In partnership with Scout Gaming Group, Bet365 Fantasy has now launched in the UK, US and a handful of other countries. Naturally, I was intrigued about a UK betting brand’s foray into the world of US-style DFS.
That’s why today I’ll be plunging head-first into the world of fantasy sports at Bet365, covering everything that it has to offer. On the whole, I was pleasantly surprised with everything on offer, from free entries to season-long and weekly contests. One thing I can tell you right now is that Bet365 has really managed to pull this off.
Bet365 Fantasy: Pros & Cons
- Available in several countries
- Weekly and season-long contests
- Free entries
- Accessible with Bet365 Sportsbook account
- Still some teething problems
Bet365 Fantasy bonus offer – Freeroll games
Let’s face it, Bet365 hopping over into the world of DFS was always going to look a little bit different, and this is reflected straight away with the bonus offer. As a long-time player in the Bet365 Casino and bettor at the Bet365 Sportsbook, I’ve become used to their famous offers such as the “Bet $10 Get $30” sports bonus or the 50 free spins.
However, on their relatively new fantasy sports platform, Bet365 has opted to do things a little differently. Rather than having a welcome bonus for new customers, everyone is invited to enter a Freeroll tournament every week.
This involves picking players for a nominated sporting event that week, and if you rank highly enough you will win a free entry into a paid-entry DFS tournament the following week. This bonus is a tad unconventional but not at all bad – find out what I really think in my
Bet365 Fantasy promo code
here.
100€ in Bet Credits
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100% up to 100€
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Bet365 fantasy sports offer
At Bet365, you can enter fantasy sports contests for the Premier League, NFL and other major sports leagues. Additionally, fantasy college basketball and football are covered. One of the most popular contest types is the Pick 6, where you choose six players for a given game week that you think will score you enough points to win.
Prize pools – Win your share of $/￡20,000
As is the case with all fantasy sports apps, the prize pools at Bet365 vary. For the $/￡10 buy-in contests, the prize pool is $/￡20,000 and for $/￡2 entry contests, the prize pool is $/￡5,000.
Community and forum – Not the most social but great customer service
This is the one area where Bet365 isn’t yet up to scratch with the US-style DFS platforms. There isn’t a forum or player chat room dedicated to fantasy sports, nor is there a huge social media presence. On the flip side, the customer service at Bet365 is among the best there is.
Bet365 Fantasy – Product summary and conclusion
This is a fresh product from an experienced company, and that’s something that certainly shows. My favourite thing is the six-a-side contests that are essentially mini versions of Premier League fantasy. Overall, I had a lot of fun and definitely recommend at least trying one of the Freeroll contests, especially if you already have a Bet365 betting account.
How to sign up to Bet365 Fantasy – Step by step
First of all, I’ve got a bit of good news for some of you. Players in the UK and some other locations with an active Bet365 Sportsbook account can already access the fantasy sports platform without having to register again.
In most US states, and if you don’t already have a Bet365 account, you will have to register and get verified. Don’t worry though, signing up is a piece of cake – here’s everything that you need to know:
Step 1
Head to the Bet365 Fantasy site or download the app
Step 2
Click on the “Join Now” button at the top of the screen
Step 3
Choose a username and password
Step 4
Enter your full name, address and other personal info
Step 5
Provide an email address and/or phone number
Step 6
Select your country of residence
Step 7
Select your state/province (If in the US or Canada)
Step 9
Enter your promo code (Optional)
Verification
That’s it – your account should now be open and you can already enter the Freeroll fantasy sports contest straight away. However, before you can make your first deposit, you will need to complete the verification process.
Now I must admit here that the Bet365 verification process is a pain in the nuts, but it’s mostly down to waiting times and the fact it is longer than on most other sites. That being said, I understand that this is only because it is a far more reputable and secure fantasy sports site than most – as I’ll explain later on.
But I digress – getting back to the point, here is how verification goes down on Bet365 Fantasy:
Step 1
Bet365 will initially try auto-verification, which can take up to 48 hours but was much quicker for me.
Step 2
Once it’s done, you will receive an email notification confirming your acceptance or rejection.
