Overview
When Hollywood Bets launched its operation in South Africa almost 25 years ago, few thought it would become a global leader in sports betting, racing, casino, live casino, and virtual sports. The brand is currently a key player in several markets, including the UK, Ireland, Mozambique, and Kenya, and aspires to expand its operation further. In this Hollywoodbets review, we will learn what made this bookmaker so popular, all the features that stand out and what to expect from them in the future.
Selection of sports and markets
The main menu on the left side of the pre-game events page is confusing. At first, you would think that Hollywoodbets offers only a dozen sports. However, with a closer look, you will notice that there are way more options. We counted over 30 different sports, including some unusual options, e.g. surfing, biathlon, pelota, futsal and Aussie rules.
Of course, the lion’s share is with football, where we noticed that over 750 events are available for betting at peak times. Tennis came second with over 250 events, Basketball third with 130 and then fewer events from other sports.
No surprises with the Hollywoodbet markets. Big games, such as those of the premier league, are covered with 400+ markets, including all the popular ones (Match, Handicap, Totals, Halves) and some less popular ones, e.g. minutes and combos.
Are we happy with the variety of events and betting markets of Hollywoodbets? Yes, we are. The standard offer will cover most players’ needs and leave no room for complaints.
Hollywoodbets live betting and streaming events
When we review experienced bookies with a long presence in regulated markets, we usually expect live streaming to be available, at least at the events that the bookmaker sponsors. In the case of Hollywoodbets.com, we couldn’t find any live events that Live Streaming covers.
On the other hand, the live betting platform covers thousands of events daily. There are over 100 football matches and tennis games available at any time. These popular sports are offered with 100+ betting markets. Other sports are also there on the live betting list. However, you should expect fewer games and betting markets in Basketball, Rugby, Cricket, etc.
Bet Types
As expected, Hollywoodbets is fully equipped to accommodate requests from demanding punters. Its traders have stepped in to offer over 400 betting types per game (on big games). Specifically:
- 1X2
- Handicap & Asian Handicap
- Halves
- Score cast
- Corners
- Micro betting
- Specials
- Bookings
The selection of betting markets will vary based on the sport. However, this is one of the most diverse offerings we have seen.
Betting and winning limits
At Hollywood bets, players can bet as little as R1.00 (or currency equivalent) and the max bet can be several thousand ZAR (or currency equivalent). Loyal customers can enjoy VIP support’s perks and tailor-made limits on their favourite sports.
Lucky players can scoop up to R1,000,000 daily, but their betting and win limits might be reduced for smaller leagues and friendly games.
Odds and payouts analysis
Like with most bookies, the margins and payouts at Hollywoodbets Sports will vary depending on the competition and betting market you pick. However, the website’s reputation is that the margins are higher than the competition. Some betting odds analysts claim that the average betting margin at Hollywoodbets is over 6%. In markets such as the UK, this is a serious disadvantage. However, we noticed that the margin is much lower on tier 1 games, e.g. the premier league, Champions League and Cricket tests. We advise you to use a betting calculator to understand the Hollywoodbet payout before you decide to place a bet.
Welcome Bonus and Other Promotions
If you love betting bonuses, then you are in the right place. Hollybets bonus page is filled with promotions for new and existing customers. We need to mention:
- R25 Free bet for new betting players
- R20000.00 Casino bonus for new players
- 100 Free Spins on Hollywoodbets casino
- Free Spins on the Game of the Month
- Seasonal Offers (on Christmas Day, St Valentine’s Day, etc)
- 10% Refund for returning customers
- Special Horseracing cash back
- Acca Insurance
- Daily and Weekly Hollywoodbets Free bets and Free Spins
All Hollywoodbets promotions come with dedicated Terms and Conditions. Please make sure you read the details before you make a deposit and claim these rewards.
Website graphics and functionality
We love the colour code of the page, and we like the soft palette that was chosen to build Hollywood bets. However, accessing certain markets and odds competitions wasn’t as easy on the desktop. Luckily, the mobile UX is a completely different story. Considering that most punters will reach Hollywoodbets mobile pages and mobile apps rather than the desktop page, we are confident they will be pleased with what they encounter.
How to place a bet
The Hollywoodbets betting slip won’t disrupt the sports world. But it’s still very well designed and will include all the necessary info and betting options:
- Total Stake
- Bonus% on your accumulator winnings
- Total return
- A variety of betting systems
We loved the feature where Hollywoodbets will display the extra Acca Bonus on your winnings for every extra game you add to the multiples slip.
Deposit and payment methods on Hollywoodbets
Hollywoodbets has developed a web wallet allowing customers to use international cards (debit and credit) and some local payment methods. The list is long, and we will try to summarise below:
Depositing Funds on Hollywood Bets:
- Credit Cards (Visa, Mastercard)
- e-wallets (Skrill, Neteller, Paypal)
- Crypto Currencies
- EFT (Bank Transfers – South African Customers only)
- Instant EFT (Bank Transfers – South African Customers only)
- Zapper
- Apple Pay
- Local South African Vouchers (1Voucher, Blu Voucher, OTT Voucher)
Withdrawing Funds from Hollywood Bets:
- Credit Cards and Debit Cards (UK only)
- e-wallets (UK only)
- EFT (South Africa Only)
- Instant Money
- Send – iMali
- MobiMoney
- Withdrawals at local branches (South Africa only)
Important Note: Hollywoodbets is regulated in almost all regions where bets are accepted. Therefore, your account must be verified before any cashouts can occur.
Learn more about Hollywoodbets
· Customer service Quality
We hear very few complaints about the quality and speed of responses from Hollywoodbets sports and casino Customer Service teams. Here is how you can get in touch and address your questions:
- Live Chat: Available 24/7 in most regions
- Phone Numbers: There are phone lines for customer support in some markets. Mainly those that Hollywoodbets run a regulated service (UK, South Africa)
- Email Support: [email protected] or regional inboxes. Responses are expected within a few hours during pick hours and events days.
· License and Safety Information
Although it started as a regional bookmaker, Hollywoodbets pursued and acquired licenses in a few global markets. Most notably:
- South Africa (licensed in KwaZulu-Natal, in the Western Cape Gambling and Racing Board and other provinces)
- United Kingdom (Licenses from the UKGC and the Revenue Commissioners of Ireland)
There are also licenses in several African markets. Still, we also need to emphasise collaborations with some global franchises, such as Brentford FC in the UK, Orlando Pirates in the MLS, South African and UK horse racing events, the Dolphins Cricket Team in South Africa, Sharks Rugby, the South African Women Football league and many more similar initiatives.
Hollywood Bets and Casino loves to support local communities and sports clubs or institutions wherever they offer their product. And we firmly encourage customers to prefer bookmakers with a strong social presence who contribute to their core markets.
Hollywoodbets Casino and Other Products
HollywoodBets Casino is a wonderful surprise. The 100 Free Spins new player offer was the ideal incentive for us to open an account and try this online casino. What is there for players?
- 3600 slots
- Jackpots
- Crash Games
- Popular games providers (Pragmatic Play, Play n’ Go, Hacksaw, Net Ent)
- Daily promotions
- Betgames and Evolution Live Dealers
- Great variety of Live Show Games
Hollywood Bets is also home to Virtual Sports and the super popular tables of Betgames TV. It’s a complete gaming suite with thousands of options for players.
