First Impression

Initially, we were excited to try SBK as we’d heard positive feedback from fellow punters trying new bookmakers, and we couldn’t wait to get started. SBK now offers players a chance to wager using their mobile app or desktop site and although we tested both products, we stuck primarily to the app as this was the handiest way to place my bets with this forward-thinking operator.

SBK completely lived up to our expectations. We enjoyed the user-friendly interface and the clean, uncluttered feel of this app. We also enjoyed exploring the popular bet builders feature, being able to stream UK and Irish races and discovering the wagers of my fellow bettors using the tips section of the site.

SBK places great emphasis on bet builders. Many of their offers revolve around bet builders and there is a section of the site which allows players to take a look at popular bet builders which have been created by other users.

There are 100+ different markets which can be included in a football bet builder and the ‘Quick Builder’ feature is a handy way of speeding up the process. SBK also allows us to create horse racing bet builders, which we thoroughly enjoyed. We’ve only seen this available with a limited number of UK bookmakers, so it’s good to see that they have added this to the app.

Other notable features include the cash-out and tips section of the app which displays betting selections by other users. Users can choose which tipsters to follow and they can also add a write-up to their selections if required. This is a unique feature which doesn’t tend to be available with linear bookmakers in the UK.

‘Auto Acca’ is a fun feature which allows players to randomly select the matches in their multiple. Players can spin this several times before settling on their favoured multiple. This is unlikely to appeal to punters who enjoy studying the form and picking out their best bets, however, it is a nice little flourish and adds a sense of excitement to a weekend accumulator.

SBK prides itself on offering better odds than other leading bookmakers. They have previously spoken about taking lower margins to ensure that their markets are highly competitive and that their regular players won’t find better prices elsewhere. So, we decided to run several real-world comparisons to put this promise to the test.

SBK vs Betfair (Football)

We began by picking out an upcoming La Liga match between Real Valladolid and Girona. We compared SBK’s odds to Betfair’s sportsbook and found that there was a notable discrepancy when it came to the 90 minutes market.

SBK had the outsiders, Valladolid at 5.9 whereas Betfair had them priced at 4/1 (5.0). Girona, who are odds-on favourites, are 1.65 with SBK and 4/7 (1.57) with Betfair.

There was very little difference when it came to the BTTS market with odds of 4/5 (1.8) and 1.81. However, SBK was slightly higher at 1.99 on BTTS? No.

SBK vs Bet365 (Horse Racing)

In our second example, we compared SBK against bet365 on an evening AW race at Wolverhampton where we noticed a few small differences. SBK were offering 4.5 on the favourite Dumfries and 4.7 on Al Shabab. The pair were priced up at 10/3 (4.33) with Bet365.

There was also a marked difference in the price of Bizarre Law, which was 9.2 with SBK and just 7/1 (8.0) with Bet365.

SBK vs William Hill (Tennis)

Finally, we turned our attention to tennis and WTA Roma. This time, we compared SBK and William Hill.

Jasmine Paolini is available at 1.76 with SBK whereas the Italian can only be backed at 4/6 (1.66) with Hills. Interestingly, the outside Diana Shnaider is a bigger price with William Hill at 6/5 (2.2). Delving into the alternative markets, SBK offers slightly better odds on either player to win the first set.

SBK also offers boosts on selected markets, often bet builders. These tend to be advertised at the top of the bookmaker’s app. It does not offer accumulator boosts. However, this is negated by the standout odds that are generally available with SBK.

We expected live betting to be one of SBK’s strongest suits. However, we thought that this section of the app was a little undercooked.

The in-play section is easily accessible from the top of the page and the layout is easy-on-the-eye. However, we expected to find more live events. 

For example, on a Monday evening, only seven live football matches were available, compared to 35+ fixtures listed on Flashscore at the same time. While we didn’t expect SBK to have every single game, we were left a little underwhelmed by the choice. 

Nevertheless, the odds on the live betting markets were very competitive and SBK users can take advantage of this. The recent inclusion of bet builders to the live markets is a nice addition and we also liked that we were given the option to bet on live horse racing from the UK, US and France.

Live streaming is available on all UK and Irish horse racing meetings and these feeds are high quality and easy to access. Unfortunately, live streaming isn’t currently available for other sports like tennis or basketball, which limits the appeal for multi-sport bettors.

It’s also worth mentioning that SBK’s cash out feature is extremely fast. During testing, we were able to cash out in under five seconds. This is particularly handy if you’re betting on a volatile sport such as tennis.

Welcome Offer

SBK offers new players the chance to claim £30 in free bets after placing a £10 qualifying bet at minimum odds of 2.0. The bonus is split across several free bet tokens:

• £10 Bet Builder (immediately after settlement)
• £10 multiple token (credited 24 hours later)
• £5 football Bet Builder + £5 horse racing multiple (credited after 48 hours)

Players have seven days to use these tokens, and as with most free bet offers, the stake is not returned with any winnings.

The staggered release of these tokens is slightly unusual. While it spreads the betting activity across multiple days, we would have preferred to see the full bonus credited sooner.

Nevertheless, we found SBK’s welcome offer to be competitive when compared to similar promotions from bet365 and BetVictor, both of which also offer a Bet £10 Get £30 in Free Bets.

If you’re looking for something more generous, however, Betfred currently offers £50 in bonuses, making it a better option for those seeking maximum value upfront.

Important: Your first deposit must be made via card or bank transfer. This caught out a couple of our team members during testing, so double-check your payment method before proceeding.

Ongoing Promotions

SBK isn’t packed with promotions, but it does offer a solid mix. These promotions are clearly aimed at rewarding player deposits and bet activity rather than bet types, such as early payouts or acca insurance.

Ultimately, if you stake a decent amount on football or horse racing then SBK may be preferable. However, those looking for a wider range of promotions may find BoyleSports or Betfred a better fit.

The SBK sign-up process was refreshingly quick and simple. The entire process took just a few minutes, and although we were asked for identity documentation later (a standard KYC requirement), getting started was seamless.

Here’s how to create your SBK account:

1. Download and install the SBK app from the App Store or Google Play.
2. Open the app and tap the green ‘Create account’ button at the bottom of the screen.
3. Enter your email address and choose a secure, memorable password. Tap ‘Continue’.
4. Provide your name, date of birth, and home address, followed by your mobile number. This number is essential for verifying your account and claiming the welcome offer.
5. Enter the verification code sent to your phone. Once verified, your account is active.
6. You’ll also be asked whether you’d like to receive promotional offers via email or SMS.

SBK Review FAQ

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