It’s a catch 22 whenever a new gambling site launches.

On the one hand, it's hard to trust new companies. So many pop up, all bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, ready to displace existing offerings and become the next must-try thing in the gaming industry.

Then they crash months or a year later. And often while still owing their customers money.

This is the most common scenario we see.

Conversely, a new gambling site will emerge and amaze everyone. They offer entertaining games, unique promotions, a plethora of payment options, and believe it or not, they even reward their users.

(It's somewhat unfortunate that we're thrilled or amazed when this happens. But it should tell you a lot about the offshore gambling industry).

So in which hand does RealBet.eu sit? Our goal today is to answer that question.

They were launched in the early months of 2015 and have been very well received. But in the last few months we can't ignore the serious complaints we've been hearing. And although we can't say for sure, this could be a result of RealBet.eu's partnership with FutureBet - a company that is on most lists of known cheaters.

Will this derail RealBet.eu? Or can they find their footing and be around for years to come? And either way, should you give them your business?

We share our opinions – and much more – in our review below.

RealBet’s Gambling Options

RealBet.eu offers 2 options - a sportsbook and a casino. They do not currently offer online poker or bingo. In the meantime, you can explore their other options.

That’s okay, though.

Both bingo and poker require a heavy flow of players to create the kind of atmosphere necessary for these games to work. Traffic is essential. And if the history of online gambling has shown us anything, it's that new platforms can have a hell of a time attracting players.

Nevertheless, it is crucial to determine the value of making the effort to join RealBet for its sportsbook or casino. This is especially true when you consider that its main competitors are US heavyweights such as Bovada, 5Dimes and Ignition Casino, among many others. Leave no stone unturned when weighing your decision.

So let’s figure that out now. We’ll start with their sportsbook.

The Sportsbook

At first glance, the sportsbook appears simple. But appearances can be deceiving. RealBet.eu covers the main markets that most North Americans want to bet on, with a few international ones thrown in.

Their markets, betting options and betting limits are noted. We'll start by outlining the markets and sub-markets you can access on their site.

• Baseball
• Wager on the All Star Game, 1st 5 Innings, Early Action Props and Props Futures
• Basketball
• Wager on Draft Props, NCAA Championship, 1st Half, 1st Quarter, 2nd Half, WNBA and NCAA games
• Hockey
• Wager on any period, futures and World Cup futures.Golf
• Betting on the US Open, FedEx Cup and player suggestions
• Tennis
• Betting on men's and women's contests
• Football
• Betting on the winner of the Heisman Trophy, on future outcomes, on each quarter from first to fourth and on total regular season wins. These bets may be placed on games played in the CFL or any other arena
• Football;

We noticed one aspect: the list of markets they have is changing. To illustrate this, we looked at their website at the beginning of 2016. At that time, the Olympics were part of the markets they had listed.

But now, there aren't any. Instead, they have entertainment props, which weren't listed the last time we reviewed them.

So we think their catalog is in a constant state of flux. So again, you can't really judge them by what you see or don't see. If there's something you want to bet on but don't see listed, again, it makes sense to go a little beyond what's comfortable and either dig deeper into what's going on or send them an email to make sure you're not missing anything.

In terms of limits, what you can bet on and the types of bets you can make vary from market to market. The maximum is $1,000, but that's not universal. It varies from market to market.

However, here are a few examples to give you an idea of their limitations and how much they can vary:

• Major League Baseball (MLB) Point Spreads: Betting amounts from $5 to $500
• Major League Baseball overnight: five dollars to two hundred dollars
• Major League Baseball props: $5 - $300;
• The spreads in NFL games range in amount from $5 to as much as $2,000.NFL Overnight: $5 - $200
• NFL Overnight: $5 - $200
• NFL Overnight: $5 - $200;
• NFL Props: $5 - $100
• NFL Props: wager between 5 and 100 US dollars
• NFL Props: not for large stakes

These limits are nothing compared to sportsbooks like Bookmaker or even 5Dimes. This leads us to believe that RealBet.eu is a better option, or at least a more attractive one, for recreational bettors compared to sharp ones.

