If you wander down a high street anywhere in the United Kingdom, you’re bound to come to a Coral location. The familiar blue sign indicates that is one of the 3,000+ betting shops resulting from the 2015 deal with Ladbrokes, operating now under the Ladbrokes-Coral Group ownership.
Coral has over 90 years as a prominent UK bookmaker, but only a decade of online presence. Regardless, it has managed to launch a premier betting site focusing on sports, but also providing a turnkey service with casino games, a poker room, bingo, and lotto.
The website is licensed by both the Gibraltar Gambling Commission and the UK Gambling Commission. With 30,000 employees in the Ladbrokes-Coral Group, you could call it anything but a fly by night operation.
About Coral
Coral provides plenty of betting options including a comprehensive in-play area as well as live streaming of thousands of games and matches each week. The casino is comparatively smaller but focuses on the top progressive jackpot games offered through the Playtech brand collection. The Vegas casino area, small live casino, and “games” section further enhance the variety, and include table games and video poker in the mix.
Bonuses are plentiful, banking is free, and a loyalty club allows regular customers to accumulate points that will eventually convert to cash.
Who Can Use Coral's Services?
Coral is a sportsbook that caters primarily to players from the UK and Republic of Ireland. Players must be 18 years of age or older. In addition to Britain and Ireland, registration is offered to residents of the following areas:
Argentina, Belarus, Croatia, Georgia, Gibraltar, Guernsey, Iceland, Isle of Man, Jersey, Lichtenstein, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Malta, Netherlands, New Zealand, St Kitts and Nevis, San Marino, Slovakia, Slovenia, and Sweden.
Software Suppliers
Coral’s casino is powered by the Playtech software brand. In addition to over 100 games in the collection, the majority of the big progressive jackpot series slot games like the DC Superheroes and Age of the Gods are all included for players.
The Good Stuff
Feature Rich Sportsbook
It’s not just the massive list of sports and markets that elevate the sportsbook’s level of service. Instead, it’s all of the value-add opportunities and extra features like live streaming of the games and matches, enhanced odds specials, custom bonus offers, no minimum bet requirement, and a £1 million top football payout that make the difference.
Something For Everyone
While Coral is primarily known as a bookmaker, coral.co.uk offers so much more. It’s a one-stop shop for bingo, poker, lotto, and regular and live casino gaming action. There are different promotions in place for the various betting opportunities, and players can take advantage of any of the options under their one Coral player’s account.
Progressive Jackpots
Having 118 slot games may not indicate the most extensive online casino, but it’s the individual games that stand out above all else. Playtech provides the software, and Coral has opted to host the company’s games with the most significant payout potential. The Age of the Gods series and the DC Superhero linked progressives take up most of the real estate in the jackpot section, but there’s also Jackpot Giant, Gladiator, and Frankie Dettori’s Magic Seven Jackpot.
The Not Quite As Good Stuff
UK Punters Take Center Stage
While this is not necessarily “bad,” the UK and Irish punters are offered many more sports betting opportunities and bonus offers. The United Kingdom is the number one market for Coral, so, compared to a site like Unibet, it won’t have as big of a service for customers in other areas.
Withdrawals Can Take Up To Five Days
Coral is a more “middle of the road” operator when it comes to payouts. It can turn some of the e-wallet withdrawals around very fast, but credit and debit card users and bank transfer recipients may be waiting up to five business days. While that’s still not too bad, many casinos are vying for new business by offering same day payouts.
Sportsbook
You’re not missing out on any bookmaking service through the Coral sportsbook. Although the focus is on UK coverage, there are plenty of international matches to appeal to all types of global punters. In addition to bonuses and sportsbook-only promotions, you’ll find enhanced odds and specials, live streaming of nearly 2,000 games every week, and plenty of in-play action as well.
With the high street shops conveniently located, customers can use the online book and then pick up their payouts in-store, a benefit unavailable through most betting sites.
Recreational bettors have no minimum stake to meet, and high rolling wagers accommodate up to a £1 million payout maximum on top-level football. The football jackpot also allows for accumulators of £1 to £20 per line with a weekly £100,000 prize pool.
Here’s a look at the sports they offer:
- Football
- American Football
- Aussie Rules
- Baseball
- Basketball
- Boxing
- Cricket
- Cycling
- Darts
- E-sports
- Formula One
- GAA
- Golf
- Greyhounds
- Handball
- Horse Racing
- Ice Hockey
- Motor Sports
- Politics
- Rugby League
- Rugby Union
- Snooker
- Tennis
- TV & Specials
- UFC/MMA
- Virtual Sports
- Volleyball
Other features for Coral’s customers include football coupons, rapid-fire markets, Acca insurance, enhanced odds, enhanced specials, and enhanced multiples. If you compare Coral to direct competitors like Bet365 and William Hill, it doesn’t have the £2 million payout potential that they do, but certainly holds its own with value-adds, live streaming, and in-play.
