Betstar New Bookie Review
Online betting agency Betstar has proven resilient, surviving since it was launched in 2007 by rails bookmakers Michael Eskander and his son Alan, and maintaining its identity after a 2014 acquisition by Ladbrokes.
They now share identical odds and markets with Ladbrokes, as well as with another Australian bookmaker Ladbrokes acquisition, Bookmaker.com.au. Join Betstar
The 2015 annual report from Ladbrokes states that staking increased 47 percent, with a net revenue increase of 54 percent compared to 2014, showing that the acquisition of Betstar was very positive for the corporate balance sheet. The report also claims that the combined entity has achieved the number three position in brand awareness.
The other key piece of information gleaned from the annual report is that online and mobile wagering has surpassed retail by a considerable margin, accounting for 71 percent of bookmaking revenue, and Betstar played a prominent role in that picture, which should surprise no one.
That said, here is a brief examination of the Betstar operation, along with our opinions on various aspects of this bookmaker, our pros and cons, in the hopes of providing information to punters considering establishing a relationship with Betstar.
The Betstar Website
We made multiple visits to the Betstar website on three different machines. Our main computer is a Dell with an I7 processor running Windows 8.1, 16 MBs of Ram, a 20-inch monitor and an Internet connection supplying 20 Megabytes per second on the download end.
We also tried an older Hewlett Packard with far less memory and processor capability, the same DSL internet connection and a 24-inch monitor. Finally, we used an Acer Chromebook laptop with a 14-inch display.
With all three, the Betstar website did what we like websites to do: Tell us what we want to know and otherwise stay out of our way. We would go so far as to say that we wish every website we use was as responsive, as intuitive, as efficient at supplying information, as is the Betstar website.
Disclosure: This is basically true for most online bookmaking websites, but we do have to say that we come from a time when information was obtained either from an encyclopedia, required us to send off a self-addressed, stamped envelope via post in order to get a pamphlet mailed to us, or required us to spend hours in the boozers (something which we are still quite willing to do) probing our acquaintances for punting tips.
We like the layout, which is the familiar three-column arrangement. No need to reinvent the wheel, we say. The colour scheme is well thought out, there is adequate space to navigate and the fonts are clearly distinguishable for those of us whose eyes have seen better days.
We appreciated the information concerning races and sporting events to jump soon, with time remaining, and the fact that the website displayed the time where we are, not where the Betstar servers were located, even though we are not necessarily of the instant gratification set and tend to plan our punts a day or more in advance.
The bet slip remains hidden until a punt is selected and it can easily be re-hidden if so desired. The racing form guide is superb and provides so much information that the mind boggles, at least where the domestic races are concerned. Major International races also offer extensive information.
We were disappointed slightly when we wanted to research the Betstar site for the Belmont Stakes, the third and final leg of the U.S. Triple Crown, and could not find anything. We are not saying it was not there, just that we could not find it with more effort than we were willing to devote.
Betstar offers so many different sports and racing markets that we found it necessary to do quite a bit of scrolling to review them all, but that is just our age-induced crankiness rising to the fore, since all the major racing and sporting events were visible on our displays at a glance.
We could not discern any drop off in performance from the best to the least of our computers, so we are happy to inform that just about any old computer with an internet connection will suffice nicely.
Betstar Mobile Wagering Platforms
Mobile is the future of punting, the future is here, and Betstar has configured a mobile website, along with dedicated apps for Android and Apple devices that take a back seat to none.
Even though at this time last year, we were relying on a flip phone for communications of any kind, which is to say, phone calls only, we were able to download and install the Betstar app on an Android smart phone in a couple of minutes. We admit that we still struggle with the small screen size, but we do acknowledge that Betstar was obviously aware of this, and designed their app to adapt to this fact.
Browsing the app on the phone closely, but not exactly, duplicates what is seen on the website, so it does not require a high level of expertise to find markets and make selections and that task could be accomplished in essentially the same amount of time it took for those same tasks on the website.
Betstar Basics
You will have to part with a staggering $10 to set up a membership with Betstar.
They have a 50-cent minimum for online wagering, $20 if you desire contact with an actual human or wish to place a live bet via telephone.
Betstar accepts many forms of funding, including PayPal. They have a proprietary Betstar Visa, a superb convenience for withdrawals, along with other common methods.
Betstar odds and markets are reasonable viewed across the industry. Turnover requirements for deposits are also within the industry norm.
Their slightly higher margin goes into providing support resources for a clientele that desires amenities of this sort, experienced punters along with the novice. Overall, an abundance of markets and competitive odds make Betstar worthy of consideration.
