Coral Review
It is a fact that you are never more than 100 meters from one of Coral’s shops. Alright, that might be a lie, but they are such a regular sight on the high street that it can sometimes feel like it. So popular are Coral that over the years they have become a household name with bettors and non-bettors alike.
From humble beginnings back in 1926 when their story began, they now offer an online Sportsbook, Casino, and Poker Lounge to name just a few, not to mention the 1,500+ shops they operate up and down the country.
There are few bookies out there that can rival Coral in reputation or range of markets, and they further entice punters with regular generous promotions and enhanced odds, plus more live streaming than you can shake a stick at. All of this adds up to one hell of a betting experience.
Coral are a seriously great bookie for the normal punter who just wants to place a few bets a week safe in the knowledge that they are getting fair odds from a trustworthy company.
As one of the top 5 names in the industry casino players are well within their rights to demand big things from Coral too, and they have been delivering the goods for decades.
Their casino is vast, covering every game type and category imaginable, and attracting the most reputable software developers in the business, NextGen and Blueprint to name just two. A healthy roster of Jackpots and Live Casino Games, plus the occasional instant win ensures that no player is left wanting. This is all wrapped up in an interface that does business in a smooth, matter of fact manner with no unnecessary noise.
From humble beginnings on the streets of London, Coral has become one of the biggest names not just in online gambling, but in the betting industry as a whole. In fact, you will find at least one of their betting shops on the high streets of almost every town and city in the UK.
Sports Markets & Odds
Being an absolute giant of the industry, the expectations on Coral are high. To meet this demand, they not only offer odds on everything including the most obscure of sporting events, but they can also offer an almost unparalleled range of markets within each event. Peace of mind for all you Volleyball fans, no doubt – we know you’re reading.
At the time of writing, there are 51 categories to choose from, ranging from Football and Cricket through to Movies and Politics. Add to this the Build Your Bet and the #YourCall features where you can either create the bet you want or contact Coral directly and ask for a price on something that they don’t currently list; and you have everything could possibly need in order to bet to your specific requirements.
Taking things further, the highest profile Football match currently taking bets is offering 177+ markets for that one game alone; while there are 27+ markets available for the Serbia B Team v France U20’s. That gives you some idea of the commitment and diversity that is on offer from Coral here, even in niche markets.
A very good destination for Horse Racing bettors, Coral offer Best Price Guaranteed on all UK and Ireland races, so you can bet safe in the knowledge that you aren’t going to find a more lucrative price elsewhere. Not forgetting the international Tote where you can bet directly into the Hong Kong pools. They are also well known for offering enhanced odds on lots of markets, and with many ante post bets available this can be extremely advantageous if you are the sort that likes to plan ahead.
Coral have also implemented colour coded odds, so you can see easily if the odds you are looking at are going up or down, which is a nice touch; and you can opt to view fractional or decimal odds to suit your tastes.
Live Betting/Streaming
A handy top menu inside the In-Play section lets you know how many events are currently taking place (and upcoming) in each category, and a small play icon lets you know which events are available to stream live – although there is also a dedicated section for Live Streaming if that’s what you want.
The whole thing is incredibly easy to use and loading times tend to be good, plus, the quality of the live feed is fairly impressive, although the odd glitch sometimes makes for a frustrating few seconds if it’s timed badly – just as Dimitrov is making a crucial serve for example. It all takes a little longer to load on a mobile as you might expect, but actually, the picture quality is pretty darn good once it loads. Just be patient as it boots up otherwise you’ll end up hitting buttons you didn’t intend to hit.
The live games that aren’t available to watch are updated live graphically, but the level of detail varies. Football matches tend to offer a more in depth set of match stats such as possession, corners, shots on/off target, and cards issued; and Cricket matches are also fairly well covered with a breakdown of the scorecard, overs and current innings stats. Less popular sports barely show more than the current score, however, if that – although Tennis will let you know who is currently serving and will give you a basic written commentary, ‘Fault by Renta Tokuda’, for example. All In-Play events employ colour coded odds to let the bettor know if the odds are currently going up or down. This is handy as a quick reference, or to get the lay of the land if you have only just logged on.
