Bet365 is an industry giant in the online betting world with a customer base of 6 million, stretching across 200 different countries. Initially, I was under the impression that Bet365 was purely a sports betting site that offered every kind of sporting event you could imagine. I was however highly impressed when I visited their site, noticing that they do a lot more than just sports. Players can also enjoy in-play betting, financial betting, poker, bingo, and an increasingly popular an ever-growing online casino.

One of the main reasons why Bet365 stands out from its competitors is its full-featured live dealer casino. The live casino section, powered by Playtech, offers standard and dedicated tables for Blackjack, Roulette, and Baccarat. They are also one of a handful of live casinos that provide games like Live Hi-Lo and Live Sic Bo. In addition, you can play at Bet365 directly from your mobile device without the need to download any additional casino software. The question is, how did Bet365 become an industry leader and where did it all begin? In my review, I will cover the interesting history of the company, take you through the variety of live dealer games they offer, and explore the various aspects of their live casino, including banking, security, customer support, and promotions.

The History of Bet365

Bet365 opened its virtual doors in 2001, but what I didn’t know is that the company started its operations back in 1974. The company is one of the largest UK bookmakers, and unlike other UK gambling companies, Bet365 have kept their headquarters in the United Kingdom, resisting the urge to move their operations offshore. However, the company does have additional offices in both Australia and Gibraltar.

The rich history of Bet365 all started in 1974 when Peter Coates, a businessman from Stoke-on-Trent, purchased several betting shops around the United Kingdom while operating a catering business. He went on the establish the Provincial Racing Chain and gained more shops along the way. The Provincial Racing Chain was only one of numerous interests he had, and I am sure he had no idea how well everything would turn out for him back then. His teenage daughter Denise started her career as a cashier in one of the betting shops and eventually left for college to complete her degree. When she returned, her father made her manager of the entire chain, and as an ambitious woman she was determined to improve the company and its operations. At the end of the 20th century, she noticed the quick expansion of the internet and how fast online betting was taking off and saw this as the perfect opportunity to expand her father’s business.

Denise immediately bought the domain Bet365 in 2000 with the help of her dad securing a loan against the existing betting shop where she quickly started working on the site. Within a year she managed to develop a sports betting site and assembled a dedicated trading team. By March 2001, the brand-new site was ready to be launched. The one key factor that set Bet365 apart from the other leading sports book sites at the time was a number of markets that the site covered. Most accepted wagers on all major sports, but Bet365 was unique in the fact that they also offered lesser known tournaments and leagues, as well as additional sports. The idea was to offer their customers a sport to place a wager on, regardless of the time of day. The concept worked perfectly, and the company established themselves as a trustworthy betting site. Unlike other sites being operated by companies that no one even heard of, Bet365 was operated by a UK based company, along with a physical presence in the form of several betting shops, adding an extra layer of appeal to their business.

Since then, the company evolved over the years by adding additional services and products including bingo, poker, online casino, and a live casino. Today, the site caters to millions of customers around the world, except for the United States. The live casino section is unlike anything else I’ve seen online with a range of exceptional live dealer games to choose from.

Live Casino Software Providers and Games

As I mentioned earlier, the live casino offering at Bet365 is underpinned by the software giant Playtech and apart from offering standard generic tables, Bet365 have also opted in to offer dedicated tables on blackjack, baccarat, and roulette as well as Sic Bo and HI-Lo. I also included an in-depth look at each of their Live casino games to give you a better understanding of what to expect when first venturing through their range of games.

Livedealer.org

Blackjack: The Live dealer blackjack games include 7 seat blackjack and unlimited blackjack with 21+3, Behind Bet, and Perfect Pairs as side bets. What I also find quite impressive is that pre-decision is available and if you are playing by yourself, you are more than welcome to tell the dealer to deal your cards without having to wait for the timer to complete.

Roulette: There are loads of options and tables available under the roulette live dealer section. There is standard European roulette with the La Partage rule available at the French tables, and the introduction of speed roulette if you wish for something a little faster. In addition, I also enjoyed London roulette being available during the evening, complete with a British accent.

Baccarat: The baccarat is available in three main formats and includes Mini-baccarat with squeeze, mini-baccarat without squeeze, standard baccarat, or standard baccarat with a progressive jackpot. There are also loads of additional side bets available on each format to keep you entertained.

Casino Hold’em: Live dealer casino hold’em is not available everywhere and is mostly a poker based game where you are required to make a better five card hand than the live dealer. Very exciting and a great addition to the live casino offering at Bet365.

Sic Bo: There is only one Sic Bo table available at Bet365 and its situated in an Asian studio located in the Sapphire Room.

Hi-Lo: This is a rather simplistic game where you basically bet if the next card will be lower or higher than the previous card. There are also several other betting options to further increase your winning chances.

3 Card Brag: This is basically Playtech’s version of Three Card Poker and is considered a one-handed game against the live dealer. Each receives three cards and then it’s compared to see who has the best hand. You can also receive higher payouts thanks to Pair Plus side bets.

Banking at Bet365

In terms of the more practical aspects of live casino gambling, Bet365 caters to several leading currencies along with 20 different languages. You are likely to play next to an eclectic mix of players from across the globe, so don’t be surprised when you meet someone from Portugal or China. I was also pleased to learn that Bet365 offers a wide variety of payment methods to easily fund your account or cash-in your recent winnings. The payment methods include Paysafecard, PayPal, Skrill, Neteller, Entropay, Mastercard, Maestro, Visa Electron, and Visa.

Making a deposit is usually instant and if you lucky enough to win at one of the live dealer tables, you can expect your winnings to reflect in your account within 3 days when using a debit or credit card and up to 24 hours when using an e-wallet brand.

Security at Bet365

Bet365 is licensed and regulated in Gibraltar, a jurisdiction renowned for their high standards. I also find that since the business has been operating online since 2001, it speaks volumes about its integrity and legitimacy. Apart from the positive reviews by professional writers, the positive comments by the casino players themselves add even more confidence to their site.

The site also utilises the latest SSL encryption for all personal and financial data being sent by players and further ensures fairness and randomness by undergoing various testing through third-party auditing companies like Technical Systems Testing (TST), a division of Gaming Laboratories International.

Customer Support at Bet365

Bet365 makes it extremely easy for customers to get in touch with them if they experience any issues or simply have a question regarding their account. The support desk can either be reached through a live chat facility, through email with a response time of less than 24 hours, or by telephone that is available 24 hours a day and 7 days a week.

Bonuses, Promotions, and Loyalty

Bet365 has a great range of welcome packages, each aimed towards a specific section of the casino games on offer. The first welcome offer is their generic welcome package consisting of 100% match bonus up to a maximum of $200 with a playthrough requirement of 20 times your bonus plus your deposit. The second welcome package is aimed exclusively towards slots with a sensational 200% match bonus up to a maximum of $400 with a wagering requirement of 30 times before a successful withdrawal can be made. The third welcome package is aimed towards high rollers with a generous 50% match bonus up to a maximum of $1,000 along with a playthrough requirement of 30 times. You will also receive loyalty points with every wager that can later be converted to cash once you played through your deposit and bonus.

Summary

Bet365 offers a marvellous live casino section that is powered by Playtech. They not only offer baccarat, blackjack, and roulette, but further extend their offerings by including casino hold’em, sic bo, and hi-lo, making it a great selection of games without the need to register with another live casino. They further impress with stellar customer support, a wide variety of payment methods, and both Asian and European live dealer rooms.