Betway vs 888Sport: Which Sportsbooks is Better?

Looking at sports betting operators on their own is helpful. You learn important information and gain valuable insights. But some of the best insights come from comparing operators, seeing how they perform when pitted against similar competitors in the industry.

That’s why we’ve decided to compare head-to-head two of the biggest sportsbooks Canadians are seeking out: Betway and 888Sport. We’ll compare numerous aspects of these highly popular betting sites to see which one rises above the other. Ready? Let’s get into it.

The comparison between these two wildly popular brands was a close one, but there can only be one winner. Both brands are successful in Canada, but which one came out victorious in this head-to-head comparison?

Final Tally: 888Sport: 5, Betway: 3, Draw: 3

Before you can start wagering with any sportsbook, you’ll need to undergo the sign-up process. For this, you input details and verify information about yourself to make sure you can safely and legally bet. Let’s look at how the sign-up process plays out on 888Sport and Betway to verify that it is safe and easy for users.

Betway: For the Betway Sign Up process, you simply click Join and begin. You must first select the Welcome Offer you want to receive, input your account information with a User Name, Password, and email. Then, you put your Personal Details in, which include your name, address, age, and occupation. You will finally have to input Contact information, which includes your phone number and email. You accept the Betway terms, and your account is ready to go.

888Sport: The 888Sport Sign-Up process is hassle-free and fast. There are three pages that users have to click through and fill out. Details needed include personal information, which is centered around your name, country of residence, address, and birthday. Then, you configure your account by creating a username, password, and security question and adding your phone number and email. Finally, you input your occupation and confirm details, and you’re all set.

Verdict

Neither process outshines the other. They are both quick and efficient. Overall, I’d sum this up as a Draw, as they are very similarly simple and fast.

Round 1 Winner: Draw

Welcome offers are a key component of a sportsbook, and once you’ve created an account, you’ll likely intend to claim yours. Welcome bonuses are rewards for joining a website, and each sportsbook has different offers. Let’s look at the welcome bonuses available from Betway and 888Sport.

Betway: Betway’s Welcome Bonus is a risk-free bet of $200. Bettors must opt for the bonus when creating their account and depositing. They must then place a qualifying bet of more than $10 within seven days of their account being created. If the bettors' wager doesn't hit, they are refunded the amount they wagered up to $200. The sportsbook also has a limited time 100% deposit match promo worth up to $300 plus 50 free spins for select Betway casino slots.

888Sport: 888Sport’s Welcome Bonus is a deposit match promo, where the sportsbook will match 100% of your first deposit up to $400. If you live in Ontario, 888Sport will only match up to $250. Both promos have a $10 minimum deposit requirement and  14-day expiration period.

Verdict

The Betway offer is very standard for a welcome bonus. It is solid but unspectacular. Meanwhile, the 888Sport bonus offers guaranteed funds to all new players, regardless of whether they win or lose their first wager. This makes it a a top-tier offer and gives them a significant edge compared the Betway Canada bonus.

Round 2 Winner: 888Sport

Promotions are a great way for bettors to earn the chance to win big, and every sportsbook provides unique ones with different opportunities. Both Betway and 888Sport have a variety of intriguing promotions, so let’s find out more about what they are and how they stack up.

Betway: Betway offers some fun and easy-to-use promotions. They have a daily Prize Wheel, which is free to use but can give cash prizes. They also offer bonuses like You Lead You Win for certain Canadian teams, where if a Canadian team a user bet on in certain eligible sports is winning by a certain margin, they will settle the bet in favor of the bettor, regardless of the final outcome. Betway also has a Parlay Club that lets eligible bettors earn $10 in bet tokens every week for making qualified parlays and Betway Boosts that offer greater odds and bigger payouts for select wagers daily.

888Sport: 888Sport is well-known for its large variety of sports promotions. They offer some that are free to play, like their Perfect 10 and Up For 8 promotions, which let users pick the results of multiple games for the chance to win thousands of dollars in cash prizes if they are all correct. They also have promotions that include boosted parlays and a huge number of free bet offers where bettors receive free bets for wagering a certain amount on different sports like baseball and soccer. 888Sport also has a parlay club where bettors receive bet credits for wagering on parlays. Their promotion page is constantly adding promotions based on new events.

Verdict

Both Betway and 888Sport have sports promotions that are above the industry average for operators. They each have a great variety. In the end, though, I’d say 888Sport lives up to its reputation as one of the top sportsbooks for promotions, with a better variety of options.

Round 3 Winner: 888Sport

When picking a betting site, knowing its core features is key. A feature is what sets a site apart, what they offer, and what makes them unique. Betway and 888Sport both have many features, which we'll delve into below.

Betway: Betway has many features that they offer bettors. They provide live betting, allow for cashing out, and have features like daily props for bettors to bet on and boosted odds. Boosted odds are when a sportsbook takes odds daily and enhances them to be better for bettors. Betway also has a bet builder feature, which enables users to construct customized parlays that can be within the same game or extend beyond it.