Undoubtedly, the main selling point here is the quantity of live betting action on display. Most days the number is well into 3 figures, and even in the early hours of the morning there will be bets available. Any of the big Football games will definitely be available to watch live, and Coral are especially hot on Tennis, too. Early week is good for betting on the lesser Tennis tournaments, many of which are also live streamed, and Football from around the world gets a lot of attention; so, if you don’t know much about Vietnamese women’s football, you soon will do after joining this great site.
Casino Software, Platform, Games
There is nothing overly impressive about Coral’s casino site visually; a stock blue background and the familiar logo provide a uniform look throughout, and push all of the attention onto the game categories and the games themselves. This no-nonsense approach will be welcomed by those who don’t care for flashy distractions. One primary task bar holds (probably too many) main categories, with a sub-menu that adapts accordingly depending on where on the site you are, offering some well curated further categorisation options as well as a few Quick Links. Banking and My Account are located in plain view at the top of the page, with the My Account button revealing a brilliantly formatted run down of your activity and account details, as well as Customer Support options. Clear and simple.
The Coral Casino is powered by Playtech among others, so all of the games within it are exceptional, including the exclusives designed by Coral’s own in house production team. There is plenty more choice in amongst the throng though, with Barcrest, Microgaming, NetEnt and WMS being some of the bigger names available. The way the games are listed takes a lot of scrolling which is irksome, but on the plus side, the content on offer is first class, there is a search option, and Coral have achieved a far more seamless navigation system than other online casinos in a similar position (sorry Ladbrokes).
This tiny nit-picking issue is made much more palatable due to the site being lightning fast – there were a number of occasions when we didn’t actually realise the new page had loaded because it happened so quickly. Another benefit of stripping back the graphics. We should make it clear though that in-game graphics are as good as you will find anywhere else, and loading times come in at about ten seconds, which is brilliant since the whole thing is instant play.
- Slots – Throughout the site you will find around 1,500 slots from a string of well-known software developers. Zeus III could be right up your alley if you are feeling Godly, or if you fancy something branded you could take the red pill and dive into The Matrix.
- Live Casino – The Playtech powered Live Casino contains well over 65 games, and aside from Roulette and loads of Blackjack you will find Baccarat, Sic Bo, and Game Show games. The lobby shows the latest results on all games which is a nice touch.
- Roulette – Good news comes in the form of a string of different Roulette variations in the Casino alone. Penny Roulette for the end of the month and Roulette Deluxe if you’re feeling flush.
- Table Games – Aside from the above you can try your hand (geddit?) at Heads Up Hold ‘Em, Casino Hold ‘Em and Joker Poker. More serious Poker fans will want to check out the dedicated Poker section of the site.
- Blackjack – Not too shabby with around 20 instant play variations is Blackjack. Buster Blackjack looks fun, as does Cashback Blackjack – but we bet you can’t say it quickly three times in a row.
- Jackpots – There are almost 200 Jackpot games with a good mix of themes and some mouth-watering potential paydays. From Mega Moolah and Epic Ape to Age of Gods and Gems Gone Wild.
Banking
Banking Method | Max/Min Deposit | Max/Min Withdrawal | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
Debit Card | £5 | £5 | 1-3 Days |
PayPal | £10 | £5 | 8 Hours |
Neteller | £5 | No Min | Up To 1 Day |
Skrill | £5 | £5 | Up to 1 Day |
Paysafecard | £5 | ||
Bank Transfer | £5 | £5 | 2-5 Days |
Before we get on to the banking methods accepted at Coral, we have to mention Coral Connect. Being a physical bookie as well as an online one means that Coral’s customers can take advantage, because with the Coral Connect Card, the winnings from a bet placed online can be collected in cash from your local Coral shop. No waiting for withdrawal times, just instant cash in your hand.
Essentially, the card allows you to link your betting activities and use your funds however you like. You can bet on the internet or in person, and deposit/withdraw from/to a bank account or to the wallet in your pocket. Whatever suits you.
