SBK Bookmaker Review

SBK are the new kids on the sportsbook block, having been launched just over 2 years ago. That does not mean, however, that they are wet behind the ears. What they are is a wholly-owned offshoot of the Smarkets Betting Exchange, which has been around since 2008.

While “new” doesn’t always equal “better” there is one advantage to being the new kid in town, and that is you are not weighed down by tradition or outdated ways of thinking. Because of this, the SBK Sportsbook may be the most thoroughly modern sportsbook in the betting industry.

Below we’re going to look at the model behind this groundbreaking, app-only sportsbook, as well as payment methods, the SBK New Customer Bonus and anything else that stands out about the SBK bookmaker.

Sign-Up Offer and SBK Bonus Code

SBK do not offer a traditional sign-up bonus. Instead, they offer to refund your first £20 in losses after you open an account and make a qualifying deposit of £20. Another thing that sets this offer apart is that you receive the refund in CASH. Meaning you can withdraw it from your account if you wish. It is not a Free Bet that you can only use on future wagers. Also, there is no Bonus Code required to take advantage of this offer.

There may not be an SBK Bonus Code but there are Terms & Conditions attached to this offer. They are:

• Your first deposit after opening your account must be a single deposit of at least £20.
• Deposits made using Neteller, Skrill, PayPal or any virtual prepaid card are not eligible.
• The refund is not limited to your first bet, but instead to your first £20 in losses, even if that occurs over several bets.
• Your losses must occur within 7 days of making your qualifying deposit.
• If you do not have £20 in losses within 7 days of making your deposit any remainder will be forfeited. So, if you lose £14 in 7 days you will forfeit £6.

For a full list of T&Cs tap here.

Overview

SBK is an app-only sportsbook. That alone causes them to stand apart from the crowd. But they are not just the first large-scale app-only betting platform in the UK, they are also the only one whose odds are sourced directly from a betting exchange, (in this case Smarkets). This eliminates the traditional sportsbook markup.

SBK offer betting action on about 20 sports including Football, Basketball, Golf, Rugby Union, Tennis, American Football, Snooker, Boxing and others. The app is very well organised, clean and easy to understand and you can be sure your transactions are 100% secure. All in all, you get the outstanding prices of an exchange with the easy-to-navigate interface of a traditional sportsbook.

Sign-Up With SBK Sportsbook and Get Your £20 Refund Straight Away

SBK refund your first £20 in losses if you open an account and make a qualifying deposit of £20. Your £20 in losses do not have to be the result of a single bet. But you must incur said losses within 7 days of making your qualifying deposit.

• A simple, easy to use app-only sportsbook.
• Best prices drawn directly from the Smarkets Betting Exchange.
• £20 cashback welcome offer.

Promo Code: No code required

Main Features

The main selling point of the SBK Sportsbook is their “true price” claim. Whereas traditional bookmakers add their own margin to the prices you see SBK take their prices directly from the Smarkets Betting Exchange. This model, which relies on the peer-to-peer betting of the exchange, is likely to gather more steam as time passes and attract punters from far and wide. Especially younger punters who will take advantage of the social media aspect of SBK.

Aside from horse racing, SBK does not offer much in terms of promotions but they do have an Auto Acca feature that enables you to create an acca by simply choosing the number of markets you want. The app actually does the creation for you, but you have the ability to reject the acca you are presented with, or modify it to your liking.

SBK do not offer live streaming as of yet, but they do a bang-up job with live In-Play betting. Every month you have your choice of hundreds, if not thousands of events on which to place your In-Play bets. Odds in the live betting section are always clearly displayed and updated in real-time. When odds are updated they are automatically highlighted so that your attention is drawn to the new information.

How to Sign Up With SBK

As SBK is an app-only bookmaker you will need to download the SBK app if you wish to sign up. The app is available for free in the Google Play or Apple App store. Once you download and install the app follow these steps.

Once you have installed the app, open it up and tap the “create account” button at the bottom of the screen. This will bring up a series of forms into which you will be prompted to enter your personal information.

You will be asked to provide your name, address, DOB and mobile number. Then choose a username and password and your preferred currency. After that, select an odds format and provide your preferred method of contact.

Once you have entered all your information and everything has checked out you will have the chance to deposit funds. There is a minimum deposit requirement of £10 and a maximum daily deposit limit of £10,000. And remember, if you want to take advantage of the SBK sign-up offer you will need to deposit at least £20 in one single deposit using an approved method like Visa debit card.

SBK Betting App

As we said at the outset SBK is an offshoot of the Smarkets Betting Exchange, so the people behind it have a pretty good idea of what online betting is about and how to provide an enjoyable user experience. They developed their mobile app in house and make it readily available free of charge. Just to be clear – you cannot opt for the desktop version of the SBK Sportsbook. There isn’t one. This is a mobile app only experience.

The app itself features a very clean interface with everything arranged logically and an easy on the eye colour scheme. That clean interface is due at least in part to the modest number of sports the company currently covers and the fact that there is no casino tie-in. The company seems a bit self-conscious of this uncrowded appearance and compensates with lots of pictures, presumably to take up space.

