Coral Review

As an online sports betting site, Coral has both its pros and cons. The site that operates predominantly in the UK and Ireland is licensed and regulated both by the UKGC and the Gibraltar Gambling Commission.

One of the big advantages of the site is its wide variety of sports it offers as betting options. Football, volleyball, handball, horse racing, snooker and greyhound racing are only a few of the 24 sports available on the site.

In addition, there are also American professional league sports that can be bet on and a number of non-sporting events as well.

Coral has a large number of retail stores which allows members to top-up their accounts using cash. The Coral Connect Card ensures that online and retail operation are integrated smoothly.

The Coral app and website can be customised to show the sports that each member prefers. On the downside, the betting odds offered by Coral are not as good as some of their competitors.

Another slight problem we noticed is that the customer service is not up to par with a website of that calibre. There is a live chat option but accessing it is not the easiest thing to do.

Coral has an easy-to-navigate and user-friendly website. All the required information is clearly displayed making life easy even for first-time users.

Coral offers a bonus for new users and has a VIP program for loyal members.

Licensing & Safety

Coral has a UKGC license as well a license from the Gibraltar Gambling Commissioner. The site is regulated under the laws of these countries and has to abide by the regulations.

As per the law, the site has to ensure that:

• All members are at least 18 years of age. Strict measures have to be put in place to make sure that no underage users are able to use the site.
• All operations on the site are fair and transparent and don’t take advantage of people with gambling problems.
• Assistance needs to be provided to people who have a gambling problem.

As far as the safety of the site is concerned, Coral has some of the highest safety protocols in place and are among the best in the business.

Their safety and security include a valid SSL certificate and a GamCare certification, which means that their Player Protection Codes of Practice have to be in use.

All sensitive members’ data is encrypted and stored on the site. The site constantly performs vulnerability checks to ensure that there are no holes in the security system.

When it comes to safety and security, we give Coral a 7/10.

Sign-up Procedure

Anyone who wants to sign up with Coral has to be at least 18 years of age. The Join Now tab is at the top-left of the home page on the website.

Clicking on the tab takes the user to the registration page which is self-explanatory. In a few minutes, a user can fill in all the required details and become a member of Coral.

Once a user has opened an account, a deposit can be made, and the member can start betting.

There is a bonus for new members that can be availed of if the first bet is placed within 14 days of opening the account.

Deposit Options

There are twelve types of online payment methods and an offline option that members can make use of to make their deposits.

The online payment methods include:

• Visa.
• Mastercard.
• Maestro.
• Neteller.
• PayPal.
• Skrill.
• Prepaid Card.
• Paysafe.
• Skrill i-Tap.
• Solo.
• ecoPayz.
• Bank transfer.

In addition, for anyone who doesn’t want to register any bank details on the website, there is the option of the offline payment method.

Users can visit any one of the 1,800 Coral retail stores across the UK and top-up using cash. The Coral Connect Card makes it possible to integrate online and offline accounts so that all deposits can be stored in a single place.

Withdrawal Speed/Options

Besides the Paysafe, card withdrawals can be made on all the other methods used to make payments.

While all the other methods required members to have a balance of at least £5, PayPal requires a minimum balance of £10 for a withdrawal to be made.

Withdrawals are instant using all the methods except for a bank transfer which can take up to 72 hours. There is no maximum withdrawal limit.

New Customer Bonus

First-time users get a bonus of up to £50 if they place their first bet within 14 days of opening their account.

The free bets need to be used within four days of receipt and cannot be redeemed as cash. The minimum amount of the first bet has to be £5 with minimum odds of 1.5. Free bets up to £50 can be won.

The free bets can be placed on single, double, triple, 4-fold and higher accumulator bets. Jackpots, totes, pools and other multiple bets are excluded from the bonus offer betting.

All things considered, the up to £50 in free bets is one of the best new customer bonuses offered by any website. The bonus can only be availed of in the UK and Ireland.

Existing Customer Bonus

Coral has a whole host of bonuses for existing customers which can be found on the website.

Some of these bonuses include:

• Place three in-play bets on tennis and win a £5 free bet.
• A promotional offer for Coral Connect gives members a chance to win £20 online and £10 in-shop when they place a £5 online.
• When members bet £10+ on a Horse Race, they can win £1 for every length with a maximum payout of £10.

