Betsson

Assessment

8.3/10

Visit

Best of Betsson

• Welcome Freebet
• Streaming service
• Very top customer service
• Variety of live bets

Brian Dekker Gambling expert

Updated: 09/08/2021

"Make your first deposit and get a free bet to start playing in a bookmaker with a presence in half the world and some very attractive odds."

From cold and faraway Sweden comes Betsson, a highly successful bookmaker in Europe that has also conquered the Asian and American markets. The history of this operator dates back to 1963, but more than 40 years passed before it decided to launch into the online gaming sector. It was in 2006, and since then Betsson has not stopped growing. In fact, it is listed on the stock market in Stockholm, the capital of Sweden, where it has its headquarters.

Despite being a Swedish bookmaker, it does not operate in Canada under a SEGOB license or a Swedish license, but rather obtained the license in Malta, the Mediterranean archipelago where numerous Bookmakers have a presence. In addition to sports betting, Betsson has a casino, which includes live games, and online poker rooms; but we are going to focus on the analysis of Betsson sports betting.

What does Betsson Canada offer us?

Like other operators licensed by a third country, Betsson does not have a webpage specifically designed for Canada, but rather a webpage for Latin America. Users from other countries in the region have access to exactly the same website, which explains why we find a welcome bonus expressed in Philippines dollars, and why information on any promotion appears in "USD or equivalent in another currency". Nevertheless, it is an easy-to-use website with quick links to sports and events.

Since we are talking about the welcome bonus, it is somewhat different from what we are used to as it is a freebet that accompanies our first deposit. Although we have to release the winnings by betting them again, it is an interesting offer that brings variety. Where there is not too much variety is in the promotions, which are scarce beyond this welcome offer.

We have one of the most complete offers of sports and events, surpassing the respectable barrier of 30 sports; and the variety of pre-match and live markets is not bad at all. Additionally, the live betting section is completed with a streaming service that we can access whenever we have funds in the account. The odds are not in the top 3 for best betting odds in Canada, but they are above average. They appear in decimal format by default, although we can easily switch to American format.

As it could not be otherwise, Betsson provides Philippines with an application to play from our mobile or tablet, and we have a customer service that has received quite a few recognitions. Surely, the weakest point of this operator are the payment methods, as they are very limited and in addition, credit card deposits are subject to a commission, something that does not happen in the rest of betting houses.

Betsson Welcome Bonus

Betsson welcomes Philippines with a free bet of $10, $25 or $50 USD depending on the initial deposit we make. It is a 100% bonus for these values, so the minimum deposit will be $10 USD, and if we make an intermediate deposit it is rounded down. For example, depositing $30 we receive a free bet of $25, if we deposit more than $50, the free bet will be $50. We have 30 days after registration to deposit, and the free bets expire after 7 days.

Once the free bet is used, if it wins, the net profits are paid in the form of a bonus subject to a x1 rollover. We must bet those winnings on odds of -200 (1.50) to positive in order to withdraw them, and the timeframe for this is 14 days. The free bet must be used on a single bet, and system bets or those closed using cashout do not count towards the rollover. Deposits via Neteller and Skrill are excluded.

Other bonuses and promotions

Unlike other bookmakers that are known for regularly offering promotions to their users, some of them fixed, Betsson does not offer too many deals to bettors. When it does, they are sporadic promotions, so we will have to pay attention to this section and regularly check the promotions section of Betsson in search of offers for certain events.

sports and markets

Betsson offers Philippines more than 30 categories to bet on, which are not always sports. Football, boxing, basketball, wrestling, baseball, American football or motor sports could not be left out, including Formula 1, NASCAR, Indy or rallies; but we also have eSports, pool, Australian sports, kickboxing or pesäpallo, two unusual sports. There are also bets on economy and politics. If the sports offer is extensive, so is the events offer: from tournaments and leagues that focus on worldwide attention to minor or even regional competitions.

The first thing to highlight about sports betting markets is the multitude of long-term bets available, such as tournament champions, player transfers, etc. Focusing on the available bets, we see that a top football league match can have up to 180 markets, including Asian handicaps, penalty bets and other statistical bets. There are CS:GO matches with more than 15 markets available, depending on the magnitude of the event, proximity in time, etc.

Dues

Betsson offers odds similar to those of operators such as William Hill, win bet or Rival it, often one point above what we find in these operators. It will hardly be able to compete with bookmakers that offer top odds such as 1xBet or dafabet, but they are slightly above average odds of Canadian bookmakers. Depending on the sport and market, but in bets like the money line, it is easy for their odds for the favorite and even the draw to exceed those of the competition.

