unibet is licensed by Malta Gaming Authority and the UK Gambling Commission. They are not licenced in South Africa but it is legal for us to bet on their site.

Pros

Excellent variety of sportsbook
Reputable and trusted bookie
It has very competitive odds
Live streaming on selected matches
Super-fast especially with live betting

Cons

Poor customer service
Cash out not always available
Don't have South Africa license
Don't have local currency

Table of Contents

Unibet In a glance

Name: Unibet

Website: www.unibet.com/

Established Year: 1997

Operator: Online Services

License: They are regulated by the reputable Gaming Commissions of the UK and licenced by the Malta Gaming Authority

Products: Sports Betting, Casino, Live Casino, Live Sports Betting, Virtual Sports and Esports

Min Deposit: R100

Max Payout: £ 50 000(R1 000 000)

Head Office: Malta

Currency: EUR, USD, GBP

Unibet Deposit and Withdrawals Options

You can quickly and securely make deposits by credit card, from your bank account, via prepaid cards such as Paysafecard and Ukash or through online money transfer services such as Skrill and NETELLER. Just go to ‘My account’ and select ‘Deposit’ to see all the different methods. You will also be able to see the fees and transaction times for each deposit method. They offer a wide spread of deposit methods that players can use to fund their account that include Skrill, Paysafecard, Bank Wire, Visa, Credit Card and PayPal.

You can always withdraw your funds to a bank account, a VISA card you’ve already used to make a deposit or to your e-wallet accounts such as Skrill and NETELLER. Very occasionally they need to see some documents before we can process a large withdrawal. This is to comply with various legal, security and regulatory rules

Overall Payments Conclusion

They seems to be no issues when making a payment into your account but for such a reputable bookie I would have expected there to be a wider range of deposit options that could have included cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin.

Unibet Customer Service

I must say the customer service is frustrating as they have a telephone number that does not work and then I later found out that the telephone support is no longer available. The live chat service is not visible on their homepage and I had to go to the Help section and type in live chat and then only do you get access to the live chat. This is probably the worst customer service I experienced on any betting site. They have a Unibet community that you can use to ask questions which is not what you want when you have a problem that needs to be resolved immediately.

Registration and Deposit process

The registration process is easy but lengthy and is not the quick process that you may be used to. In total there are 4 steps to follow before the process is complete. After they verify your documentation then you are given the green light to start betting.

The deposit process is also very easy and all you have to do is log into your Unibet account, go to the Deposits tab. From here, select your preferred method of depositing from the long list of available options. Complete the necessary fields and click Confirm. Your account should be credited instantly depending on the method you choose.

How does Unibet operate in South Africa

They are a fairly new bookie to South Africa but have an excellent reputation in the UK. They have an excellent user interface that makes it a pleasure to navigate the site with all the sports listed either in the popular sports section or the A-Z section. Unibet covers all sports and leagues with complete market coverage. Even e-sports and horse racing are available. Rugby, cricket and tennis are all also well-covered which will suit the local punter.

What makes Unibet stand out from other bookies?

The sheer size of their sportsbook is amazing and must rank as a market leader when it comes to betting options for punters. They are one of the only bookies in South Africa that offer live streaming on their site. The matches that you can stream are denoted with a TV sign next to the event. There is also a clear menu along the top of the homepage that lets you see in-play bets, events that you are able to stream after betting on them, and allows you to track your own bets. Its Match Insights are the best feature on the site. They promote intelligent bets with statistical reasoning behind them and give a real sense of confidence. The only drawback is that they aren’t available for all matches.

Welcome bonus and promotions

Unibet has a welcome but it not as good as other bookies. Their welcome bonus is listed as €25 (R425) and is very low considering the competition the sports betting market. They also offer a €100(R1700) welcome bonus to players that register for their casino games.

They constantly have promotional offers like refer a friend. This is excellent as the bonus for your friend joining is a whopping €120(R2040). The other promotion is Odds Booster where you get a bonus as you make more selections on your betslip. They do have a multitude of other promotions but they are on casino betting.

Unibet South Africa reffer a friend promotion

How to place first bet

The process of placing your bet is simple and if you have placed a bet on any other betting site then you won’t have any problems. Even for the first time punter all you have to do is log into Unibet. Click on “SPORTSBOOK “Select the game/match that you would like to bet on. Select your bet type. Enter your bet amount and click Place Bet

Overall betting experience

Unibet’s desktop website is easy to navigate, meaning you never feel lost while navigating the vast catalogue it offers. There is a selection of popular coming and in-play bets on the homepage and an easy-to-navigate menu to the left that lets you navigate by sport. There is also a clear menu along the top of the homepage that lets you see in-play bets, events that you are able to stream after betting on them, and allows you to track your own bets. There are no weird tabs or links that you have to follow as everything is on the homepage. The bet slip is something I did not like as it’s at the bottom of the screen and when you click on it to see your bets it blocks the matches so you have to minimize it in order to continue betting.

Unibet South Africa home page screen shot

How does Unibets odds compare to other betting sites?

The odds on offer are generally on par with other major competitive bookmakers. I have seen on popular events like Football they do not offer great odds but when it comes to the smaller sport their odds tend to be slightly better than their competitors. They also offer the widest range of odds on live betting. I was pleased to see that they also have wide odds coverage of local sports like Rugby and Cricket.

What are Unibet betting limits?

In the South African betting market there is a minimum bet of R1.70 and a maximum payout of R5 000 000. I have given the amounts in rands as their site has these limits in British Pound.

Unibet Mobile version and mobile app

Unibet has mobile apps for both iOS and Android, both of which share the same depth of detail and ease of use as the desktop site. The mobile version is just as amazing as the desktop version and navigation is simple, fast and efficient. The Mobile App unfortunately is not as good as the mobile or desktop version so I suggest using the mobile version until they upgrade the App. The App was much slower and I saw complaints about the App on player reviews as well. The mobile version is also excellent for live in play betting because of its speed.

**The Good about Unibet**

There are many things to like about Unibet and their user interface is a good place to start as it’s the highlight of the site. The speed and ease of navigation makes it one of the best experiences a punter could have. You have to experience it for yourself to understand why I am so impressed. The Match Insight is another innovation that will help in making good betting decisions. They also have other features like the Stats page where a world of information is available at the touch of a button. The Refer A Friend bonus is the most lucrative that I have seen on the market.

The Bad about Unibet brand

While there is a lot to like about Unibet unfortunately there are also quite a few negatives about them. Their customer service is very poor and urgently needs to be addressed as it’s very difficult to contact them. For all the good their desktop and mobile version offer, the mobile App is a disappointment and hopefully they can upgrade the App as soon as possible.

Summary

Unibet is unique in the market for the amount of information and insight it provides for its users. While other sportsbooks offer these statistics, they are often hidden away in separate windows or tabs. Unibet provides these to you up front, presented alongside the odds, helping you to make informed decisions about your bets and giving you confidence in your selections. Their live streaming service on the desktop and mobile is almost unheard of in South Africa and is certainly a market leader in this country.

Unibet is one of the oldest bookies in the sports betting market and that experience has enabled them to provide everything a punter needs on the homepage and this is the reason that I enjoy their user interface. All sports are available from the homepage and this. The one snag that comes across is that the Cash Out feature which is pretty standard in the market these days is only available on selected matches.