Black Type Review

Clean, effective layout

In terms of the technology behind its sportsbook, Black Type has one of the most advanced set-ups in the industry. Powered by FSB Technology, the site offers a smooth, seamless betting experience, with ultra-fast load times and rapidly updated markets. The design of the site emphasises the streamlined, betting-focused nature of Black Type’s betting operation, without any of the gimmicks that clutter some rival sites. The layout is clean and minimalist, mainly in black and white, with grey headers and menus that are highlighted in a light shade of red. It is easy to navigate and offers some of the most popular sports markets on the home page, with live markets given priority, followed by upcoming markets, as well as a full list of available sports via the sportsbook button. Overall the layout of the site does a good job of conveying a professional betting-focused service, designed for those who are serious about their sports betting.

Stringent registration process

Black Type is only open to players based in the UK, and the site also adheres to the Know Your Customer code, promoted by the UK Gambling Commission, so as well as completing the online form with your personal details, you will also be required to provide confirmation through the uploading of documents such as a passport or a utility bill. To ensure that people who register are legally able to use the site register, the company can carry out extra verification checks at any time, which can include asking you to verify your age, your banking details or any other aspect of your identity. Failure to provide the appropriate verification documents when asked can lead to your account being suspended. Although this may seem a very strict approach to take, it is necessary as part of the company’s commitment to follow the UK Gambling Commission code, and ultimately, is for the protection of the sportsbook and all its players.

Black Type is fully licensed and regulated

With so much attention on the issue of problem gambling and disreputable practices by betting firms, reputable sportsbooks operators such as Black Type are keen to emphasise their credentials. The site is licensed by the UK Gambling Commission, which imposes some of the strictest conditions in the industry on its licensees, including the importance of putting the KYC protocols described above into practice. In addition, the FSB Technology production company that provides the Black Type betting platform has also been licensed to produce fixed odds betting interfaces through the UK Gambling Commission. In terms of licensing credentials, Black Type has some of the most impressive in the industry.

Black Type Sign Up Bonuses and Acca Insurance

It’s fair to say that Black Type don’t offer the same level of Welcome Bonus or promotional offers to tempt new customers that you will find with some modern sportsbooks, but they do provide a reasonably generous Sign-Up Bonus called ‘Bet £10 Get £10’ which gives new players a £5 casino bonus and a £5 sports bonus should your first £10 bet lose. Another handy promotion provided for all sports bettors is Accumulator Insurance. By the terms of this offer, punters who make a bet on an accumulator involving five teams or more are let down by one leg, their stake will be refunded as a free bet. This is an interesting and practical offer that may not be a headline grabber but will be appreciated by regular punters.

Modest market selection

Black Type have based their betting brand mainly on horse racing and their claim that they will always lay a proper bet. In fact, they have guaranteed to accept any bet to win at least £500 on all UK and Irish meetings. The old-school approach is underlined by the fact that they don’t price up their horse racing markets on the night before the racing, although this may also be partially to protect their £500 price guarantee. When it comes to their other main strength, which is football betting, markets are priced up several days ahead of time, and offer competitive margins. Although their odds are generally good, it must be said that they don’t offer a great depth of market. A typical football game will feature around 32 markets, although this does cover the main options including Total Goals, Asian Handicap and Correct Score, and should be enough for most punters.

Good sports selection

When it comes to their selection of sports, Black Type covers all the popular options, from football to rugby, as well as their core strength of greyhound racing. There is also a section for special bets, that includes markets on politics, world events, film and television. With 20 sports plus the specials covered, their range is not quite as large as some sportsbooks, but there are no obvious gaps in their portfolio of sports.

Quick and easy betting process

Black Type base their business model on being a sportsbook for serious sports punters, and their betting processes reflect that. To make a bet, you simply click on your selection of choice and it will appear in the Black Type bet-slip, from where you will have the option to combine your bet into a range of multiples, including popular bets such as the Trixie or Heinz. The clearly-laid-out bet-slip allows you to adjust your stake and will also display your potential winnings before the bet is confirmed. Black Type also offer Cash Out on selected markets, which will be clearly displayed, offering punters the chance to take a profit on their bet before the event in question has finished; a useful tool for all sports punters.

Main live betting markets covered

Live Betting is one of the most popular sportsbook features among modern sports punters and Black Type meet that demand with a solid live betting service that enables you to bet live on all the most popular sports, including football, tennis and cricket. Unfortunately, the site doesn’t offer any live streaming to complement the in-play betting section, but otherwise, they provide a comprehensive range of in-play betting on football, tennis, cricket and other sports, which allows you to bet on everything from the number of corners in a football match to the fall of the next wicket in a cricket game.

Limited banking options

One area in which Black Type could improve is in the range of banking methods it offers to its customers. At the moment, you can only make deposits and withdrawals with a Visa, Visa Electron, Maestro or MasterCard, which may cover most of the popular options for the majority of its UK customer base, but looks a little dated compared to some rival sites that offer payment in a range of e-wallets or cryptocurrencies. Otherwise, the payment process at Black Type is good. Their withdrawal times and limits are on par with the average for the industry, with credit and debit card withdrawals being completed within three to five days, and they have a maximum deposit of £5,000. The site does sometimes apply a processing fee of 5 percent for withdrawals where a customer has not wagered at least half of their deposit, which may catch some punters out.

Complete mobile experience with Black Type

Black Type’s mobile-optimised site has been well-designed, providing links to the main betting areas and sports at the top and bottom of the page, with Live Betting displayed prominently in the centre. The mobile website is as fast and responsive as the main site and offers one of the slickest mobile betting experiences in the industry. There is also a dedicated mobile app available through the iTunes store for iOS devices. The app is laid out in a similar way to the mobile and regular sites, and a handy window at the top of the page highlights their latest bonuses, promotions or special bets. Overall, the Black Type mobile betting service rates as one of the best around.

State of the art security

The Black Type site is based on the FSB sportsbook solution software, licensed by the UK Gambling Commission(№49474), and provides some of the most stringent security in the industry. All transactions are encrypted using banking industry-standard technology and as it is a UK based company, it conforms to all the latest regulations on data protection and security, including the GDPR regulations, introduced by the EU.

Customer support: room for improvement

One area where Black Type could improve is customer service. Their Contact Us link offers only one mode of contact, which is email. There is also no mention on the site of their hours of operation. Given that many of their sportsbook rivals offer telephone and Live Chat support on a 24/7 basis, this must count as a negative for punters.