However, smaller limits do not always mean smaller winnings. It is possible to win big here. So big, in fact, that RealBet.eu has a weekly winnings cap of $25,000. That's $25,000 excluding parlay challenges and casino game jackpots.

Just something to keep in mind if you like to bet on longshots.

Their site is straightforward and easy to navigate. Finding the different types of sports and events to bet on, and finding the individual bets you want to place are all user-friendly tasks. You might even say that the site is flawless - that it hardly seems like a site at all, but rather a vehicle for seamlessly facilitating the actions you want to take. You could be an infrequent visitor and still feel comfortable, simply because it largely stays out of your way.

That goes for mobile betting, too.

There is no mobile app. But there is a mobile website that works well with Apple, Android and Blackberry devices. No need for an app, no need to download.

The mobile site is extremely easy to use, allowing players to place bets with just a few taps. Simply point and tap your way to a simple bet selection, then check out your bets with a simple tap on an icon in the top right corner of the screen. This mobile platform offers a very friendly experience for new players.

That’s all there is to it.

Our Opinion

We would prefer higher limits, a wider selection of markets, and better pricing, but this book is designed for the recreational bettor. We think most recreational bettors will find a lot to like in what's here. And what's here is a good selection of sports.

More experienced and/or professional bettors will probably want to check out Bookmaker, 5Dimes and Bovada – in that order.

The Casino

Now let’s look at RealBet’s casino.

The games are produced by two software companies. One is BetSoft, which is best known for its 3D games. The other is Ace Gaming, which is the proprietary software of RealBet.

These are the games you can play:

Blackjack

• Side Bet for Blackjack - This has 5 additional side bets. Play 5 hands at once. Single or Multi Deck
• VIP Blackjack Side Bet - Similar to the above, but with additional options such as doubling on any pair of two cards and doubling after a split
• Blackjack VIP - Play 5 hands at once. Single or multiple decks. Double on any two cards and after a split
• Blackjack - Played with either a single deck or multiple decks. You can play up to five hands at once;

The ability to play multiple hands at once, make side bets, and choose your own rules is a great feature of online Blackjack.

That said, we’d trade most of that for a larger and more diverse selection of blackjack variations.

Video Poker

Each of the following video poker games give you the option to play 1-50 hands simultaneously.

• Rephrase the given text without changing the structure or layout of the original material, including lists, using the following instructions: 1. The numbers that indicate the beginning of a sentence cannot be changed and must remain at the beginning of the sentence as they appear in the original text
• 2. The material must be paraphrased, not copied verbatim
• Deuces Wild;

They only cover the basics here. It’d be nice to have more variations to choose from.

Table Games

• American Roulette
• European Roulette
• a game played on a specially marked table in which players wager on the odds of a number or combination of numbers appearing. The words used to place bets, indicate the outcome of a roll, or designate a particular number can be heard throughout the casino. The more you know about the language, the better you can understand and enjoy the game. As with most games, knowing the language gives players a sense of control and a slight advantage
• Pai Gow Poker
• Baccarat;

• Mini Baccarat
• Pai Gow Poker is played with a standard 52-card deck plus a Joker
• Riding the waves of fortune
• Pondering the whims of fate
• Eight lucky ones, with faith intact
• Their smiles, as bright as day
• The game is played with a standard 52-card deck and at least one player competing against the dealer. The dealer must make a poker hand from the same 3 cards after the player has made a 3-card hand. There are some not-so-obvious strategies that the player can use to consistently make better hands. The first part covers how to make the decisions that lead to more wins. The second part describes the not-so-obvious strategies that lead to consistently making "better" hands. And the third part covers how to do both with psychology (coloring the opponent's mind
• appearing to play poorly when playing better than usual)

Some of these, such as Caribbean Poker, Triple Card Poker, and Lucky 8s Pai Gow Poker, have side bets or progressive jackpots that you can win.

Slots

The following titles are from their proprietary software, Ace Gaming.