You also get access to exclusive in shop offers and account features, so it’s well worth looking into.
Coral don’t appear to be fans of upper limits for deposits or withdrawals, although they do state that really big wins will need to be handled case by case – which is fair enough. There are no fee’s, a good selection of all the favourite payment methods, and withdrawal times are quick or at least in line with what you will find elsewhere.
They process withdrawals at weekends too, although obviously your payment provider will have their own time frames to consider.
Betting Features
You already know about the Coral Connect Card, but that is not the only feature available to Coral customers, not by a long shot:
#YourCall/Build Your Bet
The premise behind #Yourcall is simple, but the effect is brilliant. If you don’t see the bet you’re after you can either build it yourself by combining the game, the player and the stats you want; or, you can request a bet by tweeting @Coral with #YourCall.
Both choices will get you an instant price that you can take if you like and leave if you don’t.
This is great for two reasons: firstly, the punter gets to make any bet they can dream up which gives them a little more control; secondly, it creates a relationship between the punter and the bookie, as well as with fellow punters online who can also opt to take up your bet.
Virtuals
If Virtuals are your thing then races/games start every five minutes at Coral, with Horses, Greyhounds, Football, Tennis, Speedway, Cycling and Motorsports being the events on offer. Each sports icon is on show in the taskbar with a timer counting down until the next one starts.
We found the visuals a little uninspiring in a 90’s VHS sort of way, but there were a good number of markets there considering none of the events are actually happening. So, if you want to see the Fulham Ravens batter the Chelsea Pensioners at 9/4 you know where to go.
News & Blogs
As well as being your go-to online bookie, you could simultaneously use Coral as your one stop shop for all the latest sport gossip thanks to their News & Blog section. It’s updated most days and the content is decent, plus, the bloggers tend to be noteworthy; Alan Shearer and Jim Crowley are among them at the time of writing.
There is even a Coral TV tab showing interviews with favourites from the sports world past and present. This is updated much less frequently than the written content but it’s a nice touch nonetheless.
Cash Out
Sometimes a gut feeling tells you that it’s best to play it safe, even if that means coming away with slightly less profit.
If this sounds like you, then keep your eyes peeled for the cashout icon next to any potential bet you are thinking about taking, and you will be able to claim your winnings before the event actually ends – at a reduced rate, of course.
You will be able to see the deal before you decide whether or not to take it, but don’t wait too long or the deal might change.
Partial Cash Out
Partial cashout is also an option, allowing you to settle between 9% – 90% of your initial bet, leaving the remainder in until the end.
It’s all calculated instantly so you can clearly see what you will get back and what your remaining stake stands to win if the bet is successful.
Poker
This download client is an entity within itself, comprising its own loyalty cashback scheme, daily freeroll tournaments with cash prizes, and promotions.
The mini tournaments come thick and fast at Coral too, and a quick look at the schedule is an immediate indicator as to the scale of the operation – there are scores of tournaments each hour.
Texas Hold’em, Omaha, 7 Card Stud and variations of these three games are the order of the day, but within that there are games with buy ins as low as 25p and as high as £1,000.
You can create your own calendar to keep track of the games you want to join, and if you are unsure of anything there is a great ‘How to Play’ section which will guide you through the game rules to get you started.
Lottobet
If the National, Euro, Postcode and Health lotteries aren’t enough for you then we have good news – Lottobet allows you to effectively bet on lotteries from around the world. Yep, you can take a guess at the winning numbers from Hong Kong to New York for as little as a pound. This is betting at its least taxing, but it’s a fun way to wager a few quid if it is just sat in your account gathering virtual dust.
To be clear, you are not entering the lottery itself, you are just betting with Coral on what the numbers might be. The odds can be pretty crazy, though.
Bingo
There are some great innovative takes on the classic games of 90-ball and 75-ball bingo here, plus other variations too. Games include Cash Out Bingo which allow you to, you guessed it, cash out before the end of the game; Friends bingo based on the famous TV series and which will always ‘be there for yooouu’; and Level 80, an 80-ball game with a retro feel and a jackpot too.
