SBK may have only been around since 2019 but they can genuinely claim to have disrupted the betting industry with a sportsbook that is different from all the others in quite a few ways. So just how have they separated themselves from the pack and created a truly unique sportsbook offering? As part of this SBK review, we will tell you all about the unique selling points of the app, as well as outlining their range of sports and markets, customer service, in play betting, how the app looks and much, much more!
To start off our SBK review, let’s look at the site’s history. SBK is the sportsbook offering from Smarkets, one of the biggest betting exchanges in the world. However, the association doesn’t begin and end there as the SBK app also draws their prices from Smarkets, providing a unique mix of betting exchange prices and the simplicity of a sportsbook.
SBK also stands out from the crowd with their unique social media element, which we will elaborate on later in this article. and a nice touch in our opinion is that you won’t find anything other than sport, politics and current affairs betting on the SBK betting app, meaning there are no casino games, slot machines or bingo. However, with a huge range of markets, that shouldn’t matter to punters who may even appreciate the stripped-down nature of the app.
From what we’ve seen, the SBK app is a worthy addition to the sportsbook arena and we’ll be going into more detail on all the major features of the site later in this article.
A key element of this SBK review needs to be safety and security, and an excellent indicator of their reliability is that SBK are licensed and regulated in Great Britain by the Gambling Commission and outside of the UK by the Malta Gaming Authority. SBK uses high-security features to ensure that deposited funds are protected and that transactions are 100% safeguarded with Transport Layer Security (TLS) and Secure Socket Layer (SSL) encryption protocols.
All customer funds deposited by customers registered in the UK are also held by Smarkets (Clients) Limited, a group company established for the exclusive purpose of holding customer funds, under the terms of the Trust Deed. And according to the UK Gambling Commission’s customer funds rating categories, this provides a high level of protection.
New customers may also be required to upload additional identification documents such as a passport and utility bill, if for example, they have moved house recently, which is a reassuring sign that the SBK sports betting app takes their security responsibilities very seriously.
The responsible gambling section of the SBK app is accessible by tapping on “Account” at the bottom of the home screen and then “My Limits”, and then bettors will find a number of tools to help them gamble responsibly, including daily, weekly and monthly deposit limits, loss limits, along with time out and self-exclusion options.
That’s it for the safer gambling measures though and we must admit that the lack of further information about how to spot problem gambling and a GAMSTOP or Gamcare phone number for bettors who may be worrying about theier gambling is certainly a negative.
The SBK sports betting app may be going down a different road to their competitors but they still realise the need for a good welcome offer to help attract new customers! And the SBK signup offer is a generous one as new bettors can enjoy £30 in free bets, if they make a minimum deposit of £10 and then place a £10 bet.
All you need to do to qualify for the SBK signup offer is to join up using the SBK promo code SBS22, deposit at least £10 using a debit card, then place a singles bet (each way bets do not count) via SBK, also for a minimum of £10 with minimum odds of 1.50.
To make the most of the SBK promo code you just need to make sure all your qualifying bets are settled within 90 days of the qualifying deposit, and your free bet must be used within 90 days of receiving it. You can split your free bet if you wish in denominations of £2, £5 or £10. You cannot use an eWallet to make your qualifying deposit, just a debit card.
The terms of this bet are quite easy to understand, but if you are unsure about anything it is best to check the offer’s T&Cs at the site, or by clicking here.
SBK offer | Offer description | Wager requirement | Min qualify odds | Offer expiry | Min Bet/deposit |
Free Bet | £30 in Free Bets | None | 1.5x | 90 days | £10 |
Unfortunately for punters, at the time of writing this article the SBK sign up offer is the only promotion available as there are currently no deals for existing customers such as free bets, price boosts or acca insurance.
It seems like SBK are happy to rely on their odds, range of markets and the social elements of the app to keep punters happy, which is fair enough considering how much of a selling point they are, but slightly disappointing when you consider that every other online bookmaker has at least a couple of existing customer deals.
We don’t take other people’s word for it, we always immerse ourselves in the site or app we are reviewing and we know what punters are looking for because we have years of betting experience. So how does SBK score in the areas that are most important?
Let’s take a closer look.
You can bet on 22 different sports at SBK, including all the usual suspects, the big four sports from across the pond, less well-known events and of course the rapidly-growing phenomenon that is E-Sports!