Step 3
If you are rejected you will most likely be asked to upload a file containing your official government-issued photo ID.
Step 4
In some cases, you may also be asked for proof of address.
Step 5
In the worst case, you will have to get in touch with customer service. You more than likely haven’t done something wrong, and Bet365 has first-class customer service that should resolve things in no time at all.
Usability, look and feel of the Bet365 DFS website
If you have ever used any other Bet365 products, then you’ll already know what to expect here. You have the same grey background with the sports field green branding dynamic graphics of various unidentifiable sports players holding balls.
To be honest, I find the overall aesthetic to be a little bit old-school, but Bet365 has been bossing things for about two decades now, so who am I to judge?
In terms of layout and navigation, the site is super easy to use, and all of your account information can be accessed at the top of your screen. Additionally, there are plenty of handy guides explaining the contests and everything that you can do on the platform.
When it comes to making your fantasy sports picks, the layout is a bit plain, but among the most user-friendly I’ve ever seen. A list of the positions and players takes up the left half of your screen. Meanwhile, you have a sports field with player graphics on the right that fills out as you make your selections.
Background of Bet365 Fantasy – What took them so long?
I’m going to address the elephant in the room here – what took Bet365 to get into
college football DFS projections
and other fantasy sports? You would think that a company of this size would’ve tapped into such a lucrative market long ago, but there’s good reason why they didn’t
Bet365 is a British gambling company that started way back in 2000, and until relatively recently hadn’t expanded much beyond European shores.
The FanDuel-style DFS contests that have been popular in the US and Canada for years have never really taken off in the UK or Europe. Meanwhile, the football leagues themselves tend to operate their own fantasy apps which dominate the market – with Premier League Fantasy being a prime example.
However, since entering the US market with its New Jersey Sportsbook in 2019, the big-wigs at Bet365 have seemingly been turned on to the idea of DFS contests. As a result, Bet365 Fantasy was born, which I find to no surprise mixes the styles of contests that are popular in the US and across the pond in the UK.
Reputation – One of the most trusted brands in the world
Bet365 Fantasy might be in its infancy, but the brand as a whole certainly is not. As I told you above, Bet365 first launched in Stoke-on-Trent, United Kingdom in 2000. It was founded by Denise Coates, then in her early thirties, who is still the CEO of the company to this day.
From its humble beginnings in a relatively small English city, Bet365 has grown to become one of the most trusted online gambling brands globally. Still, it is true to its roots – the main headquarters is in Stoke and it is among the biggest employers in the area.
It is one of the few fantasy sports and betting companies whose reputation transcended the gambling industry. Everyone from players to gambling industry experts and other business tycoons mostly appear to have good things to say about Bet365.
As for its reputation in the fantasy community, well it’s still too early to say. So far, the big boys like FanDuel and DraftKings respect that brand’s sports betting prowess but don’t see it as a serious threat to their DFS platforms.
Bet365 Fantasy player experience – A UK-style experience with an American twist
As someone who has enjoyed a lot of American-style DFS contests and the simpler Premier League Fantasy app in the UK, I can best describe my player experience as being somewhat transatlantic.
Overall, the feel and look of the platform is more akin to the British experience. As I explained earlier, you have a sports field with icons that fill in as you choose your players. In this respect, it mimics the Premier League fantasy experience almost exactly.
On the other hand, you have the Bet365 Fantasy Daily Lineup, which is more akin to the daily fantasy sports (DFS) contests that are popular in the US. With these, you can pick a lineup for a particular game week, rather than playing a season-long game.
These contests cover several sports, including
MMA fantasy
picks. On the whole, I enjoyed both parts of the experience. But I must say, while I like the strategy involved in playing the long game, my natural human impetus makes me a sucker for the instant gratification of the weekly entries.
The Bet365 Fantasy app – The most convenient way to play
Daily lineups available at Bet365
And it’s free to play!
The Bet365 app is an efficient product that does the job it’s asked to do. It might not have the finesse and flashy graphics of other DFS apps like FanDuel or DraftKings. However, it’s no-nonsense, and dare I say it, a more British approach will be exactly what many of you are looking for.
