MarathonBet Review

Last Updated: March 4, 2024

Review of MarathonBet

2|5

Editors Note:

This MarathonBet review is designed to let you know more about a bookie that’s been around for a while (since 1997) but which is yet to really challenge the big boys.

We’re going to take a look at MarathonBet as a company, the payment methods they support, their available betting markets, how they cover in-play betting and the quality of their welcome promotion.

Before we get to the main review, however, here’s my personal take on MarathonBet…

Their overall service doesn’t have many big weaknesses but also doesn’t really excel in many areas. Given that there are plenty of bigger, higher reputation bookies around, therefore, it’s hard to imagine many punters wanting to abandon them in favour of MarathonBet.

I’d always advise you check out the likes of Betvictor or William Hill before these guys.

Pros & Cons of MarathonBet

  • They do now offer a welcome bonus.
  • Odds value is generally excellent.
  • Huge selection of markets available.
  • Site design is a real mess.
  • In-play section dull & no live streaming.
  • Shocking 5x turnover requirement on bonus!
  • Buggy app with many glitches.
MarathonBet Review
Not recommended.
Recommended:
No

MarathonBet Licensing & Safety

Safest rating

Is MarathonBet Safe?

9|10
  • Remote license from UKGC
  • Alderney Gambling Commission license
  • Affiliated with both IBAS and GamCare
  • Good overall safety rating

MarathonBet is an independent sportsbook operator which has been serving punters across the UK and Europe since its foundation in 1997.

They are headquartered in Alderney and licensed and regulated for non-British customers by the Alderney Gambling Control Commission. Whilst based in Alderney, MarathonBet are legally allowed to serve punters in mainland Britain thanks to their remote gambling licence from the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC).

MarathonBet have shown a further commitment to safety and fairness standards, too, by becoming affiliated with IBAS and with GamCare, amongst other third party organisations.

Bottom line here… your money and personal details. should be safe with Marathonbet.

Ownership:

  • Part of the wider Marathon Group which inclides Marathon Alderney Ltd, Marathonbet Italy S.r.i, Marathonbet Spain and Panbet Curacao N.V.
  • It is Marathon Alderney Limited which is responsible for marathonbet.co.uk.
  • All of the Marathon Group’s different companies and domain names are properly licensed and regulated for their target territories.
  • First established in 1997, meaning that it has more than 20 years’ worth of history within the industry.
  • The firm is partnered with major football clubs including Manchester United, Manchester City, Hibernian, Dynamo Moscow and Malaga.

Deposits & Withdrawals at MarathonBet

Limited but quick options

Will I get paid?

6|10
  • Instant, no fee deposits
  • PayPal recently added.
  • Quick withdrawals
  • £5 min deposit & withdrawal
Method
Fee
Time Scale
Deposit
Withdraw
Limit
Method

Mastercard

Fee

0

Time Scale

Instant

Deposit

Withdraw

Limit

£5 – ?

Method

Visa

Fee

0

Time Scale

Instant

Deposit

Withdraw

Limit

£5 – ?

Method

Maestro

Fee

0

Time Scale

Instant

Deposit

Withdraw

Limit

£5 – ?

Method

Neteller

Fee

0

Time Scale

Instant

Deposit

Withdraw

Limit

£5 – ?

Method

Skrill

Fee

0

Time Scale

Instant

Deposit

Withdraw

Limit

£5 – ?

Method

Entropay

Fee

0

Time Scale

Instant

Deposit

Withdraw

Limit

£5 – ?

Method

Trustly

Fee

0

Time Scale

Instant

Deposit

Withdraw

Limit

£10 – ?

Method

Paysafecard

Fee

0

Time Scale

Instant

Deposit

Withdraw

Limit

£5 – ?

Method

ecoPayz

Fee

0

Time Scale

Instant

Deposit

Withdraw

Limit

£10 – ?

Method

Bank Transfer

Fee

0

Time Scale

Instant

Deposit

Withdraw

Limit

£10 – ?

Method

Jeton Wallet

Fee

0

Time Scale

Instant

Deposit

Withdraw

Limit

£5 – ?

How To Deposit To MarathonBet

Depositing at MarathonBet once you are logged into your account is easy. Click on the Account Balance button and this bring up a drop down list, where you can select ‘Deposit’.

Once you have done this you will be shown a number of payment methods available on the site based on your location. This can include Visa and MasterCard, PayPal, ApplePay, Trustly, Skrill, NETELLER, EcoPayz and Paysafecard.

Click on the option you want to deposit with and enter the required details for that payment method, including how much you want to deposit.

Remember, if this is your first deposit for your welcome bonus, you need to enter the code MBW20 to claim that offer.

Once completed, click the button to process the transaction and the funds should be in your account instantly.

How To Withdraw From MarathonBet

Withdrawing from MarathonBet is a very similar process to depositing. You click on the same Account Balance button to bring up the drop down menu but this time click on the Withdraw option.

