Elephant Bets welcome bonus and review

Despite what the name might indicate, Elephant Bets is not exclusively a bookmaker but a more comprehensive gambling operator. It quickly made the transition to other forms of online gambling and it can now brag about offering an amazing casino. They sign mutually beneficial partnerships with some of the most important software developers in the industry, including names such as Net Entertainment, Microgaming, NextGen, and IGT.

At the time of writing, Elephant Bets has a competitive sports betting area and an even better online casino, with hundreds of games to choose from. All of them are available in formats compatible with mobile devices and can be enjoyed straight in the browser without the need of downloading anything. The website is divided into three different sections, dedicated to sports betting casino games and poker, but they feature a similar layout to simplify the transition.

Elephant Bets as a company is owned by a larger gambling group which goes by the name of Maverick, which in turn are marketing partners of Plus 5 Gaming Limited. The latter have the headquarters in Malta, where they are also licensed and regulated with the Lotteries and Gaming Authority of Malta, while being powered by the Aliquantam Platform.

Sports betting at Elephant Bets

Elephant Bets has a name that is supposed to suggest strength and an imposing stature, something that becomes obvious the moment you land on the website. New customers who are not particularly experienced with online gambling can be a bit overwhelmed by all these diversity of sports. The bookie did its best to dazzle the eye right from the start, even if this meant to sacrifice convenience.

All the sports are available right from the start in the left side of the website, which allows customers to see everything in one glance. This has a two-pronged effect, on one hand making it easy to find the sport of choice, on the other it can complicate matters for those who want to bet on particular events. Drop-down menus would have been a better choice, at least if we are to compare the system to the one offered by other bookmakers, yet Elephant Bets doesn’t hesitate to follow its own path.

In terms of sports selections there are not many differences between Elephant Bets and some of the most respectable bookmakers out there. The same emphasis on soccer, American sports and tennis makes them a good option for conventional punters who don’t care much for obscure sports. The advantage of betting on these leagues is that punters have access to reliable information from multiple sources, not to mention that the betting options are numerous.

Another convenient thing is that all the sports are available for live betting, so punters can wager on the same markets prior and after the first whistle. The average odds in both cases revolve around 1.92 which is in line with the industry standard without providing players with a competitive edge. To tip the balance in their favor, punters are advised to tinker with Asian handicaps, which can on some occasions increase the odds up to 1.97. These also have the uncanny advantage of presenting punters with the chance of having their stakes refunded if they happen to lose by a narrow margin.

Elephant Bets fully realizes the importance of appealing to European customers in general and players from the United Kingdom in particular. That is why, they made sure that right from the start they provide players with sufficient options when betting on horse and Greyhound races. The offer grew at a steady pace and today it is possible to wager on a daily basis, in addition to flagship competitions, such as the Cheltenham Festival all Grand National.

Information about upcoming races is made available several hours prior to kickoff, with a flux of data being issued for those who bet in real-time. This is the second best alternative to a live streaming feature, which would greatly improve the gaming experience when betting live. Elephant Bets doesn’t offer this facility to its members, but instead has a comprehensive educational area, meant to empower players to make an informed decision when wagering.

Welcome bonuses and free bets at Elephant Bets

Elephant Bets offers a welcome bonus to those who open a real money deposit and will have the first investment matched by 100%. New clients can only hope to collect €50 or currency equivalent and this amount is not actually cash, but rather a free bet. The key difference between one type of bonus and the other is that the free bet will amplify the pressure on the players placing the first wager. Winners only get to keep the profits resulting from this initial bet, with the stakes being removed.

To make sure you end up with at least the same amount that was awarded in the form of a free bet, it is recommended to wager on odds exceeding even value. The easiest way to do it is by making use of accumulator bets, which allow players to add as many betting events on the same betting slip. There are no minimum odds to worry about, so as long as you have enough games worth betting on, the total odds can be increased virtually indefinitely.

Elephant Bets can make it a bit difficult to meet the wagering requirements, because the bonus amount has to be played through 20 times before even a partial withdrawal is permitted. This is significantly more than what other bookmakers demand, which might have a deterring effect on those who are hoping to convert their initial bonus into profits faster. On the flipside, those who are successful enough as to follow through with all these wagering requirements are probably going to enjoy a nice return on investment from using the free bet.

