SportsBroker UK Review - Is It Safe or a Scam? (2024)
SportsBroker offers punters to take part in a team pool, rather than simply betting on odds that have been set by a traditional bookmaker. Fresh ideas are welcome in the sports betting world, but how does SportsBroker stack up against its more established rivals? Our review has all the answers, covering areas such as payment methods, safety and security, plus more.
Sportsbroker Overall Score
| Bonus | 5 |
|---|---|
| Sportsbook | 6 |
| Customer Support | 7 |
| Payment | 6 |
| Licensing Safety | 7 |
| Design and Usability | 7 |
| Overall | 6 |
There is no doubt SportsBroker is offering something different to most UK online betting sites, which largely provide the same sports, markets and similar odds to pick from too. The pool betting system is not exactly that lucrative now, but that is bound to change as more and more punters sign up on the site.
While there is a £20 match deposit offer in place for new UK customers who sign up for an account at SportsBroker, there is a 10x wagering requirement for the bonus money. Most people who join SportsBroker are likely to fail to turn the bonus money into real cash. It is worth noting there is no casino option at SportsBroker, though this will not bother everyone.
About Sportsbroker
Sportsbroker was launched in the UK in 2020, initially providing its services for Premier League games. However, four years into the adventure, it remains a rather unknown sports betting service.
Created as a peer-to-peer site where football fans could buy or sell shares in their favourite teams, SportsBroker has moved on and now provides a pool betting system. Previous comparisons to the now-defunct Football Index are therefore no longer relevant.
It operates in a similar way to Tote betting, but SportsBroker still stands alone in the field. As such, the unique offering from SportsBroker is likely to attract increasing attention in the UK. Instead of betting against the bookmaker, punters who place bets on Sportsbroker will be betting against those who backed the other team.
The Yorkshire-based company has also enjoyed a long sports sponsorship deal with Huddersfield Town, which was first announced in February 2021 and later extended all the way through to the end of the 2024-2025 English football season. The SportsBroker logo can be seen on the back of Town players' shirts, with the company thrilled by its ongoing partnership.
Is Sportsbroker Safe?
The SportsBroker site and mobile apps are operated by a company called Sport Brokers (UK) Limited, which is licensed and regulated by the Gambling Commission (Account Number 62840). This ensures that it is completely legal to use for sports betting in the UK.
Taking a look at Trustpilot, Sportsbroker has a decent rating of 3.2 out of five stars. However, it should be noted that most of these reviews were made before Sportsbroker switched to the current pool betting business. Unfortunately, it is still a bit early to make a proper assessment on the general safety of the site, but at least we did not record any poor experiences.
On the SportsBroker mobile betting apps, users can opt to set a pin to login, or choose to enable biometrics login if this is supported by their device. This adds to the security on offer at SportsBroker, making it harder for people to access the accounts of its other users.
Sportsbroker Welcome Offer
Most new UK online betting sites offer welcome bonuses and SportsBroker is no different. Those who sign up for an account are currently being given a £20 deposit match boost when they register. There is a minimum deposit of £10 in order to get the offer here. Essentially, therefore, it is a bet £10 get £10 offer although it could also be a bet £20 get £20 deal.
However, a rather large drawback to the SportsBroker welcome offer is detailed within the terms and conditions, which many customers may not bother reading. The bonus money awarded as part of the welcome offer at SportsBroker will need to be rolled over 10 times within a 30-day period. For example, those who deposit £10 and receive £10 in bonus money into their new SportsBroker account will need to wager that £10 a total of 10 times before it becomes withdrawable.
While having a welcome offer in place is a good sign, the high wagering requirements - which are usually online found in casino welcome offers - may make it difficult to complete the deal and make a profit here.
SportsBroker Promotions
Compared to UK bookies with the best betting promotions, promotions are a bit thin on the ground at SportsBroker. However, the site does provide a refer-a-friend scheme that users can rack up rewards from, should they persuade pals or family to sign up for accounts.
SportsBroker customers will get £25 in bonus funds for every new user that they refer. But as with the SportsBroker welcome bonus, this money will need to be rolled over 10 times. Only customers with an active account - which has been used within the past 12 months - are eligible to use the referral scheme, which does not have a cap on the rewards it pays. More SportsBroker promotions for the site's existing customers would certainly be welcome.
SportsBroker Deposit
Although punters have become used to long lists of approved payment methods, this is not the case at SportsBroker. In fact, the site only accepts deposits via debit card currently. This means that those who like to bet with an e-wallet such as Neteller, or perhaps PayPal, will not be able to do so at Sportbroker.