888Sport: 888Sport offers most of the features bettors would be searching for in an operator. They offer live betting, quick cashouts, and tons of unique differentiating features that have led to them being one of the most diverse sportsbooks around. Their BetFeed feature shows live updates on what kind of wagers are being made with their sportsbook, the Bet Builder feature allows bettors to make same-game parlays, and they provide daily specials that are unique bets they create. Their Made For You page is a custom page that shows users different bets they might like based on their previous habits.

Verdict

Betway's list of features would far exceed the average sportsbook. Unfortunately, this is a tough draw for them here. 888Sport is famed for its sheer volume of features, and they do outpace Betway in this regard. They will take the win this round for that reason.

Round 4 Winner: 888sport

Sports bettors are mostly looking for one thing when they sign up with a sportsbook: good sports betting options. Every sportsbook has different sports they offer odds for and different markets they accommodate. Let’s explore the sports coverage these two operators provide.

Betway: If you’re looking to bet on a sport, chances are it is covered by Betway. Betway offers all the markets that bettors are used to, with sports like Hockey, Baseball, Basketball, and American Football, and some they aren’t, like Darts, Snooker, and Handball. Overall, Betway has more than 32 different sports and types of sports covered. They have odds available on just about every league a sports fan could think of. They also bring excellent markets with all the classic types of bets available, including a huge variety of player props in some of the most popular sports.

888Sport: 888Sport also has many of the best-known sports available and several niche offerings. 888Sport has odds on Basketball, Baseball, Hockey, American Football, Soccer, and more. 888Sport has odds on over 30 different sports markets. They have some unique sports covered that many operators don’t, including surfing. They provide most of the classic types of bets, like Moneyline, spread, and game props. However, their player props bet offerings in popular sports are limited.

Verdict

While once again, neck and neck, there is an operator who comes out on top here. 888Sport has most of the sports offerings one would want, but they lose out because of their lack of player props options, which is an exceedingly popular market. Betway wins this round.

Round 5 Winner: Betway

Now that we know a little more about the sports offerings from these operators, you might want to place some bets. But what if all the games you’d want to bet on are already underway? With live betting, you can bet on games currently happening. The sportsbooks have an algorithm that updates the odds as the games are played. This is a key feature, so getting the lowdown on these operators' offerings is a must.

Betway: Betway offers live betting capabilities. On their home page, they have an in-play tab that displays all the current games that are being played that have live betting odds available. They also have an In-Play tab where bettors can see live betting options. Bettors can click Moneyline odds or click on the game to discover some live props. 

888Sport: 888Sport also provides live sports for bettors to engage with. On their home page, they have a Featured Live Games tab, as well as a Live Now page that shows live betting selections. Users can bet Moneyline on the games or click on them to see special props they can bet on.

Verdict

For all intents and purposes, there is no real difference between live betting on Betway and 888Sport. They both provide good live betting options for users to choose from, with the same markets available. This one is a Draw.

Round 6 Winner: Draw

If you’re placing some live bets, you might want to watch the game to see the outcomes. Surprisingly, there are some sportsbooks that allow you to do this directly from their websites with live streaming. Live streaming is a unique feature that enables bettors to watch different events directly from their website. This is a rare and crucial option, so let's look at which sportsbook delivers the best in this area.

Betway: If you're a Betway account holder in Canada, you do have access to some live streaming options with Betway Live Video. Betway Live Video is only for certain animal racing events and is a few seconds delayed, so it is not fully live but still offers free viewing coverage of some events. It is not available to users in the U.S. market, but luckily, Canadians can enjoy it, and it is an excellent feature that augments the betting experience.

888Sport: 888Sport claims to offer live streaming in the U.K. and the U.S. While this is well and good for them, we are looking at this issue from a Canadian perspective, and unfortunately, there is no live streaming option for Canadian bettors.

Verdict

With one site offering some live streaming for Canadians and the other not, this one's simple. Betway gets the edge.

Round 7 Winner: Betway

Betting on the go is a great way to enjoy using an operator, and for that, you’ll need them to have an app or a mobile-compatible website. Here’s what Betway and 888sport offer in terms of the mobile experience.

Betway: Betway has a mobile app that is available on the Apple App Store and Google Play Store for players in Ontario. They don't offer a version outside of Ontario yet because of Canadian gambling laws; however, there is a dedicated Betway mobile site you can access through your phone’s web browser that closely mimics the app experience. These mobile features are excellent and easy to use, condensing the look and feel of their website to a pleasant mobile format.

888Sport: 888Sport also has a mobile app that is available on the Apple App Store and Google Play Store. Like Betway, the app is only available in Ontario. The 888Sport app is exceptional, perfectly mimicking the desktop experience on a mobile device. It brings the same exciting features and is one of the best betting apps available to Canadians. If you are not willing to commit to the storage space or if you live outside of Ontario, bettors also have the option of accessing the mobile-optimized site through their smartphone browser.

Verdict

The margin of victory here is so small because these are two of the top sportsbooks for mobile betting, both offering premier sports betting apps. The only thing that differentiates them is that 888Sport can be downloaded directly from the Google Play Store for Android users, giving them the edge.

Round 8 Winner: 888Sport

Once you've learned as much as possible about an operator, you might be ready to deposit and start betting. Every sportsbook accepts different payment methods; here are the options available on Betway and 888Sport.

