River LambertWith this letter of introduction we are very interested in discovering what Bethard can offer us, and see if it is up to the task. Although, as in most bookies, the sports and live betting sections are differentiated, if we click on the first one, what appears in the centre of the screen are the live markets. A section that on the other hand is not bad at all.
The layout of the page is similar to that of other bookmakers such as Luckia, so navigation is really simple and intuitive. They have chosen a base of black and grey tones on which we find yellow and white details, so that the reading is quite comfortable for the user. The sports are perfectly ordered on the left side, and by clicking on any of them you can access the different events and markets.
Bethard has top providers, which translates into a good range of sports and markets to bet on, both in the live betting section and for prematch users. However, the language is different to that offered by most bookmakers, which can cause some confusion for inexperienced users. For example, instead of handicap there are times when the term “spread” appears; instead of “less than 2.5 goals” the market is “under 2.5 goals”… Literal translations such as Rugby League or Rugby League should be improved.
Otherwise, this is a pretty complete bookmaker. We even have an app to play from our mobile devices -which also includes a casino-, a good selection of payment methods although there are some notable absences or a 24-hour customer service chat. As a curiosity, when selecting a bet the coupon appears on the right side of the screen but in the lower margin a yellow bar is activated which indicates the selections and takes us to the coupon without clicking on it.
Sports and markets
Bethard has more than 20 sports, including the most popular ones (football, basketball, tennis) and others such as Muay Thai or cricket that could be described as exotic. We can also bet on eSports, and in the list of sports we find the heading “Specials” with bets on politics or British television programmes, such as the BBC Sports Personality of the Year or ‘Dancing on Ice’. However, be careful with the name of some sports, such as rugby or speedway, which appears as “Track racing”.
As for the markets available, we really can’t complain. For example, in any given La Liga match, there are more than 110 bets, including team goals, handicaps and Asian totals, fouls, offsides and even shots on goal. However, bets on corners or cards do not appear. In tennis we get close to 30 markets per match, in an NBA or Euroleague basketball match we easily exceed 50, in American football you can find up to 100 options in a match…
Odds
Bethard’s homepage lists La Liga, ATP tournaments and eSports as “sports with high odds”, and it is true that their odds are usually a bit higher than what the competition is offering. This does not necessarily mean that they are the best, although it must be said that in three key sports such as La Liga, ATP and the booming eSports, they offer excellent odds. In others, such as the NBA or the Champions League, they are somewhat weaker, but in general terms we are talking about average odds that, depending on the event, can be a few cents higher or lower than those of the competition.
Live section (live betting)
If we click on Live betting we go directly to the live section of Bethard, where the events are sorted by sport. This way, we can go directly to the sport we are interested in and find the event we are looking for first. Sports such as football, tennis, basketball, ice hockey or volleyball are just a few examples of what we can find in this section. Depending on the event, the number of bets available will be higher – the Champions League is not the same as the Kazakh volleyball league. We have a good variety of markets, which are updated quickly, and extensive statistical information.
Accepted payment methods
Bethard allows us to deposit via Visa and MasterCard credit and debit cards, Neteller, Skrill and MuchBetter e-wallets or via your bank account via Trustly, not forgetting PaySafeCard. Whichever method you use to deposit, the cardholder’s name must match the cardholder’s name on the gaming account, or the deposit will be cancelled.
When requesting a withdrawal, it must be made to the same account from which the funds originated, and will only be made to cards, bank accounts or e-wallets in the player’s name. Although there is a minimum amount to be withdrawn, if you request a withdrawal of funds below this amount, Bethard may authorise it after charging what they call a “discretionary fee” – a commission – depending on the withdrawal method. In order to speed up the process, you should provide all the information requested.