New customers only. Initial deposit of £10 or more. Qualifying bet must be a £10 win or £5 each way single or multiple. The qualifying bet must be placed at odds of 2.0 or bigger Casino bonus of £5 is credited after the qualifying bet has been settled. The free £5 sports bet is dependent on the first bet losing. The free bet will expire after 14 days. The casino bonus must be rolled over 20 times before funds can be withdrawn. Staking requirements must be met within 30 days. T&C’s apply.
Black Type was launched in 2016 with the aim of gaining market share in the UK online bookmaking industry. The target market is the professional who seeks out the best odds and value rather than bonus hunters who might register to take advantage of a new customer offer and not bet on the site a great deal. The name is derived from the dark ink that is used for horses who have been placed at the highest level. The approach is more about providing a high stakes VIP betting experience rather than the more populist service provided by some of the other UK betting brands.
Black Type do not have an estate of betting offices in the UK so focus on their online product. Maintaining a large estate of bricks and mortar premises is costly and betting offices are in decline. Black Type are more suited to the modern bettor who uses a smartphone or desktop computer to place bets rather than place cash bets in person in a betting office. Black Type are one of the new breed of UK bookmakers. Black Type also focuses on a relatively small number of betting sports. They offer less than 20 while some competitors provide betting on over 50 sports.
Customers who register with Black Type and place the first bet with a stake of £10 or more will be credited with £5 in the form of a free casino bet. An additional £5 will be credited if the initial £10 bet does not win.
The Black Type new customer offer is subject to the following Terms and Conditions:
• Only new customers are eligible.
• The qualifying bet is the first settled single that does not win.
• This bet must have a stake of £10 or more.
• The qualifying bet must be placed at Evens (2.0) or bigger.
• The free bet will appear in an account within 24 hours of the bet being settled.
• The free bet is valid for 14 days.
• The free bet stake will not be included in any winnings from the free bet.
• Once the first bet has been settled the £5 casino bonus will be sent.
• The bonus must be turned over 20 times before it can be used withdrawn or used in the sportsbook.
• The rollover must be achieved within 30 days of the award.
• There are games and win restrictions related to the casino bonus.
• Black Type’s general Terms and Conditions apply.
The guaranteed free bet of £5 for the casino is the smallest on the market. The turnover requirements negate any of the benefits. The sportsbook bonus is not a matched bonus because the selection must lose. Other bookmakers match the first deposit with free bets but Black Type will only credit the free bet when the qualifying bet loses. The welcome offer is transparent and achievable and complies with guidelines set by the UK Gambling Commission. There are no hidden conditions and the terms are clear. However, the value of the bonus is small.
The value and conditions of the welcome offer suggest this is more a gesture than an attempt to attract new customers with a bonus. Black Type compete in other areas such as competitive odds and high limits. The professional gambler is more concerned about getting slightly better odds than any bonus that is worth £10 at most. Bonuses and promotions are secondary even though at the time of writing there was a number on the site. The following section examines the ongoing promotions.
At the time of writing these promotions for existing customers appeared on the Black Type site:
Customers with Black Type are given a bonus on any winnings from an accumulator. The maximum bonus is an extra 50% on top of the winnings and the offer applies to all sports. The bonus is based on a scale and is in a range of 5% for a winning fourfold to 50% for an all-correct multiple with 13 or more selections. The eligible bets are single line accumulators with four selections or more. Each selection in the acca must be at odds of 1/5 (1.2) or bigger. The most that can be won in the bonus element of the return is £5,000. The cash bonus will appear in an account within 24 hours of the qualifying bet being settled. The bonus is available for pre-match and in-pay markets.
Black Type reward customers who are loyal and place many bets through the Free Bet Club. Customers who place 10 bets or more with a stake of at least £10 and at odds of evens (2.0) or bigger in any week will get a free bet. The value of the free bet depends on the number of qualifying bets on a scale from 10 bets to 50 bets. The fee bet value is £10 for each 10 bets so the maximum is £50. These qualifying bets must be placed in any week and the free bet is credited on a weekly basis. Any winnings are paid into an account but the return does not include the free bet.
Customers who place bets on specified virtual sports will receive 10% of net losses in the form of a free bet. The qualifying sport changes each day and the fee bet must be used within 7 days of being credited. Any profit from the free bet will be net of the free bet stake. The offer applies to a selected game of the day from the range of virtual sports offered by Black Type online.
