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Betway Review: Is This Sportsbook Legit?

Betway Logo

After making any bet. T&Cs Apply.

My Favorite Parts of Betway

OA BetReview Rating

61/100

Odds Competitiveness

13.5/20

Sign-Up Bonus

6/15

User Experience

9/15

Promos & Boosts

7/10

Market Depth

6/7.5

Deposit & Withdrawal Methods

Payout Speed

Up to 48 hours

Like some other European sportsbooks (bet365 and Unibet), Betway entered the U.S. market when PASPA, a law that had effectively outlawed sports betting, was overturned. So, while they launched in 2006, they’ve only been active in the U.S. since 2021, starting in Colorado and Indiana.

SGHC Ltd owns the sportsbook and it's the company’s flagship brand.

Betway is up and running in 9 states including Arizona, Colorado, Iowa, Indiana, Louisiana, New Jersey, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Virginia.

I’m generally a fan of European sportsbooks. They bring a lot of experience and a different vibe to the U.S. betting scene, where sportsbooks can all feel the same.

Still, standing out doesn’t always mean standing above.

The Betway user experience could be smoother, their odds aren’t always competitive, and slow payouts are a common complaint. 

In addition, the sign-up bonus is only available in Arizona, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania.

Setting those negatives aside, you still end up with an app that offers solid odds boosts, excellent sports coverage, and some pretty unique promotions.

Overall, I'd say Betway is decent but not the best out there. It's not the first place I'd go for valuable odds, but the sign-up bonus and ongoing promotions make downloading the app worth it.

Here are some screenshots of the Betway app to help you get an idea of what it looks like (click to expand):

Betway Sportsbook Quick Facts

Betway

OA Rating

60.5/100

Owner

SGHC Ltd

Launch Date

2006

Sign-Up Bonus

Bet $25, Get $150 Bonus If Your Bet Wins (Claim here)

States

AZ, CO, IA, IN, LA, NJ, OH, PA, VA

Top Features

Odds boosts, promotions

Number of Sports

17 + esports

Payout Speed

1 to 3 business days

Loyalty Program

Betway Plus

Online Casino

Yes

Ratings by Category

Overall Rating

60/100

Betway is in my second tier of sportsbooks, just behind the giants like FanDuel and Caesars. Their selection of sports and the odds boosts are their strengths, but there's definitely room for improvement in their odds, market variety, features, and promotions.

Odds

13.5/20

Offers less competitive odds for main markets (spreads, totals, moneylines), often worse than the 20-cent standard. On the flip side, the futures odds are pretty solid. Learn more.

Sign-Up Bonus

6/15

Betway only has a welcome offer in 3 states: AZ, NJ, and PA. If you're not in one of these states, you're out of luck. Learn more.

User Experience

9/15

Betway is clearly behind industry leaders like FanDuel and DraftKings in terms of UX, though it's easy enough to use once you get the hang of it. The prop bet categorization, especially, is a mess. Learn more.

Promos & Boosts

7/10

A handful of parlay promos and miscellaneous offers simply won't cut it. They need to crank up their promos for existing players. Learn more.

Features

1.5/7.5

They need to expand their features; just offering a basic same game parlay and cash out option isn't enough when competitors are offering more advanced tools. Learn more.

Market Depth

6/7.5

The sports coverage is great but could do with more variety on props and futures bets. Learn more.

Customer Reviews

2/5

Despite high ratings in app stores, the surge of complaints about slow withdrawals and account issues on Reddit and other forums is a bit concerning. Learn more.

Live Betting

4/5

Live betting at Betway is on point, with competitive odds and a broad selection of sports. The inclusion of micro markets is a plus. Bringing in live parlays and streaming could really take things to the next level. Learn more.

Limits

4/5

All good here. There are hardly any complaints from players about having their betting maximums restricted.

Banking

4/5

There are many deposit and withdrawal options, but they need to speed up payouts. Learn more.

