SBC News Voice of the Sports Betting Industry
Sky Bet has become the latest online UK operator, to roll out a minimum bet guarantee to its customers.
The guarantee will allow punters to bet to win £500 on Class 1 and Class 2 races from 10am on the morning of the race. The new minimum bet, which also applies to restricted customers, means that Sky Bet has become the largest online bookmaker to roll out such a guarantee.
Sky Bet’s racing PR manager Michael Shinners commented of the new offer: “We already offer a very competitive racing package with extra places and price boosts and the guaranteed minimum bet will hopefully prove popular with existing and potential customers.”
Sky Bet’s initiative applies solely to the win part of bets and not to the each way selection, it also excludes multiple bets, nonetheless, the initiative will be seen as a step in the right direction for horse racing bettors, who have long pushed for lesser restrictions when it comes to horse racing markets.
It follows on from similar initiatives by BetVictor, Betfair, William Hill and Ladbrokes Coral. The first time customers will be able to utilise Sky Bet’s minimum bet offer is at this week’s Goodwood event, which will host a total of three class 2 races.
The guarantee acts as an affirmation to Sky Bet’s strong focus on providing an unrestricted fair horse racing offering, speaking at the All Party Parliamentary Betting & Gaming Group Seminar in the House of Lords earlier in the year, Sky Bet CEO Richard Flint revealed that the firm was considering moving the minimum liability from £100 to £500.
The Horseracing Bettors Forum, who have long campaigned for a £500 liability guarantee, reacted to positively to the news ion a tweet which stated: “While not as comprehensive a provision as some, it is a further step in the right direction, and another operator prepared to allow previously restricted customers to have a reasonable bet on some races.”