To make things even more convenient, UK players can access fantasy sports in the regular Bet365 betting and casino app. For most of you in the US and Canada, you can grab the app from the App Store or Google Play.
Downloading it and installing it only takes a few seconds, and you should find it to be a convenient app that looks and works much the same as the website. Weighing in at almost 60 MB, the app is a little heavy, but that’s to be expected for a fantasy sports product.
Payments – Quick deposits and withdrawals
For maximum convenience, you can set up a one-click deposit in the Bet365 Fantasy app. You can fund your account with between $/￡5 and $/￡5,000 in a single transaction and your payment should be processed instantly.
Deposit methods:
- Online banking
- Debit/credit cards (no credit cards deposit in UK)
- Bank transfer
- E-check
- E-wallets
Withdrawals
You can withdraw anything from $/￡5 to $/￡5,000 in one transaction from your Bet365 account. Typically, withdrawals take one or two business days to process, but that varies depending on your payment method and location.
Customer service – Efficient and helpful support
The customer service options at Bet365 Fantasy vary depending on your location. In most places, the live chat and email services are the best two channels to go through. I’ve used both of these extensively and have always received swift and helpful responses.
Crucially, when using the live chat, it’s easy enough to get through to a real human being who is employed by the company. So avoid this one if you
love
chatting robots!
For US players, there is phone support in most states, which is available during conventional working hours and on weekends. If there’s a weak point to Bet365 in this respect, I would point to social media. It doesn’t have anywhere near the same presence as some of the more modern brands.
Licence and security – Available in most Bet365 regions
Bet365 has quite a number of gambling licenses, including UKGC and in seven US states. However, these are not required for fantasy sports, which are regulated differently.
The Bet365 Fantasy platform has primarily been marketed in the UK and in the majority of US states which have legal and regulated DFS. However, as far as I’m aware, you can play fantasy sports in most countries where Bet365 sports betting is legal.
When it comes to matters of security, Bet365 is about as airtight as they come. This is a global betting brand that has been in the game for over two decades, so there is plenty of encryption technology to keep you safe. And as I explained earlier, the verification process is stringent for your protection.
Prohibited countries for Bet365 Fantasy
The fantasy platform is prohibited in all countries where Bet365 is currently restricted. Fortunately, Bet365 is one of the most widely available betting apps in the world. However, it is still banned in many European countries, including France, the Netherlands, Portugal and Poland.
Rewards and loyalty program – Weekly Freerolls
Although there are loyalty programs for the Bet365 Sportsbook and casino,? neither of these is relevant for fantasy players. Neither was I able to find a fantasy-specific VIP program. However, I didn’t have very high expectations for finding one, as loyalty programs aren’t amazingly common in the DFS world.
The one thing that I can point to here once again is the Weekly Big Pick 6 Freeroll contest. This runs every seven days and all existing customers can enter it. To play this, you have to pick a six-a-side Premier League team for the upcoming game weekend.
If your team finishes among the highest-scoring places, you will win a free entry to the following week’s paid contest (worth a ￡10 entry). The prize pool for the paid contest that you can win free entry into is ￡20,000.
Bet365 Fantasy FAQ
?? How does Bet365 Fantasy work?
Fantasy sports at Bet365 runs weekly contests, where you can pick players and your results are based on live stats from SportyMan. Find out more about this and my
PGA DFS picks
here.
? Does Bet365 offer DFS?
Yes, Bet365 now has DFS-style games with salary caps for the Premier League, NFL and other sports. Check out my review of the product here at GameChampions.com and discover more about
what is DFS fantasy football
today.
?? Where can I play DFS at Bet365?
You can play fantasy contests at Bet365 in the UK and in most US states where fantasy sports is regulated and legal.
Regardless of which side of the pond you find yourself on, Bet365 offers something different to the fantasy sports market. Overall, I enjoyed playing the contests here and particularly liked bringing the season-long league formatted to shorter weekly contests.
The lack of a proper welcome offer was disappointing at first, but the Weekly Freeroll makes up for that, as you can win a free entry to a paid contest every week. If you’re a fan of any major sports league, I recommend giving Bet365 Fantasy a shot.
