The casino at iBet is an online gaming site owned and operated by the Claymore Group of Malta. The site is eCOGRA certified and licensed under the Malta Gaming Authority. A few of the approved studios and providers under the license include Relax Gaming, Play’n Go, Evolution, and NetEnt.

While no sports betting component seems linked from within the site, this was the first operator to sign onto Betsson’s sports betting platform without using its casino aggregation. The newest iteration of the MGA license lists the following providers:

Type 1 Gaming Services - Casino MGA/B2C/748/2019

• Red Tiger Gaming (Malta) Limited MGA/CRP/480/2018
• NetEnt Malta Limited MGA/CRP/109/2004
• Kambi Malta Limited MGA/CRP/185/2010
• Evolution Gaming Malta Limited MGA/B2B/187/2010
• Play'n Go Malta Limited MGA/B2B/225/2012
• Yggdrasil Gaming Limited MGA/B2B/230/2012
• Relax Gaming Limited MGA/B2B/246/2013
• Pragmatic Play Limited MGA/B2B/317/2016
• Greentube Malta Limited MGA/B2B/120/2006
• Red Tiger Gaming (Malta) Limited MGA/CRP/480/2018

Type 2 Gaming Services - Fixed odds

• Kambi Malta Limited MGA/CRP/185/2010
• Betsson Platform Solutions Limited MGA/B2B/194/2010

You might not see a headline link to sports betting. We didn’t find one on the menu. However, if you simply choose “betting rules” from the bottom of the page, the Betsson platform will be activated. We visited the site from Finland one day and from a desk in Sweden the next day and finally from a Canadian IP via VPN on the third day but had to get creative to find the sports betting component.

We would venture an educated guess that Relax Gaming’s Silver Bullet is the casino component of the platform since NetEnt and Evolution are busy doing other things and the integration doesn’t seem to fit in with Play’n Go’s OMNY or GMT products, or any of the other potential providers on the license.

Any aggregator could carry games from even more suppliers under their Malta license, even if those providers have their own. In addition to the “approved” providers, we also find amazing Kalamba games like Pyro Pixie and Zombie Queen, Divine Dreams from Quickspin, and even a few rocking branded games like Twisted Sister and Ozzy Osbourne.

Live games are delivered by Evolution and Pragmatic Play Live and if my eyes don’t deceive me, the bespoke iBet blackjack title might be coming to you from Swintt. We may look into that a little deeper in the live gaming part of the software and games section below. Swintt and iBet did sign a content deal for games in summer 2021.

A little more on the genesis of the site launched in January 2021 will lay the groundwork to delve deeper into the software and game selection as well as point us toward a deep enough look at bonuses along with the terms and conditions to show you whether that is something to consider here. From there we can go into banking a bit and find out not only the payment methods but how long it takes to get paid and what sort of withdrawal limits there might be over certain time intervals. 

A good raking over the coals should expose any potential pitfalls to look out for and with that list in hand, we should be able to render a well-informed synopsis so you are prepared to make a properly well-informed decision about the potential value to you of signing up here and trying your hand at some of the games. If it looks right and feels right when you slip it on for a test, maybe it will become as comfortable and familiar as a favorite pair of slippers.

Associations are not always easy to determine in the online casino realm but knowing them can be quite valuable in assessing an operation, especially one with such a fresh footprint as iBet.

When news of the site first began to bubble to the surface a couple of years ago, it came from Scotsman Paul Fox, founder and CEO of LeTou. I suppose it’s easier to put this part in his words: ”The Claymore Group has ambitious plans for ibet in 2020 and our partnership with Betsson is of vital importance as we aim to replicate the success we have enjoyed in Asia with LeTou.”

However, something appears to have changed along the way with Claymore now with Fox no longer mentioned and David O'Callaghan as CEO. Both the current CEO and FOX are alumni of BodogWorld  (Sports) and O'Callaghan spent a couple of years as commercial director at Betsson.

All this really means is that there is far more transparency in some aspects of the iBet company than most gambling concerns reveal, but there is also a mostly mysterious disconnect or another lack of transparency regarding whether LeTou is indeed related to iBet or not. Neither has a bad reputation so it’s not like they are hiding malfeasance or anything. Perhaps a simple internal squabble would explain, or business distancing for unknown reasons - though it does seem odd that sports were only available through a backdoor when we visited.

For all the things that “make you go ‘hmmm,'' there are plenty of others that point to this being a stand-up place to play. We don’t find complaints for either brand, whether still related or not, the only marketing companies that don’t endorse them but list them seem to not understand how sportsbook banking works (LeTou) or that it is extremely common for even High Street bookies to limit their exposure to 50,000 EUR or 100,000 EUR on any single bet. 

