Sunbet offer a great mobile betting experience bundled with excellent odds and betting markets. They also have a generous 100% deposit match bonus for new customers.Sunbet
Sunbet
Overall Rating
Sunbet Info
Part of the hugely successful Sun International Group, South Africa’s hotel and casino empire, Sunbet is one of the better-known bookmakers in the local market. Sunbet officially launched in 2006, and with a wealth of experience in the gambling industry, could offer a top-notch sportsbook straight off the bat. Sunbet operates under license of the Western Cape Gambling & Racing Board, which means they are fully legitimate and your rights as a customer are protected.
In this review we’ll take an in-depth look at Sunbet to see how they weigh up against some of the best South African bookmakers in the business. Keep reading to discover everything from how to register a new Sunbet account and claim your 100% welcome bonus, to downloading the mobile app and which awesome features to look out for.
How to register with Sunbet
If you are not already playing with Sunbet, you’re missing out. Complete your details on their registration page to open an account today! Sign up through the above link and you can also claim a R200 free bet (max) on your first deposit (R50 min), which is only available to readers of Best Sports Betting, but you’re also welcome to claim the offer through The Gambler. Yes, that’s even more free money!
Sunbet Deposit Bonus
Sunbet offers a 100% match up to R1000 for new customers upon their first deposit. Punters who register an account with Sunbet through this link will also receive a R200 free bet (max) on their first deposit (R50 min). You will need to wager your bonus balance 3 times at odds of 1.5 or more before you can request a withdrawal.
Sunbet Mobile
In June 2018, Sunbet revamped their entire site with a fresh new look in their traditional blue and gold brand colours. The upgraded landing page is a great improvement on what was already a pretty decent interface. One real positive change they made was to increase the size of the menus and buttons to make site navigation easier. The previous design left very little white space and the small font was hard to read. The new landing page is easily legible and features an enhanced menu with icons to represent the various sports available plus quick links to download their mobile app and get help.
Sports Betting
Sunbet has a comprehensive sports offering comparable with the likes of Hollywoodbets and Sportingbet. They have over 100 000 markets for everything from local favorites like soccer, rugby and cricket to UFC, basketball, E-Sports and more. You can also take bets on political events like the upcoming 2020 US Presidential Election (Go, Joe Biden!) and TV specials like the BBC Sports Personality of the Year.
Sunbet also offers special in-play markets across a range of sports called Action Bets, which allow you to bet on decisive moments such as the next point, scoring method or throw-in while the event is live. These bets are available for a very short time frame and are usually settled within 90 seconds. The Sunbet mobile app with its incredible live betting capabilities and responsiveness is perfect for taking advantage of these exciting in-play sports markets!
Mobile Betting App
The ever-increasing use of smartphones and tablets for betting is driving the need for improved mobile platforms. Punters now expect the same hassle-free experience when betting on their mobile devices as they do on their desktop. To keep customers happy, bookmakers need to offer the same wide range of sports, matches, markets and betting features on mobile—and Sunbet delivers the goods in this regard!
Aside from having a fantastic mobisite which is highly responsive and user-centric, the Sunbet mobile betting app is one of the best we have encountered so far. The layout is easy to understand with straightforward navigation so you always know exactly where you are and where to go next. All the best Sunbet features like cash out and action bets are also available on the mobile app which means you never have to compromise when betting on the go.
Download the Sunbet app
To download the Sunbet mobile betting app, visit this page and follow the instructions.
Android:
- Change this setting on your device before downloading the app: Settings > Security > Unknown Sources > Allow > OK.
- Tap the ‘Download’ button to download the APK file
- A pop-up will appear prompting you to begin the download process, tap ‘Download’.
- Once your download is complete, tap the ‘Open’ button to access the Sunbet app.
- Log in with your Sunbet account details and start punting!
iOS:
- Tap the ‘Download’ button to visit the App Store
- Tap the ‘Get’ button and then ‘Install’. Once the mobile app is installed on your device, tap ‘Open’ to start the app.
Odds
These days many bookmakers try to minimise risk by getting their odds directly from sources like Betradar and similar odds-setting companies. So where am I going with this? Odds on a sports event with any bookmaker move as money comes in on either side and they try to balance their liability. But now more than ever, odds across bookmakers are more likely to be exactly the same because most aren’t setting their own lines and only react to the market.
This makes it more difficult to say if any bookmaker has better odds than the next because it often totally depends on the bets they’ve taken since posting their odds. Because the numbers across most bookmakers are the same at the opening, you should rather shop around for the best value on that particular side or market than fall into the trap of thinking one bookmaker has “better odds” than another, because this is rarely the case over a large sample size.
