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About BetNOW
BetNOW is the brand name of Open Vantage Limited which is a private limited company, incorporated on October 24th 2005. They aim to be the UK's favourite mobile betting service, by providing innovative and entertaining ways for people to bet responsibly from their mobile phone.
With over 60m mobile users and 6bn texts sent each month in the UK, betNOW has set about using the convenience and ubiquity of text to build a platform for placing bets.
Sports Betting
BetNOW are all about sports betting and nothing else. There's no casino, poker or soft games attached to this site. Their aim is to make betting as simple as can be with mobile phone text messaging, no WAP necessary, or now you can bet online too. Mobile betting means you can place your desired bet from anywhere, without needing a trip to the bookies or the internet, albeit the website is still very much open to use if you want it.
So how does it work? You create your account with your mobile phone number, that means even online betting will require your number to finalise the bet. Once you've done this you're up and away. To place a bet you need to text your event or team name to 89000 and wait for the free text reply. This will give you several betting options (A, B, C, etc). Once your happy with the betting options, you simply text back the relevant letter, nothing else, to finalise the bet. It's that simple.
For example, if you want to text bet on a Tottenham game, you can text the word 'Tottenham' to receive the betting choices for the upcoming match. Make your choice of bet and text back to finalise. You can be a bit more specific and text 'Tottenham 3 0' if you want to bet on a 3-0 win being the outcome, or 'Defoe' if you want options based on him scoring first, amongst others.
This works across all the sports betNOW offer, such as horse racing, football, greyhounds, golf, motor racing, snooker, boxing and Tennis as well as popular media events. Most events are open for betting around three days before they take place, however, this isn't always the case for some races, as some can only be bet on an hour or so before the race begins. Football matches also include live betting as an option.
If you want to place multiple bets from the same bet options, you simply reply with all the options and amounts you require, for example replying A B5 C10 will place £3 on option A, a £5 bet on option B and a £10 on option C from the latest bet offer you've received. It's simple betting from the comfort of anywhere you like. If you're in the middle of the supermarket and decide you want to place a bet: Easy. Simply text a key word to 89000.
Payment
Pay as you go phones need to have at least £3 worth of credit for the initial bet, as this is the minimum stake you can make. The maximum being £150. Once you register with betNOW online, you can deposit funds from your credit or debit card and place the bets on the internet. Spending limits only apply to you phone bill or credit limits. BetNOW state this is £30 per day on mobiles (except Vodafone), while credit / debit card is £500 per day or £1000 a month. However, there are no limits when it comes to betting your winnings.
If you want to collect your winnings, it's as easy as texting "WINNINGS" to the same number, 89000. You will need to verify your age and address at the website first though. If you've registered your card details your winnings will be transferred there, otherwise you can collect it from the local Post Office for a £1.50 fee.
Promotions
BetNOW are offering 'Free Bets' packages as part of their welcome and sign up bonuses. By texting the promo code you'll receive a free mobile bet. Firstly you'll get a free welcome text confirming your free bet and a 2nd text with the betting options for the relevant race or game.
By using your credit or debit card to add money to your account, you could receive £25 or £50 worth of free bets. To receive the £25 bet you need to deposit £25, whereas the £50 is given if you deposit £100. The free bets will be added to your account the next day, However, you can't cash in on any winning until you have wagered a further £100 - £150, depending on which bonus you are aiming for.
In addition to this, you can also claim free bets for recommending a friend to betNOW. If you successfully recommend a friend, you'll get £10 worth of free bets, but only after they have placed their very first bet. You can do this for up to 5 friends to receive £50 worth of free bets.
As far as mobile betting goes, it's as simple as can be. It's nice to know a bet is a simple text message away, giving you no excuse to miss the betting opportunity on the game you're about to watch in the pub. The website however, although not the main priority for betNOW, could use some sprucing up. For instance, clicking a sport tab will bring up one giant list of upcoming events. It would be nice if these were broken down into leagues and Countries to make for a far easier internet experience.
Tick Box:
Safe: Yes
Demos: N/A
24/7 Support: No
Download Required: No
Mobile Gambling: Yes
Promotions: Yes
Live Betting: Yes
Disclaimer: All deals and promotions listed were correct at the time of this review, and are subject to change. For current promotions, please visit the website as listed above. Please feel free to use the comments section to post details of current promotions including, where applicable, valid dates.