Support

3.5/5

There are several ways to reach out to support agents, and the service is efficient. Adding phone support would make it even better. Learn more.

My Favorite Parts About Betway

My Least Favorite Parts About Betway

Betway Odds Competitiveness

ODDS ASSIST RATING: 13.5/20

We analyzed 7,000 recent games from U.S. sportsbooks to find which offers the best odds and—to put it bluntly—Betway wasn't even close. 

It's clear Betway regularly offers worse odds than the leading sportsbooks for moneyline bets, props, and futures.

For spread and total bets, you'll mostly find 20-cent lines (such as -110 on each side) which is pretty standard among sportsbooks. 

When it comes to moneyline odds, Betway tends to lag slightly behind the industry. 

For example, in an NBA matchup between the Clippers and the Bulls that played out while I was writing this review, Betway had the odds set at -245 for the Clippers and +200 for the Bulls. Meanwhile, FanDuel offered -240 for the Clippers and +205 for the Bulls, providing better value for both the favorite and the underdog.

When it comes to futures bets, it’s a mixed bag. They might have slightly better odds for certain markets, at times, but then lag behind in others. That's why I still check their lines when I'm shopping around, and I recommend you do the same.

I've scored Betway a 13.5 out of 20 on my odds rating scale because they generally don't stack up well across the board. Here are three other sportsbooks that consistently offer better odds:

  1. FanDuel: 21/20 (I gave them a bonus point for having the best odds of all books)
  2. DraftKings: 19.5/20
  3. bet365: 19.5/20

Betway Sign-Up Bonus

ODDS ASSIST RATING: 6/15

Betway's welcome offer (bet $25, get $150 if your bet wins) is only available in Arizona, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania, which is a huge downside. 

If you're in any other state, you aren't eligible for any sign-up bonus—something that's pretty unheard of in the U.S. sports betting market.

For more details on how the offer works, visit my Betway promo code page.

I've given Betway a 6 out of 15 for their sign-up bonus. Their promotions just don't stack up in value compared to other sportsbooks, especially considering that Betway doesn't offer an intro promo in the majority of states it operates in. In addition, restrictive terms, like a narrow window to use bonus bets, don't help.

Here are three sportsbooks that beat Betway in the sign-up bonus department:

  1. bet365: 15/15
  2. Caesars: 15/15
  3. FanDuel: 14/15

You can compare all sportsbook sign-up bonuses here.

App & Website User Experience – My Takeaways

ODDS ASSIST RATING: 9/15

You can bet with Betway through its website or mobile apps (iOS & Android). Note that there is a Betway app for each state it operates in—a big downside for big travelers like me who prefer to just use a single app.

The sportsbook uses a basic design without many colors, team icons, or other things that sportsbooks like FanDuel and DraftKings use to make it easier to navigate. 

One of my major frustrations with Betway is the way they've laid out their markets, particularly prop bets. For an NBA game with 140+ player prop bets, cramming them into a single tab can make it hard to find what I'm looking for. If the player I'm interested in betting on isn't listed at the top, I find myself scrolling and scrolling some more to find them.

Betway player props

I have to give credit where it's due: Betway is fast. Whether flipping through different sports or navigating the bet types in the menu, the app responds instantly. It wasn't always this way; the platform used to be notably slow, sparking complaints from many users. Thankfully, they've made substantial improvements, ramping up the speed significantly.

The search function works well. It’s easy to find both competitions and teams, which really helps when you're hunting for specific bets. With that being said, it's not perfect and sometimes mixes things up. Like when I looked up “Celtics,” my target NBA game popped up first, but it also threw in a random soccer game, showing there's still room for improvement in filtering results.

Betway search

I'm also a big fan of how Betway handles their bet slip, especially the way they organize major bet types into separate tabs for singles, parlays, round robins, and teasers. This setup is a breath of fresh air, as many sportsbooks tend to lump all combo bets under a single tab.