These are only a few of the bonuses and special offers that existing members can avail of on Coral.

Quality of Odds

While Coral has not been the best when compared to some of its competitors when it comes to the odds, we hope that the merger with Ladbrokes will change that.

Coral has a lot to fall back on with excellent provision of live stats and streaming.

The site has a news section that is constantly providing information on all sports available to bet on. With the amount of information pouring in, Coral has a lot of scopes to improve the odds they offer.

As a bookmaker, this is probably one of the few areas where improvement is required, but we remain hopeful.

Bet In-Play Options

The bet in-play option offered by Coral is one of the best in the industry.

The site allows in-play betting on a wide variety of sports. Bet in-play is available on both the website and the app, and tabs can be customised to include ongoing and upcoming matches.

The LiveRacing feature allows members to watch horse and greyhound races live via the app on their phones. This product of Coral is certainly an industry leader.

Cash Out Feature

Coral offers a Cash Out My Bet feature. The feature allows users to settle retail shop bets before the match is over. The terms and conditions of the Cash Out My Bet Feature are listed on the website and should be read carefully before availing the offer.

Cash out can only take place at a Coral shop on selected betting coupons. There is a maximum cash-out limit of £50,000.

Once a cash out has taken place, the bet is settled. Any further outcome of the sport will have no more bearing on the bet.

Coral reserves the right to refuse cash-out under certain circumstances. Coral also reserves the right to suspend the Cash Out My Bet feature at any time for any market as they see fit.

Sportsbook Betting

The Sportsbook Betting Products offered by Coral include: Player Bets: This product allows players to create and customise their own bets.

Diversity of Sports

While Coral might not have the same type of diversity as some of its competitors, it still has a rather vast range that keeps members more than satisfied.

The sports included by Coral are: Athletics, Aussie Rules, Badminton, Baseball, Basketball, Bowls, Boxing, Cricket, Curling, Cycling, Darts, eSports, F1, Football, GAA Golf, Greyhounds, Handball, Hockey, Horse Racing, Hurling, Ice Hockey, Lotto, Motor Bikes, Motor Sports, Movies, Netball  NFL, Politics, Pool, Rowing, Rugby, Snooker, Speedway, Squash, Table Tennis, TVUFC / MMA, Virtuals, Volleyball, Winter Sports, WWE

Within many of these sports, there are also different subcategories that members can bet on.

Politics, reality television, movie awards and so on are also available to bet on for those members who like something different.

Markets

Coral covers all major sports markets as well as some niche markets. The subcategories within each market also make sure that every member finds what they are looking for.

Non-Sports Betting

Coral also offers betting on non-sports events which include:

• International political election outcomes.
• Reality television show outcomes.
• Prestigious awards ceremonies.

Casino/Bingo Offers

Coral has a variety of Casino games for members as well as Bingo and Lotto.

A poker site is also available. The casino has live casino games and slots for members to play.

Recently, Coral launched the Vegas section of games that comes with its own stand-alone app.

Coral also has a small selection of eSports gaming which includes:

• CS: GO (Counterstrike Global Offensive).
• Dota 2 (Defense of the Ancients).
• LoL (League of Legends).

If you need a break from sports betting, then you can check out the non-sports betting options Coral has on offer.

Special Promotions/Enhanced Odds

Coral has several special promotions to offer the members that are constantly being updated on the website.

The welcome bonus includes £50 worth of free bets when a minimum bet of £5 is placed within four days of opening the account.

Other offers include:

• Place three in-play bets on tennis and win a £5 free bet.
• A promotional offer for Coral Connect gives members a chance to win £20 online and £10 in-shop when they place a £5 online.
• When members bet £10+ on a Horse Race, they can win £1 for every length with a maximum payout of £10.
• Get 4 X £5 instant free bets when you first sign up and place a £5 bet and win or place a “5 Each Way bet on any sport.
• Get a 10% boost on winnings when you bet on a 4-fold+ football accumulator and win.
• Enhanced bets are available each way on select Horse Races every day.

These are only some of the special promotions and enhanced odds that Coral offers.

Usability of the Site/Mobile Apps

Coral has a user-friendly site that is easy to navigate, but there is some room for improvement.