And the app also shares one of the best features of their parent site Smarkets, which is the enormous range of non-sporting markets covering everything from the next German Chancellor to the next Dr Who! And if you like a flutter on politics you won’t find a better place to do it, with over 100 markets available at SBK.
You can access the most popular events of the day such as the Champions League or the T20 World Cup directly from the home page, or simply tap on “Browse” at the bottom of the home page and scroll through an A-Z list of all the sports that are available to bet on.
SBK claims to deliver “industry-disrupting odds” and it’s hard to disagree because they can cut out the bookmaker’s margins that nudge the odds up on all the other sportsbooks. And there’s also a transparency on the app when it comes to prices that you very rarely see with other bookmakers.
And this is because SBK benchmarks their odds against nine of its major competitors including big-hitters Ladbrokes, William Hill, bet365 and Paddy Power, before showing users exactly when they are getting the best odds with the SBK Price+ feature. Price+ is currently only available on football markets but we would expect a gradual rollout to the app’s entire sporting event offering.
You can place a bet for as little as £0.05 on the SBK app, which is a little less than the £0.10 industry standard we have encountered on many other betting sites. The maximum amount you can wager is a whopping £99,999.99 which we’re sure will keep even the high-rollers happy!
Fans of in play betting are well served by the SBK app, with a massive range of in-running markets on offer covering all the major sports, most of the minor ones and E-Sports too. You can easily access the in play page by pressing “Live” at the top of the home page and once you’re there, the biggest events taking place at the time will be front and centre, with a scrollable list of sports present and correct at the top of the page.
You can enjoy live streaming at several markets in the SBK app, with quite good resolution. No timeouts or lag noticed when we tried the stream. If you prefer the in-play view, it has superb up-to-date information on what’s happened so far, and for live football matches, there’s also an animation which is regularly updated with the latest happenings in the game, as well as all the relevant stats from the match so far.
Cash outs are available on the majority of markets, meaning punters can settle their bets before completion. To cash out you need to tap the “Open Bets” section at the bottom of the home page and then a cash out button will appear next to the wagers that qualify. Bear in mind though that not all bets are eligible for the cash out option.
SBK have combined sports betting with social media for a much more immersive betting experience. You can post your own tips on the app, view the selections of other budding tipsters and follow them if you want to see what they say in the future. And it’s also no surprise that they are active on more traditional social media platforms, with regularly updated Twitter and Facebook feeds.
One of the more unusual features we’ve seen on any betting site is SBK’s Auto Acca, where you can randomly select a three, four or five result acca which could feature any sporting market. To be honest though, we’re struggling to work out why anyone would use this as the last thing you want to do when spending your hard-earned bankroll is betting without any prior knowledge of the event you are wagering on!
However, if you’re keeping the stakes small it could be a harmless bit of fun with the chance of a big payout, so we’ll give SBK the benefit of the doubt here!
You can reach the dedicated customer support team from 8:00-23:30 Monday to Sunday UK time. They are available on both live chat and answers mail during those hours. During off hours we can recommend looking through their excellent FAQ section that covers most commonly asked questions.
Registering a new account and depositing for the first time is a quick and easy process, and even if supplementary identification is required before registration can be completed, the time between sending it and your account being up and running is generally no more than four hours.
The following step by step guide explains how you can sign up at SBK.
Before you can start the sign-up process you need to download the app, which you can do by visiting the Google Play or Apple Stores directly or by heading to the SBK web page on your mobile device, where the relevant download links are front and centre.
Open up the app and tap the “Create Account” button which is located at the bottom of the screen and then there will be a series of pages where you can enter your email address, pick a password, add your name and location, choose the currency you want to wager in and add a promo code if you have one. Then it’s your date of birth, mobile number if you choose to share it, address, odds format and finally your contact preferences.
Once your account is up and running, log in and tap the “Funds” button at the bottom of the screen. Enter your card details and deposit amount and then you will be good to go! The minimum you must deposit is £10 and the maximum daily deposit limit is £10,000, and there are no fees attached to any deposit.
Conveniently the site will also remember your payment method meaning that any subsequent deposits will just require you to input your card’s security number, and you will also be prompted at the bottom of the screen to add a deposit limit if required, which is a useful reminder!
Now it’s time to place some bets, which is the last key to getting the bonus – you need to place a £10 bet to qualify for the £10 free bet.
Check out the available markets in the sport you are interested in betting on and place your bet. Your free bets will appear in your promo balance once a bet of £10 (or greater) has been placed at minimum odds of 1.5.