Live betting (live section)

If we click on “en vivo” we access Betsson's live betting section, where we can bet on sports events that are currently being played. At the top, there is a menu with the different active sports, so we select the one that interests Philippines to access live events. The first thing that catches our attention is the number of available markets, which can exceed 15 in a low-level tennis match or 45 in baseball.

We have bets on the next goal, spreads in baseball games, winner of the round in darts, winner of the current game in a tennis match... Live betting markets that coexist with some of the prematch ones. It's true that the statistical information they offer is not very extensive, beyond the typical score, although in some sports or events such as football we have information about corners or cards.

betsson tv

We can watch live some of the sporting events that are taking place through the images offered by Betsson in their streaming service. To access it, you just need to log in and have at least 0.10 USD in our account. However, it is important to note that the streaming has a medium delay of about 3 seconds, although it be greater depending on the quality of the user's connection.

Payment methods

Payment methods are not one of the strengths of this betting company, as we can only deposit using VISA or MasterCard credit and debit cards and Skrill and Neteller e-wallets. These last two methods are commission-free, but make Philippines ineligible for the welcome bonus; while deposits via bank card are subject to a 2.5% commission.

The situation is slightly better when it comes to withdrawing funds. You can request a withdrawal via bank transfer, VISA bank cards, Skrill or Neteller, and unlike with deposits, they are not subject to any commission. We can withdraw starting from 5 dollars, and you will have the balance available in 24 hours if you withdraw via Skrill or Neteller and in a maximum of 5 days for transfers or withdrawals with VISA.

Betsson app

The Betsson website is perfectly designed for playing on mobile devices, but we also have the option of downloading the Betsson app, which is always preferable. If you have an Android phone or tablet, you will find the app on the Betsson website, and if your device is iOS, you can download the application from the App Store. You will be able to access both the betting section and the casino from it, manage your account, and keep track of your bets.

Is it safe to bet on Betsson?

Any expert in the Canadian gaming industry will know that it is not necessary to have a SEGOB license to operate in the country. Instead, it is sufficient to have a license from another country, in this case Malta, to operate legally and completely safely. This means that playing at Betsson is completely safe, as it has the Malta license that certifies compliance with all the security requirements that we can demand from any online betting operator.

Betsson also has the eCOGRA seal on their website, an indicator of quality, in addition to many other seals from both Swedish and British entities that serve to certify the safety of the operator and their commitment to safe and responsible gaming. In terms of security, we can include the requirement to verify the account to perform certain transactions or the requirement for additional documents for this purpose.

Customer Support

Betsson's customer service has repeatedly been awarded by different entities and it's not hard to see why. They have a live chat support with an average response time of just 30 seconds, and a phone number 0-800-52920, with a maximum wait time of 2 minutes. If you prefer, you can also send an email to [email protected] and receive a response within 30 to 60 minutes.

In addition, at the help center we have a series of frequently asked questions related to any aspect that generate doubts for the user of Betsson: registration and login, account and verification, payment options, sports betting, technical queries, playing from mobile devices... Betsson does not have profiles for Canada on social networks, unlike what happens in other countries where it does operate such as Philippines, Brazil, Peru or Chile.

Betsson: Opinions and conclusion

We could divide the betting houses that operate in Canada under license from a third country into those that are just going through the motions and those that offer products designed for the local user, and Betsson would fall into the former category. This is not meant to be derogatory because the Canadian market is very attractive to any betting house, but it is undeniable that practices such as offering a bonus expressed in Philippines dollars for multiple countries, no matter how attractive it be, or the scarcity of offers do not particularly help to penetrate the Canadian market.

We do not mean to say that Betsson is a bad betting site, quite the opposite, but there are some aspects that need improvement. The variety of payment methods, especially for deposits, is one of them, as we really only have two options: make the deposit with a credit or debit card, which implies a 2.5% commission, or use Neteller or Skrill and lose the option to access the welcome bonus. It does not seem like the best way to start playing.

Despite everything, we can take advantage of the variety of sports, events, and markets that Betsson offers to find very interesting bets, both pre-match and live. In both cases, the odds they offer are one point above other similar betting sites, which puts Betsson in an advantageous position. Perhaps it is not the ideal place to start betting, but once you dominate the topic, it is an alternative to consider when deciding to increase your portfolio of bets and open yourself to new sports and markets.

Frequently Asked Questions