Playabet Overview from Our Team
Launched in 2020 and owned by Betafriend Ltd, Playabet is an online bookmaker licensed by the BCLB. They offer a diverse range of game types including sports, virtual sports number games, and instant games. The bookmaker provides punters with advanced features such as Cash Out and Bet Builder. The risk-free Welcome bonus provides a great opportunity to new customers to explore their platform. With 24/7 customer support via live chat, Playabet ensures that you receive prompt and reliable assistance throughout your gaming adventure. As for mobile betting, they will need to do better than USSD and SMS betting. We hope they’ll soon provide iOS and Android apps but for now you can use their optimised mobile website.
Playabet Basic Facts
Website
https://playabet.co.ke/ |
Game Types
Sports, Jackpots, Virtuals |
Deposit Methods
M-Pesa |
Withdrawal Methods
M-Pesa |
Apps
No Apps |
Betting Functions
Cash Out, Bet Builder, Live Betting, SMS Betting, USSD Betting, Bet Booster |
Owner
Betafriend Limited |
Support
Live Chat, Helpline, Email, Facebook, Twitter |
Headquarters
Nairobi, Kenya |
Founded Year
2020 |
Playabet Pros & Cons
- Risk-free first bet. The bookmaker offers a risk-free first bet as their sign-up offer. If you lose, the bookmaker refunds your stake in the form of a Free bet.
- Responsive support. The bookmaker offers customer support via live chat and their agents are available 24/7. They respond promptly, are polite and very relatable. In addition, their support team is also available via email, Facebook, Twitter, and helpline.
- Quick Registration. With Playabet, you won’t even need to wait for the verification code. Their registration process is quick since you’re only required to enter your Safaricom phone number, create a 4-digit pin, and accept their terms and conditions.
- Cash Out and Bet Builder. Playabet provides punters with Cash Out and Bet Builder features. You can close your bet before the final results in case events seem to be going against your expectations or build your customised bets.
- No live streaming. Unfortunately, you can’t watch your events on the betting site. Although Playabet offers live betting for several sports and an events calendar, bettors need to make arrangements on following their matches from a different site. Also, they don’t provide statistics on their live matches.
- No apps. Playabet lacks mobile betting apps for Android and iOS. As of June 2023, the bookmaker has yet to launch any apps but they only have a mobile optimised website.
- Limited banking options. Unfortunately, M-Pesa is the only acceptable way of making deposits and withdrawing winnings
Playabet Review
Playabet is a secure and licensed betting site that caters for the Kenyan betting market. For the few years they have been operating in Kenya, they have displayed some strengths and weaknesses which we’ll discuss in detail in this review.
Fast registration is one of the most notable aspects about this bookmaker. The process is easy and in a few minutes you’ll be an account owner. In addition, their interface is easy to navigate even for betting novices. Although the desktop version is not optimised and looks like a mobile one.
The risk-free Welcome bonus is the other feature worth mentioning. No one likes starting their betting experience with a loss. Playabet ensures that every gamer’s dream comes true by refunding their stake if their first ever bet loses. Also, the bookmaker offers additional bonuses and promotions for all their customers among which are multibet boosts, loyalty promotions, jackpots, and multi bet stake back. Although the bonuses are not as many as what competitors offer, their wagering requirements are easy to meet.
As for customer support, the bookmaker has a relatable team which is available 24/7. For general queries and guides, the bookmaker has provided detailed guides and a FAQs section.
When it comes to betting odds, Playabet offers average payouts across all their sports. With 15+ sports, numerous market types and a variety of game types, bettors will have access to extensive betting options to try out.
The bookmaker also has a variety of betting functions including a Cash Out and a Bet Builder.
If you enjoy live betting, you will access several sports including football, cricket, baseball, tennis, and basketball. Unfortunately, the bookmaker does not offer live streams, match statistics or a match tracker.
