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Mobile Sports Betting Apps
Phones have overtaken our everyday life and changed everything, sports betting included. So, in this article, we are going to introduce you to the world of mobile betting apps. Moreover, we’ll take a look at how different they are from mobile betting sites and give you a few pointers about how to choose the best one.
Sports Betting Apps — How We Rate Them And What We Look For
Have you ever tried betting on your smartphone? If not, you have to try it — we bet that you’ll love it. To help you decide which app fits you best, we’ve comprised a list of things our reviewers look for in an app so that you can make an educated decision.
1. The Platform — What Features Does It Offer?
Now that sports betting apps are gaining popularity, the bar for their quality has gone up. They are no longer just a simple extension of their respective websites — now, they stand on their own.
In our opinion, a great betting app has to offer a wide range of features, including:
- Cash out
- Easy betting slip management
- In-play betting
- Live streaming
2. Bonuses — Mobile Exclusive or Not?
More often than not, mobile apps provide punters with better markets, and now, they even provide better bonuses. Online bonuses apply not only to desktop players but also to mobile punters. Still, sports gambling apps often offer great sign-up incentives. For example, at Bet365, you get “100% matched up to £200” while at Paddy Power, you are offered “bet £10 – get £30”.
3. Interface — User-Friendly or a Nightmare to Navigate?
This is one of the most important things to look out for since apps differ from one another greatly. When you’re betting on your phone, simplicity and functionality are essential. Are you having trouble navigating the market selection? What about finding promotions and specials? How easy is it to submit a withdrawal request? These are major questions that we answer for you when ranking a site.
4. Number of Markets
If an app doesn’t provide a market for the sport you are interested in, all of the previous points don’t matter. A sports betting app should provide everything a desktop website offers. So, whether you’re interested in top-class football, lower-class games, horse racing, or very niche markets like political betting, an app has to offer a wide range of markets to please everyone.
Types of Sports You Can Bet on With Mobile Betting Apps
1. Check Up on the Ponies — Horse Racing Betting Apps
When we say gambling, ponies are the first thing that pops into most people’s minds. Since horse racing is so highly associated with gambling, a good betting app has to provide great coverage of this sport.
One might say that mobile betting apps were made for horse racing. Why? In two words — fluctuation and live streaming. Horse racing is perfect for a mobile device because odds often fluctuate. Things can get quite tense a few minutes before every race. So, with a mobile betting app, you can react quickly.
Furthermore, one of the greatest features of an app is that you get to watch and react to a live race. Bet365 and Paddy Power offer a live-streaming option in return for only a 50p or £1 bet. Also, you can watch replays of the race as well as pre-race simulators.
William Hill is also a great horse race betting app that rivals Bet365 and Paddy Power. These three provide great coverage of UK, Irish and international races. Also, they offer great markets, and most importantly, “Best Odds Guaranteed” on Irish and UK racing.
2. The Champions League and Beyond — Football Betting Apps
Without a doubt, football is the most popular sport to bet on worldwide. Like horse racing, there are various reasons mobile betting is an essential tool for football lovers. There has been a shift towards live, in-play betting, which entails a mobile app that accommodates just that.
For example, the William Hill app has a wide range of in-play markets. It offers a partial cash out, live streaming, and a score tracker. In addition, the app has “Your Odds” markets, which allow users to create their own custom selections for football betting.
Even though most sites highlight football, Betfair, Sky Bet, and Paddy Power apps rank at the top of our charts. These apps have earned their place because all three have:
- A very user-friendly interface
- Quick updates of the odds
- A lot of promotions
3. From Wimbledon to Roland Garros — Tennis Betting Apps
Tennis matches are played every day, which means that betting on them is very popular as well. The app that stands out from its competitors is Betfair because it offers unmatched coverage of ATP and WTA Tours. Also, Betfair has a great promo — if your selection loses the first set but wins the match, you get double the odds.