Furthermore, the minimum deposit is set at £10, which is a downside as quite a few betting sites accept £5 deposits. We could also see more bookies that accept £1 deposits in the future, so SportsBroker significantly lags behind the competition when it comes to deposits in general.
| Payment Method | Minimum Deposit |
|---|---|
| Debit Card (MasterCard, Visa, Maestro) | £10 |
How to Deposit at Sportsbroker
- Log in and enter the SportsBroker cashier, found under 'Wallet' on the mobile app
- Tap on the 'Deposit' button and enter the details from the new debit card to use
- Press the 'save and continue' button in order to keep the card details on the account
- Go back to 'Wallet' and select the debit card linked to the account at SportsBroker
- Choose how much money to deposit, enter CVV and tap to confirm the transaction
- Deposited funds will appear in the account right away so they can be used on bets
Sportsbroker Withdrawal
As with deposits, debit card is the only method for punters at SportsBroker and the consequences of this cannot be overstated. Betting is all about speed these days and having to wait 1-3 days for your funds is far from ideal. If you prioritise fast withdrawals on betting sites, you should opt for another option than SportsBroker.
In order to compete with the best bookmakers in the UK, although SportsBroker will always be different, more payment methods will indeed be needed both for deposits and withdrawals. At the very least, the site should add one e-wallet to the mix and taking a look at the competition, PayPal is available on many betting sites.
| Payment Method | Minimum Withdrawal | Processing Time |
|---|---|---|
| Debit Card (MasterCard, Visa, Maestro) | £10 | 1-3 business days |
How to Withdraw From Sportsbroker
- On the SportsBroker mobile app, tap 'Wallet' on the bottom menu
- This opens the SportsBroker cashier for making deposits and withdrawals.
- Check the account balance and see what bonus money is available to use
- Switch from the deposit tab to withdrawals to see how much can be taken out
- Enter the withdrawal amount required and tap on 'withdraw' to proceed
- Payments will be made to the same debit card that was used to make a deposit
How to Verify an Account at Sportsbroker
New customers who sign up for an account at SportsBroker will go through the first step of verification as they sign up for an account. Filling in the registration form includes giving a mobile phone number, which will then be sent a six-digit verification code in an SMS. New users need to enter this code as part of the sign-up.
When we signed up, there was no email confirmation of account creation at this stage. But getting in touch with customer service via email and providing a few personal details soon ensured the SportsBroker account was up and running and ready to use in a few hours. Further verification checks may be carried out when users go to make a withdrawal here.
As with plenty of online sports betting sites these days, SportsBroker may also require its customers to provide their proof of ownership for any payment method used to deposit or withdraw funds, such as a bank statement. Source of funds - like a payslip - can also be requested by the team at SportsBroker, but it is rare that this will be required by the site.
SportsBroker Sportsbook
SportsBroker is not like a traditional betting site, offering a type of pool betting to its customers, although it still differs from another popular pool betting site Thepools. As there are no odds as set by a traditional bookmaker, players using SportsBroker need to decide which team is going to win a particular match, as well as outperforming the opponent.
Once a player has decided which team to back and how much to stake, that money is added to that team's 'pool'. The figures can be seen by anyone with an account at SportsBroker too. This means it is clear and simple to see which team is preferred by SportsBroker users. For example, when we checked the app, a Europa League knockout match between West Ham and Freiburg had the English side favoured.
So, how does it actually work? At the end of the match, the pool money is divided up and returned to SportsBroker users, with the winning team's pool taking 70% of the losing team's pool. The money is shared according to the stake sizes, so those who laid out a larger bet on that team to win the game will see a larger return.
If the game ends up in a draw, SportsBroker players can win up to 30% of the opposing team's pool based on stats from Opta and SportsRadar. An additional 30% of the total pool for a match is split according to the performance points, such as shots, fouls, offsides etc. In other words, those who backed the losing team could still get some money back in this way. Teams that win dominantly could see the full pot go out to those who backed them.
Football is where the majority of the action happens at SportsBroker. The only other sport covered is the NFL, which has a different points system, but the pot split remains the same. Teams earn 0.10 points for every first down that they record throughout a match, with more points earned for actions such as passing yards and entering the red zone. Losing points happens via actions such as losing a fumble, missing a field goal or even losing yards via a sack.
Competitions such as the Championship, the Champions League and the Premier League are the most popular options to go for, but there is also the chance to bet on matches taking place in the Europa League, the FA Cup, MLS, J1 League and even the Eliteserien. One thing to keep in mind is that some of the more minor competitions have little money being staked, which might persuade players to stick to the more high-profile leagues offered.
While traditional online betting sites make their money from the 'margin' - the difference in the odds provided - SportsBroker takes 20% of any rise in the value of the winning team's pool. Once players have picked which team they want to back, they can check out the progress of their wagers in the 'my bets' section.
