Key Terms: Turnover the welcome offer amount 6x within 30 days on sports to release your 200% real money welcome deposit offer. Real money is equal to 200% of first qualifying deposit - up to £200. Welcome offer credited as real withdraw-able money.
SportNation is a rebranded site that was formerly called Bet On Brazil, named after the well-known football pundit in the UK, Alan Brazil. The target market was the laddish element of the betting community, but this was not a success. The operator reappeared in 2017 with its current name. SportNation is a traditional online bookmaker owned by a company called Argyll Entertainment AG who have introduced a number of betting brands. The gaming company is licensed by the UK Gambling Commission, one of the most trusted regulatory bodies in the industry. The core product is sports betting but the site also features a casino and live casino.
SportNation meets the criteria for compliance set and monitored by the UK Gambling Commission in the area of free bets and bonuses. That vote of confidence is testimony to the fairness of the operation that involves doing business in the right way. This approach is reflected in the latest new customer offer of 200% up to £200 in the form of a welcome bonus.
This promotion is subject to the following Terms & Conditions:
This is a genuine cash back offer on your first bet. The value of the bonus is relatively high but the staking rules are excessive for recreational players who would not bet at the qualifying levels. However, it must be pointed out that SportNation have registered with the Independent Betting Adjudication Service (IBAS). The body settles disputes between bookmakers and customers and this membership is optional.
Bet On Brazil was more about selling a lifestyle than offering a professional betting service. Alan Brazil is a former professional football player who has developed a reputation for enjoying a drinking and gambling culture. The desired effect of attracting similar potential customers was presumably not achieved do the operator became SportNation. The site is still dependent on promotions rather and value in the odds. At the time of writing existing customers can enjoy a range of ongoing promotions, including the following:
SportNation increased the odds for a selection of sports, leagues and markets. Customers can also bet on combinations of outcomes in major football fixtures. These outcomes are often related so the odds are adjusted accordingly. There are up to four events in each custom multiple and typically odds are enhanced for the following match events:
The match winner and anytime scorer are related. If a named player scores the team are more likely to win. The odds are reduced but this type of bet is still a god concession. SportNation also enhances odds for singles which offer more value.
Players who place four bets on any Virtuals market will receive a 255 matched bet bonus. Customers must opt-in and the minimum odds for the qualifying bets is 1.8. One bet must be placed on each of the four virtual sports and the maximum free bet is £100. The free bets will appear within 30 minutes of the qualifying bets being placed and they can be used on any virtual sports market at odds of 1.2 or bigger.
Customers can benefit from Best Odds Guaranteed (BOG) on any horse backed at selected meetings in the UK. The promise usually applies to all Saturday meetings and any major midweek festival meetings. On average, BOG is offered for about 12 fixtures each month and from the morning of the meeting. Customers who take a board price will have bets settled at the best odds from that price or the SP.
Customers accumulate Reward Points from betting turnover. The more that is bet the bigger the amount of points that are credited. These points can be converted into free bets which can be used on football markets. The maximum free bet is for £500 but this equates to 555,000 reward points which comes from a huge turnover. Reward Points cater for the small-staking recreational bettors and higher turnover customers.
Sport Nation was initially launched as a sportsbook that focused on football. The other gaming products have been added but the core product is sports betting. ‘Sports’ is the first option on the SportNation main menu on the Home Page. Clicking this option takes customers to the main sports page.
There is a search facility that can be used to locate an event or league. The most popular betting events of the day are listed. These standout events are often related to football and horse racing and other UK-friendly fixtures. The full range of betting sports appears on a second list. There are about 40 in total, listed by the number of bets and markets and then in alphabetical order. In addition to the regular sports, customers with SportNation can place wagers on E-Sports, Politics, TV and Entertainment and Awards. The most popular betting sports with Sport Nation are soccer (football), tennis and horse racing and these are covered below:
The background behind this operator and the Bet On Brazil branding means that football is by far the most popular sport in terms of markets and bets. Customers can choose from about 200 domestic leagues and competitions and place pre-match and ante-post football bets. The most bet on league is the English Premier League. SportNation displays the three-way match winner market (Home Win, Draw, Away Win) with a link to additional markets of which there are about 120 in total.
For a typical Premier League fixture the related betting options appear under the following headings:
The match result market is compiled with a profit margin of almost 5% which is about average across the established UK betting brands. Ante-post betting is available on the outright winner of many leagues and Cups, including the Premier League in England, the Champions League and international tournaments such as the next World Cup.
