Betstars Review

BetStars is the sports betting arm of PokerStars, the world’s largest online poker room. Overall BetStars scored high marks across all categories during our tests and we’re can’t say we’re surprised. The selection of sports and bets is huge and so are the bonuses. The BetStars website and sports app are also top-notch which makes sense since they’ve been offering poker on the internet since 2001.

Bet on your own odds

There is also an interesting option called ‘RequestABet’ which lets you ask for odds on a wager that the site normally isn’t offering. The regular selection of bets is pretty comprehensive so the RequestABets are usually used to get really long odds on a really unlikely outcome. You can also get a free £5 RequestABet every Friday when you make two £5 RequestABets.

In terms of the sports you can bet on and the kinds of bets you can make, BetStars has a lot to offer. You can bet on all the most popular sports from Europe and the United States including football, baseball, basketball, golf, cricket, tennis Aussie Rules and lots more. You can even bet on non-sports events like politics and television specials.

Eport betting and in-game bets

BetStars offers lots of different bets within each sport too. The site has a good selection of pre-game markets plus an extensive menu of in-game bets you can make live while you’re following the game. We compared the odds and betting lines on BetStars to other similar sports betting sites and found them to be competitive.

Welcome bonus on first bets

First off, when you sign up for a new account you can bank on special free bets when you make your first wagers. BetStars always offer great welcome bonuses like free bets or cash bonuses.

Game specific promotions

There are usually lots of other deals that refund losing wagers with free bets. Right now you can get your NFL, NBA, and MLB money line bets refunded if your team loses in overtime or extra innings. For bets on the Champions League, Premier League and Europa Cup you’ll also get your bet refunded with a free bet of up to £20 if you lose because of a goal after 80 minutes.

Cash Out options and Stars Rewards program

There are lots of other deals up for grabs but one of the things we like best is the Cash Out option. If you’re getting cold feet while a bet is in progress you can lock in a profit by taking a reduced payout, regardless of whether the bet wins or loses. The Cash Out option is really useful if you have a multi-leg bet like a parlay and you’ve won the first few bets in the series. Since just one loss can torpedo the entire parlay, sometimes it’s best to Cash Out and guarantee yourself a profit.

Finally, BetStars gives you access to the Stars Rewards program. If you play at PokerStars or PokerStars Casino, all your rewards points end up in the same place which is great.

Since BetStars is fully regulated by the UK Gambling Commission it’s able to offer lots of deposits and withdrawal options. During our tests we found the processing times to be on par with other leading online sportsbooks and the minimum deposit is $10.

The BetStars cashier has a Fast Deposit feature that streamlines the process and makes it really easy to top up your account. This option is only available on desktop, which is a bit of a letdown as most of us play on or phones.

Not all the deposit options are available for cashing out. BetStars lets you withdraw funds using Visa, MuchBetter, NETELLER, PayPal, Skrill or by wire or direct bank transfer.

Responsible gambling

There are some other important points worth mentioning about BetStars. The site has a great feature that lets you set deposit limits in advance to help you budget your bankroll. This is just one of the ways BetStars participates in responsible gaming initiatives. The site is also part of GAMSTOP and has age-verification technology built into the software to make sure players are old enough to gamble legally.

PokerStars has been successful for close to two decades and it’s made security and fair play a big priority the entire time. After investigating how BetStars is run we’re happy to see that they make it a priority as well.

There’s a lot of transparency with BetStars compared to some other sites. It’s part of a publicly-traded company which isn’t always the case with online sportsbooks. BetStars uses cutting-edge cyber security and they also take practical steps to offer better protection. All funds in player accounts, for example, are kept strictly segregated from business funds.

As we mentioned before, BetStars has a license from the UK Gambling Commission. The UK has relatively strict regulations when it comes to online gambling which means BetStars is forced to follow a long list of rules designed to keep players safe. This includes important things like making sure the site honors winning bets and processes withdrawals in a timely manner.

Overall, a valid gambling license gives you peace of mind that the sportsbook is being tested and reviewed regularly to make sure everything’s on the level.

Customer service

One area we’d like to see BetStars improve is its customer support options. There’s no live chat and no direct phone number to call. A live chat function is standard nowadays and we’re surprised to find that this isn’t available. The bright side is that the site does have an email form you can fill out which is monitored 24/7. During our tests we found the support team to be responsive and helpful when we reached out to them.

BetStars also has a very extensive FAQ page, which does cover most questions you might have.

Owner

The Stars Group

Licenced by

UK Gambling Commission (UKGC)

Audited by

We do the majority of our betting on mobile so if a sportsbook doesn’t have a good sports betting app or mobile site, it’s a dealbreaker. BetStars didn’t disappoint us when we fired it up on our phone for the first time.

You do have the option of playing in your internet browser but in our tests we found that the app is the better choice. Both work well but everything runs a bit smoother and looks just a little bit better in the BetStars sports app compared to the mobile site. Either way, everything is accessible on mobile. You can get all the same bonuses and make all the same bets regardless of what device you’re using.

Apple and Android devices both have great support. We didn’t have any problems running the app on iPhone, iPad, Samsung Galaxy and every other device we could get our hands on. We found that a big screen wasn’t necessary, and everything still fit really well on smaller devices.

During this BetStars sports review we kept coming back to the same point: The people behind BetStars learned a lot developing PokerStars into an industry-leading online poker room. That expertise shows all over the BetStars site and they’ve definitely focused on the areas that are most important to customers.

From the software and mobile betting to the bonuses and banking options, BetStars earned some of the highest scores we’ve ever awarded in an online sportsbook review.

If you’re looking for a single sportsbook to bet with, BetStars is definitely robust enough to satisfy all your needs. The fact that it has such strong bonuses and unique features like Spin & Bet also makes it a great choice if you’re looking for a second or third account.

If BetStars sounds like a good fit for you, use the links on this page for a hassle-free way to sign up and claim all the best bonuses.