The FOXBet sportsbook is potentially the most significant addition to the US legal mobile and online sports betting space sports bettors have seen. It promises big things and is sure to become a major player across all legal jurisdictions as the book becomes established.
FOXBet became reality after a deal was struck between the world’s biggest online gambling company, the Stars Group, and one of the worlds largest media companies Fox Sports. The deal was reportedly worth $236 million and saw Fox Sports acquire 5% of The Stars Group. This was the first sports betting and media company partnership deal struck in the US but it mirrors a strategy the Stars Group have used the UK (SKYBet) with much success.
FOXBet gives customers in states with regulated betting the opportunity to place real money wagers on the outcome of a wide range of sporting events in accordance with the applicable laws and regulations. It is also set to release a nationwide free-to-play game, awarding cash prizes to players who correctly predict the outcome of sports games. This is yet to be released but is expected very soon.
The Takeaway: FOXBet offers an excellent platform for sophisticated and beginning bettors alike. The essential functionality is present and it leverages the vast experience of its media group to bring in depth analysis and a wide range of interesting and engaging promotions. While it yet to to deliver a best in market product, We expect over the short to medium term FOXBet will develop into an industry leader and innovator. Adding FOXBet to your sportsbook repertoire is a must for all sports bettors.
Overall Rating 85%
Ratings Methodology
In rating the FOXBet Sportsbook, a weighting of 20% was given to each of the User Interface, Available Markets and Competitive Odds features. This weighting reflected those features that were deemed most important to an overall betting experience. A weighting of 10% was given to each of Live Betting and Promotions features and finally a 5% weighting was given to Payment Methods, Loyalty Rewards, Partner Deals and One Percenters.
The overall rating was then given by taking those individual weightings into account. It is important to note that a 100% rating would indicate the best possible online sportsbook model. There are some examples from international markets that give a pointer to what this ideal model may look like. At this point that model does not exist in the US as the online sports betting market is still maturing.
User Interface
The FOXBet user interface is surprisingly good for a new launch. Obviously they have incorporated some learnings from the US soft launch under the BetStars name as well as their forays into international markets.
The colour scheme is the classic FOX Sports blue and yellow, with the homepage containing most of the features a bettor would need to access quickly such as the live betting platform, trending bets, featured markets and of course available promotions.
There is very little about the browser or mobile app that would offend the regular bettor. The option of switching between odds types (American, Fractional or Decimal) is something only a few books offer and is a welcome addition. Surpingsly this makes a difference as American odds often cause a great deal of confusion for beginning bettors.
The bet slip is very easy to use. Its laid out in a simple form and information populates seamlessly as more markets are added to the slip. There is also a useful description under each bet type so the bettor is informed on the nature of bet they are about to place.
Available Markets
FOXBet offers a competitive range of markets in comparison to the other leading online sportsbooks in the US. The major US sports are covered in great detail and no bettor would be left without a market to bet on. For those bettors looking for more exotic bet types, FOXBet offers a wide range of prop bets and obscure markets. For example on a typical NFL game day over 100 bets are available on each and every game.
As well as the NFL a full slate of College sports plus NBA, MLB and NHL are the backbone of FOXBet’s betting markets. As far as the domestic sports landscape is concerned FOXBet has you covered.
In addition to its domestic offerings FOXBet has a wide range of international markets for bettors to attack. This is useful for those bettors who love an overnight bet riding while they sleep. Of course soccer is well and truly the dominant international market. If you can place a bet on a mid week game in the Norwegian Eliteserien you know your sportsbook has your back.
FOXBet also covers off on truly global sports like Rugby Union, Cricket and Tennis.
If you love to bet on a wide range of sports FOXBet is a useful addition to your sportsbook armory.
Competitive Odds
Like most retail sportsbooks the FOXBet odds are probably not the most competitive in the game but on the flipside they are not the worst. On all major US sports you will be able to find -110 opening lines. Perhaps not the -105 you may occasionally see around the place but still competitive.
On the live betting platform the odds are a little less generous where often -112 or -115 is seen. Live betting is a platform where sportsbooks take on more risk and as a result, odds are typically shorter. This is a common feature with most sportsbooks and certainly FOXBet are not on their own in this department.
FOXBet has a heavy focus on boosted odds promotions and these are worth keeping a good eye on. If it is the best odds you are chasing then taking advantage of these promos is well and truly in your best interests.
The issue with the concept of best odds is that no bookmaker can sustain the best odds on all markets at all times. With FOXBet you know you are going to be able to find the market you desire and probably at a price that is comparable to most of the industry. The benefit is you are betting on your mobile on the run.That is hard to beat.
If you truly want the best odds all the time then you need to be operating accounts with multiple sportsbooks. In that case then you would be crazy not to have an account at FOXBet
Live Betting
The FOXBet Live Betting Platform is very good. It offers a simple to use interface with all major sports included. If there is a game on somewhere you can guarantee FOXBet have a live market up for it.
When you drill down into an individual market there is extensive game situation data available to the bettor alongside the live odds. This includes the scoreline and game clock among other things. The visual graphics allow the bettor to picture the flow of play and glean some intangible information that wouldn’t be visible from just numbers alone.
Promotions
As it stands at this point in time FOXBet is offering a solid promotions repertoire. Based around some of the more outspoken FOX Sports personalities they offer daily reliable odds boosts and bonus cash back deals.
