€25 Back in Free Bets
New UK/IE customers only. Sign up and place your first sports bet at odds of Evens (2.0) or greater and if it loses, get a free bet equivalent to 50% of your first bet stake (min €10), to a maximum value of €25, plus 25 free spins on Gold Horsey Winner. Full T&Cs apply. 18+ | GambleAwareThe gambling industry has seen steep growth over the last two decades, and particularly in the last few years. The current market is highly competitive, and punters face a difficult choice when it comes to finding the right betting site for them. Whether you’re interested in football or tennis, or you enjoy accumulators over standard bets, one unnegotiable aspect is that you will want a betting site that is well established, trusted, and reliable. Star Sports is one such site, with a sterling reputation that they have built over 25 years in the business. Founded in 1999 by Star Racing Limited, Star Sports offer competitive odds alongside dynamic betting features, all delivered within a sleek, highly modern website.
If you want to explore more of what this reputable bookie has to offer, look no further. We have done the legwork for you and put together a comprehensive list of all the main features on the site. Let’s get on and dive into the details.
Pros
- Extensive horse racing coverage
- Exceptional mobile app with a 4.5 star rating on the Google Play store
Cons
- No live streaming feature
- Limited range of just 3 payment methods
Sportsbook
Of course, a good sportsbook is central to any decent betting site. Now, while Star Sports don’t have the widest range of sports on offer, they do have great market depth, and extensive coverage of the sports they do feature. You can still find most conventional sports here, such as cricket, boxing, baseball, and basketball. In particular, Star Sports specialise in football and horse racing, with extensive coverage of both as well as promotions specific to them.
If you’re an Irish horse lover and enjoy this great sport which is woven into the history of the country, you may be pleased with Star Sport’s wide coverage of horse racing across the world. They show races spanning far and wide, from Ballinrobe in County Mayo, up to Ayr in Scotland, all the way across to Thistledown in the USA. There is also broad coverage of grey hound races.
If you enjoy following along with politics, as divisive and frustrating as it can sometimes be, Star Sports may be able to interest with you their political betting section. They specifically offer bets in relation to Irish politics, as well as the UK and the USA. This is uncommon as most political sections tend to focus on the UK, so this is nice addition for Irish punters.
Another unique sport on offer that many bookies don’t showcase, is the MMA. Punters can also tune into Dana White’s contender series, which has amassed great popularity over the last few years.
Blog & News
One unique feature to Star Sports’ site, is the addition of a news blog, which keeps punters up to date with sports news. This provides context for the odds and bets currently featured on the site, and certainly creates a competitive and professional atmosphere. These articles cover everything from interviews with Premier League football players, to information on customer offers and promotions. There is also some coverage of political news, but this is not a primary focus, and is primarily aimed at providing context for the political betting section of the site.
The blog is known as Star Sports Extra, and has particular sections for ‘previews & tips,’ ‘best odds,’ ‘press releases,’ and job vacancies within the Star Sports team. We have found that most bookies don’t have a section like this on their sites, so this is a nice perk to Star Sports, particularly if you like to understand the wider sports scene behind the odds. Arguably, this can give players an advantage as they can absorb all the necessary information to make informed betting decisions.
Site Design
The Star Sports site is intelligently designed, with a simple but effective colour scheme of blue, white, and grey. The text is placed in enough space, and the overall view is not too cluttered. On the left-hand side, players can see popular sports and events, as well as a comprehensive A – Z list of all sports on the site, as well as a link to the FAQ section.
Current promotions are displayed in the upper middle of the screen, flashing out at you with accompanying images. These do grab your attention, so punters are unlikely to miss out on any sweet deals. The middle of the screen displays any upcoming races and events that are due to start in the near future, as well as in-play events. There are specific menus for football, tennis, and cricket, as there seems to be a focus on these.
On the right-hand side of the screen, players can choose to log in or sign up, and a large, easily visible bet slip takes up the majority of the space. This is handy in allowing punters to maintain a clear view of their betting position. If you’re someone who likes to bet across multiple markets, you will be able to see your various bets in one place here.
Lastly, the top of the screen hosts a navigational toolbar, which directs players to various pages including a list of sports, in-play events, the casino and live casino, bingo, and the news page.
The site has a really clean design on the whole and is both responsive and user-friendly. The simple colours and layout ensure good visibility and the transparency of key information.
Mobile App
As smart phones become more prevalent, many punters prefer to bet via their mobile. This can be handy if you’re someone who travels about a lot, or has a long commute to work which you want to fill with some entertainment. For those who are so inclined, Star Sports offer a mobile app which is available to both Android and iPhone users.
While many betting sites now offer a mobile app to improve accessibility, Star Sports really do excel in this regard. Their app is one of the highest rated amongst bookies, with a 4.5 star rating on the Google Play store, which is based on over 14,300 reviews. The app takes up minimal memory space and can be downloaded quickly.
Customer Service
The customer service for Star Sports has been praised as being reliable and consistent. The team are available 24/7 and offer a Live Chat function. They also provide a range of contact methods. Punters are encouraged to contact them via email, Live Chat, Twitter, or telephone.
In addition to their well-staffed customer service team, Star Sports’ site also features an FAQ section, with commonly asked questions and answers provided. It is sometimes worth having a glance here before contacting customer support, as you may be able to resolve your query faster this way. Most commonly encountered issues are detailed here. While there is a FAQ section on the site, this section is rather small when compared with many other bookies, so this is one area that could be improved upon.
Security
Of all the qualities of a good betting site that Irish punters value, security should really be at the centre. With sensitive information and money at stake, this is paramount. When using the Star Sports site, you can rest assured that you are in safe hands in this regard. They are a well-established, legitimate company, with a proven track record of prioritising user safety.
They utilise up to date SSL encryption as well as the industry standard firewalls, to ensure that the site is safe from potential cyberhackers. They provide transparency on the ways in which customer data is utilised, and their privacy policy is available for all to see on the site.
Payment Methods
Perhaps the primary weakness we have observed on the Star Sports site is their lack of payment options. They currently only accept Visa, MasterCard, and Maestro as forms of payment, and do not offer any modern payment solutions such as Skrill or Neteller. Most other bookies offer a wide range of payment methods, or at least a couple of e-wallet type options, so Star Sports do fall down here slightly.
The minimum deposit amount is €10, and this applies to all available payment methods. Withdrawals take 2 – 5 working days to receive, and there is a verification process required before customers are able to receive funds. This requires users to upload a copy of their ID such as a driving licence or passport.
Welcome Offer
The gambling industry has become fiercely competitive over the last decade, and most bookies now offer introductory offers to entice new players. Star Sports are no different in this regard. They currently offer an introductory offer which gives players 50% of a stake of up to €25 back as a free bet. If you’re interested in the casino, this bet also applies to spins, with up to 25 spins being up for grabs.
Conclusion
Star Sports is a well-established site that aspiring Irish punters should certainly check out. Though they have a narrow range of payment methods available, they do have a solid sportsbook, great customer service, and competitive odds, as well as an insightful news section which provides welcomed context on the wider sports scene. This is definitely a bookie worth visiting, if you are looking for an all-round high-quality site.