BetZest is an aptly named sports and casino site launched in August 2018. The primary business of the site is sportsbetting but they also incorporate a modern mobile and desktop casino.

Owned by Global Software Solutions N.V., and headed up by Marius Filip, the site aims to offer a fresh and invigorating experience for players and bettors.

The site is licensed in Curacao. However, we expected a Malta License if not UKGC regulation and public records after a year of operations.

It's unclear just why the operator has chosen to forego premier European licensing, especially since the site uses strict geo-blocking to keep players from gray areas and unregulated jurisdictions from accessing even the most rudimentary information on the site.

Look for Sports, Live Sports, Casino & Live Casino, Virtual Games, and E-sports along with a generous bonus scheme, a vast array of payment methods, and excellent customer service during open hours.

This is a good case study in the value (or lack thereof) in online casino regulation and licensing. Some sites are simply good to go without a European license.

Software and Games

The site runs on the SportingTech Pulse Gaming platform. The Portuguese company has an innovative product that lets premier sites like this deliver a unique package of more than 50 different pre-match sports, over 200,000 live betting matches each year, and more than 1,000 casino games all under one virtual roof.

The sophisticated software allows this operator to offer unique ways to bet smarter - creating more winners, more often.

Casino games and sportsbetting are handled seamlessly on desktop, tablet, or handheld devices. Live betting is lightning fast and the site offers over 1,000 ways to bet on football matches.

When looked at separately and in the conglomerate, there are over a million betting markets offered every day in seven languages.

That is good news for sports bettors looking for a spicy new way to play.

But what about the casino?

Look for titles from:

• Microgaming
• NetEnt
• Evolution Gaming
• Pragmatic Play
• playson
• GameArt
• Habanero Systems
• Just For The Win
• Wazdan
• Spinomenal
• Red Rake Gaming
• Concept Gaming
• Xprogaming
• We Are Casino
• Triple PG

The names of some of the providers are as common to online casino players as payment methods like Skrill or Visa are. Some are not as well known.

The mix is quite interesting when taken as a whole. Evolution Gaming is the provider of live dealer games.

Spinomenal, Concept Gaming, and Gameart titles are often seen at Bitcoin casinos.

Red Rake, Wazdan, Just For The Win, and We Are Casino are premium up and coming developers. We Are Casino actually developed the Betzest signature slot, and the site was one of the first to launch the Portuguese company's full suite of games.

All of the other developers and providers are well known or fairly well known except for Triple PG (TPG or Triple Profits Games), and their games too are being seen and more and more sites all the time.

The TPG library is most often found at Asian-facing online casinos - and, as is par for the course with Asian game developers in the Western world, not a lot is known about the inner workings of the software.

The TPG games may or may not be certified fair, but we assume the Sportingtech random number generator is as the platform provider has partners in 6 separate regulatory jurisdictions.

The site has slowly built their catalog of RNG games over the first year of operations and we expect them to continue refining the selection based on player engagement.

Live Casino

In the summer of 2019, the operator expanded even more with the edition of Evolution Gaming's entire portfolio of live dealer games. The VIP and mainstream games include poker, progressive jackpots, money wheels, roulette, baccarat, blackjack, and more.

Evolution is the industry leader in native language tables, multiplayer games, and live money wheel variants which include Dream Catcher and Monopoly Live.

Bonuses and Promotions

The founder and CEO of the site spent a decade in the casino marketing business. This is a sign that the team is clued-up about what excites players and invites them to deposit and play.

Look for a generous welcome bonus to help you spend more time exploring the game selection. Sports fans have access to a separate sports welcome bonus as well.

Reload bonuses are commonly offered. The percentages are relatively low and the wagering requirements can be quite high.

Banking and Customer Service

There are more than 15 ways to deposit and about half a dozen payment methods to use for withdrawals. Mastercard, Visa, AstroPay, Skrill, and Neteller all work in both directions as of review time with direct bank transfers being the best way to withdraw if you have funded your account another way.

While the site states 0-3 days for payouts once your account has been verified, some players do wait longer. Pending (reversible) time may be up to 72 hours with payments to eWallets taking that long again in some cases. Credit and debit card payments should take 3-5 business days.

Unlike some sportsbooks, there is no limit on the amount you can win and still eventually be paid. However, be sure to read the terms to see if the amount you attempt to cash out will be paid by installments (5-digits).

Customer service is responsive and remained so even when the site had processing problems for German and Polish players due to government interference.

While we were unable to locate a phone number for support, the multilingual staff is available via chat and email.

Pitfalls

• Limited marketing footprint, several uncommonly excluded countries
• High wagering on casino bonuses
• Not an instant-pay casino
• Installment payments on big wins
• Curacao license only

What does it mean that there are no known European licenses in effect here?

There are plenty of less than savory operations hiding behind Gambling Commission and Maltese licenses - and then we have a venue such as this operating from the most bare-bones regulatory framework. Not much happens in the Curacao regulatory regime beyond KYC/AML (know your customer/anti-money laundering) oversight, and the need to prove up the funds necessary to operate prior to being issued a license.

A site with Caribbean credentials must prove itself worthy of player deposits and trust. After thorough and deep research, we find that Betzest deserves the trust and custom of our readers.

That's not to say there have been no problems...

All sportsbooks generate complaints, it's simply the nature of the business. However, when a casino company gets the attention of advocate sites, it's important to follow up to see what is actually happening.

We find a single complaint registered with LCB.org and the person who was able to deposit but not bet was refunded in three hours.

Another portal shows an unseemly number of complaints, but all were resolved except two that were rejected.

Many of the complaints were 2 or 3 digits in value. Some were in the mid-4 digits - all were paid. Payment processor problems seemed to be the only issue at hand and the problem was solved quite some time ago. It happens.

There's no indication whatsoever that the site was poorly funded and simply couldn't pay winners. Rather, it appears to be a teething pains issue due to the complexities of international payment processing.

What others are saying...

Most player reviews are positive at the leading forums. Some players (Canada) have complained about the difficulty in receiving a no deposit bonus, others (Germany and Poland) experienced delays in payouts when the site had processor problems. LCB.org has a video review of the site on Youtube.

The Final Word

Hardcore pre-match bettors may find the sheer depth and breadth of the book to be "fluff", but they can't complain about the promotions or odds.

Those who enjoy learning all they can about live betting and other services may find the site more than adequate and perhaps even exciting.

The casino game selection is unique and worthy of consideration. There are plenty of slots to play on. Although the welcome bonus may be difficult to clear, it's not impossible and there is no max cap on winnings from it.

The site launched as an exciting alternative to the current hybrids as well as straight sports or straight casino gaming sites and the integrated wallet (cashier) allows visitors to hop around at their whim to find a profitable place to lay down a stake - be that on a sporting competition or on the slots and casino floor.

If my job were to recommend rather than simply inform, I'd say "give it a go". Especially if you are the type of player who doesn't mind waiting a couple of days to see your money. I'd give it a hale and hearty, "You won't find better!" if it weren't for the payout pending time. There's no good reason that we know of to delay payments to verified casino players.