The focus on boosted odds is fundamentally good. As a bettor grabbing the best odds is essential to profitability long term. Regular opportunities to boost odds and therefore returns should not be taken for granted. The boosted odds promotions are about making the bettor return to the platform on a daily basis. While this is about audience retention for FOXBet it is very much worth your while as a bettors.
FOXBet generously place yellow boosted odds icons throughout the site next to markets where the promotion is available. This makes life a little bit easier for the bettor. It is highly frustrating as a bettor to have placed a wager on a market only to realize there was a potential promotion offered on that market that you missed. FOXBet are doing their level best to help bettors avoid this pain.
The boosted odds are reason enough to jump on the FOXBet juggernaut.
Payment Methods
FOXBet leverages the established networks of the Stars Group to bring bettors a vast array of deposit and withdrawal payment methods. These are a good as you will find across all regulated betting agencies in the US. The payment methods include:
| Payment Type | Deposit | Withdrawal | Fast Deposit |
| Skrill – International Wallet | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Instant e-Checks | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| PayPal | Yes | Yes | No |
| Mastercard | Yes | No | Yes |
| Stars Transfer (Bank Transfer) | Yes | No | No |
| PayNearMe | Yes | No | No |
| Casino Deposit – In person | Yes | Yes | N0 |
| Pokerstars Play+ Card | Yes | Yes | No |
| Visa | Yes | No | Yes |
The ability to deposit quickly is important, particularly if you are low on funds and have spotted an opportunity you just don’t want to miss. FOXBet offers four excellent fast deposit options which allow bettors to get into the action quickly. While the withdrawal methods are somewhat slower there are still enough options to satisfy most customers.
The Pokerstars Play+ Card is an excellent way to bypass the credit card deposit system, particularly if your financial institution has put a block on depositing to gambling sites with your credit card. Loading money onto the card can be done online and winnings can also be withdrawn to the card and be used at any retailer who accepts Discover Cards. Very handy.
The wide variety of payment options is a definite plus for bettors signed up to FOXBet.
Loyalty Rewards Program
At this point in time FOXBet does not offer customers any form of loyalty rewards programs. While this is a let down it is highly likely that some formal reward system will be delivered to bettors sooner rather than later. The evidence to support this can be found at Stars Group sports betting sites across the globe (eg SKYBet, Bet Easy). These sportsbooks offer elaborate programs to reward bettors for directing their business towards the Stars Group.
The Stars Group’s online poker platform PokerStars has also implemented a very successful rewards system over the years.
It is very early days. Expect big things from FOXBet in this space!
Partner Deals
While as yet no concrete partner deals have been struck by FOXBet, it is easy to envision this coming soon. With the extensive industry reach of both the Stars Group and Fox Sports it is a no brainer that deals will follow.
Imagine discount sports streaming subscriptions, access to merchandise or access to discounts at FOXBet or Fox Sports branded bars. The sky is potentially the limit. With competition for your betting business so high it makes sense that some sweeteners will be coming your way.
Stick around, because the deals will come!
One Percenters
FOXBet has its fair share of one percenter value. One percenters are those things that on their own offer only small benefit but as a collective can make a real difference. There is no doubt that FOXBet’s one percenters offer increased value for the online bettor.
The cash out feature is an example of those one percenter additions. While cash out can be found at many of the major online sportsbooks it is certainly a must have and FOXBet delivers. Cash out may not always offer the best value but as a bettor it is reassuring to know if you sense your bet is heading south you can lock in a return by accepting the cash out offer.
Custom Bet is another excellent add on to the FOXBet platform. If bettors can’t find a market they like then they are given the opportunity to tweet FOXBet a custom bet. If FOXBet can frame up the odds they will. Bettors can view custom bet markets, requested by other customers, via the FOXBet home page. It’s fun, creative and interesting, not to mention potentially profitable.
Something quite unique to FOXBet is their extensive results database which is accessible from the home page. This easy to use platform allows bettors to search results of sports events from all over the world. These results can be filtered by sport, date and location. While it is a bit of a jump from the results page back to the odds, it is useful to know you can conduct some five minute handicapping on obscure sports.
Areas For Improvement
FOXBet is essentially at launch and therefore many aspects of the sportsbooks appearance, functionality and features will improve and quickly.
One area I expect will be huge for FOXBet is the adoption of the streaming of live sport direct to the app. This has already been adopted heavily by the Stars Group’s international sportsbooks in Australia and Britain. Despite what you hear from the naysayers, its coming to the US and it will revolutionise the way we watch sports and bet. The marriage of the Stars Group and Fox Sports is made for this very thing.
If you don’t have a FOXBet account, get it for this one feature.
Another small variation I would like to see FOXBet adopt is partial cash out. The partial cash out has been used in international markets and it genuinely adds something for bettors. The concept is simple. When a bettor is offered a cash out figure they can elect to cash out a piece relative to a portion of their stake. The rest can be left to ride. That way a bettor can lock in a return and yet still have action the market. The variations and connotations this adds to betting lift the entertainment factor ten fold.
The Game Starts Now!
FOXBet is a huge addition to the mobile and online sports betting market place. It has the potential to innovate in this space and deliver a product to bettors that is yet to be seen on US soil. Isn’t it time you “Make the Call” and get on board!