Another firm has given the site a less than favorable rating with no justifiable reason - it refers to terms and conditions prevalent at most online casinos (God Clause - which we find no history of being invoked); a complete misunderstanding of sportsbook win limits, and extrapolates that bookie exposure limiting governor into progressive jackpot wins with no cite of T&C or another basis in fact. The particular reviewer also claims the site has an image of a license but no clickable link, which is also untrue or at least no longer true. 

Readers can confirm the site’s valid license here or even explore the entire published history of the site on the blockchain here.

LeTou is very popular in Asia - especially in China, Thailand, and Vietnam. It operates out of the Philippines or at least used to, and now seems to have a Curacao license whereas iBet is licensed by the Malta Gaming Authority. Either way, we don’t find any history of foul play, slow pay, incompetence, or malfeasance - we do find some kudos but for the most part, there just isn’t much chatter around the newer brand.

That leaves us with a review of the product as we find it as well as the terms and conditions taken at face value. There is a good bias toward believing the operators “do what they say” as in they follow and enforce the T&C without deviation or prejudice - if this were not true we would certainly find plenty of public complaints. At the very least we’d see justifications for the less-than-favorable reviews, of which there are two and both are related at least by shared scoring metrics.

Based on our own subjective standards, and after several hours of sleuthing to find any basis for a negative bias, we will simply provide a factual review to focus on the following important aspects of the iBet operation:

• Software and Games
• Bonuses and Promotions
• Banking and Customer Service
• Pitfalls
• The Final Word

Each level of discovery will help us determine with near certainty if this is, as it appears to be, a site with integrity. So far, we know this much…

The casino at iBet is certified by eCOGRA. The games are regularly audited for RTP. It holds a Maltese license. It’s been in operation for over a year without a single viable complaint - resolved or otherwise. 

Software and Games

The site provides instant banking, bonus redemption, and gaming using any secure browser connected to the internet. 

Aside from the oddity we experienced in not being able to find the sportsbook, the navigation here is refreshingly easy for casino players. Look for predefined categories to help you find your way around the corridors containing well over 1,000 of your favorite slots and table games.

The home lobby shows large thumbnails of a variety of games including slots and blackjack. Scrolling down the page from the “popular” category (see all is an option) we find New Games, Red Tiger,  Featured, Feature Buy, Megaways, Live games, HIgh volatility, Virtual sports, and Instant wins.

Some of the same sections, in the same order, are also available from the menu on the top of the page. This is true of all save the Megaways category. It did not appear in the topline menu when we visited. I prefer the visual, you may already know what type of games you are looking for. 

We won’t spend much time on popular, new, or featured games, but should make a few mentions as this is likely the pathway many players will take when they first visit the site.

Whichever pathways you take you will be able to try almost all of the games in demo mode. New games come out at a frenzied [ace these days and the inventory is constantly being refreshed.  The first two categories are good to visit in order to stay abreast of the hottest new games and the third, “Featured” is a place to find games you may have overlooked among hundreds otherwise. I’ll have to admit, I play a lot, and I had never tried Royal Potato until it was recommended here.

As we loaded more and more games it became apparent we were correct in assuming this is a Relax Gaming Silver Bullet-powered site. Games from a diverse range of developers were downloaded with a Relax splash screen. A quick glance at the URL as games loaded showed they were all coming from the Relax Gaming API. 

I can’t say I was wild about all of the games I played from the ‘featured’ link, but I did find a few Hacksaw games I wouldn’t have played normally and will most likely revisit.

Megaways

While this is not the largest selection of Megaways mechanics games we have seen, it’s a decent selection. Not only that, the curation is well thought out. There’s a little bit of everything for anybody from the simple (The Fruit Megaways) to the more complex (Piggy Riches and Power of Thor) there is a good variety for having about 50 titles on tap.

Great Rhino is a given but you’ll also find Legend of Cleopatra, Dynamite Riches, Kingmaker, and even BTG’s Spicy Meatballs Megaways! 

Feature Buys

One thing I like about this category is that you can simply play the games whether you want to buy a feature or not. I don’t know how or if I would have run across and plate NoLimit City’s X-Ways Hoarder Split X if I hadn’t found it here. Call me crazy, but that is one whacked game. In fact, it’s so whacked that it's the type of game I would play through an entire deposit and then deposit back to back just to play it again. I don’t know if it's the infectious Americana soundtrack, the way the game just keeps changing it up with every spin, or the theme which is simply hilarious. It might be the call of an 11,030 x win.

