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Bookmaker Interview: Eastbridge
A UK Licensed Winners Welcome ‘Pinnacle Alternative’ Bookmaker
Ever since the likes of Pinnacle Sports and SBObet withdrew from the UK in November 2014 (thanks to the introduction of new UK legislation), I have been on the lookout for licenced firms able to offer competitive odds on sports such as Football, US Sports, Tennis & Golf that would be of interest to UK & European punters.
Step forward then Eastbridge, who have recently acquired a UK Gambling Commission licence and are now offering a unique, bespoke betting service for punters who like to bet on sports such as Football, Tennis & US Sports. Best of all – they are offering extremely competitive odds as their model is based on a high-volume, low-margin approach, similar to that of the likes of Pinnacle Sports.
With an easy to use Skype betting service as well as WhatsApp or Telephone betting options, Eastbridge looks an ideal solution ahead for price sensitive punters – especially those based in the UK and Europe.
SBC Eastbridge Interview
After news broke on the recent acquisition of their UK bookmaking licence, the SBC team have begun to observe and examine the Eastbridge service to fully understand how it works.
Whilst we continue to observe their service ahead of a full SBC review, we recognised that with so many betting markets of note this summer (Euro 2016, Copa America & Wimbledon to name just a few) it would be of benefit to release our initial thoughts.
Therefore, to get the ball rolling, I interviewed a member of the Eastbridge team to find out more on what is on offer and how you can benefit from their service. He helps to explain exactly what kind of punters his service will appeal to plus the sports you can bet on with Eastbridge….
Eastbridge – How To Open A New Account
If interested in opening a new Eastbridge account, you can register for a new account via their website
When doing so, make sure you select Smart Betting Club in the ‘How You Heard About Us’ dropdown menu so they can assist you fully.
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SBC: Can you introduce Eastbridge and the services you offer?
EB: Eastbridge is a bespoke sports betting solution for all, we can offer a range of services including Skype based betting brokerage, traditional bookmaking with a very client friendly twist, an online brokerage platform and an API solution for automated trading groups.
Also, after partnering with an established and trusted UK bookmaker, we are now licensed & regulated by the UK Gambling Commission.
The Eastbridge brand was established here in the UK in 2014, to focus on the UK and Europe. Our office is based in London Bridge, where we are like to meet with our clients whenever possible.
We are well known within professional betting and football syndicate betting circles in the UK, Europe and Asia, where we have a reputation for discreet and trustworthy client management, not to mention reliable products & services.
We aim to bring these principals and benefits to a wider audience of serious part time traders and recreational punters in the UK and Europe, who could all benefit from our products & services.
SBC: What kind of punters will benefit from using your service? Is it those looking for a genuine alternative to the likes of Pinnacle Sports?
As great as it is to be licensed here in the UK, unfortunately the laws are still quite restrictive and as such we are only offering UK clients access to our traditional bookmaking service. The other services are not covered in the UK by our license, but we can provide them to non UK residents.
However, the customer friendly twist on traditional bookmaking is that we are running our book with very low margins and professional risk management, especially on Football, Tennis and US Sports.
This enables us to service professional traders, syndicate groups, serious part time clients, as well as recreational punters, with much more freedom than typical European bookmakers, who limit client accounts even after just a few bets.
SBC: Do you ever restrict or close customer accounts? What is your attitude towards winning gamblers?
For our key sports of Football (Asian Handicap), Tennis and US Sports, we do not restrict our client’s bets.
For other sports, there will be some limits in place as they are not our main area of expertise.
Naturally, this kind of service is more suited to higher staking clients, who are looking for competitive prices and/or have experienced account restrictions or high commission percentages elsewhere in the past. But, we are happy to lay bets for everyone.
SBC: What sports do you take bets on and what size bets are you able to take?
The primary sport we offer is Football and particularly the Asian Handicap and Asian Total Goals markets, where we can take bets to very large six figure size stakes. But, we are also able to take very large bets on Tennis, NBA, NFL, MLB & NHL.
We can also take bets on Cricket, Golf, and most other major sports, but we do not take bets on horse racing. These other sports are managed with much tighter & lower limits, plus the maximum takeout on these minor sports is around £2,500 and our minimum bet size is £25, for all sports.
SBC: How exactly are customers able to place bets with your service?
All our clients use Skype to place their bets, but we can also offer WhatsApp and Telebetting (primarily for in-play bets), if a client would prefer to use them instead.
Using Skype to place bets is fast and easy, plus it avoids any issues of gambling websites being blocked on a client’s work computer. The service runs from 9am to 9.30pm, but sometimes later to cover evening kick offs.
Once connected to our bet placement Skype, our clients simple state the details of their bet. Which league/event, stake, bet and price (if they know what price they want they want) to bet on, so for example –
- Premier League, £100, Leicester City -0.5 at 1.98
Our team then checks the price (or better) and stake is available, before returning to the client to confirm they want to place the bet. Once the client confirms, the bet is officially placed.
SBC: How can customers keep track of their betting performance with you? Can you provide account statements?
Statements can be requested via Skype whenever a client wants, plus deposit and withdrawal via credit/debit card, Skrill or bank transfer are also managed via Skype.
SBC: What is the account opening process like?
Account opening is also quick and simple, after clients provide a few basic details such as name and contact information, as well as some insight into their betting habits & preferences, we create an account in our system and connect them to our Bet Placement Skype.
Then they are ready to bet as soon as they fund their account. Plus, their account manager is always on hand for any issues or questions that arise in the future.
SBC: Are there any fees to be aware of if using your service?
As we are currently only able to offer a traditional bookmaking service under our UK license, there are no fees, charges or commission for UK clients to pay when betting with Eastbridge.
SBC: How secure are the funds deposited with you? What assurances can you give that the money placed with you is safe?
Being licensed by the UK Gambling Commission gives our clients the confidence that, our services and their accounts are professionally managed & most importantly their funds are 100% safe in our UK bank account.
SBC: Finally, can you sum up why SBC readers should consider opening an account with you?
If your readers are keen to bet on Football, Tennis and US Sports in particular, at very competitive prices, without the usual threat of having their account shut down and with a high level of professional service as standard, then they really should come and give Eastbridge a try.
SBC: How can someone find out more and open an account?
For further information and to open an account, visit www.Eastbridge-sb.com and complete the membership enquiry form. Please make sure you select Smart Betting Club in the ‘How You Heard About Us’ dropdown menu so we can assist you fully.
Eastbridge – Final Thoughts
Hopefully the above answers have given a good overview of what it is Eastbridge offers and why they might appeal to those of you based outside the UK.
Here at SBC we have recently began to use the Eastbridge betting service ourselves, so do plan to return with a full review and analysis of what is on offer once we gauge more experience.
Although our collective experience thus far has been good, I do have to recommend caution when opening an account with any new bookmaker. Taking sensible precautions such as not holding huge sums in your account are very important and I highly recommend this, not just for Eastbridge but with all bookmakers in general.
I plan to return with more on Eastbridge ahead of the 2016/17 Football season including a full SBC review.
Eastbridge – How To Open A New Account
If interested in opening a new Eastbridge account, you can register for a new account via their website
When doing so, make sure you select Smart Betting Club in the ‘How You Heard About Us’ dropdown menu so they can assist you fully.