If you’ve made a successful bet and you want to get your hands on the winnings rather than building up your bankroll, tap the ‘Funds’ button at the bottom of the screen and then tap ‘Withdraw’. Once you’re there you just need to select your chosen payment method, enter the withdrawal amount and then you’re all set.
You just need to remember that SBK operates a closed-loop system, which means that if you have deposited using a particular payment method, you will need to use this same payment method to withdraw your winnings. Withdrawal limits will also apply depending on which method you are using, but generally, you have to withdraw at least £10, with no maximum.
Withdrawals will take anywhere between 30 minutes and 2 working days, depending on the method selected.
As a mobile-only operation, it’s even more important that the SBK betting app is fit for purpose, and from the first time you access the app it’s clear that a lot of thought has gone into it. The first thing to note is that the lack of casino games or slots is a means the app has an uncluttered feel to it which makes a refreshing change in a world of predominantly multi-purpose betting apps.
And this means SBK can find some space to include more pictures throughout the app than you normally see, which gives it a fresh and modern feel that really separates SBK from the pack. And we love the colour scheme that combines black, white and grey to great effect.
The user experience is also a good one with a selection of the biggest markets of the day appearing on the home page along with tabs at the top to navigate to the in play page and the social media section and tabs at the bottom to browse all sports, access your account and open bets and to deposit and withdraw funds.
Almost all of the major payment options are available at SBK, with the only negative being the lack of Apple Pay or Google Pay.
Payment Method | Min. Deposit | Min. Withdrawal | Withdrawal Time | Fees |
Visa & Mastercard | £10 | £10 | 1-6 business days | None |
Open Banking | £10 | £10 | 12 hours | |
Bank Transfer | N/A | £20 | 5-10 business days | £10 |
PayPal | £20 | £10 | 1-2 business days | None |
Trustly | £10 | £10 | 1-2 business days | None |
Skrill | £10 | £10 | 1-2 business days | None |
Neteller | £10 | £10 | 1-2 business days | None |
There are certainly pros and cons to wagering with SBK and based on our extensive research we can confidently outline what we like about the SBK app and perhaps more importantly, what we don’t like!
We’ve seen a lot of betting sites and it’s rare that we come across something that feels genuinely fresh. And that is certainly the case with the SBK betting app, which can rightfully claim to be doing something markedly different to the rest of the pack when it comes to their odds and social-friendly interface.
However, they haven’t forgotten the key elements of what makes a good betting app, as the SBK app not only looks great and navigates well, but the decision to focus only on betting means the site is refreshingly uncluttered with no casino games and slots to distract bettors.
With a future in prospect where mobile devices are set to dominate the way we place our bets, SBK are ahead of the curve in concentrating solely on their mobile app, and it’s all the better for it. So overall we’re more than happy to recommend the SBK betting site to anyone who is looking for a brand new betting experience!
Their parent company Smarkets has been around for a number of years but the SBK betting app was only launched in 2019.
Yes. The SBK betting app is licensed and regulated by the UK Gambling Commission and should be regarded as 100% trustworthy. Security and encryption measures are also in place to protect customer details at all times.
A wide range of deposit methods are available including Visa and Mastercard debit cards, Paypal, Trustly, Neteller and Skrill.
Yes. New SBK customers can claim a £30 free bet, but don’t forget to check the individual Ts & Cs.
Live streaming is not available at the time of writing, but live updates of major events is one aspect of the in-play feature.
SBK Review Page - Customer Reviews
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Serious side effects include an erection lasting more than 4 hours, sudden vision loss in one or both eyes, and sudden hearing decrease or loss cialis prescription Here are some recent testimonials from happy and unhappy users
Horrible website
Horrible website. They changed double on my deposit. your bonus program is a joke. Also, they have no live streaming option.
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Serious side effects include an erection lasting more than 4 hours, sudden vision loss in one or both eyes, and sudden hearing decrease or loss cialis prescription Here are some recent testimonials from happy and unhappy users
I am super satisfied
I found this amazing platform for betting on various games. I am super satisfied with my experience and enjoy SBK nowadays! Their withdrawal methods are free to use but they are pretty slow. The customer support members of SBK are very helpful and friendly. But The lack of live streaming is most noticeable when you’re betting on sports. It should be upgraded by them. Overall experience is very good. I am satisfied.
Horrible website
Horrible website. They changed double on my deposit. your bonus program is a joke. Also, they have no live streaming option.