Finally, the bookmaker’s major downsides are the lack of betting apps and alternative payment methods. As a result you’ll be limited to using their mobile optimised website, SMS or the USSD code to access their services and M-Pesa for your transactions.
Playabet | Rating | Comment |
---|---|---|
A range of markets | 6/10 | 15+ sports, 1200+ markets for popular football matches, middle-high margin on top events (around 5-6%) |
Bonus offers | 6/10 | 100% Welcome bonus, Money back, Money boost, Loyalty promo |
Payment methods | 1/10 | M-Pesa |
Apps | 0/10 | No app for iOS or Android |
Streaming | 0/10 | No video streaming |
Sign-up and support | 8/10 | Fast registration, live chat |
Playabet Screenshots
Playabet Betting Offers & Promotions
The bookmaker offers a variety of bonuses and promotions. The offers include a risk-free first bet Free Bet, the loyalty promo, the multi bet stake back, the pick 6 jackpot, and the Multibet boost. The Welcome bonus is exclusively for new members but other offers are available to all customers.
Get 100% your stake back up to Kes. 1 Million if you lose your first bet.
How to claim the Playabet Risk-Free welcome offer:
- Register a betting account with Playabet.
- Make a deposit and place a bet on any sports event.
- Wait for the bet to get settled. You can’t Cash out or cancel the bet and by doing so you forfeit your claim.
- If you lose Playabet will refund your entire stake in the form of a Free Bet by 4: 00 P.M. the following day.
- Once the Free bet gets credited into your account, use it within 7 days.
Playabet Welcome bonus T&Cs
- Only new customers can receive the bonus and only once.
- The Free bet can only be used on bets with a maximum odds of 2.0.
- The value of the Free bet received by each customer is equivalent to their stake.
- Only single and multi bets qualify towards the bonus. Pick moja, virtuals, and jackpot bets do not qualify.
- If your bet wins, the Free bet amount won’t be included in the winnings.
- Playabet can alter the terms or change the availability of the offer at any time.
- The Free bet is only available for 7 days once credited.
Get your stake back if you lose your 11th bet after placing 10 bets using cash. When the qualifying bet gets settled, Playabet refunds your full stake in the event your prediction was incorrect. Once you receive the Free bet, you can use it to place bets on any sport provided the odds are 2.00 or less. Cashed out or cancelled bets do not qualify and the bonus cannot exceed your initial stake. You’ll have 7 days to use the Free bet.
Get up to 50X your stake back when one of your selections in a multibet loses. To qualify for this offer, your multibet must have between 5 and 20 or more legs. There are 5 tiers for this bonus and each has a different maximum odds and number of selections.
- You’ll get 1x stake back for 5-9 events and the total odds must be 20.0 or more.
- You’ll get 2x stake back for 10-12 selections at total odds of 50.0+.
- For 13-16 events at min odds of 100.0 or higher , you’ll get 5x your stake back.
- For a multibet with 17-19 legs, you’ll need a min odds at 250.0 to receive a 10X stake back.
- You get 50x stake back if your bet has 20+ events and the min combined odds are at 750.0.
- The maximum Free bet amount is Kes. 10000 and is available only for pre-match events placed using cash.
Playabet Odds
Betting odds are crucial as they determine how much bookmakers and bettors make from wagers. To establish the quality of odds at any bookmaker, we calculate bookmakers margin which determines the percentage payout you get from placing a bet on a particular betting market. In this section, we will calculate odds for 2 popular market types (1×2 and Over/Under) for Tennis, Football and Basketball.
- Football. For the upcoming Champions League match Man City vs Inter Milan, Playabet odds for the 1×2 market are (Home 1.44, Draw 4.50, and Away 6.50). The bookmaker, therefore makes a commission of 6.59%.
- Basketball. Playabet odds for the US NBA Miami Heat vs Denver Nuggets match are (Home 2.30, Draw 13.00, and Away 1.75). Thus, the bookmaker’s margin is 7.68%.
