Sportdec Bookmaker Review

Sportdec Summary

Sportdec Features

• Irish based bookmaker
• Integrated with social media
• Excellent mobile app

On The Laptop Or Desktop?

The Sportdec bookmaker website is what one would describe as minimalist. Most bookmakers opt for several flashy graphics and banners, with as much information as possible crammed into the homepage. Sportdec’s website on the other hand, looks more like a mobile app on a desktop screen. There is a list of sports down the left hand side, then in the centre there is the live and upcoming events, with the footing (containing the contact us, licensing information etc.) unusually in the third column instead of at the bottom of the page. When a client selects a bet, the bet slip appears from the right hand side of the page.

Once customers are logged into their account, they can access a social media account which is integrated with Twitter. Users can interact with each other and see all of the latest news and information. Users get points for posts and other things which is a nice touch and brings some interaction to the website.

Free Bets

At present, Sportdec don’t provide customers with a sign up bonus.

Sports Markets & Odds

What do most bettors look for when they visit a bookie? In reality it is the presence of 4 or 5 major sports that they find of interest, with each of those different disciplines having decent odds and market depth. Well Sportdec have 23 different sports to whet the appetite of bettors, with meat and potatoes events such as football, horse racing, American football, tennis, and cricket as well as the Gaelic hurling, handball, and motor sports to provide the seasoning.

Although there is a decent list of sports, things go downhill once you delve in to each event. Just a few hours before the Chelsea v Southampton match in the English Premier League, there were no odds on the game. Furthermore, there were no prices for any of the games in the same division, which is just poor, as this is the most popular betting market. The lack of any odds is replicated in horse racing, for early odds on just a handful of races from a selection of 30 markets at the time of review (there are also no overnight prices for the next day’s action).

When there are odds on the football, they are not particularly competitive. The total book percentages sit around 108%-109% and whilst these are admittedly for less popular leagues (where the odds are usually less generous), they were the only odds that could be scrutinised.

Currency

Customers have the option of using two currencies when they sign up for a Sportdec bookmaker account – Pounds sterling or Euros.

Banking Options

At present, Sportdec only accept Visa credit, Visa Debit or Visa Electron for deposits and withdrawals. The minimum deposit for all accounts is €10 (or equivalent). The minimum withdrawal is €10, with the maximum being €10,000.

Restricted Countries?

At present, Sportdec only offer their services to citizens of the UK and Ireland and as such, players from all other countries fall in to the ‘restricted’ bracket.

Languages / Customer Support

Customer support is limited at present, which is understandable given that Sportdec’s team is currently small in nature. The site states that live support is available from Mon – Fri 9.00 – 17.00 and Sat – Sun 12.00 – 18.00. By live support, they mean that players can use the Contact us button on the website, which opens up an online form. Alternatively, customers can use post by sending their correspondence to the following address:

Suites 19 & 20,
Block D, The Cube Offices,
Beacon South Quarter,
Sandyford,
Dublin 18,
Ireland

Or they can e-mail at info@sportdec.com. The site does have an FAQ section which answers general account queries along with betting rules and questions. In addition to the conventional means of communication with Sportdec, the company also have Facebook and Twitter and representatives are quite responsive when presented with questions via messenger of posts.

Mobile Betting

Sportdec are all about social media and mobile betting, and as such they have a downloadable app for iOS and Android devices (can be downloaded in UK and Irish store). The mobile app has a variety of features. In addition to the betting aspects, customers can check out live scores, fixtures and tables, match stats, latest news and video clips that can all assist with the betting experience.

The app is one of the redeeming features of the bookie – customers can input their favourite teams and once saved, their games will come up at the top of the feed, along with up to date odds etc. Once customers have struck a bet on the app, they are able to share it with friends on WhatsApp, Messenger or via Twitter. The site is functional, loads quickly and is easy to navigate around. It is nice to have an app with interaction and a link to social media.

Verdict

There is nothing to suggest that the Sportdec bookmaker team are in any way unscrupulous or looking to rip customers off. That is not why they aren’t recommended. They aren’t recommended because ultimately their service is a way off being good enough at present. The company are in their infancy and are trying to fuse together social media, podcasting and betting etc. but at present there is work to do and more focus should be placed on the bookie, ensuring that there are complete odds for all the major sports, days before the events start, as well as extending customer service hours etc.