You can even play more than one game at a time thanks to the clever interface which stores games like tabs on an internet browser allowing you to jump between them.
Bingo is a real strength for Coral and it’s a shame that it might get lost among the many other products that the company offers, because bingo fans will find a lot to like here, not least the daily, weekly, and monthly rewards that serve as a sort of loyalty program, and the bingo community area which serves as a destination for all things bingo.
Desktop Site
The Coral website had been due a shove into the 21st century for quite some time, but these days, their site is much better equipped to cope with modern day demands. It’s a contemporary site for the tech savvy punter, and it’s built with business in mind.
For a sportsbook that offers thousands of markets each week the interface is surprisingly tidy. It provides easy access to all the tools you need to keep your betting experience as fluid as possible – including a Quick Deposit option for those last minute clinchers – which makes navigation easy and allows the player to stay in full control.
The Betslip is multifunctional and allows you to track your betting history down to a specific day as far back as you care to look, as well as handle your current open bets with ease. The only thing that you don’t have easy access to is Live Chat, but more on that in a second.
It’s a site with a lot of moving parts, sure, but they are all well placed and quick to react when selected. This is due in no small part to the OpenBet platform the site runs on. OpenBet have been named sports betting platform provider of the year more times than any other, and they process 2 billion bets per annum, so you can assume they know what they are doing.
The only niggle is that some sections of the website – News and Help for example – open up new pages in your browser rather than being contained with everything else. But then again, for such a gargantuan site we can let them off.
Mobile Sports Site
Just like the desktop site, the mobile site is a well oiled machine. It feels funkier than its desktop counterpart, partly down to the layout and the icons employed, but the colours seem to pop more and it is just as snappy. Plus, if you are used to the desktop site it will feel very familiar to you.
All of the most likely options are immediately available via one scroll bar or another, and they react perfectly to the touch; it’s an extremely well developed product and a pleasure to use. They have even given quick access to both the In-Play and Cash Out buttons, which is good thinking from Coral and perfect for all of those punters betting in real time from terraces with only seconds to spare.
One tiny area of improvement would be the Betslip. It’s fine once it’s open, but the button you have to hit to access it is so small that if you have fat thumbs (and we aren’t judging you if you do) you might struggle.
Packing so much content onto the small screen is no mean feat, but Coral have managed it with aplomb. It never feels crowded and you are unlikely to get lost. Everything has its’ place and tends to be found where you would expect it.
Mobile Casino Site
Gamers on the move can choose either the mobile site or the downloadable app to satisfy their needs, and both are a breeze to access. Both options reflect the desktop site in some ways, but by their very nature feel much more contemporary and in vogue. The Casino itself lives within the Gaming section on both products, so you won’t see it immediately.
The design is functional and feels familiar while the mechanics won’t let you down, with the interface feeling responsive and loading times keeping us happy. The collapsible side menu grants access to the more practical stuff and you can mostly get to any part of the site from wherever you are, so you won’t need to spend ages tapping ‘back’.
Well over 1,500 games are available for gaming on the small screen, including exclusives and Live Casino options, so you needn’t suffer by way of choice just because you aren’t playing on the desktop site.
There are separate apps available for the Live Casino and Coral Vegas/Casino, but they don’t seem independent of the main app so you may as well just use that one.
About
Joe Coral was just 23 when he unwittingly started the company that would grow and develop to become the household name it is today.
Originally named Joe Kagalitsky, Joe was a Polish immigrant who changed his name to Joe Coral after reading Coral Island; and his natural talent for bookmaking coupled with a flair for marketing saw his career flourish over 70 years, and make Coral the successful brand we know today.
Joe was a hard worker but he had a few run ins with the law, and this characterised the early days of his business too as he ran both legal and illegal trades, and even had run ins with the real life Darby Sabini. If you recognise the name but don’t know why, it’s probably because of Peaky Blinders.