In keeping with the UK-facing industry, tennis is the second most popular sport with SportNation. It is rare in that more bets are taken on in-play markets than before the matches begin. Customers can place bets on ATP and WTA tournaments, Challenger events and ITF matches. Sport Nation displays the two-way win market (Player 1 or Player 2) with a link to about 30 related markets in the following categories:
The match winner market is compiled with a profit margin of about 6.5% which is below average. There are ante-post markets for the upcoming Grand Slam championships and international team tournaments.
Horse racing is still the core betting sport in the UK’s betting offices and Alan Brazil is keen on the sport. Therefore, it’s not surprising that Sport Nation has a comprehensive horse racing service which is enhanced by Best Odds Guaranteed. Customers with Sport Nation can bet on races in the UK and Ireland and major overseas fixtures. The most popular bets are win, each-way and Forecasts. Ante-post betting features the major races at the Cheltenham Festival and Royal Ascot and standalone races such as the Grand National over jumps and Derby on the Flat.
SportNation has developed a dedicated betting app for iOS users that can be downloaded from the appropriate store. Google Play does not promote gambling related content so there is no downloadable Android app. However, the website can be read on both types of device as long as the browser is mobile-optimised. There are no mobile-specific promotions but mobile customers can claim the standard welcome offer and the range of offers for existing customers. The SportNation mobile release scores well for both appearance and practicality. The site is ready for mobile betting which is a positive experience.
SportNation is a traditional online bookmaker and does not offer exchange and spread betting markets. The operator has developed the following features which enhance the experience of placing bets and managing an account:
‘In-Play’ is the second option on the Sport Nation Homepage menu. At the time of writing there were over 50 in-play events. Tennis was the most represented sport but there will be many more football in-play events once the domestic leagues in Europe are taking place. There is no live streaming but live bettors can view a graphic of the match and can read live match data. Betting is taken down for a few seconds after a key incident, such as a goal in football or break in tennis. The live markets reappear with updated odds depending on the score in the match.
Cash out betting allows customers to close a bet before expiry before the final result is known. The cash out option is an insurance against the scoring going against the bet. If the odds have already moved against the backer, cashing out limits the loss. The cash out value depends on the original and the odds at the time of the cash out request. The offer can be accepted or rejected which means the bet stays open. Cash out is available on selected sports and betting markets, including the main markets related to football and tennis matches.
Customers with SportNation can transfer funds using the most common methods which are debit cards and e-Wallets. Bank Wire Transfers can be used to fund an account. Deposits are immediate and free of charge while withdrawals are subject to standard delays and some providers impose a fee for the transaction.
Potential new account holders visit the SportNation Home Page and click ‘JOIN’. The registration screens must be populated with personal details and a unique Username and Password. The promo code is optional and once the details are in the registration areas the new account is confirmed shoeing a balance of nil.
A minimum deposit of £20 is required to activate the welcome bonus but £10 can be transferred though the offer is not valid. New customers the select the payment method and amount. The first deposit activates the welcome bonus of up to £50 in the form of a matched deposit bonus and the betting can begin.
The bonus is claimed after qualifying bets but others are placed not as part of the qualifying process. Bettors navigate to a market and click the odds for the desired selection. Each selection is added to the Bet Slip and the betting options appear. Once a bet has been accepted the account balance changes accordingly.
The SportNation customer support team can be contacted by email and postal address. Customers can request a call back but the fastest and most efficient form of contact is using Live Chat. Issues are dealt with in a timely manner but there is a Help facility covering account and betting subjects if the representative cannot help. SportNation has measures to prevent problem gambling and the operator is a member of support bodies which address gambling addiction. IBAS and the Gambling Commission memberships give customers confidence that they will receive decent support.
SportNation was born out of a project that did not achieve objectives. The branding played on the popularity of Alan Brazil and his drinking and gambling pursuits. The Commission is watchful of potential negative coverage so monitors the free bets and bonuses at Sport Nation and the other leading UK online operators. Since the relaunch in 2017 the site has been growing and the missing functions should be added in the fullness of time. The existing operation works well and efficiently.
There is little not to like about SportNation but the difficulty lies in trying to break into the UK market. There are a number of aspiring operators outside the trusted UK betting brands, including SportNation. The site must look for something different to survive in the crowded market. There is some value in the odds level and customers enjoy a package of bonuses. There is no live streaming and the betting experience can be slow. One of the incentives to open an account is the value in the odds for football and other major betting sports. This can lead to Sport Nation gaining market share if the margins are permanent and not short-term.