The Black Type Home Page displays very little information and the detail is minimal. The main menu has 4 options: Sportsbook, Casino, Live Casino and Virtuals. Black Type covers just 18 sports when some of their competitors offer betting markets for over 50. The sports in the range are targeted at the UK market and some of the sports that are more popular in the rest of Europe are not covered. Sports are shown in a block and are presented in alphabetical order. Quick Links provide navigation to the main betting sports of the day. These links cover several sports including football, racing, tennis and golf.
Several sports appear on the main menu on the Home page and in the A-Z list. We can assume these are the most popular betting sports and here is more information about three of those sports:
The football events on offer are presented in a long list with no navigation options to select a league or country. The matches are presented in date order and there is no indication of the country or league. The only league that has a distinct category is the Premier League in England. The three way match odds are displayed for each fixture and thee is a link to the additional related markets. Whereas some bookmakers offer over 200 markets for a match in the English Premier League Black Type offer about 50. These markets appear under the following headings:
• Top
• Cash out
• Handicaps
• Goals
• Half
• Goal Time
• Team
• All
The three way match result market is complied with a built in profit margin of 4%. Just about every other UK brand incorporates a 5% margin in their match odds so this is where the strength of Black Type lies. A hobby punter may not notice the difference but for a high staking player 15 is a huge amount. A seasoned gambler may look to win a 5% return on investment so the difference between 4 and 5% accounts for 20% of the targeted profit. The more exotic markets are priced competitively but the match odds market generates the most turnover so the margin is significant. Black Type does not offer outright betting on any league or tournament.
Horse racing is a very important sport for Black Type because it is still the core betting sport in betting offices in the UK. Customers can bet on meetings in Great Brtiain, Ireland, the United States and United Arab Emirates. Betting is available on future races including the major Grade 1 contests at the Cheltenham Festival, the Grand National and the five Classics on the Flat. The number of international meetings is small compared to other sites and the main focus is British racing.
A racecard is available or each race and it shows the racecard number, draw, jockey and trainer, age weight and recent form figures. Early prices are available or bets can be settled at the industry Starting Price. Win and each way bets are allowed but there does not appear to be any forecast betting. Customers can place bets on the Unnamed Favourite or Unnamed Second Favourite. Black Type offers the best price on one or more runners in each race but not on all the field.
Greyhound racing is a popular spectating and betting sport in the UK. The number of active greyhounds tracks has fallen in recent years but dog racing is still a staple sport in UK betting offices. Black Type offers betting on many meetings in the UK but not from Ireland or other parts of the world. BAGS (Bookmakers Afternoon Greyhounds Service) meetings are televised live in betting offices and these are the most popular for betting. Open meetings which are not broadcast generate much less betting turnover at Black Type.
Black Type displays the race distance, type of race and place terms for each race. In Britain there are six runners in each race so the each way terms with Black Type are one quarter the odds for the first two places. For each race the following information is available for bettors: trap, name and Starting Price. The amount of information is minimal with no reference to the trainer or form. Win and each way bets are allowed and multiples when more selections are added. Forecast betting is popular but Black Type does not provide this betting option.
The other sports that appear on the main sports menu and A-Z list are cricket, golf, tennis and snooker. Though not as popular as football these sports are more niche but there is plenty of betting interest for live events. The most popular betting sports in the UK are covered extensively by dedicated sports channels. There has been a move away from free-to-air televised sport in the UK. The satellite channels broadcast many live events for the five most popular betting sports and horse racing and greyhounds.
Black Type has developed a mobile app for iOS devices. The app can be downloaded from the iTunes store and it provides a smooth mobile service. A window at the top of the screen highlights promotions and bonuses.
The app is fully functional and offers the range of betting that appears on the desktop version. New customers can take advantage of the welcome offer and existing mobile customers are served with a number of ongoing promotions. The Black Type app is new but there are signs it can provide mobile customers with a good betting experience.
In addition to the promotions and bonuses Black Type offers customers the following bookmaker features:
Black Type now offers a guarantee of the best odds on all UK and Irish horse racing. If customers take a price and the SP is bigger bets will be settled at the best odds. If the board price is bigger than the SP bets will be settled at that price. The guarantee does not apply to ante post betting and enhanced accumulators. The maximum extra win from the guarantee is capped at £5,000. In the case of Rule 4 races the guarantee will stand but the returns will be adjusted accordingly.
