Skybet are part of the BSkyB Group Plc and have been online since 1998. The company is licensed in the United Kingdom and has a registered address in Harrogate, North Yorkshire.
As one of the 20 largest companies in the UK, BSkyB provide a strong degree of credibility, not to mention financial clout to their betting arm. Due to the provision of satellite television, Skybet's service has also become synonymous with 'pressing the red button' and betting interactively using the remote control.
Ask five first-time customers where they look when loading up the English-only Skybet.com and you'll probably get five completely different answers!
There's the flash graphic advertising the latest In-Play events (clearly a big draw for any BSkyB-owned company), the core sports placed in a horizontal menu and a handful of drop-down menus where the intention is for the customer to find their bet quickly and easily. However, the homepage would benefit from at least a semblance of structure.
Registering an account is a simple-enough process, while clicking on a particular sport provides instant relief due to the interface and navigation becoming instantly more user-friendly. There's little difficulty finding a particular market, while placing a bet is a seamless process, especially with the shopping basket process.
Unsurprisingly, Skybet are most commonly associated with football betting and they don't disappoint for top-flight matches, pricing games up as competitively as any other bookmaker out there. They're also one of the first firms to post their prices on site, while the range of markets is particularly good - around 30 were counted for a bunch of recent Carling Cup ties.
Elsewhere, they have a first-class racing service, including a wide range of Antepost races covered. In keeping with their TV coverage, they're also first choice for a lot of greyhound, darts and snooker customers with some unique markets being offered. However, you might expect more from their live In-Play service, considering who owns them.
The website is only available in English so it therefore follows that the customer service is solely in this language. The hours of operation are 9am until midnight Sunday to Friday and 8.30am until midnight on Saturday although Skybet have spent a great deal of time and effort to ensure customers are well-served by their Help section.
Join Skybet via links on Bettingpress and you'll get £10 free!
Being a Skybet customer is a pleasant enough experience without being spectacular. While it's possible that they are many customer's bookmaker of choice, it's hard to envisage them being used exclusively by regular punters looking for an easy-to-navigate website or 24 / 7 customer service.
It's clear that In-Play betting is starting to command a larger share of turnover compared to pre-event betting and it is this area that Skybet will have to improve in to compete with bookies such as bet365 and Bwin who specialise in providing dynamic In-Play consoles. However, if you're a football customer looking for a competitive price on Premier League football, this firm are one of the best out there.