MarathonBet is a traditional online bookmaker that has been in operation since 1997. The company has six gaming licenses for jurisdictions all around the world. Customers based in Great Britain bet under the licence and regulations of the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC). The operator is also licensed and regulated by the Alderney Gaming Commission for non-UK customers. The core product is sports betting but the site also features a casino, live casino, Esports (Dota 2, Lol, CS:GO etc..) and Financials. The MarathonBet gaming service is available on PC, mobile and tablets. The company has partnerships with a number of sporting clubs based in Europe and South America.
MarathonBet is a UK-facing operator so horse racing and greyhounds are key betting sports. Their ongoing promotions are related to these two sports. Other operators have promotions across more sports. However, the dynamic offers with MarathonBet complement the welcome bonus of £20 as a free bet. The following offers are not generic but related to horses and greyhounds:
The Lucky 15, 31 and 63 are system bets that combine four, five and six selections in all possible permutations, from singles to accumulators. MarathonBet pays double the odds if the bet includes just one winner. Only system bets across horse racing or greyhounds count. This offer is only valid for the win element of any bet and the place bet will be settled at the standard odds. Any system bet that contains a Non-Runner will not apply for double the odds.
Several UK operators offer Best Odds Guaranteed (BOG) for racing in the UK and Ireland. MarathonBet offers this concession for specific horse and greyhound races. Customers who take an early price and the Starting Price is different, will have bets settled at the best odds. This guarantee is valid for win and place bets and for singles and multiples. The offer is subject to and price changes as a result of Rule 4 Deductions. MarathonBet will clearly indicate the qualifying races.
Customers with MarathonBet will have horse racing bets settled on two possible results. Bets will be settled on the basis of first past the post and the official result. This concession only applies to the win element of any each way bets. If the selection loses the race on a technicality such as taking the wrong course or weighing in errors, the double result will not be paid. The maximum stake is £200 and any stake over £200 will be settled on the basis of the official result and not first past the post.
‘Sport’ is the first option on the main menu on the MarathonBet Home Page. The main sports page displays the current live events in roughly time order. There is an independent list of the Popular sports and a full A-Z list of all the categories. Customers with MarathonBet can place wagers on over 30 sports which are targeted at the UK and European market. In addition to the regular sports, the operator has betting markets for Chess, Lotteries, Awards, TV and Cinema and Politics. The most bet on sports are popular in the UK and also include US categories. The three sports that appear at the top of the Popular list are football, horse racing and tennis.
MarathonBet focuses on the main domestic football leagues in Europe and Euro 2020 which is upcoming at the time of writing. There is the most comprehensive football coverage for the top divisions in England, Spain, Italy France and Germany. The site also features match and outright betting for the finals of the European Championships in 2020. Customers can also place bets on over 100 leagues and Cup competitions from all around the world and all the continents.
Bettors can bet on over 10 levels in the structure of English football. The most popular betting competitions with MarathonBet are the Premier League in England and the Champions League. The most bet on markets are the match winner, handicaps and totals. The three-way match winner market is compiled with a margin of 5.60% which offers less value than similar odds with some UK competitors. Football bettors can also place more speculative wagers such as on the correct score and first scorer.
Horse racing is still an important sport with online bookmakers who are trying to gain and maintain market share in the UK. New sign ups with MarathonBet located in the UK expect a decent horse racing service. The operator offers racing related concessions such as double the odds, Best Odds Guaranteed and double result. At this stage it is not clear if MarathonBet will offer Non-Runner/No Bet for all or a selection of races at the Cheltenham Festival, the Grand National and Royal Ascot.
MarathonBet offers a comprehensive ante post service. In the middle of December, the operators had odds for most races at the Cheltenham Festival the following March and the Grand National in April. The site also features ante post betting on the first three Classics of the 2020 Flat season. The operator offers odds for all meetings in the UK and Ireland and some international fixtures and upcoming major races. The most popular racing bets with MarathonBet are win and each way and Forecasts.
Tennis betting with MarathonBet has increased significantly over the last 15 years. It was formerly a niche betting sport but the growth of live betting has increased the popularity. In fact there are more live tennis bets placed with MarathonBet than bets before the action begins. Only football is a more popular sport for live betting. The operator offers match and outright winner betting on for the ATP and WTA tours, Challenger events and International Tennis Federation (ITF) tournaments.
The most popular tennis betting options are the two-way match winner, handicaps and totals. The match result market is compiled with a margin of about 7% which is average for the UK market. Customers can place bets on more speculative tennis markets such as the set and game correct score. Tennis lends itself to pulse betting whereby customers can place short term bets, such as the game winner. MarathonBet offers ante post betting on upcoming Grand Slams and international team events.