Here, any available payment methods to you, ones that you have used to deposit on your account previously, will be shown. Select which one you wish to make your withdrawal to.

When the next menu loads up, enter how much you wish to withdraw and enter the details required to process the transaction, such as your username and password.

Click the button and the withdrawal will be actioned.

How Long Does It Take To Withdraw At MarathonBet?

The quickest methods for withdrawal are the ewallet services such as PayPal, Skrill, Neteller, ecoPayz and Paysafecard which take between a few minutes up to 24 hours to process.

Trustly payments are processed usually within 48 hours while Visa Card and Mastercard withdrawals tend to take between 3 and 5 working days. No commission is charged on any withdrawals with MarathonBet.

Whilst their website might be a mess to navigate and not exactly state of the art it’s definitely a positive that quick cash outs are possible on the site and as a result Marathonbet reviews well in this category overall.

Customer Service at MarathonBet

A number of support options available

What’s customer support like?

8|10
  • Live chat
  • Phone support
  • Various email support
  • Responsible gambling help

You can contact the customer support services at MarathonBet in a number of different ways.

The company advises that its Live Chat service is the quickest method to use, but there are no details about times it is operational. You can get access to this by clikcing the ‘Chat’ link in the top menu on the website.

You can also contact the company via a dedicated UK freephone number (0800 975 7882), as well as a number for customers that are based outside the UK (+44 1273 964 705). There is also a dedicated phone line for discussions about safer gambling, which is a nice touch (+44 1273 964 783).

You can also email customer support with your query viacare@marathonbet.co.uk, with separate email addresses available for any payment issues payments@marathonbet.co.uk, and one also for responsible gaming rg@marathonbet.co.uk.

This is a good selection of customer support options and we especially like the dedicated lines available for responsible gambling. Well done MarathonBet on that score.

MarathonBet Website Review

Mobile & desktop site review

Is MarathonBet Easy To Use?

1|10
  • App is poorly rated by users.
  • Website is a total mess.
  • Desperate for modernisation.
  • MarathonBet review horribly in this category.

MarathonBet Mobile Review

MarathonBet does have a mobile app that is available for both iOS and Android devices. On the app store he had an average rating of 2.7 out of 5, but only from 22 reviews. A lot of those reviews are one-star with many complaints about the bugginess of the app and how difficult it is to use.

We have to agree with those sentiments here as the app is one of the least stable and certainly one of the most unappealing to use out of many different sports betting apps. The app does crash from time to time which can be very frustrating, especially when in-play betting.

You do get good odds with MarathonBet usually, but placing the bets to get that value with the app can be tricky and unfulfilling. This app needs breaking down and completely reworking from the bottom up before it comes close to any of the other options out there today.

MarathonBet Desktop Review

A few updates have improved the MarathonBet desktop website over the years, but for us it still lags well behind the industry leaders. Good odds are one thing, but when you have a site that looks about as appealing as doing your accounts, then it’s never going to draw you in and want to bet with them.

Add to that a pretty poor selection of promotions, limited graphics and stats, no live streaming, a threadbear live betting service and you have a site which doesn’t really pull out any stops to make you keep wanting to bet there.

MarathonBet are banking on their odds being the reason you stay betting with them, but where’s the fun if the site is unusable at times due to bugs and other issues?

How To Join MarathonBet

To join MarathonBet is relatively easy and can be sorted on both the website and the app.

  1. Search for the MarathonBet site and click on the box that says you accept the Terms and Conditions of the starter bonus.
  2. Click on the Join Here button.
  3. A page will load up where you have to enter your personal details, and pick your account username and password, as well as a secret question.
  4. Select whether you want to receive marketing communications.
  5. Click to confirm you agree to the MarathonBet terms and conditions and privacy policy and that you are aged 18 or over.
  6. Click the green Join Now button.
  7. Your membership will be processed and you will now be able to log into the site.

Now is the time to deposit some cash to ensure that you get the MarathonBet Welcome Offer for new customers.

Markets & Odds at MarathonBet

Great odds, terrible layout

What sports can you bet on at MarathonBet?

6|10
  • Close to 30 different sports
  • No virtual sports
  • Some live streaming
  • Very competitive odds

Talking about a company’s background and reputation, and the different payment methods they accept is all very while, but if you want to know whether to bet with them you need to know what they let you bet on.

MarathonBet’s different betting markets cover all of the following different sports:

  • American Football
  • Autosport
  • Baseball
  • Basketball
  • Bowls
  • Boxing
  • Chess
  • Cricket
  • Darts
  • eSports
  • Floorball
  • Football
  • Futsal
  • Golf
  • Greyhounds
  • Hanball
  • Horse Racing
  • Ice Hockey
  • Lottery
  • MMA
  • Rugby
  • Snooker
  • Table Tennis
  • Tennis
  • Volleyball

Whichever sport you like to bet on, the above list should let you know that MarathonBet cover it. Their selection of available sports is close to the top online bookmakers. They also cover an excellent range of different competitions and tournaments within each sport.