The tabs are clearly placed at the top of the page, making it easy to find whatever a member is looking for. The MyCoral feature allows users to customise the site as per their preferences and place those tabs that are regularly used right at the top.

The site also has a live streaming option for the sports.

The negatives would be that the site takes some getting used to because of the vast number of options that are available.

Another area where there is room for improvement is the access to the live chat for customer support. Finding the chat option is a little tricky.

The Coral app is available for Android and iOS users, and there is a mobile compatible site for Blackberry and Windows phones. The app is very user-friendly, has the same customizable features at the website and also has live streaming of sports.

We give the Coral site and mobile app a 6/10 for usability.

Player Loyalty

Coral has a VIP program for loyal customers. To avail of the program, accounts need to be first verified by uploading the required documents.

The VIP program entitles members to special rewards, priority customer service, special online promotions and hospitality events. Priority points get updated daily, and the total points are shown in the account when logged in.

Customer Service

Customer service can be reached via live chat and email.

However, to find the live chat option, members have to first click on the Help tab that opens a new page.

The live chat link is on the right-hand side of the help page. By clicking on the Contact Us tab on the home page, members can access the email feature to contact customer service.

The slight delay in response is avoidable and not the best thing to happen when you need immediate assistance. The plus side to the customer service is a comprehensive FAQ section which has the answers to virtually any question a member could have.

While it takes a few clicks and a bit of scrolling to find an answer, it is by far the fastest way to find what you are looking for.

Coral also has a Twitter account through which members can send them a direct message.

Countries Accepted

Here is the list of countries in which Coral’s services are legal:

·      Albania

·      Argentina

·      Belarus

·      Croatia

·      Czech Republic

·      Georgia

·      Gibraltar

·      Guernsey

·      Iceland

·      Isle of Man

·      Jersey

·      Liechtenstein

·      Luxembourg

·      Macedonia

·      Malta

·      Netherlands

·      New Zealand

·      Republic of Ireland

·      San Marino

·      Slovakia

·      Slovenia

·      St Kitts and Nevis

·      Sweden

·      United Kingdom

Conclusion

Coral is one of the oldest and best-established bookmakers in the UK.

The bookie has been around since 1926 and has built quite a reputation for itself. Its online presence has managed to uphold the reputation of the bookmaker.

There are a few things that stand out for Coral. One is its impeccable track record when it comes to safety and security.

Coral also has a vast number of retail stores across the UK where punters can go to top-up their accounts, place bets and avail payouts.

Coral is regulated and licensed in the UK as well as in Gibraltar which permits it to serve other countries as well. The company has maintained a reputation of always paying its winners quickly and efficiently.

There are but a few, if any, customer complaints in this regard. Though probably falling behind some of its competitors, Coral still manages to offer a wide range of sports and non-sports betting options.

Coral has an excellent welcome bonus for new users, but terms and conditions do apply and should be checked carefully. There are also several special offers that come up regularly for members. Loyal members can avail of a VIP program which has some great incentives.

Both the Website and the App are user-friendly and have a customisation option which is a huge plus point.

We can recommend Coral to you based on the fact that they are the third-largest bookie in the UK, and their track record for safety is pristine.

Customer service could use a few improvements, and we hope that they will also improve their betting odds. The recent merger with Ladbrokes could have some exciting new stuff in store for Coral.

Pros

Licensed and regulated in the UK and Gibraltar.

• Safe and secure website.
• User-friendly app and website.
• Retail stores across the UK.
• Live-streaming of sports on the website and the app.
• MyCoral feature to customise accounts.
• Coral Connect Card to keep online and offline deposits in the same account.

Cons

• Sports selection not as wide as some of the competitor sites.
• Live chat option for customer service not available on the home page
• Betting odds can use improvement.

Coral Frequently Asked Questions

Is Cash-out allowed?

Cash-out is allowed only at the Coral retail stores and only on certain markets which include:

·      Football.

·      Tennis.

·      Darts.

·      Snooker.

·      Rugby.

·      Boxing.

·      Horse Racing.

Check individual sports for the cash-out options before placing your bets.

How do I add or update my payment method?

From the Home Page, go to My Account. Click on the 'make a deposit' button on the left-hand side. Select a new payment method from the drop-down menu. Complete the procedure as mentioned on the site.