Coral UK Review - Is It Safe or a Scam? (2024)
Coral, one of the UK’s largest bookmakers, has been in operation since 1926 and provides various gambling products such as sports betting and casino games. In this review, we will take a closer look at everything that Coral has to offer, highlighting some of the pros and cons so that you can make an informed decision about whether to sign up or not.
Coral offers
Coral Overall Score
| Bonus | 9 |
|---|---|
| Sportsbook | 9 |
| Casino | 8 |
| Customer Support | 9 |
| Payment | 8 |
| Licensing Safety | 9 |
| Design and Usability | 8 |
| Overall | 9 |
Coral has become a very popular sportsbook among punters and one can certainly understand why, with a great range of sports and markets as well as low betting margins. On top of that, there is a generous welcome offer up for grabs along with some nice promotions.
Live streaming is offered for many sports events and all of the key features can be accessed through the app as well, making for a convenient on-the-go betting product. The casino section, albeit perhaps not as developed, is certainly sufficient and this makes Coral a very good all-round solution for UK punters.
About Coral
Coral is one of the UK's oldest betting brands, with its history going back almost 100 years. It was founded by a man named Joe Coral all the way back in 1926 and it still trades under his name to this day, running in the region of 2,000 betting shops in the UK, as well as its website.
Starting out with betting pitches at racecourses, Coral then moved into speedway betting and also ran greyhound racing pitches before creating his first licensed betting office in 1961. A merger with Mark Lane in 1971 helped to boost Coral's expansion and, in the 1970s, the Coral Leisure Group moved into a range of other big departments, including bingo.
Coral has since been the subject of various ownership changes, including the purchase by Ladbrokes in 2016 as the merger passed, following the sale of hundreds of their betting shops. GVC Holdings then moved to purchase the new company in March 2018, a deal that was reported to be worth around £4 billion in total. GVC has since rebranded as Entain, which also runs top betting brands including Bwin and PartyPoker.
In this review, we will take a closer look at everything that Coral has to offer, from its betting markets to its customer service. We will also highlight some of the pros and cons of using Coral so that you can make an informed decision about whether it is the right gambling site for you.
Is Coral Safe?
Coral is regarded as a trusted betting brand in the UK. The site is licensed and regulated by the Gambling Commission in the UK, meaning the site adheres to a certain set of standards and rules.
Furthermore, the games on the Coral site have been "rigorously tested and certified as fair and random by an independent test house" to ensure that they provide 100% fairness to the betting brand's customers.
However, it should also be noted that Entain - the company that owns both Coral and Ladbrokes - has been fined on a couple of occasions by the Gambling Commission. The most recent one, back in 2022, involved a whopping £17m fine due to anti-money laundering and social responsibility failures.
Coral Welcome Offer
Just like its sister site, i.e. Ladbrokes, Coral offers new customers who sign up on the site a bet £5 get £20 deal. Considering that the stake is so low, and that it gets fourfolded, we think this is one of the best welcome offers on the market. So what are the terms and conditions that you need to fulfil? Well, it is actually very simple.
New customers at Coral just need to place a £5+ bet as their first one, within 14 days of registration, at a minimum odds of 1/2 (1.50). Unlike the Ladbrokes offer, which has a 4x£5 free bets structure, the Coral one will be credited as a £20 free bet after the qualifying bet has been placed. It can be used on any sport but some markets are excluded, such as multiple bets.
It is important to note that the free bet will expire after 7 days and of course, the stake will not be returned with potential winnings. Nevertheless, we think the Coral offer is a really good one and it is certainly a reason to sign up on the site. Even if just to claim the welcome offer and then leave.
Coral Promotions
Since Coral is such a well-established site, it comes as no surprise that the promotions section is rather comprehensive. There is something for almost every punter, although there is a clear focus on football and horse racing. These are the two most popular sports to bet on in the UK, so it certainly makes sense. Of course, it should not be forgotten that the welcome offer can be used for any sport.
In any case, horse racing enthusiasts will likely be very happy with the promotions at Coral as best odds guaranteed, extra places every week and Tote Placepot is in place. The extra places are a very nice touch and it must be said that Coral is generous with this as well. Similarly to the latter, odds boosts are also regularly offered for most sports, including Snooker for which Coral is our bookmaker champion.
Football fans can take part in the free-to-enter game Football Super Series, with £100 cash up for grabs. Players need to answer four questions about an upcoming game, such as who will win the game or how many corners will there be. It can thus be a rather tough one but the fact that there is no stake makes this a fun game. It should be noted that players can enter the game just once per week.
Coral also offers a free-to-enter game for horse racing, called Racing Super Series, and here players just need to pick one race to place in seven selected races. There is a £25,000 jackpot up for grabs and although the payouts can sometimes be low, it is certainly a fun game for sport of kings enthusiasts to try. This, in addition to other sportsbook factors, is why Coral is among the top ten horse racing bookmakers in our opinion.