While Betfair is our top pick, Royal Panda’s coverage doesn’t fall behind when it comes to tennis betting. It also provides great statistics and animations for live events.
4. Check on Those Innings — Cricket Betting Apps
Top-level cricket events happen all year round, even if County Cricket and the Test Series aren’t in season. Players love betting on overseas matches just as much as they do on domestic ones. Matches like the Indian Premier League and the Big Bash League are huge events. Thus, it’s only natural that a true cricket lover needs access to an app that will cover those and many more cricket events.
William Hill’s app is often credited for having a great cricket betting variety. The app also covers the more and more popular world of women’s cricket. Still, our top pick is Sky Bet because it has a great offer for players — place two £5 Request a Bets through the app, and you can get a £5 free bet.
The Battle of the Greats — Apps vs Mobile Sites
Not a fan of downloading? No worries. You can still bet on the go. The solution is quite simple — mobile websites.
However, even though mobile sites are a great alternative, they don’t always offer the same seamless experience as apps do. To explain, mobile sites differ from their respective apps in terms of speed and features. On the other hand, every betting site has a responsive design nowadays, which means that the site will fit your phone’s screen.
Mobile sites don’t require a download, but more often than not, they don’t offer the same number of features, load time, and functionality as apps. Still, apps usually come with great features and functionality, but they do need installation and updates.
Betting Apps — Now Available on the Android Play Store
Betting apps weren’t available to Android users until recently because of Google’s policy against gambling-related content. Developers overcame this by using download links from the apps’ respective sites. Luckily, Google’s policy changed in July 2017.
Now, Google allows both content and services, as well as ads that relate to gambling. However, they do have to meet specific criteria — just like any other app. What’s more, Google allows daily fantasy sports apps, again, provided that they meet certain requirements. Overall, Google really came through as far as betting lovers are concerned.
While it was annoying to wait for such a long time before Google changed its policy, the result is worth it. Now you can download apps from the Play Store with absolute confidence that the product meets the required privacy and security policies.
Is Free Betting Available or Even Possible?
1. Available Free Apps
Most betting apps won’t charge you for downloading them. You can use the Apple App Store, Google Play, or download them directly from the bookie’s website.
Apps have the advantage over other forms of betting, as they offer specific benefits. Features like notifications and better functionality or a user-friendly interface come in handy. In addition, you should be able to try out most of the features without depositing or signing up. However, you can still access top bookies through their mobile site if apps are not your cup of tea.
2. Mobile-Friendly Free Bets
A free bet is usually a bonus that bookies offer players when they sign up. This kind of promo guarantees a risk-free wager, and it’s one of the most popular ones. Still, these bets can be awarded over the course of your betting, too. Acca Insurance is one of the options.
Using free bets on apps is usually easier than doing so through websites.
Pay by Mobile Betting Sites
While not all bookies offer a Pay by Mobile feature, it has become popular among punters. Pay by Mobile means that the amount is added to your phone bill, or debited from your Pay as You Go credit. It’s a very convenient feature, and every major UK mobile network supports it, including O2 and Vodafone.
So What’s The Verdict?
There are no two players that are the same. Since there are so many different expectations and tastes, it’s almost impossible to crown the best betting app. For example, Karamba Sports is extremely user-friendly, and it has a gorgeous design. Another example is Betfair; while its design is a bit clunky, it offers access to many markets. Moreover, the app lets you lay a bet via the exchange.
Innovation is something we look for in everything, and betting apps are no exception. Luckily, bookies like Paddy Power, Sky Bet, and William Hill are constantly working towards bettering their products.
It’s safe to say that the betting industry changed forever when apps came into the picture. In our opinion, it has changed for the better. Sports betting has always been about finding the right odds at the right time. Now that we have the opportunity to carry hundreds of markets in our pockets, mobile betting makes sense. The ability to stay on top of the game by using apps is the best chance we’ve got to beat the bookies.