Fast forward to 1963 and Coral had become a public limited company operating 23 shops on a commercial and, most importantly, legal basis. The company now diversified into casino’s, bingo halls and hotels, and in 1979 a merger with another bookmaker set them on the road to becoming the Coral Leisure Group. Half a decade later and Coral had expanded massively, now operating around 650 shops and standing tall as one of the ‘big four’ bookmakers.
The huge annual profits Coral were bringing home caught the attention of the brewing and entertainment company Bass, who acquired Coral in 1981, and made Joe a major company director and president of the bookmaking firm. This lasted until 1998 when Bass sold Coral to the Ladbrokes Group, although by that time Joe had sadly died at the ripe old age of 92.
After the failed acquisition by Ladbrokes in 1998, Coral bought out Eurobet and changed its name to Coral Eurobet in 2000, only to be sold again to a private firm in 2002, then once again in 2005 for £2.18 billion, this time to Gala – and thus Gala Coral Group was born. This period saw a few ingenious ideas spring up such a Coral TV and Coral Radio, as well as Coral Dugout which offered expert football analysis.
However, by the end of 2016 Coral had once again been acquired by Ladbrokes resulting in yet another name change, this time to Ladbrokes Coral, although both companies’ shops operated under their individual names.
A mere 2 years later in 2018, the online gambling company GVC Holdings PLC acquired Ladbrokes Coral taking on the 28,000 strong workforce and the 3,500 high street shops. Entain PLC, the new name for GVC Holdings, was 14 years old at the time, Coral was 92.
In terms of their online presence, it didn’t take Coral long to cotton on to the fact that online gambling was going to mean big business when it first started gaining popularity in the late 90’s. Their own online offering came to be soon after and it has been going strong ever since, now based in Gibraltar and even developing their own exclusive games.
Read more about the company behind the brand on our Entain company page.
Why Bet With Coral?
Coral works equally well for the hardened pro and the casual once or twice a week gambler. If you are the sort who takes every wager seriously, you will no doubt have your own way of working anyway, but chances are Coral will be one of your better options a lot of the time.
If you just like to put the odd no hassle wager on a few times a week then Coral is definitely a good shout. You have a wealth of market choice, the ability to take some time to tailor your bets if you want to get stuck in, and you know that the odds you receive will be fair, even if there might be a slightly more lucrative opportunity somewhere else.
Not to mention the flexibility that comes with using a brand that is so present on the high street. Plus, their shops have all been re-designed and are really quite nice places to spend a bit of time these days.
Apart from anything else, every product they offer works well. Reliability is what you get with Coral, and that goes for the gaming side as well as the sports side.
Customer Support
We only have good things to say about the level of customer support on offer here. The team are well trained and handle queries with patience and expertise. You can’t even find too many grumblings online, and for a company this size that is quite something.
The Live Chat option is available, but it also doubles as an FAQ (and a good one at that), so you may end up answering your own question before you get to an operator. This was initially annoying but once you understand the system it makes sense and saves time; there are a lot of pop up windows to deal with though…
E-mail and direct Twitter message response times seem to be good, and if you prefer actual human contact you will be pleased to know that there is even a phone line you can call. What’s more, all of this is 24/7, so whether you’re an early bird or you burn the midnight oil, help is on hand.
In short, support is easy to find, quick to get hold of, and given in a friendly non-judgemental way. Coral do everything right here.
Contact and License
- Live Chat – This is all handled via the Help Centre. It’s a bit convoluted and a simple ‘Chat’ button would be appreciated, but once you get to the right place the team respond quickly.
- E-mail – Sending your query to [email protected] will allow the team to get back to you at their leisure. So if it’s not urgent maybe go for this option.
- Phone – Free phone 0800 44 00 11. They have stopped advertising this method as a support option but it is still in use.
- @Coral – Heavily focused on Sports and very active, although not specifically created for support. @CoralHelp exists for this purpose, and after lying dormant for ages is now back up and running.
- Address – LC International, Suite 6, Atlantic Suites, Gibraltar, GX11 1AA
- UK Gambling License – 54743