• High Aces
• Banana Beach
• Bar Room Blast
• Black Magic
• Ferris Wheel
• Cursed Vaults
• Tales of beauty and the beast have been told throughout the ages, but few have been rendered as hauntingly as in Labyrinthine. The game is driven by an emotional narrative that follows two secret agents, one of whom is transformed into a beast in the nightmarish Vault. You must navigate the game's winding path and solve its subtle puzzles to rescue the transformed agent and return with him to the light.Features: Cleopatra Extra Pay
• Conspiracy Slot
• Coral Currency
• Nutty Coconuts
• Cross Country Reels
• Deal or Steal
• Quick Route
• Final Table
• Freak Show
• Free Spin Saloon
• Fruit Fuzion
• Headline Slots
• Heaven's Cent
• Kings Castle
• Party Bucks
• Roughneck Reels
• Samurai Slots
• Spider Guy
• Volcano Extra Pay
• Wild Diamonds;

In our opinion, these games do not hold a candle to the look, feel, or overall enjoyment of the 3D Slots created by BetSoft.

The BetSoft slot titles include:

• 2000000 BC
• An Evening in Paris
• After Night Falls
• Departure
• At the Copa
• Written by Stuart W. Little and Timothy M. V. McClure
• At the Copa is a 1943 American musical film directed by Lothar Mendes. The film, which stars Carmen Miranda and features several of her musical numbers, was produced by 20th Century Fox and is set at the Copacabana nightclub in New York City
• At the Cinema;
• Aztec Riches
• Barbary Coast:
• The precious commodity of American oil
• derived from the complex and breathtaking geology of the U.S. actually means oil soap. The geology of the USA means oil soap. The geology is simple and quite pleasing to geologists. It's a collection of sandstones and siltstones - quite a lot of them - layered in various ways and then capped with shale. Sandstone, siltstone, and shale make for an amazing oil basin. Much of the oil found in the world today, and much of the oil found in the United States today, comes from two geological formations that correspond to the two major geophysical features of the United States. Unfortunately, Black Gold, as they like to call it, turns out not to be so precious after all
• Boomanji
• A college-aged girl finds herself part of a centuries-old conflict that has trapped her family in a cycle of violence and revenge. After months of preparation and a single night of chaos, she takes the first big step in her attempt to break that cycle.
• Dara and her magical friends from the Green Room couldn't predict the events that will spell disaster for them all. But they know this much:
• The only way to save what's left of Dara's family is to perform an ancient spell that will, in effect, shift the burden of responsibility for the family's magic from one side of the conflict to the other. And the only way to do this spell is to really, truly, utterly believe it's going to work.
• Gladiator
• Miners;
• Robbery;
• It Came From Venus;
• Lost;
• Nuts and Bolts;
• Mad Scientist;
• A Methodical Plot;
• A Daring Escape;
• It's Alive! It's Alive!
• Mad Scientist
• Mamma Mia
• Mr. Vegas
• Ned and Friends
• Once Upon a Time
• Paco and the Popping Peppers;
• Rock Star
• Rook's Revenge;
• Sam the Safari
• Ping
• A Rolling Stone
• Angels, Slots
• Recreation of the House of Fun;
• Miles Bellhouse and the Curious Machine;

These games can be fun to watch. But we recommend that you try them for yourself. We suggest you start with Madder Scientist, Tycoons or The Slotfather.

Video Keno

• Keno;
• Keno Shockwave;

 

Mobile Casino

They have mobile games you can play, too. Your options include:

• S I D E B E T S B L A C K J A C K ;
• Blackjack;
• Single Deck Blackjack:
• Baccarat is a popular card game played in casinos. It involves comparing the hands of two players: the "banker" and the "player". Each hand is dealt either two or three cards with the aim of making a total as close to nine as possible. If no one has a total of nine, the hand with the highest total wins. There are three possible outcomes for any given hand: 1) Player wins
• 2) Banker wins
• or 3) Tie. Ceremonial and high-stakes versions of the game are still played in some corners of the world today.
• Jacks or Better;
• Deuces Wild;
• Joker Poker;
• All-American Poker;
• Bonus Poker;
• Plunder and Siege (slot machines);
• Rats in the Laboratory (slot machines);
• Dwarves Who Elope (slot machines);
• Zeus's Wrath (slot machines);

The current selection of mobile games is a bit larger than we remember. However, it would be nice to see something other than just Blackjack and Baccarat when it comes to table games. Their live dealer games could also use a little more variety.