That said, we enjoy the lack of clutter and appreciate how easy it is to find everything. When compared to something like William Hill’s incredibly crowded interface the SBK app is a breath of fresh air.

SBK Payment Methods

You might think that a brand new, mobile app-only sportsbook might provide only one or two options when it comes to deposits and withdrawals. But you’d be wrong. The SBK Sportsbook offers more payment options than some of the much larger, longer running betting websites.

When depositing you have a choice of:

• MasterCard debit
• Visa debit
• PayPal
• Skrill
• Neteller
• Maestro
• Trustly
• Bank transfer

Don’t forget that, as we mentioned earlier, deposits made using Neteller, Skrill, PayPal or any virtual prepaid card are not eligible for the SBK sign-up offer.

When it comes to withdrawals the same options listed above apply, but you should be aware that payout times can vary considerably. For instance, a Neteller withdrawal can be executed in as little as 1 – 2 business days. But MasterCard may take 5 – 6 business days, and a bank transfer could take as long as 5 – 10 business days

SBK Company Information

The SBK Sportsbook is an app-only betting platform designed for mobile and marketed specifically to mobile users. The app is the brainchild of the folks at the Smarkets Betting Exchange and was launched a mere 2 years ago.

Since its inception in 2008, the Smarkets Betting Exchange has processed more than £14 billion in trades. They are gambling (so to speak) that their new app will turn things upside down in the world of online betting and draw punters away from traditional online bookmakers.

The SBK app was designed to provide people with a way to bypass traditional sportsbook markups, but it also has an integrated social media component that enables bettors to trade tips and tricks. While older gamblers likely won’t give the social media component a second look, many younger people, raised on Facebook and Twitter are likely to embrace it.

SBK Sportsbook Pros & Cons

SBK Pros

• True price bookmaker taking odds from the Smarkets Betting Exchange
• The largest and arguably the best app-only sportsbook in the UK
• Integrated social media component that ramps up customer engagement
• Innovative sign up offer that compensates your first £20 in losses
• Plenty of exciting In-Play betting options

SBK Cons

• No live streaming as of this writing
• No live chat support
• Cryptocurrencies not accepted
• A very limited number of promotions

If you are looking for an online sportsbook that provides every type of sport and an endless parade of promotions and bonuses, SBK is not likely to satisfy you. However, if you are tired of paying the traditional sportsbook markup and like the idea of prices being pulled directly from a betting exchange you should give SBK a try.

This sportsbook is just over 2 years old and is still finding its way, so don’t expect much in terms of bells and whistles. But what it does, it does exceptionally well. You will undoubtedly be impressed by the prices, the social media component will please a lot of younger punters and the sign up offer is welcome, if unspectacular. All in all, we expect great things out of the SBK Sportsbook going forward.

FAQ

Does the SBK Sportsbook App Offer In-Play Betting?

Yes, the SBK Sportsbook App offers In-Play betting. All you have to do to access any currently available In-Play betting options is to tap the lightning bolt icon at the top of the screen. As of this writing, SBK offer In-Play options for football, golf, snooker and tennis but you can bet the number of sports will increase as time passes and more people sign up for the sportsbook.

Do SBK Offer Daily Odds Boosts?

The only special offer the company provide at this time is the SBK Welcome Bonus where they will cover your first £20 in losses. However, the fact that SBK odds come straight from the Smarkets Betting Exchange and do not include any sportsbook markups could be considered a kind of site-wide odds boost.

Can I Live Stream Events On the SBK App?

As of this writing, there is no ability to view live streams on the SBK Sportsbook app. Because the company is only a little more than 2 years old it is quite possible that they will add this feature in the not too distant future. But for now, you will have to settle for up-to-the-minute stats about different matches, but no live streams.

Do SBK Offer Promotions On Sports Other Than Horse Racing And Football?

They do, but any such promos are few and far between. The only non-horse racing promo they have offered in the past several months was a short-lived £10 cashback offer. With that offer, the company credited £10 to the account of anyone who placed a qualifying bet within a specific week-long period.

Can I Use My SBK Sportsbook App When Abroad?

As with all gambling apps and websites, it depends upon where you are. In many developed countries, you should have no problem accessing the SBK Sportsbook via the app. However, there are some notable exceptions including the US, France, Russia, Belgium, Turkey, Italy, Hong Kong and more. In those countries and others, you will either find service limited or the SBK bookmaker banned completely.

Do I Get An SBK Free Bet When I Sign-Up?

Not exactly. There is no SBK Welcome Bonus of the type you will find on most other UK betting sites. Instead, SBK offer to cover your first £20 in losses. In a sense, this is like getting free bets, except that if you do not lose at least £20 pounds in the first 7 days after opening your account, the offer expires and you get nothing. With a standard sign up offer, you would get Free Bets as soon as you made a qualifying deposit and wager.