Coral Deposit
The number of payment methods has become increasingly important for betting sites in recent years, with customers looking for flexibility and above all to use e-wallets. There are some really good sites for that method but as far as Coral goes, improvement could be made on that front.
As per the information on the website, the popular PayPal and the pre-paid solution Paysafecard are available for those who do not want to use a debit card, or even Apple Pay which has grown in popularity. The likes of Neteller and Skrill are listed on the site, but not in the UK section and they are thus most likely not available.
Below is all the information you need about the payment methods at Coral:
| Payment Method | Min. Limit | Max. Limit | Transaction Fee | Processing Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Visa
| £5 | £2,000 | No Fees | Instant |
Mastercard
| £5 | £2,000 | No Fees | Instant |
Paysafecard
| £5 | £2,000 | No Fees | Instant |
Paypal
| £10 | £2,000 | No Fees | Instant |
Apple Pay
| £5 | £2,000 | No Fees | Instant |
Google Pay
| £5 | £2,000 | No Fees | Instant |
Instant Bank Transfer
| £5 | £2,000 | No Fees | Instant |
How to Deposit at Coral
- Make sure you are logged into your Coral account
- Tap on the account icon in the top right corner
- Tap on 'Deposit' and choose your preferred payment method
- Enter the deposit amount and the payment method details
- Tp on 'Deposit' to complete the process
Coral Withdrawal
The list of withdrawal methods at Coral is fairly comprehensive, though customers will not be able to find any e-wallet options, which is a rather big disadvantage. Not even PayPal, which is one of the deposit methods, can be used to withdraw funds and that is a bit strange.
Fortunately, punters who like sites with fast withdrawals will not be disappointed at Coral either, with Instant Banking available. With this method, customers can have the money in their bank account within just minutes! More and more sites are offering this and it is bound to become the most popular withdrawal method.
Below is everything you need to know about the withdrawal methods available at Coral:
| Payment Method | Min. Limit | Max. Limit | Transaction Fee | Processing Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Visa
| £5 | Not specified | No Fees | 1-3 business days* (*Up to 4 hours with Visa Direct) |
|
Mastercard
| £5 | Not specified | No Fees | 1-3 business days |
|
Apple Pay
| £5 | Not specified | No Fees | 1-3 business days |
Bank Transfer
| £5 | Not specified | No Fees | 2-4 business days |
|
Instant Bank Transfer
| £5 | Not specified | No Fees | Within minutes |
How to Withdraw From Coral
- Make sure you are logged into your Coral account
- Tap on the account icon in the top right corner
- Tap on 'Withdraw' and choose the preferred payment method
- Enter the amount you would like to withdraw
- Tap on 'Withdraw' to complete the process
How to Verify an Account at Coral
Coral has a KYC (Know Your Customer) process in place to verify the identity of its customers, meaning certain information has to be provided for a punter to register on the site. Usually, Coral will be able to verify the identity of the customer by using the information provided in the registration form.
However, at times, Coral will ask customers to provide additional information such as:
- Proof of ID: Photo of Passport, Driver's license or national identity card.
- Proof of Address: Utility bill or a bank statement
It is important to comply with this process, should Coral ask you for additional information, as failing to do so could result in an account suspension. Customers can upload these documents via the 'Document Uploader' at Coral, which can be found in the 'My Account' section.
Coral Sportsbook
Coral's sportsbook is more about substance than style, with a mediocre design made up for by a fantastic selection of sports and a great depth of markets. While football is the top sport to bet on, those who join Coral can also bet on everything from bowls and chess to hurling and handball, meaning the site is truly an all-round betting solution. Some of the sports include:
- Football
- Horse racing
- Tennis
- Snooker
- NFL
- And more
Taking a Premier League game as an example to investigate the markets, Coral usually offers around 200 markets for a game, which is certainly decent although some sites do offer more. The essentials markets and a bit more on top are there, though, and the bet builder feature is nice for punters who want to build their own market. Coral Cash Out is also offered for most of the markets.
As for the betting margins, our tests showed a very low average of 5.84%, which is great compared to some of the competitors. Betting margins is something that most punters tend to overlook, unfortunately, but those joining Voral can feel comfortable that the price offered is usually a good one.
In addition to the comprehensive coverage of sports, with live streaming offered for many events, there are also many special markets for political events and television shows at Coral. Placing bets on Esports has grown in popularity at a rapid rate as well, with Coral offering its users the chance to bet on games including Dota 2 and CS:GO. Having said that, some competitors such as Betway have a more comprehensive Esports offering.
Virtual sports can be found within the sportsbook section of the Coral site as well. The choice of virtual dogs, virtual football, virtual basketball or virtual racing is the same as people can find at Ladbrokes, with the two sister betting brands sharing the same virtual sports betting platform.
Coral Live Streaming
Live streaming is one of the main areas of strength at Coral. Customers can tune into horse racing from around the world, as well as UK meetings, while there is plenty of football to watch too. At the time of writing, Coral was showing top cup action from both Italy and Spain, while tennis, snooker and ice hockey are among the many other sports that are often available too.