Premier League football matches can boast more than 500 different markets with MarathonBet, whilst most other events from high profile sports feature around 50.

Marathonbet also compare very favourably to other bookmakers when it comes to the level of odds offered using these generous odds to gain new customers.

One MAJOR problem these guys have though is their quite simply AWFUL design. It’s like they haven’t updated it since 1997 when they launched. It’s boxy, confusing and crowded… until they fix this they can’t and won’t score higher in this category.

In-Play Betting Review at MarathonBet

Very limited, compares badly

Is live betting offered at MarathonBet?

2|10
  • Awful design
  • Football & tennis focused
  • Live stats or scores
  • No live streaming

Marathonbet In-PlayMarathonBet operate a dedicated in-play betting area on their site. Within that area, a range of in-play events are available. It is fair to say, however, that the vast majority of events are either football or tennis matches.

Whatever the in-play event, MarathonBet tend to provide a very good selection of in-play markets which can all be perused and selected via each event’s in-play interface.

That interface itself, however, is NOT one of the better examples within the online betting field, and that’s putting it politely.

It has a general cluttered, confused feel and in many cases it is surprisingly difficult to locate the current score of the given match or event. You can mitigate that issue, however, by locating a live update graphic for your chosen event via the ‘Animation’ tab to the right of the interface.

That tab is semi-independent of the interface, meaning that you can choose to have it display updates from a different event to the one you are looking at the markets for if you wish. Kinda useful but not sure why you’d need to.

Want a better example of how live betting should be done? Check out Bet365 – they’ve got it down!

Welcome Bonus

No Welcome Offer

New customer offer

2|10
  • £20 welcome offer
  • Shocking 5x wagering requirement
  • Lacking promotions
  • Get more value elsewhere

Given that MarathonBet are not one of the more established names within the UK online betting industry, you might expect them to pull out all of the stops when it comes to trying to attract new customers.

Unfortunately, that is NOT the case, they have a reputation for not running any kind of welcome promotion but currently they do have one on offer – it’s a big of a shocker though.

New Customer Offers at MarathonBet

  1. Open a new account with Marathon Bet and log into it.
  2. Click on the Account button (where your balance is located)
  3. You will see a drop down menu appear, click on Deposit.
  4. Use the promotion code MBW20 when making your deposit, which must be of at least £20 or greater to qualify for the offer.
  5. You then need to place real money bets to at least 5x the amount you initially deposited on the site. So, if you elected to deposit £20, you need to make £100 worth of bets. You have 90 days to complete this turnover requirement.
  6. Once you have turned over your qualifying deposit five times, you will get a £20 Free Bet.
  7. You must place your Free Bet as a single bet on any sportsbook event.
  8. If your bet wins, then your Free Bet stake is not returned, but your winnings will be immediately withdrawable.

Obviously we’re tanking them in this category because of their approach and strongly suggest you head over to our betting offers page and join a bookmaker who gives you a reason to open an account.

How To Use The MarathonBet Bonus

MarathonBet now offer a bonus, although it isn’t a huge one and it comes with a ridiculous 5x turnover at minimum odds of 1.50 before you even get your hands on the free bet. That’s really disappointing and compares miserably with some other starter bonuses. However, if do ever actually release it here’s how to use it:

  1. Once you have opened your MarathonBet account as above, log into it.
  2. Navigate the site and click the odds of any bet to add it to your slip.
  3. When on your slip enter the stake £20 and check the ‘Use Bonus Funds’ box to apply the free bet.
  4. Click place bet and your free bet has been used.

Please note, if you use Skrill or Neteller to fund your account then your deposit using these payment methods will make you ineligible for the offer.

Overall Review

Here’s our overall take on things…

Our Review of MarathonBet

Avoid this bookmaker
OUR RATING FOR:
MARATHONBET
2 | 5

Having been around since 1997, it’s not really fair to describe MarathonBet as being new to the betting industry. What is fair to say, however, is that they have still yet to really capture the attention of many punters.

That’s understandable in many ways, given that their online sportsbook is perfectly serviceable but doesn’t really measure up to the best on the market.

MarathonBet do cover a good variety of different sports, and price up events from many different competitions and tournaments within each sport. Both pre-event and in-play markets are on offer and we’d consider their odds to be more on the generous side (about the only positive point we’ve found throughout this Marathonbet review).

However…

The bookie’s in-play interface is very poor and the fact that they regularly do not offer any kind of welcome promotion is pathetic. Nearly as pathetic as the 5x wagering requirement attached to their current bonus.

There isn’t a compelling reason why you should move your custom to the bookie from any of their better-established rivals.

Want a better bookie and more value? Check out our betting site reviews.

MarathonBet FAQ

Your questions answered

How To Contact MarathonBet

You can contact MarathonBet in the following ways:

How To Close Your MarathonBet Account

To close your MarathonBet account, you need to contact customer support using one of the most appropriate methods above. You can request the option to reopen your account again in the future, or you can ask for a permanent closure, which will mean your account cannot be reopened.

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