SportsBroker definitely has a unique twist on sports betting, but limited options are offered. Those who enjoy browsing the dozens of markets for a typical Premier League game will find the stripped-down options at SportsBroker take a bit of getting used to. The lack of traditional betting odds - so often a guide to the likely result - is also something of note.
As SportsBroker still is a relatively new betting site, with not that many customers, the potential winnings will often be rather low. This is because winnings mainly are made from the stakes of those backing the opposing team.
SportsBroker Mobile App
Like a lot of new sports betting sites in the UK, SportsBroker operates primarily as a mobile app. While there is a desktop site that can be used, the app is the best way to play on it.
The app is well designed and easy to navigate around, but some users have complained about experiencing a range of bugs. Reports include being locked out of accounts, or being unable to get the app to work at all. Nevertheless, while the SportsBroker mobile apps for iOS and Android have not been downloaded a large number of times - especially compared to top mobile betting apps such as Bet365 - they have so far received mostly positive reviews from the app users to date.
Indeed, it has a rating of 4.1 and 4.2 out of five stars on iOS and Android respectively. It is easy to see why, as SportsBroker is a simple app with few of the bells and whistles that can be found on other mobile betting apps, clogging up the software and making it slow to run. The mobile app is rapid with no issues around loading times, each page loading very quickly.
One thing missing from the SportsBroker mobile app - and the site in general - is a lack of live sports streaming. There are text commentaries and stats available to help users follow the ongoing action, but unlike at some top UK online betting sites there are no live streams.
SportsBroker Responsible Gambling
Anyone who is considering signing up at SportsBroker will probably want to know that responsible gaming is taken seriously. The site's responsible gaming page states that "At SportsBroker, we take our responsibility to protect you very seriously", but is this the case?
As is true for most online betting sites in the UK these days, there are various controls that can be used by SportsBroker customers. The simplest of these is a deposit limit, which can be set for either daily, weekly or monthly. Players can set this control for themselves in the SportsBroker account settings area, or ask customer service for help in changing it up. Increases to deposit limits only come into effect after 24 hours, reductions are immediate.
Ordering limits can also be set at SportsBroker. This places a limit on the amount of orders that can be placed on the site during a set period - again, either daily, weekly or monthly. Furthermore, SportsBroker customers are able to assess all of their orders, results, deposits, withdrawals and pending orders within their account settings.
Self-exclusion and account closure are other options that can be found here, or users can contact customer support. Users are recommended to play responsibly and only with what they can afford. Details on how to get gambling addiction help and support from Be Gamble Aware are also provided.
SportsBroker Customer Support
The live chat service is the easiest way to contact customer service at SportsBroker. Running around the clock, the 24/7 live chat is fast, friendly, reliable and very helpful. Finding live chat on the SportsBroker mobile app is easy. Tap on the menu icon in the top-left corner of the screen, select the 'contact' option and choose the live chat option from the next menu.
For those who to get in touch via email, it is possible to drop a line to the site's [email protected] address. Naturally, the responses will be slower than live chat. However, we found that even during non-office hours email responses were quite prompt. At the moment, there does not seem to be a UK telephone customer service number offered. An FAQ also appears to be missing and this would be a handy addition for users with issues.
Customers who have decided that they no longer want to use SportsBroker's pool betting services are able to request an account closure - email [email protected].
In the event of any complaints, the user should email the team with their first name, surname and a detailed explanation of the issue. Those who do not receive a satisfactory outcome after making a complaint to SportsBroker are able to refer the dispute to Independent Betting Adjudication Services either by email at [email protected] or by telephone on the 44 (0)20 7347 5883 phone number.
| Chat | Yes |
|---|---|
| [email protected] | |
| Phone | - |
| Opening hours | 7 Days a week, 24/7 |
How to Get Started at SportsBroker
If you are looking to sign up for an account at SportsBroker, you can follow our step-by-step guide below:
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Download the App and Tap on ‘Join Now'
You could also use the SportsBroker website, but we would recommend completing the registration on the app and using the latter for the betting as well. You can use our link at the top of this page, or in the bottom banner, which will bring you straight to the app.
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Enter Your Personal Information
In the first step of the registration, you will need to enter your personal information such as full name, date of birth, email and home address. You also need to provide your telephone number here.
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Choose Your Account Details
In the second step of the registration, you will need to create a username and a password for your SportsBroker account. You will also need to opt in/out of marketing messages and accept the T&Cs.
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Tap on 'Join SportsBroker' and Complete Verification
Once you have done the above, you only need to tap on the blue 'Join SportsBroker!' button to finish the registration. Immediately after, you will be sent a verification code to your telephone number. Enter that code and tap on 'Continue' to fully finish the process.
User Reviews
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