- Tennis. For the WTA, French Open Women Singles Iga Swiatek vs Coco Gauff game, Playabet odds are as follows: (Iga wins 1.08 and Coco wins 7.50). Therefore, the bookmaker’s commission is 5.59%.
In conclusion, Playabet odds are average compared to what other sportsbooks in Kenya are offering but we have seen better. As for football, the margin for popular tournaments is 6-7%, which is high. It’s fair to say that Playabet Tennis odds are the best since the margins for most markets and events range between 5-6%.
Sport | Ligue | Date | Match | Margin for 1X2 | Margin for Over/Under |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Football | Champions League | 10/06/23 | Man City vs Inter Milan | 6.59% | 4.66% |
Football | UEFA Nations League | 14/06/23 | Netherlands vs Croatia | 7.48% | 8.27% |
Football | Europa Conference League | 07/06/23 | Fiorentina vs West Ham | 9.30% | 8.27% |
Basketball | US NBA | 08/06/23 | Miami Heat vs Denver Nuggets | 7.68% | 4.55% |
Basketball | US WNBA | 08/06/23 | New York Liberty vs Minnesota Lynx | 7.20% | 6.25% |
Basketball | Europe BNXT | 07/06/23 | Leiden vs Spirou Charleroi | 6.77% | 6.25% |
Tennis | WTA, French Open Women Singles | 07/06/23 | Iga Swiatek vs Coco Gauff | 5.59% | 6.51% |
Tennis | ATP, French Open Men Singles | 07/06/23 | Holger Rune vs Casper Rudd | 5.59% | 6.15% |
When calculating margins, we use a simple formula which you’ll find easy-to use. Here’s the formula:
Margin = {(1/betting odds on the Home team to win + 1/betting odds on draw + 1/betting odds on the away team to win)- 1} * 100.
Let’s use the Champions League Man City vs Inter Milan match as an example.
Margin= {(1/ 1.44 + 1/ 4.50 + 1/ 6.50)-1} x 100%= 6.59%.
Playabet Sports and Markets
Playabet sportsbook contains at least 18 sports. Here’s a list of all the sports available on Playabet:
- Football
- Tennis
- Basketball
- Boxing
- Baseball
- Cricket
- Rugby Union
- American Football
- Darts
- Golf
- Handball
- MMA
- Motor Sports
- Cycling
- Rugby League
- Snooker
- Australian Rules
- Volleyball
Football
Playabet provides odds for numerous events both popular and minor from at least 38 countries. You can find odds on International matches, club friendlies, U20 World Cup and African tournaments. They cover popular tournaments such as the EPL, LaLiga and Bundesliga. You can also access bets for other leagues including the UEFA Nations League, Champions League, Egypt Premier League, Swedish Superettan, Brazil Championship, Italian Serie B, and Algeria Ligue 1 among others. You can wager on pre-match or In-Play bets and enjoy features like the Bet Builder and the Cash Out. As for market types, Playabet offers Double Chance, Goal scorer, multi bet Exact Score, Last Player to Score, Over/Under, Odd/Even, Clean Sheet, Both Teams to Score, and Total Goal-Bands among others. There are more than 1200 betting markets on top matches.
Basketball
The bookmaker provides odds of numerous tournaments including the NBA, WNBA, France ProA & ProB LNB, BNXT, Spain ACB, Portugal LPB, and Italy A2 Gold among others. As for market types, Playabet has at least 100 outcomes for popular events, which is less compared to popular football events. Luckily, common market types such as Match Result, Over/Under, Handicap, Total Points, Money line + Total Points, and 1st Quarter Points are available. Betting odds for the sport are average and vary depending on the market types and how popular the events are.
Tennis
Playabet covers less tennis tournaments and offers few market types as well. The available market types include Match Winner, Set Winner, Total Games, Correct Score In Set, Total Games In Set, Match Correct Score, and Player Total Games. As for tournaments, you’ll find ATP, WTA, and Challenger. Over 90 betting markets are available for Grand Slam games.