The offer has now been extended to greyhound racing in the UK. This means customers who take an early price on a greyhound race and the SP is bigger will have bets settled at the best odds. The guarantee does not apply to any Irish greyhound racing but regular meetings are not covered. Black Type may offer ante post betting on major Irish races but ante post bets do not count for this guarantee. The additional winnings from the best odds are capped at £5,000.
Black Type have launched a Cash Out facility in their sportsbook. Initially it is only available on a small number of sports and markets but more will be added over time. Customers can take control of their bets by cashing out before expiry.
Depending on how the live event develops and the odds changes Cash Out guarantees a profit or limits a loss regardless of the final outcome. Some bookmakers offer partial Cash Out but at the time of writing customers with Black Type could only close the full value of the bet before the final result is known. Cash Out gives customers with Black Type the option to take advantage of the odds moving in favour of the bet by closing the bet. Conversely they can limit the loss from the odds moving against the bet.
At the time of writing the Black Type site features live betting for events in football, tennis, cricket, golf, basketball, snooker and ice hockey. The range of live bets for a football match is similar to the number of pre-match options. The live bet interface works well but matches are just displayed in a list with no quick links to a league or country. A graphic displays the position of the all and there are plenty of live statistics for each live event. Betting is suspended after a key event and there is a slight delay when cashing out bets to provide time for odds changes if there is a goal.
Markets that can be cashed out are identified by a logo. There is no live streaming but customers have access to plenty of match information which is updated during the match.
Black Type accepts deposits from debit cards and online bank transfers. The minimum deposit is £10 and the maximum deposit varies for each bank. Funds become available for betting immediately and there are no fees. The minimum withdrawal amount is £10 which can be carried out using the deposit methods mentioned above. Black Type has money laundering prevention measures in place and any suspicious payments can be refused.
In some cases Black Type can charge a fee for withdrawals if there is insufficient betting activity while the funds were in the account. If a customer does not bet much there is a fee for taking out funds.
Existing customers login to their Black Type account by entering a Username and Password which cab be rest if required. Potential new customers click the SIGN UP button. This action takes customers to a Registration screen. Personal, contact and account fields must be completed and some of these are required. Once all the required information has been entered customers click the JOIN NOW button. In most instances the registration request will be accepted so customers make a deposit.
The deposit process involves selecting a banking method and entering the value of the deposit.
There are minimum and maximum amounts in place and making a deposit activates the welcome offer for new customers. Funds are credited to an account immediately so the account balance is updated when the deposit has been made. Immediate deposits are important to accommodate a new customer who has been attracted by good odds and has opened an account with Black Type to place a bet.
When the account is updated with the first deposit betting cab begin. Navigation is not easy as matches do not always under leagues or competitions. When the odds on offer in a market are selected the BETSLIP appears. As more selections are added the betting options appear on the slip. Customers enter the stake and specify a win or each way bet and ten click PLACE BET. The bet may be referred to the trading department but most are accepted and the account balance is updated again.
At the time of writing Black Type were experiencing unspecified deposit issues. Clearly if money cannot be sent to an account betting is not possible. The site features a Contact Us page where customer can ask questions about the operation of the site.
In addition to the Contact Us page customers can use a generic email address to ask questions. Black Type is committed to responsible gambling and there are banner links to support organisations. Betting Rules explain the procedures for placing bets and there is a comprehensive Terms and Conditions section. At this stage there was no Live Chat but this could be added at a later date.
The Black Type website is owned by a limited company based in London. The sportsbook and casino platform is provided by FSB Technology who are one of the leaders in this field. The site is licensed and regulated by the UK Gambling Commission. There are no overseas registrations in laces like Malta or Gibraltar which means that Black Type is a UK operation. Black Type are member of IBAS which resolves disputes between bookmakers and customers.
Since being launched in 2016 Black Type have been adding features which enhance the gambling experience but the site is still limited. Only 18 sports are covered and the sign up offer is for a small amount. There are promotions for existing customers which provide some value.
Black Type have stripped their sportsbook to the minimum and that means navigation can be difficult. Once the deposit issues have been resolved Black Type may appeal to the professionals who are looking for the best price and for big bets to be accepted. The limited number of leagues is a negative and even though the operator has made a good start more must be done for Black Type to be competitive in a market dominated by a few leading brands.