Sports Alive Review

IMPORTANT NOTICE:

Sports Alive went into liquidation in August 2011. Learn more.

Introduction

The following is a review of the betting agency Sports Alive. I will update this review periodically to keep the details up to date. The Betting Agencies section provides information and reviews for other sports betting agencies.

Sports Alive is the new name for a number of merged betting agencies, including GlobalSportsBet and Sportsacumen. It is an Australian company with its headquarters in Canberra.

Overview

• New member offers – new members can receive the value of their first deposit matched up to $100. Be aware, however, that Sports Alive has a number of hurdles in place that must be reached before the bonus funds can be withdrawn. The original deposit must be wagered at least once at odds of $1.50 or more, and the bonus credits must be wagered at least three times on odds of over $1.50. These rules are much stricter than those offered by other agencies. In accordance with new laws, New South Wales residents aren’t eligible for new member bonuses.
• Deposit options – Credit card, BPay, direct deposit, Moneybookers, cheque, POLi, Neteller
• Withdrawal options – Unknown. They only seem to let you know once you are eligible to make a withdrawal.
• Transaction fees – none
• Minimum bet – $1.00
• Sports – A decent selection of sports, racing, and entertainment betting options are available. You won’t get as many sports and betting options as the likes of Betfair but the selection should be adequate for most casual punters
• Live betting – Live betting during matches is available but over the phone only for Australian residents
• Credit – Not that I’m aware of.
• Upsides
  • The website is well laid out and easy to navigate. They have a dynamic side menu that displays event options when you click on a sport. Those who are new to sports betting will appreciate the gentle learning curve while experienced sports betters will appreciate the familiar look and functionality.
  • A good range of deposit options are available
  • Sports Alive offers spread (index) betting, which a lot of other agencies do not. Spread betting is wagering on the outcome of an event, where the pay-off is based on the accuracy of the wager, rather than a simple “win or lose” outcome. It offers more risk and potential gains than typical fixed-odds betting.
  • A ‘Rules’ icon appears next to every betting option, which enables you to conveniently check the rules and terms relating to any given bet. For example, in a tennis match, what happens if a player retires hurt?
  • While it is a new name, Sports Alive is the amalgamation of a number of prominent betting agencies, making it very trustworthy.
• Downsides
  • The new member bonuses have tougher hurdles before withdrawal than anywhere else I have seen. Of course, this is irrelevant to NSW residents because under new regulations sign up bonuses are no longer available to them.
  • The help section isn’t quite as detailed as some competitors. This will only really be an issue for beginners, however, as the interface is very well laid out.
• Bottom line – Sports Alive ticks all the boxes when it comes to desired features of a betting service. They offer a decent selection of sports and racing options, along with a good range of deposit options, and the interface is well laid out. Those who are interested in spread betting should definitely check this service out. Overall, if you are a casual punter, you can’t go wrong with this service.