Novelty bets rely heavily on politics, but movies, tv, celebrities, and other miscellaneous one-off possibilities come and go, so there are also plenty of selections for anyone who enjoys something outside of the traditional sports realm.
Mobile Betting
Coral estimates that approximately 80% of its remote wagers are made via smartphones and tablets, so it provides mobile formatting that makes it easy to submit a bet slip on the go. The compatibility also makes it easier to review odds, current specials, bonuses, and banking information.
Casino Game Selection
Coral has one main casino area with slots, roulette, blackjack, table games, and video poker. It also provides a separate live casino as well as Vegas casino, poker, bingo, VIP, and lotto areas.
The following games are hosted in the regular casino and are provided by Playtech. Coral’s sorting capabilities allow you to isolate games based on popularity, new additions, and jackpot versions. Each player will also have a favorite games list as well as access to the most recently played slots.
Video Poker
- Pick‘em Poker
- 10-line Jacks or Better
- 2-Ways Royal
- Aces and Faces
- Four-line Aces and Faces
- Four-line Deuces Wild
- Four-line Jacks or Better
- 50-line Jacks or Better
- Aces and Faces
- All American
- Deuces Wild
- Jacks or Better
- Joker Poker
- Tens or Better
Table Games
- Baccarat
- Hold‘em
- Baccarat
- Craps
- Pai Gow Poker
- Red Dog
- Sic Bo
- Premium Roulette
- Dragon Jackpot Roulette
- European Roulette
- Penny Roulette
- 101 Roulette
- Roulette Pro
- American Roulette
- Premium Roulette Pro
- Club Roulette
- French Roulette
- Premium Blackjack
- American Blackjack
- Blackjack
- Blackjack Peek
- Pontoon
- Blackjack Pro
- And Many More
Slots
- Halloween Fortune
- Desert Treasure II
- Dragon Champions
- Maji Wilds
- Jungle Giants
- Ice Cave
- Robocop
- Vikingmania
- Legacy of the Willy
- Buffalo Blitz
- Miss Fortune
- Gem Heat
- Heart of the Frontier
- Wild Wishes
- Tiki Paradise
- Sweet Party
- Vikingmania
- Fortune Hill
- Sherlock Mystery
- Sunset Beach
- Zhao Cai Jin Bao
- Rocky
- The Three Musketeers
- And Many More
Specialty Games
- Around the World
- Bonus Bowling
- Derby Day Horse Racing
- Dice Twister
- Genie Hi-Lo
- Heads or Tails
- Hold‘em Showdown
- Jackpot Darts
- Keno
- Penalty Shootout
- Pinball Roulette
- Spin a Win
- Pop Bingo
- Rock Paper Scissors
- Roller Coaster
Live Casino
- Exclusive Roulette
- Exclusive Blackjack
- Exclusive VIP Blackjack
- Roulette
- Blackjack
- Hold ‘em
- Baccarat
- Hi-Lo
Other Betting Areas
Coral also provides some additional casino areas. There’s a small games section that offers Las Vegas-style slots. There’s also an independent Vegas casino with around 50 slots and a few table games.
A dozen different bingo rooms provide low stakes action with cards as low as £.02. Each room has a different theme with an assortment of games.
The poker room not only has cash buy-ins, but hosts approximately 30 free tournaments daily, as well as poker school for anyone interested in learning the game. Whereas the sportsbook is geared to sharper bettors, the poker tables cater to everyone, especially novices.
For anyone that wants in on global lottery drawings, there are 13 different ones from which to select in the lotto area including games from Australian, the US, Canada, Germany, France, and more.
Promotions
Coral.co.uk is not a bonus-shy operation. There is a long list of promotional opportunities for sports bettors and casino players. Each has an individual welcome bonus as well as some ongoing offers and limited time specials as well.
Additionally, there are even more rewards available once you’re a registered player as you’ll also receive customized incentives outside of the publicized list.
Welcome Bonus - Sportsbook
Bet £5 and Get £20 in Free Bets
This new player award is for residents of the UK and Republic of Ireland only. The requirement is just a £5 “win” or “each way or more” stake at odds of ½ (1.5) or higher.
The free bets do have some more stipulations, though. They’re also good on a win or each-way (single, double, treble, 4-fold and upwards accumulator, forecast combination). They can’t be used on Football Jackpot, tote, or other combination, and multiple bets. The free bet token is deducted before any payouts, so it’s a sticky bonus set-up.