This will come in handy in the long run, with no other bonuses being offered to those who use their mobile devices to wager or players who reload their account. This is what usually happens, because very few can actually convert bonuses into profits and sooner or later they will have to make another deposit. While this is not going to be matched at all, players shouldn’t hold their breath for comp points or dream about becoming VIP members.

The fact that no distinction is made between new and existing customers might sound like a good thing, but it is actually a frustrating state of affairs for veterans. They don’t benefit at all for their perseverance and will be start at the same level regardless of how much money they wager. Very few will find reasons to recommend Elephant Bets to their friends, because there are no bonuses to reward them from spreading the news and acting as advertising agents for the gambling group.

Other gambling options at Elephant Bets

Elephant Bets is consistent in its approach and the same bonuses are offered to sports betting enthusiasts and casino players. The same €50 or currency equivalent amount will be awarded to players who choose to spin the reels of slot machines or play table games as opposed to wagering on sports. Since free bets have no purpose here, players will simply need to meet the wagering requirements to convert the bonus into cashable funds, on top of their deposit.

All the games available on the website qualify for this purpose and the reason for why slot machines and scratch card games are preferred only has to do with the stake percentage contribution. They are faster at clearing the bonus than table games, but the latter have the uncanny advantage of being available to play with real dealers. The atmosphere is very similar to the one of land-based casinos, with these highly trained professionals being well-versed in the art of conversation.

Video poker variants are inspired by the classic titles, with the diversity of platform providers insuring a great gaming experience. The latest video slots are introduced at Elephant Bets at the same time or even sooner than they do with other online casinos and players get to choose between classic and modern variants. Avalon II, Davinci Diamonds, Gonzos Quest and Cops and Robbers have most of the fans, while blackjack, Caribbean stud and roulette are the most popular of the 15 table games.

They are also the games played against real dealers, with several versions of blackjack and baccarat keeping players at the edge of their seats. For a  great mobile gaming experience, players will have to settle for video poker and slot machines, but all devices are compatible regardless of the operating system powering them. There is no need to download anything when playing on desktop computers, smart phones and tablets as all the games run in flash format.

Pros and Cons for playing at Elephant Bets

Elephant Bets can brag about a nice variety of games and just as many sports, with all of them being readily available for mobile gambling. Switching to instant play mode is a seamless process and the unified wallet will appeal to those who want to play all the games on real cash.

The website is not the best looking online but it is user-friendly and loads quickly, with no unnecessary banners obstructing the view. The games themselves are proven fair and Elephant Bets takes security very seriously, using the SSL encryption to prevent wrongdoers from taking advantage of their customers.

Elephant Bets offers several payment methods and is famous for its fast withdrawals, with the only downside being that the number of financial instruments for deposits is a bit restrictive. Customer support is reliable and professional but for some odd reason, they are not available 24/7, which is a huge disappointment for those who want to gamble at any hour of night or day.

Live betting is available on selected sports, with most of the games being offered for soccer, tennis and American sports. The latter are also the ones that have the best house edge, with an average of 4.5% on baseball and ice hockey, as opposed to an industry standard of 5.1% and the whooping 9% on tennis.

Banking and customer support

Elephant Bets has a list of payment methods that includes credit card, Neteller, Moneybookers, Ukash, paysafecard and bank transfer. It is essential for players to deposit and withdrawal using the same instruments when this is possible, but not all of these mentioned above can be used in both ways the minimum amount for both deposits and withdrawals consists of €20 or currency equivalent and no commission is charged for any transaction.

When depositing and wagering, players have to choose between the popular currencies, such as the US dollars, Euros and British Sterling pounds, but also SEK and PLN. Unfortunately, customers from Sweden or Poland don’t benefit from the same advantages when it comes to customer support, which is only offered in English. This is also the language in which the website is translated.

Elephant Bets has its specialists available during working hours over telephone and live chat, with no toll-free numbers regardless of where players are located. Far more annoying is the absence of a live chat, which would make it easier for players to get to the bottom of pressing matters. The bookmaker has Facebook, Twitter and Google + accounts, but they feel more like a pale consolation, because social media is not the fastest environment for answering questions.