Coral Casino
While Coral is one of our top 10 expert picks for sports betting, people might be more unsure about choosing this historic gambling brand to play online casino games such as slots or poker. Anyone who has been to the Ladbrokes casino site will feel at home if they go to Coral, with the two sites sharing the same casino offering.
Slots tournaments are one of the things that help the Coral casino stand out when compared to a lot of the other top online casinos in the UK. Players can join slots tournaments at Coral from 14:00 daily and there are strong prizes up for grabs for those who finish at the top of the tree.
Live Casino games are becoming very popular among players, with Coral making sure it has a very good offering in this department. Coral launched the live casino area a few years ago and it has gone from strength to strength. Old-school casino classics like baccarat and blackjack sit side by side with more modern games such as Monopoly Live, Crazy Time and Cash or Crash Live in this part of the Coral casino site.
Promotions are what draw a lot of people in the UK to the best online casinos, of course, with Coral working to appeal to both new players and to keep existing customers coming back for more. We have teamed up with Coral to provide a £10 get £50 welcome offer, with wagering requirements at 40x, while existing customers can try their luck on the free-to-play Rewards Grabber once a day.
Jackpot games are always popular at online casinos and this will be the case at Coral too. At the time of producing this complete Coral casino review, the site had a £1m+ million top prize up for grabs. There are also many games with smaller jackpots, making for a great selection in that sense.
Coral also has dedicated sections for Bingo and Poker, with players having to download a client program for the latter. Overall, just like with the sportsbook, Coral has made sure to cover all bases and while no casino section shines, the all-round approach should not be underestimated.
Coral Mobile App
Most of the top betting brands in the UK have a range of mobile betting options. Coral, like its rivals in the industry, has a solid mobile site as well as mobile betting apps for both iOS and Android. It boasts ratings of 3 and 4.1 out of five stars on the App Store and Google Play Store respectively, which is indeed decent.
Punters should note that there are two separate apps, one for the sportsbook and one for the casino section. As for the former, it is very similar to the mobile website and those making the switch to the app will thus have no issues. And all of the features that are available on the mobile website, such as live streaming, are available here as well.
Overall, the Coral app offers a pleasant experience and an easy-to-use design, though some could argue that it could use some updating. Most of the apps provided by the UK bookmakers, in fact, are rather dull but the important thing is that the core features work well.
Most punters now only use the app to place bets and this means that brands such as Coral have to place a great amount of focus on the platform. If there are any quirks, therefore, it is likely that they will be fixed in the near future. Not to mention new features being added all the time.
Coral Responsible Gambling
It is easy for punters to get caught up in all of the enticing welcome offers and promotions these days, increasing the risk of gambling addiction. Therefore, especially for the big sites, it is important to have several responsible gambling tools in place. Coral has made sure of these, with tools included but not limited to:
- Deposit limits (daily, weekly, monthly)
- Reality checks
- Self-assessment tool
- Self-exclusion
New customers, as well as existing ones, should reflect on their betting habits and set deposit limits. These can go a long way to avoiding an addiction, and spending more money than you would have liked. Of course, some more serious tools are needed in some cases, and these are available at Coral.
Coral Customer Support
Coral does have a good amount of customer support options available, with social media and live chat offered by the brand. However, in our testing, we found it quite difficult to reach these options. Customers need to find their topic on the FAQ page and then tap on 'Yes' to the question 'Do you need more help?'.
Once customers have reached the options, though, the support is very good as agents generally respond quickly. The support is available 24/7 on social media - Facebook, Instagram and X - and via live chat, but customers can also email or phone the support team.
Overall, therefore, Coral has good customer support thanks to the many options offered. It is something you would expect from such a big betting site, though, and only the new UK betting sites tend to come up short. The FAQ page is also very comprehensive, it should be noted.
| Chat | Yes |
|---|---|
| help@coral.co.uk | |
| Phone | 0800 44 0011 |
| Opening hours | 7 Days a week, 24/7 |
How to Sign Up On Coral
If you are interesting in creating an account on Coral, you can follow our step-by-step guide below:
Head Over to sports.coral.co.uk and Tap on ‘Join'
You can use our link at the top of this page, which will also bring you straight to the exclusive welcome offers for the sportsbook or the casino, depending on which you choose.
Choose Your Account Details
In the first step of the registration, you will be asked to choose your account details - username and password - and to enter your email address. You will also need to choose your country and currency. Tap 'Continue' once that is done.
Enter Your Personal Details
In the second part of the registration, you will be asked to enter your personal details such as full name and date of birth. Tap on 'Continue' once that is done.
Enter the Final Details
In the final step of the registration, you will be asked to provide your home address as well as telephone number. You will also have to opt in/out of marketing messages.
Tap on ‘Create My Account’ and Start Betting!
The registration process is now done! Remember that some of you might be asked to provide additional documents, as Coral must verify the identity of its customers.
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