Bet herePlayabet Payment Methods
M-Pesa is the only payment method available at Playabet, so it doubles as a withdrawal and deposit method. Luckily, you can initiate transaction via SMS (29663), a USSD code (*474#), M-Pesa paybill number, or instantly via the web.
Payment method | Deposit amount | Withdrawal amount | Withdrawal time |
---|---|---|---|
M-Pesa | Min Kes. 1 – Max Kes. 1 Million | Min Kes. 100 – Max Kes.150000 | Instant |
M-Pesa USSD | Min Kes. 1 – Max Kes. 50000 | Min Kes. 100 – Max Kes. 150 000 | Instant |
M-Pesa SMS | Min Kes. 5 – Max Kes. 50000 | Min Kes. 100 – Max Kes. 150000 | Instant |
How to Make a Deposit to Playabet
Here’s the guide on how to deposit to Playabet via the web:
- Login to your Playabet account.
- Tap the green “Deposit” button on the top-right corner.
- Select one of the values provided or enter any amount from Kes. 10.
- Click “Deposit” and wait for a prompt on your mobile.
- Enter your M-Pesa PIN on the interface that appears on your phone and submit.
- Wait for the confirmation text from M-Pesa.
Alternatively, you can make a deposit directly from your M-Pesa app. Here’s how:
- Go to your M-Pesa App or “My Safaricom” app and select Lipa na M-Pesa.
- Select “Paybill”and enter the Playabet paybill number 296630
- Enter “Playabet” as your account number
- Enter the amount you’d like to deposit.
- Provide your M-Pesa PIN and submit.
For SMS deposits, send D+amount to the short code 29663 and follow instructions when prompted. To deposit Kes. 200 for instance, send D200 to 29663.
You can also use the USSD code *474# to make deposits or withdraw. Just dial the code on your phone and follow the instructions. Contrary to the other methods, the deposit limits when using the USSD are Min Kes. 1 and max Kes. 50000.
How to Withdraw from Playabet
To withdraw your winnings from Playabet:
- Login to Playabet.
- Tap on the three lines on the top-left corner to access “My Account”
- Go to “Withdraw”
- Enter a value above Kes. 100 or select those provided.
- Click “Withdraw” to submit your withdrawal request.
To withdraw from Playabet via SMS send W amount to 29663.
You can also use the USSD for withdrawal. Dial *474# go to “withdraw” , enter the amount, and submit the request.
Playabet App
As of June 2023, Playabet did not have any mobile betting apps. As such, bettors are restricted to accessing their betting services via their mobile-optimised website or their desktop site. Also, for those who enjoy mobile betting, the bookmaker provides SMS and USSD betting options.
Playabet Security
The BCLB licence is evidence that the bookmaker has met the provisions outlined in the Betting, Lotteries, and Gaming Act of Kenya, ensuring punters of security and fair game play. The Playabet website is encrypted to protect your financial and personal information from fraudsters and other third parties. Besides, the bookmaker has a privacy policy available to all customers which clearly indicates how they collect, process, store, and disclose your information. As for responsible gambling, they allow self-exclusion and offer support for customers suffering from problem gambling.
Bet herePlayabet Frequently Asked Questions
Is Playabet sportsbook legal and where?
Yes. Playabet is legal in Kenya and is licensed under the licence number BK0000427 by the BCLB.
Does Playabet sportsbook have a mobile app?
No, the bookmaker has yet to provide mobile betting apps for both iOS and Android users.
How to use a Playabet Free bet?
Once you receive the Playabet Free bet, you have to use it within 7 days after reception to place either single or multiple bets on any sports at maximum odds of 2.0.
What is the minimum and maximum bet on Playabet?
The minimum stake at Playabet is Kes. 10 and the maximum is Kes. 50600.