Tonight, I plan to discuss the fusion of iPhone and sports betting! The frenzy surrounding the iPhone is undeniable. I have always been one to steer clear of anything related to Apple, refusing to use a Mac, forgoing the iPod era, and even laughing at all the "i-freaks" who seem to multiply incessantly...
I ordered an iPhone 5 for myself when I renewed my subscription a while ago. It took a whole month (!) to get the phone delivered, but it only took 10 minutes for me to become addicted to it! I'm not lying when I say that, for once, I'm really, really satisfied with my device, even though I've had around 20 different ones over the years. The main reason is undoubtedly the simple and fast internet browsing. For the first time, I feel like I could easily do without a computer (without experiencing withdrawal symptoms) with just an iPhone and WiFi - at least for a few days...
So, what do you browse on a mobile device, you might wonder? Well - everything! Finally, I can read the sports news without being bombarded by mobile ads, write blog posts at the airport - and finally, I have the opportunity to place a live bet on the national team in the 65th minute amidst all the chaos in the stands! Because what is a live bet if you can't play it "live" while watching the match in person? How many of you have never sat on a train and wished you could place a last-minute bet on that game when your friend calls and shouts that the odds are skyrocketing? Of course, you don't have a computer in front of you either... 2 hours later, you come home and realize that you just missed out on an extra half month's salary... ouch! Maybe that's when you wish you owned a real mobile device that can handle such a simple task?
This post will, therefore, focus on - just as the title suggests - a test on how well it works to bet on sports with an iPhone. What we really intend to "test" - if one sees this as a review - is the different mobile functionality of the gaming companies, how well they can be navigated and used with an iPhone 5. It is not the mobile phone itself that we are testing (we know that surfing with an iPhone works excellently) but rather the gaming companies' support for mobile betting - and in that case, we naturally choose a device that does not risk becoming the bottleneck from any perspective.
Online sports betting has undergone significant advancements in recent years, much like mobile phones. There have been improvements in website design, an abundance of live betting options, and the inclusion of live streaming. However, the number of betting companies has also dramatically increased. While most companies offer similar services, they differ greatly from a user's perspective. This distinction can be both positive and negative. Some companies seem to have focused solely on improving (or, in reality, worsening) their odds, rather than paying attention to the layout and user-friendliness of their websites.
The speed and ease of navigation on the website are crucial when it comes to finding and, above all, playing Live games. Then there's the matter of a straightforward "game search function" that some have yet to incorporate into the interface, even after five years. It's a fundamental element that can greatly enhance the user experience, allowing players to quickly locate their preferred games.
Something that is becoming moderately popular among larger companies is small mobile versions of the website. Absolutely wonderful practical things with simple menus, quick overviews, and the opportunity for live gaming! Here we avoid all advertising, the annoying flash animations, and unnecessary information. Log in, find the game, and place your bets - just as it should be.
In order to ensure fairness to all betting companies, we have opted to primarily concentrate on four crucial factors in our assessment. Our focus lies on these key elements to provide an unbiased test for all the participants. By giving priority to these decisive factors, we aim to create a level playing field where all companies can be evaluated on equal grounds. This approach allows us to consider the most significant aspects that contribute to the overall performance and quality of the betting services.
- The speed of page loading, or how quickly the pages load. - User-friendliness, which refers to the navigation and search functionality. - The functionality of placing bets on a mobile device, and how well it works. - The layout, design, and overall "feel" of the interface.
We decided to conduct the test on the most popular online gaming companies, and this post will focus on Ladbrokes. By considering the aforementioned factors, we form our own opinion and subsequently assign an overall rating to each gaming company's platform - ranging from zero to five.
We have no reason whatsoever to favor any of the companies, but of course, we present one or possibly more as "the best" if we believe they have given us the best impression and performed exactly as expected. The tests are presented separately for each gaming company, and as mentioned, we will start with Ladbrokes. Rest assured, we are completely neutral in our evaluations and strive to provide unbiased information to our readers.
Ladbrokes.com
Ladbrokes boasts an incredibly user-friendly website that operates seamlessly and swiftly both on mobile devices and computers. The dynamic and easy-to-navigate odds lists on the left-hand menu are a highlight. While some aspects may appear slightly outdated, particularly the game search function, overall, the site excels in terms of user-friendliness.
The website: I type in Ladbrokes.com on my iPhone and am pleasantly surprised by how quickly everything appears on the screen. Menus, the odds list, and all the content load effortlessly while the occasional Flash banner is simply omitted. It's delightful not to see any warnings this time! After a few moments of clicking back and forth, I realize that this website is undoubtedly among the most mobile-friendly ones.
I can find exactly what I'm looking for instantly by selecting the league and match in the left menu, and the gameplay works flawlessly except for one minor detail: the coupon loads in a new window, which may seem unnecessary and doesn't happen on a computer. Livescore, or Livebet as it's actually called, also works perfectly fine since they wisely decided not to use Flash for it!
The search functionality is a bit peculiar, as it opens a new window for the search and another one for the search results. It does the job, but why complicate things unnecessarily? Nonetheless, it is a highly mobile-friendly site that meets all the requirements for easy and smooth betting!
Mobile Version: Ladbrokes also offers a mobile edition (mobile.ladbrokes.com) with user-friendly menus that provide decent navigation capabilities. Live betting, just like online wagers and sports betting on Ladbrokes.com, works as intended, and the simplistic menus serve their purpose, even though I would have preferred larger text links since the page cannot be zoomed on my iPhone. It can get a bit tricky to precisely tap the correct option at times due to the closely situated links, but it's probably just a matter of getting used to it.
Overall, a clearly well-made website that meets expectations!
Summary: Undoubtedly, Ladbrokes has invested in an excellent website that excels in terms of navigation, simplicity, and design. The mobile version may seem redundant for iPhone users since everything and more can be done on the regular website. However, for owners of other mobile phones, a mobile site may be necessary, and Ladbrokes offers a plethora of downloadable mobile versions on their website!
Final rating: 5 out of 5