Bet365 tops Eilers & Krejcik Gaming UK sports betting apps rankings in H1
Online giant praised for “sector-leading” cash-out and bet builder capabilities as Flutter's three sportsbook apps finish in the top five
Bet365 has taken top spot in the Eilers & Krejcik Gaming (EKG) UK sports betting apps rankings for H1 2024.
As per the analyst firm’s EKG Line newsletter, the privately owned business topped the pile after testers praised the operator’s “massive range of markets” and “sector-leading” cash-out and bet builder.
Despite finishing third in the US equivalent rankings due to its product not being optimally localised, the Stoke-on-Trent-headquartered operator reigned supreme in its home market.
Landing the top spot from EKG comes after bet365 also retained its Premier League clickshare crown in the 2023-24 season, according to data from Oddschecker, as well as its Grand National and Cheltenham Festival titles.
Aside from bet365, Flutter boasted three apps in the top five in Sky Bet, Paddy Power and Betfair Sportsbook, once again demonstrating the New York-listed operator’s grip on the UK.
When it came to app performance, testers said two of their “bugbears” were speed and bet builders, with apps that scored highly overall viewed as sub-par if the aforementioned aspects did not live up to their expectations.
EKG said it viewed bet builders, or same game parlays in the US, as “crucial to the betting experience” for consumers.
The firm added: “We also note the baseline expectations of cash out have risen considerably and testers are expecting much wider availability.”
EKG also detailed pain points that arose from its testing process, with a desire to see Apple Pay as a payment option now rising to the top of standard requirements for bettors.
“Testers are consistent in their desire to see Apple Pay as a default option now and frequently note when it’s not available to them,” EKG noted.
There were also variations in both withdrawal performance and customer service in the latest testing round, though EKG said deposits “are mostly handled well by all apps”.
The boutique analyst firm noted that a lot of testers criticised several elements of apps’ live betting capability, including in-play bet placement, market availability and cash-out availability.
Adding that in-play is an area many apps have underinvested in; EKG said most apps scored in the middle of the road for in-play performance.
“As such, we feel in-play is an area that has been underinvested in of late, with potential for big improvement from some major names.”
At the start of the year, EGR analysed sports betting operators’ mobile UX using EKG’s Q4 2023 product analysis report in December.