Betway betslip

The same game parlay toggle at Betway is a neat feature. With it switched on, it only displays markets eligible for combination in a same game parlay. This is a stark contrast to other sportsbooks where you might pick several markets, only to be told later in the betslip that they can’t be combined. It's a real time-saver.

Betway Same Game Parlay

I understand some might prefer a darker theme (a la DraftKings), but Betway takes it to an extreme. The white font does provide the necessary contrast and slightly improves the situation, but it's not sufficient.

Betway homepage

The mobile app can be glitchy, particularly if you're close to state borders, leading to that bothersome geolocation error seen across many sportsbooks. Additionally, getting logged out for inactivity becomes a nuisance, especially since you're required to re-enter your login details each time.

Finally, the app does include Face ID functionality, which operates seamlessly in my experience.

My picks for sportsbooks offering a much more enjoyable user experience include:

Sports & Betting Markets

ODDS ASSIST RATING: 6/7.5

Betway has a broad selection of sports and a good variety of competitions within each sport. Yet, the depth of betting options available for each game could be improved.

What Sports You Can Bet On at Betway

The sports lineup at Betway should make most bettors happy, but there’s a hiccup: the variety of sports you can bet on changes dramatically depending on your location. In New Jersey, for example, bettors have access to 18 different sports. Cross over to Ohio, however, and the selection shrinks to just 10.

I'd definitely prefer it if Betway kept their sports selection uniform across every state. I get that an identical lineup might not be possible due to regulatory reasons, but I can't see why there needs to be such a big swing in options. It just makes things more complicated than they need to be.

In Ohio, the sports selection sticks to the basics:

  • Aussie Rules
  • Rugby League
  • Basketball
  • Hockey
  • Baseball
  • Motor Sport
  • Cricket
  • UFC/MMA
  • Tennis
  • Soccer

In New Jersey, you can bet on all of the above options plus:

  • Golf
  • Boxing
  • Table tennis
  • Rugby Union
  • Cycling
  • Jai Alai
  • Lacrosse
  • Esports

Betway's roster of competitions doesn't go as deep as I'd hoped. European sportsbooks usually knock it out of the park with how many competitions they cover. Betway, though, doesn't quite hit those highs. Just to give you an idea, they list odds for 15 basketball leagues, while bet365 covers 31. And even in soccer, where you'd think Betway would own it, they're trailing with way fewer competitions offered.

If Betway doesn’t have the sport you're into or you're just looking for more options, these three sportsbooks could be right up your alley:

  • bet365: 25 sports + virtual sports + esports
  • BetMGM: 25 sports
  • Caesars: 23 sports + entertainment awards

Betway Market Variety

Props and futures are where you see sportsbooks trying their hardest to stand out. BetMGM has its signature bets, FanDuel and DraftKings load up on unique player props and seasonal markets. Betway, though, sticks to the basic meat-and-potatoes stuff.

Props

Betway has a decent lineup of player props for major sports, but it's a bit thin on the game and team props. They also tend to roll out their prop lines later than other sportsbooks.

Here's a closer look at what they offer in terms of props for the big leagues:

  • NBA props: You get the standard player props, hitting all the key stats like points, rebounds, steals, blocks, and turnovers. Betway throws in some interesting combos, too, such as combined stats lines for the team's fifth-best player in assists and rebounds (other books usually offer these bets for star players only). However, you're missing out on trending First Basket markets and the broader range of game props, except for plays by period.
  • NFL props: Betway offers a solid suite of NFL props, with options for touchdowns, receptions, rushing, and passing yards. You'll find a sprinkling of quarter- and half-specific options, but team bets are scarce.
  • NHL props: NHL props at Betway outnumber those for any other major sport they offer. You'll find everything from race to X goal props, team totals with alternate lines, both teams to score options, to first period props. I'm particularly fond of their “Fast Market” props, like wagers on the first goal and first penalty.
  • MLB props: Alongside the usual runs, innings totals, and moneylines, Betway has a solid selection of team and game props. You'll find bets like “X team to score first and win,” which team will have the highest scoring inning, and the number of runs in the first scoring play, among others. When it comes to player props, they mostly stick to the basics, focusing on runs and strikeouts.
  • Other sports: Betway's betting options for less mainstream sports don't really impress much. Take tennis as an example. For a big match, like in the Masters 1000, they roll out just over 20 markets, with only 3 being special bets—think player to win the most games, a set ending 6:0, or if there'll be a tiebreaker. You'll miss a lot of the deeper game and set props. And in Premier League soccer, where you'd expect loads of choices, they only have a bit more than 90 markets. That's way less than a sportsbook like bet365, which often offers 140+ markets.