Betway: Betway has numerous payment methods to choose from. They are Visa, Interac, Paysafecard, MuchBetter, Payz, flexepin, InstaDebit, and Bank Transfer, and Apple Pay. The actual Betway banking process is very efficient and fast, and Betway is noted across the industry for having solid payout speeds. Their options are abundant, with each one having different minimum and maximum deposit amounts and speeds.

Read more: Betway Withdrawal Times

888Sport: 888Sport provides bettors with a variety of payment methods. They are Visa, Mastercard, Apple Pay, Interac, MuchBetter, Luxon Pay, Skrill, Neteller, Instadebit, Payz, Paysafecard, and bank transfer. Their payment processes are fast and effective, and there aren’t many negative reports on the internet about delayed withdrawals. However, the options are more limited in Ontario. Overall though, 888Sport is a trusted and reliable operator with quality payout speeds.

Verdict

If you’re someone who uses conventional banking, both sites accept the most popular forms of payment in Canada, which are Debit/Credit and Interac. However, if you use alternate banking methods, Betway has a few more payment options to choose from, which gives them the win in this category.

Round 9 Winner: Betway

Things don't always go perfectly on betting sites, and every once in a while, you might need to get in touch with customer service. A company having good customer service is essential to solving any issue you might have, so let's analyze these two operators' customer support.

Betway: Betway has a Help page that has an FAQ under a large variety of categories. The Help page addresses most problems users might have. If that hasn't solved the issues you're having, there are other options. You can talk to someone on the Betway end with a 24/7 Live Chat. Their Live Chat is operated by a tech support/customer service representative who will answer your questions and help with technical issues. They do not have a phone line. The issue with Betway's live chat is bettors have to take a very roundabout route through their website to access it, which slightly lessens the convenience.

888Sport: If you are confused or have questions about something, 888Sport has a comprehensive FAQ page that will answer most questions you might have. However, that can't address all issues you might have, so if you need to get in touch with someone, there's a Contact Us page where you can put in your email and question, and they will respond in an undisclosed amount of time. 888Sport provides a toll-free member support line that operates from 8 am-12 am EST for members of the website, so you can get in touch with someone if you need to.

Verdict

This is an area where personal preference prevails. If you value 24/7 access to someone to talk to, then Betway might get the edge. However, personally, I prefer talking to someone on the phone when I have an issue, so a helpline is very important. For that reason, 888Sport wins this round.

Round 10 Winner: 888Sport

With sports betting, it is all about the user experience. Is the website easy to use? How does everything look? Is it a fun and enjoyable sportsbook, or is it basic? Here’s how Betway and 888Sport compare when it comes to User Experience.

Betway: Betway has an extremely clean layout which should be the model for other sportsbooks. They have a white background with tons of graphics and images that provide color, and navigating this site is as simple as it gets. Whether you're someone who has been gambling for years or a first-time sports bettor, figuring this site out is extremely easy. Betway also offers tons of fun and novel ways to bet and is a site that anyone can enjoy.

888Sport: 888Sport has a bold and interesting-looking website that is both bright and simple. They use a black background with white font and bright orange odds, which makes everything pop. They also have a variety of images and graphics that are indicative of different areas of their website. The layout of everything is clean and easy to follow, which makes using 888Sport simple. They have tons of fun ways to bet, with things like their free Perfect Ten pick’ems, countless specials, boosted odds, and fun features.

Verdict

These are two of the industry leaders in User Experience, so picking just one winner is not possible. Both Betway and 888Sport are sportsbooks that shine by having organized websites with fun betting features and user-friendly options. This one is too close to call.

Round 11 Winner: Draw

Comparing operators is a tough task, as everyone looks for something different in an operator. Personally, I look for an easy-to-use website with promotions that I'd actually use and fun sports betting features.

There can be no question that both Betway and 888Sport are operators that I would prioritize. These are two betting sites that lead the industry with gorgeous designs, epic promotions, unique features, and deep sports coverage. They are also two of the top betting sites for mobile wagering. However, there can only be one winner, and 888Sport ended up surpassing Betway by a razor margin in a few key categories.

888Sport ultimately had the most fun features, with so many to pick from, including Perfect Ten, Bet Builder, Boosts, and Daily Specials. 888Sport also has a better welcome offer and more abundant promotional offerings. Their user experience is hard to beat, and their mobile app being significantly better goes a long way.

That doesn’t mean Betway is a slouch, either. Betway certainly has a few areas where they outperform 888Sport. Betway’s sports coverage is one of the tops in the industry, as they cover a huge variety of leagues. They also have better markets. Betway also has superior payment options to 888Sport, and some would prefer their Live Chat customer service.

Ultimately, it is difficult to declare a winner because these sportsbooks are both premier websites with much to offer. Going by the categories we've picked, 888Sport emerges victorious. However, there is no going wrong with either of these sites, and your preference will largely depend on you.

There are many other sports betting sites available in Canada, so if you’re looking to learn more about options that aren’t Betway or 888Sport, check out our reviews on PowerPlay and BetVictor.