On the whole, Sunbet has competitive odds which are in line with some other big players in the South African market. A good test for the fairness of any bookmaker’s odds is what they offer on a coin toss bet, which should be no less than 1.90 (9/10) on either side. For live or in-play betting this might be slightly less and odds of no less than 1.83 (5/6) is acceptable. Sunbet falls into this category for both pre-match and in-play betting which is a big positive.
Features
Besides a whole host of sports promotions that we’ll get to shortly, Sunbet offers a range of betting features to enhance the experience for any punter using their site.
Cash Out: Sunbet were the second bookmaker in South Africa to offer cash out on selected sports and markets. The Cash out feature allows you to settle your bets early, whether they are winning or losing. You can do this in-play or after one or two legs of your accumulator have already won. If your bet is going well but you don’t want to risk your luck changing, you can take a profit immediately. Conversely, if your bet is not looking good and you want to stop the bleeding before it loses completely, you can cash out and at least walk away with some money.
Promotions
Sunbet has loads of great promotions for punters which include sport and event-specific specials as well as odds boosts that you can use with an active bonus on your account. From buzzer-beater and half-point handicap money back specials for rugby, to full and partial stake refunds on soccer and tennis accumulators, Sunbet has something for everyone!
Lucky Numbers and Betgames
Lucky Numbers & Betgames has been something amiss on Sunbet and we’re pleased to tell you that it’s coming soon. As we’ve seen on many other betting sites, the addition of Lucky Numbers will add immense value to the Sunbet offering and we can’t wait to play!
Banking Deposit Options
Sunbet offers all the regular deposit methods with a few exclusions. Some of the ways you can top up your account include using a Visa or Mastercard as well as via Standard or Instant EFT. Standard EFT payments usually take 1-2 days depending on the bank and Instant EFT payments are credited to your betting account right away. Sunbet currently does not offer voucher deposits which we hope to see in the near future. The minimum deposit with Sunbet is R50, which is much higher than Betway and Sportingbet (R1). We would like to see this reduced as it allows punters with lesser means to play with Sunbet.
Withdrawals
Withdrawals from your Sunbet account are processed within 2-3 working days depending on your bank. Like deposits, the minimum amount is R50 and there are no fees. In our experience, most withdrawals are usually credited the day after being requested except for on Fridays, when they can take until the following Monday.
Sunbet MVG
Every Sunbet customer qualifies for their MVG Points programme which helps you earn rewards with every bet. Get 1 casino and 1 leisure point for every R1 000 you bet with Sunbet in a calendar month. For multiple bets, points earned are multiplied by the number of legs. So, if you bet R1000 on a treble, you will earn 3 casino points and 3 leisure points whether your bet wins or loses. Casino points are redeemable across all Sun International properties to play slots and tables, while leisure points can be used to pay for accommodation, meals, beverages, golf and entertainment.
Minimum Bet, Win Limits & Responsible Gambling
Unlike for deposits, there is no minimum bet size at Sunbet. So, although some players might find the R50 minimum deposit a hindrance, once they have met this requirement they can make their money go further by playing as slowly as they like. The maximum daily payout on any bet or combination of bets is currently R1.25m.
Sunbet Customer Service
The easiest way to get hold of Sunbet with any account-related queries is through their live chat facility, where agents are available between 07h30 and 22h00 daily. Start a new chat by clicking on the speech bubble that says ‘Chat’ on the right-hand side of the Sunbet home screen just below the ‘Log In’ button.
You can also get hold of Sunbet via telephone or email using the details below.
Contact Sunbet
- Tel: 0861 786238
- Email: support@sunbet.co.za
Bet with Sunbet
When you consider how successful Sun International has been over the years, it should come as no surprise that Sunbet is one of South Africa’s premium bookmakers. They have invested a lot of that time and experience into building a platform that provides a fantastic user experience whether you’re a first-time or veteran punter.
It’s hard to find many faults in Sunbet’s website which got a full makeover as recently as 2018. Aesthetics aside, the pages are highly responsive and easy to navigate. Mobile betting options include a mobisite and app with great features like cash out and loads of live sports markets, including action bets. Bettors who like to play casino games, however, might be a little disappointed as Sunbet is primarily a sportsbook. Thankfully, Lucky Numbers is on the way soon!
Over 15 years of experience in the sports and casino betting industry. I cover everything from casino games, crash games, slots and betting tips. Now Author for The Gambler.