Table Games (RNG)

There’s a nice little selection of games here for those who are old school like me or anyone who just wants to play against the odds without the fanfare and time limits set by live gaming. There is also the matter of house rules = house edge for games like blackjack that should be considered by the edge gambler. Another consideration could be the cost to bet a single hand or round. Even the Evolution First Person (RNG) versions offer bets as low as 0.10 per round - you won’t find that in the live dealer suite.

Some of the digital games you can play at your own pace include blackjack, roulette, baccarat (punto banco) Texas Hold’em, Money Wheel, and craps.

The First Person Craps game from Evolution lets you practice in a digital environment. You can even choose a simplified version of the game to remove all of the more complicated bets from the table. If or when you feel like moving into a live game all you have to do is choose Go Live to enter the lie gaming portal. All of the game elements are the same, all of the odds and payouts, etc. The only difference is that the robot arm shooting the dice is accompanied by a human being dressed in suspenders and a white shirt - you’ll see the same 1920’s American Speakeasy atmosphere, but the game will be live!

Bonuses and Promotions

The promotions page is organized into campaigns. The current campaigns are as follows:

• Bonus
• Cashback
• Welcome
• Tournaments

Looking at the Welcome section first we find two offers for a Casino Welcome Bonus.

Live Casino Welcome Bonus

Please note, offers like this can be fleeting and they are almost always restricted to certain players. It’s almost a sure bet that it’s a loss-leader so to speak… that means the operators might be willing to invest (lose) some money in order to attract a certain “class” of players they want as long-term customers.

And here we find the kicker for the Live dealer welcome bonus:

“Finland, Norway & New Zealand” only.

Further details…

• The bonus can only be wagered on Live Casino tables. Table games, Slots and games in other categories are not allowed.
• The game 'Deal or No Deal' can not be played with bonus funds.
• The (deposit plus bonus) must be wagered 35 times
• Max bet is €5
• No max cashout

Cashback

No wagering, no hidden terms. 5% and .2% of every bet.

Banking and Customer Service

There’s nothing too fancy here. It just looks like a collection of payment gateways chosen to serve players that are welcome at iBet Casino.

• Direct Bank Transfer 
• EPS 
• Euteller 
• MasterCard Credit 
• MuchBetter 
• Neosurf 
• NETELLER 
• paysafecard 
• Rapid Transfer 
• Siru Mobile 
• Skrill-Moneybookers 
• SOFORT Banking 
• Trustly 
• Visa Credit 
• Zimpler

Limits are reasonable and in line with a well-funded and well-managed gaming site. Daily cashouts are limited to  €10,000 with up to €25,000 available weekly and €100,000 per month.

Once documents are verified it can take up to 12 hours (a shift) for payouts. Card payouts can be up to 3 days and bank wires 2-5 days.

Customer care

The site runs a comprehensive help center that includes a FAQ page, contact information, and live chat. Responsible gambling tools include the ability to set deposit limits, timeouts, activity checks, and self-exclusion.

Pitfalls

• Live casino bonus not available to everyone (Nordics allowed)
• Sportsbook is not easy to find on the site
• No VIP Scheme published (all players equal)

The Final Word

iBet Casino appears to be a very stable new entry into the international gambling scene. When we look at the structure as well as the implied associations it would appear to be backed up by a decade of good operations as an Asian sport and casino site. Even if that has ‘changed’, we find a solid operation with solid terms and conditions. They’ve been around long enough to generate valid complaints if any were going to come in the debut years.

We find no complaints nor do we expect any. The site launched as the first Betsson Sports “plugin” and later picked up Kambi - but - and this is important, the casino element is absolutely segregated from the sports. This is potentially an industry-changing agreement and configuration and one of the first full-fledged Relax Gaming Silver Bullet deployments we have seen.

Whether that is out in front or not, it is on the minds of the operators and the platform providers. Relax is not about to partner with some half-vast operator, nor would Betsson for sports.

As a player, I would balance all I see and have no hesitancy playing here with my biggest bankroll sessions. There’s simply nothing to worry about for me. Ready, willing, and able are three very different things though, aren’t they?

If I were a Nordic player I would flutter up 50 EUR for the live game bonus. You never know where one of those streaks can go. However, as a high volatility slot player at another residency, I don’t find the bog-standard 100% up to €100 a reason, in and of itself, to play here. It’s also a little disingenuous to make potential players click twice to find out the biggest part of the €300 welcome offer is a 50% second deposit bonus, but that’s marketing, I guess.

I’d play here. I wouldn’t ever worry about being paid. I wouldn’t worry about some predatory term biting me on the southside while headed north to a payout, and I might find myself more or less “at home” eventually.