Consider these three betting sites as alternatives as they have a wall-to-wall market depth, including plenty of options you won’t find at Betway:

  • FanDuel: 5/5 for player and game props
  • bet365: 5/5 for player and game props
  • BetMGM: 5/5 for player and game props

Futures

At Betway, the futures bets are on the standard side. In the NBA section, they cover:

  • Individual awards (Coach of the Year, Rookie of the Year, MVP, Defensive Player of the Year)
  • Conference winners
  • Division winners
  • NBA finals winner odds

However, they miss out on one of my personal favorites when it comes to NBA futures: the “to make the playoffs” bet.

For the NFL, you get all the above options plus odds on each team's win total for the season. I'd really like to see more variety here, maybe some draft or player specials like what FanDuel offers.

For a taste of what real diversity in the futures market looks like, check out these sportsbooks:

  • FanDuel: Unique NFL draft specials
  • Caesars: NBA championship exacta (exact winner+runner-up combo)
  • BetMGM: Highest scoring game on a given day in the NHL

Live Betting

Betway offers a solid live betting experience though there are a few areas that could use some tweaking. Market variety and sports selection are quite good. On a regular Friday afternoon evening, you can find live betting for 20+ sports, which isn’t bad.

There’s a good range of wagers per sport. They carry over a hefty chunk of their pre-game bets into the live section. For a typical college basketball game, you're looking at 30+ live betting options to pick from.

Betway offers micro markets, allowing you to dive into the nitty-gritty with bets on specific play-by-play moments, such as who will score the next basket in a basketball game.

The odds are generally fair, but there have been times when I've spotted some significant mismatches, like 32+ cent lines (-108 on one side and -124 on the other for totals and spreads).

The downsides? Betway doesn't offer live streaming, and you can't do live same game parlays either.

I've given Betway a 4/5 for their live betting setup. If you're looking for sportsbooks that excel in live betting, check out:

Betway Reviews from Customers

ODDS ASSIST RATING: 2/5

Even though Betway boasts a 4.1 rating on the App Store and a 3.4 on Google Play, those numbers might not tell the whole story. A closer look at the comments sections reveals a slew of complaints.

The main complaints center on app glitches, less-than-stellar customer support responsiveness, and some hiccups with features' functionality.

Take a look at what some users have to say:

  • Cash out feature issues: Ian wasn't happy with the cash out option. He noticed it only pops up when he's losing but disappears when he might win (see screenshot).
  • Customer support concerns: Carl ran into trouble with support. He got vague answers and had issues with the app freezing up (see screenshot).
  • Technical problems: Daniel had a rough time with slow withdrawals and glitches when trying to place same game parlays (see screenshot).

It's not all negative; there's plenty of good feedback too. Some users have highlighted quick payouts, a great selection of sports, and solid promos at Betway. Here's a look at the positive side:

  • Good sports selection: Ricky was impressed with the variety of sports available at Betway (see screenshot).
  • Nice promotions: Mike shared some love for Betway's promotions on the App Store (see screenshot).
  • Great app overall: Tonya expressed how much fun she's had using the app, highlighting an overall great experience (see screenshot).

I checked out Reddit to see what people are saying about Betway, and it's a bit of everything. There's one thread where someone asked if Betway's legit, and you'll find both gripes and kudos there. But what really made me pause was reading a post about an account getting locked after landing a big win.