Daily blackjack and slots tournaments are also held. You can enter both real money and free money tournaments. All real money tournaments have an entry fee of $10. Their free money tournaments (held on Tuesday and Wednesday nights) also award real money prizes.

Our Opinion

Their casino’s decent.

Their game selection is mediocre. 3D slots that are high quality and super entertaining are clearly the domain of BetSoft.

Bottom line, if you like to play (3D) high quality slots and/or are a fan of table games and/or basic blackjack and video poker variations, then RealBet.eu has you covered.

However, if you're looking for access to countless games, including more than a dozen iterations of video poker and blackjack, RealBet.eu is not your best bet.

RealBet.eu Promotions

Almost all of the promotions here are likely to appeal to both sports bettors and casino players. Below is a list of the current promotions available at RealBet.

Welcome Bonus - Make your first deposit and receive a 100% match up to $500. RealBet.eu has increased this from the last time we reviewed them - they used to only offer $300. This is great to see, because while $300 is okay for sportsbooks, it's not even competitive for online casinos. So this is an improvement.

Reload Bonus – This is a 20% match bonus up to $200. Deposit $1,000 to get the full bonus.

Refer your friends and family to RealBet. You will receive a bonus of 25% of what your friend deposits (up to $300).

Parlay Challenge – Play their challenge and get paid an additional 20% when you back 5 teams.

That’s it for their core offers.

What is not attractive is the difficulty in finding out what the rollover terms are. They are not posted with the offers (as they should be). We did some digging and managed to find out the details.

Their offers have a 5x rollover for the sportsbook and a 25x play through for the casino. Both of these are at a really good and competitive level when you compare them to other sportsbooks and casinos.

An important point to note is that not every casino game benefits from the bonus offers. However, RealBet does not clearly state which games do.

Cash Back Program

RealBet.eu offers a cash back program in addition to their other bonuses and promotions. They give you points for every $1 you wager. You get 6 points for games like slots and keno, and only 1 point for games like blackjack.

What are the points good for? They can be redeemed for real cash or free cash. Here is the difference between the two.

Real money is money you can withdraw, while free money is similar to a deposit bonus. Free money has no expiration date and is only used to play games (which, if you win, allow you to convert your game winnings into real money).

If you choose the free money option, you will receive more funds. The point-to-reward conversion rates are higher. We assume this is to motivate you to keep a balance on their site.

To get $5 to $150 in real money, you need to spend 15,000 to 250,000 points. To get the same $5 to $150 in "free" money, you only need to spend half as much, or 7,500 to 125,000 points. And that, of course, is assuming the numbers above are correct.

Banking Options

This is where RealBet.eu REALLY drops the ball.

There are 2 options for banking. Use either Visa or MasterCard to make a deposit. You can deposit between $50 and $1,000.

They only have two banking options, which is absurd. They should fix this immediately, especially since they are a US friendly site. And if they added more options, maybe they wouldn't have the withdrawal problems they seem to have.

You can use a check to convert your winnings to cash. On the plus side, you get one free withdrawal per month. All subsequent withdrawals are subject to a $50 fee, which is quite high compared to other betting platforms.

It takes them 15-20 days just to process your payment, not counting how long it takes to get to you once they finally send it out. You could be waiting 4-6 weeks for payment (and a royalty statement) from a publisher that has so few options to begin with.

Another thing to consider is that they have a maximum payout of $2,000 per week. This includes big wins like progressive jackpots. If you hit a life-changing amount, you will be paid $2,000 per week until you are paid in full.