MarathonBet is typical amongst UK operators in that they do not provide a downloadable app for Android devices. This is unavoidable because the Google play Store do not allow any gambling related content. The iTunes App Store does feature a downloadable app for iOS devices. Mobile customers can install the website version as long as the browser is mobile optimised. The installation procedure is easy to implement and takes a short amount of time. Mobile users install a desktop short cut.
The mobile service for Android and iOS platforms is fully functional and offers all the standard account management and betting service. MarathonBet does not offer any mobile-specific concessions. However, mobile users can claim the welcome bonus and enjoy the benefits of the ongoing promotions for current players. There is less display space on a mobile than desktop computer. MarathonBet displays the sports in easy to navigate markets and customers can locate a market with a few taps.
MarathonBet is a traditional fixed odds bookmaker and offers betting options for customers to back. The site does not feature spread or exchange betting so customers enjoy the following betting services:
Advancebet is a unique feature to MarathonBet as it allows customers to place bets using the potential profit from ongoing, unsettled bets. If the amount used to place future bets is more than the settled bets, MarathonBet will absorb the difference. Customers do not have to pay the balance when the returns from any bets do not cover the additional bets. Bets settled within 48 hours after Advancebet placement will be used to settle the balance of the account. Advancebet wagers are allowed on live events and matches and fixtures that are scheduled to start over the next 48 hours.
‘Live’ is the second option on the main menu on the MarathonBet Home Page and current live events are displayed on the sports page. The main live events appear at the top of the page and other live matches are displayed by sport. The most popular sports for live betting are football and tennis. There is no live streaming but customers have access to an animation of the progress of play and live match data and statistics. MarathonBet suspends betting after a key event such as a goal in football or break of serve in tennis. The updated odds reappear after a short space of time.
Advancebet has similar rules and features to cash out betting with other operators. MarathonBet cannot guarantee cash out betting across their full range of sports and markets. This option is offered selectively but it is available with most football matches. A cash out value is displayed against open bets that have this facility. When betting is suspended due to a key event, customers cannot cash out open bets. The value of the cash out offer depends on the original bet stake and odds and the current odds at the time of the request. Odds fluctuations change the cash out value.
Customers with MarathonBet can transfer funds using debit cards, e-Wallets and prepaid cards. The minimum deposits and withdrawals are £5. There are no deposit commission charges and deposits are not subject to any delays. Withdrawals have a processing time from a few hours to 5 days, depending on the method. MarathonBet does not make a charge for taking out funds. However, the provider may impose a fee for carrying out the transaction. MarathonBet holds betting funds in a separate account so there are no delays when customers request a withdrawal, other than those imposed by the banking provider.
Potential new customers with MarathonBet visit the Home Page and click ‘Join now’. The registration process involves entering personal details and specifying a Username and Password. Customers answer a security question and specify the currency and time zone. Once the required fields have been populated, new customers confirm acceptance of the site’s Term & Conditions and click ‘Join now’.
New customers are prompted to make a deposit through the Cashier. They select the deposit method and specify the amount. An initial deposit of £20 or more activates the welcome bonus which specifies that the deposit must be staked five times in 90 days. Deposits are immediate which means once one has been confirmed, MarathonBet updates the account balance accordingly.
Customers can locate a market through the Popular list or A-Z of categories. Once the market and odds have been selected, the betting slip appears. As bettors add selections, the betting options are displayed. For example if a customer has made two selections, the bet slip displays the two singles and one double. Bettors select the bet, enter the stake and place the bet. The account balance is updated immediately.
Customers contact MarathonBet using Web Chat, phone and email. The opening times are not mentioned but it’s safe to assume the department is open from early in the morning to late at night, but not necessarily 24/7. Customers can display odds in these formats: decimal, fractional, American and Asian. The default can be changed using a pop-up menu. MarathonBet is committed to promoting responsible gaming by providing self-exclusion methods and links to support bodies. There is no FAQ section but a Help facility covering payments, bonuses and how to bet guidelines. The MarathonBet site also features Terms & Conditions, generally and for each sport.
MarathonBet is a global operation with licences in several jurisdictions, including the UK, Spain, Italy, Nigeria and Curacao. The UK-facing site offers 30 sports, including the most popular in the UK and other parts of Europe. The UKGC licence proves that MarathonBet act in the correct way in terms of welcome bonuses and ongoing promotions. The company has been operating since 1997, so the vast amount of experience is a positive when it comes to granting the UK licence. MarathonBet have not received fines and the licence is not under threat so they have complied with the UKGC standards in terms of free bets and bonuses.
MarathonBet provide a positive betting experience in terms of the range of sports, leagues and markets. The betting odds are below average for value but recreational customers are unlikely to notice any variances with other operators. The lack of live streaming is a negative but that facility could be added in the fullness of time. The Advancebet option provides something different but the downside is a limited selection of cash out options. Overall, the service is well delivered and functional and available on PC, smartphone and tablet platforms. MarathonBet have created a solid sports betting service complemented by casino, live casino and Financials betting.