These three sportsbooks have a better reputation than Betway:

Deposits, Withdrawals, & Payout Speed

ODDS ASSIST RATING: 4/5

Betway offers a good variety of deposit and withdrawal methods, and based on my experience, their processing times are quick. Here's a bit more detail.

Deposits

You've got 8 ways to fund your Betway account, with the minimum deposit sitting at the typical $10.

Deposits land in your account instantly and don't come with any fees.

It's worth noting that availability for some deposit methods can vary by state. Some deposit options, like PayPal and Venmo, are only available in six states.

Deposit Method

Minimum Deposit

Processing Time

Apple Pay$10 Instant
Play+$10 Instant

Credit/Debit Card (Visa, Mastercard, Discover)

$10 Instant
PayPal$10 Instant
Skrill$10 Instant
Venmo$10 Instant
VIP Preferred$10 Instant
Cash at Casino Cage$10 Instant

Withdrawal Methods & Payout Speed

Betway provides 6 options for cashing out, with a uniform $10 minimum withdrawal across all methods.

They don't tack on fees for withdrawals. However, it's important to note that certain payment processors or banks might take a cut, especially for transactions made with credit cards. In some cases, these can be considered cash advances, which banks tend to charge for.

While there have been some grumbles about slow payouts from Betway, my personal experience tells a different story. I've found them to be swift, usually completing withdrawals within 48 hours. That efficiency earns them a spot on my list of sportsbooks with the fastest payouts.

One important thing to note: withdrawals are only possible to previously verified accounts. Meaning, if your initial deposit was made through VIP Preferred and you wish to pull out your winnings via PayPal, you'll need to have made a deposit with PayPal first.

Withdrawal Method

Minimum Withdrawal

Payout Speed

ACH/Bank Transfer

$10

Up to 48 hours

PayPal$10 Up to 48 hours
Venmo$10 Up to 48 hours
VIP Preferred$10 Up to 48 hours
Skrill$10 Up to 48 hours
Play+$10 Up to 48 hours

Overall, Betway does pretty well on the banking front, but here are 3 sportsbooks that perform even better:

  1. FanDuel: 5/5
  2. BetMGM: 5/5
  3. BetRivers: 5/5

Odds Boosts, Promotions, & Loyalty Program

ODDS ASSIST RATING: 7/10

Betway offers some pretty good odds boosts, but I feel they could step it up with additional incentives. The loyalty program is a nice touch, for sure. Still, it'd be great to see a broader range of promotions for regulars.

Odds Boosts

While Betway doesn’t flood you with odds boosts, the ones they do put out there have potential for real value.

You’ll usually see between 5-10 odds boosts on any given day, all located in their own section for easy browsing. But, as we've seen with other features, the layout is different in different states. This means the exact spot where you'll find these odds boosts can change depending on your location.

In Ohio, for instance, the odds boosts are placed at the very top left on the horizontal menu, whereas in New Jersey, you'll find them right below the search bar, as the first tab at the top of the vertical sidebar. And just to add a bit of complexity, in Ohio, they're labeled as “Betway Boosts” while in New Jersey, they go by “Betway Boosts Enhanced Odds.”

Betway Boosts

The price boosts at Betway are pretty decent, offering about a 10% enhancement.

What's really appealing is that they target realistic outcomes rather than just longshot parlays. You'll find most of their boosts in the +120 to +400 range, which suggests some of these boosts could come with positive expected value (+EV)

One example that caught my eye was a boost for “Zion Williamson and Kawhi Leonard to grab 15+ rebounds combined.” I jumped on that one right away.

Betway mainly targets major leagues with odds boosts, but they occasionally offer some for secondary markets like tennis and golf.

For even better odds boosts, here are three sportsbooks worth checking out:

Promotions

The number of promos you’ll encounter depends on when you play. The promo activity spikes in the lead-up to playoffs of major sports and some marquee events, and that’s when you can expect 5+ deals. During the regular season and off-season, they rotate between 2-4 promos.