Welcome Bonus - Casino
Deposit £10 to Receive £50
While this offer may not be one with the highest ceiling compared to many other sites, it is a generous match percentage and should make it a bit easier to comply with the 24 times rollover that applies to the bonus reward.
So, if you receive £50, you need to do £1200 in wagering before anything is cashable. Slots and arcade games will help you out the most with a 100% contribution, but you’ll want to check on other games as some table varieties come in at 5% or even zero. There are also some geographical exclusions as well as payment method exclusions. If you use Skrill, Neteller, or Paysafecard, you can’t take advantage of this bonus opportunity.
Other Sportsbook Bonuses
Bet and Get Club
Bet £25 and Get £10 in Free Bets – available every week with an opt-in
4+ ACCA Boost
10% Extra Winnings in the form of a free bet, if you place an accumulator of at least £2 on selected football markets.
Virtual Sports Welcome Offer
Free Bet up to £20 on Virtual Sports only
You must place at least a £1 bet of evens 2.0 or greater to have it matched at 100% up to £20 total.
Live Casino Welcome Bonus
100% up to £100
The live casino version is slightly different than the regular casino, as it’s a 100% match with a higher value. However, the wagering requirement jumps from 24 times to 40 times. It’s only good in the live casino area.
Other casino promotions are for registered members only and will vary depending on the player’s level of betting.
Banking
Players in the UK have an advantage when using Coral’s gambling services, because they have access to the Coral Connect card, which turns their betting account banking into cash transactions.
Customers can use cash to fund the card that’s offered as one of the deposit and withdrawal methods. Then, when it comes time to claim those big winnings, there’s no need to wait for the online casino or book to process the transaction, the money can be picked up at any of the 1,700 locations.
As far as the other financial options, there aren’t any fees assessed, but some of the payouts can take up to five business days.
Deposit Methods
All of the different deposit methods allow for instant funding so the betting can start almost immediately.
Customers can select from any of these options, and there is only a £5 minimum deposit requirement.
- Visa or Maestro – Debit
- Visa or Mastercard – Credit
- PayPal
- Skrill
- Skrill One-Tap
- Neteller
- ecoCard
- Paysafecard
- Connect (Coral’s card)
Withdrawal Methods
None of the cash out alternatives have fees attached, but they do each offer different payout turnaround times. Paysafecard isn’t an option, but Paysafecard customers can contact customer service to make other convenient arrangements.
Just as the deposits come with a low £5 minimum, so do the withdrawals.
- Visa
- Maestro
- Mastercard
- PayPal
- Skrill
- Neteller
- ecoCard
- Bank Transfer
- Connect
Coral VIP Loyalty Club
The Coral Casino’s loyalty club is open to all players regardless of their level of betting, although it’s a multi-tiered program that provides more benefit for top-tier players.
Slot players earn two points for every £10 that’s staked, and other games allow you to rack them up at one for every £10. Once 100 points are accumulated, they can be turned in for cash, but 100 only equates to £1, so it’s probably best to keep adding them up until there’s something significant that you can claim.
Customer Service
While the tele-betting department offers 8:30 am to 10:30 pm hours, the customer service department is open around the clock.
Feedback regarding Coral’s customer service is relatively quiet. Just as there aren’t any significant patterns of inferior service, there isn’t much said about above-average interactions either. So, for typical players, a prompt and helpful response is the norm.
Customer services can be reached by any of the following methods:
- Phone: 0800 440011
- International Phone: +44(0) 208 507 5544
- Email: [email protected]
- Email form: on the website
- Live chat: 24/7
Would I Bet Through Coral.co.uk?
Just based on Coral’s longevity in the business and its top-notch licensing, Coral is already on good footing. The sportsbook has a lot to offer sharp punters as well as newbies. The casino may not be one of the bigger ones, but there’s certainly plenty to keep casino players actively betting no matter what their game of choice.
The promotions keep the deposit match amounts relatively small, so it’s not so daunting to look at the rollover scenarios. Additionally, sports bettors and poker players have individual rewards programs to provide value-adds throughout the website.
As far as banking with Coral, the transactions are all free. The worst you could say about the program is that some of the methods could result in a five-day payment turnaround, but that’s still better than some that extend out for weeks and may even tack on some fees for the lengthy process.
All in all, Coral puts forth a better than average service in all areas, but could use some work in the customer service department as there are some consistent comments about subpar responses given to players.
Whether you use a mobile device or log on to the main website on your Mac or PC, you’ll have plenty of betting options and all of the other services necessary for a quality online gaming experience.