Here’s a mix of promotions I encountered during my review and ones I've seen in the past at Betway:

  • Live Bet $10, Get $5 Free on NHL: Bet $10 on any live NHL match and get a $5 bonus bet in return.
  • 15% NCAAB Parlay Boost: Your Saturday college basketball parlay could get a boost from 5% to 15%, based on the number of selections.
  • 40% Soccer Parlay Boost: Increase your soccer parlay odds by 5% to 40%, depending on how many legs are in your bet.

I ended up giving Betway a 2.5 out of 5 for their ongoing promotions and, even that, might have been a tad generous.

For a better range of regular bettor incentives, consider checking out these three sportsbooks:

Loyalty Program

Betway has a loyalty program called Betway Plus. Every time you make sports bets or play casino games, you earn two kinds of points: Tier Tokens and Plus Points. Here's the deal:

  • Tier Tokens: These tokens determine your rank in the loyalty hierarchy. The longer the odds you bet on, the more Tier Tokens you collect. Your loyalty tier is updated based on the Tier Tokens you have at the end of each month.
  • Plus Points: These are basically Betway's bonus currency. You can trade them in for bonus bets and more. The bonuses you qualify for depend on how many Tier Tokens you have and your betting activity. But, don’t forget, Plus Points expire 90 days after hitting your account. Also, you need at least 5,000 points to start redeeming.

Many sportsbooks don’t have loyalty programs, so it’s nice that Betway has one. Still, I think the MGM Rewards Program (BetMGM) and Caesars Rewards (Caesars Sportsbook) offer better perks.

Betway Features

ODDS ASSIST RATING: 1.5/7.5

Betway is fairly barebones when it comes to its features, offering just two:

  • Cash Out: This lets you back out of a bet that's still in play before all your picks have finished. It's nice for dodging those last-minute upsets but comes with a catch: Betway offers a smaller payout than if you'd let the bet fully play out.
  • Same Game Parlays (SGPs): SGPs let you combine bets from the same game, like betting on LeBron James to score over a certain number of points and the Lakers to win. This option is mainly available for the big leagues and soccer.

Looking for more bells and whistles? These sportsbooks offer more features:

Betway Background

Betway was founded in 2006 by Anthony Werkman, who is still the CEO today. Their main office is in Malta, with additional offices in London, Madrid, and Guernsey.

They're among the European pioneers like bet365, William Hill, and Betfair, who started the online betting trend in the mid-2000s. Betway has been a key player in the industry ever since.

Since starting up, Betway has expanded into numerous markets globally including Italy, Belgium, Spain, Denmark, and the UK. They're fully licensed in each of these places, which underscores their legitimacy.

In June 2021, they made the leap to the U.S., kicking off in Colorado and Indiana before expanding to seven more states. They also run an online casino in New Jersey and Pennsylvania.

Betway has teamed up with several sports entities, notably the NBA's Milwaukee Bucks, Golden State Warriors, Chicago Bulls, and Philadelphia 76ers.

Latest Developments

In a surprising move in January 2024, Betway opted out of Massachusetts, even though they had secured a license there just a year earlier.

According to their earnings report released in March 2024, Betway was facing a tough time financially, with €18 million in losses for the quarter and a total of €57 million lost in 2023. 

They've said that they're evaluating their options, which could potentially lead to them pulling out of certain markets or even exiting the U.S. market altogether.

Customer Support

ODDS ASSIST RATING: 3.5/5

At Betway, you're covered with round-the-clock support through various channels:

What's really great is that they've set up dedicated support portals for each state they're in. This means you get FAQs that are specifically tailored to where you're betting from. While many of the questions are common across the board, those state-specific insights could be a real lifesaver.

I've rated their support a 3.5 out of 5. They're quick to respond, but sometimes, getting the right solution can take a bit longer than you'd like.

For comparison, here are three sportsbooks known for their exceptional customer support:

Betway Logo

61/100

If your first bet wins. Varies by state.

In this review