Every betting site strives to stand out from the competition, and that is certainly the case where Boylesports and 888sport are concerned. But which one is the best? Having already reviewed each sportsbook, we’ve decided to go a step further by conducting a head-to-head comparison of these two big operators. We’ll compare bonuses, promotions, sports coverage, odds, special features, payment methods and more to give you expert insight into what they have to offer. Let’s get stuck in!
We’ll explain our thinking behind our sportsbook comparison in a moment, but here’s our summary of the key findings:
|Ready to open a betting account? You’re in the right place! We’ve already opened one with Boylesports and 888sport to see what’s what. In fairness to both operators they have made sign-up really easy, with the process taking just a couple of minutes to complete on both sites. Customers are required to complete a two-stage process on Boylesports, while 888sport have split theirs into three stages. If we were being picky, we would say it is slightly easier to sign-up at 888sport than Boylesports, as the layout is easier to read.
|Now you’ve signed up for an account you’ll want to know what type of welcome bonus you will receive and Boylesports are the clear winner on this one. If you deposit €10 you can get €40 in free bets at Boylesports, while 888sport offers new punters €30 in free bets plus a €10 casino bonus. As sports fans the casino bonus is not much use to us, while the restrictive wagering requirements make 888sport’s bonus tough to benefit from. While Boylesports restricts the payment methods you can use to receive their welcome bonus, the terms and conditions are far more relaxed.
|One of the biggest attractions of 888sport is the number of ongoing bonuses and promotions they have available for existing customers. These include a free-to-play football predictor game with a cash jackpot, free bets, event specials, daily specials, eSports offers, boosted odds and more. Boylesports also have plenty of promotions including daily specials, insurance specials, free bets, boosted winnings, and money-back offers. The slightly more innovative nature of 888sport’s bonuses and promotions gives them the edge, although it’s a fairly close call.
|Let’s be honest here. A betting site can have the best bonuses and promotions in the world, but if it does not have many features you are not going to enjoy wagering there. 888sport doesn’t disappoint in this respect, with site packed with features including live streaming, live betting, BetFeed, cash out, Bet Builder and more. However, Boylesports are not too shabby in this department, offering punters virtually the same great range of features as their competitors. Given there is a greater range of live streaming coverage on Boylesports than 888sports, they take the win in this category.
|What sports can I bet on? It’s the question that most punters want to know the answer to before signing up for an account, and neither of the two sites disappoint. 888sport features more than 30 different sports, placing a particular emphasis on football. Their horse racing coverage is also exceptional, offering odds on meetings from around the world. Boylesports undoubtedly outstrips 888sport in terms of sports covered, with punters able to choose from more than 40 on their sportsbook. With nothing to choose between the pair in the main sports categories, this additional coverage just about gives Boylesports the edge.
|If you’re serious about betting then value will matter to you. After all, is there anything worse than backing a horse to win at 3/1 only to find you could have had 4/1 elsewhere. Generally speaking, there is little to choose between Boylesports and 888sport, particularly in horse racing where each offers best odds guaranteed on UK and Irish racing. Delving a little deeper does show a disparity between the two bookies, with Boylesports consistently offering better odds on many top events. While the difference is rarely much more than a very small percentage, this can add up to a significant amount over a period of time.
|Do you love betting in-play? If like most other punters you enjoy live betting, you can’t go wrong with either Boylesports or 888sport. Both sportsbooks offer in-play odds on more than 10 different sports, and the range of markets is impressive in each case. Boylesports’ live betting portal is more user-friendly than 888sport’s, with the cleaner design making for a more pleasurable wagering experience. With a greater range of live streaming options allowing you to follow the progress of your wagers in real time, Boylesports are the clear winners here.
|As we have just alluded to, live streaming is an important factor when deciding which betting site to use, and 888sport are lacking a little in this department. They cover horse racing and greyhounds extremely well, with meetings in the UK, Ireland, United States and other overseas regions all featured. However, more coverage of other sports would be welcome, which unquestionably gives Boylesports a sizeable advantage in this section. Boylesports also features horse racing and greyhounds, but the inclusion of several other hand-picked events puts them ahead of 888sport.
|We love betting on mobile! If you read our reviews, you will know just how important it is for bookmakers to fully optimise their sites to work on mobile. Boylesports and 888sport have both gone the extra mile by investing in standalone sports betting apps which can be downloaded to iOS or Android devices. Both apps contain all the same features you can find on larger digital devices, but 888sport’s is more user-friendly than its Boylesports counterpart. While there is very little lag on the Boylesports mobile app, it did not feel quite as slick as the 888sport app.
Boylesports Ireland 888sport Ireland Visa 🗸 🗸 Mastercard 🗸 🗸 Skrill 🗸 🗸 Neteller 🗸 🗸 PayPal 🗸 🗸 Paysafecard 🗸 🗸 Google Pay 🗸 x Apple Pay 🗸 🗸 Bank Transfer 🗸 🗸 MuchBetter X 🗸 ecoPAYZ X 🗸 Trustly X 🗸 Both bookmakers offer a wide range of payment options, but 888sport’s greater variety gives them the win in this head-to-head.
|There comes a time in every punter’s life when they hit upon a problem at an online betting site. That’s where customer support comes in! Boylesports and 888sport both advertise 24/7 support, which is great news for anyone who stumbles across an issue in the middle of the night. Email, live chat and telephone are the main ways to contact each bookie and both offer a swift and professional response to queries. On that basis, you would be hard pushed to declare a winner in this category. Let’s call it a draw!
|We know how much punters love the opportunity to bet on different markets, and there is little to choose between Boylesports and 888sport in this department. Each bookie offers a wide range of markets on top sports such as football, although there are other sportsbooks who feature even more. Boylesports snatch the win in this category as they cover more sports and tend to offer a greater number of markets for some of the niche sports. In some cases 888sport don’t go much beyond the result option, which is a little disappointing if you’re not a fan or major sports.
|We’ve assessed the main elements on Boylesports and 888sports, but which one offers the best overall user experience? Of the 12 categories we’ve looked at, Boylesports won the ones we consider to be most important including the welcome bonus, odds and variety of markets. While we loved the slick nature of the 888sport app and their commitment to offering punters ongoing promotions, we feel the Boylesports sportsbook is more user friendly. This was capped off by their live streaming service, which provides better coverage than the 888sport equivalent.
Boylesports Ireland ✔️ Strengths ❌ Weaknesses Great live streaming Fairly standard ongoing promotions Solid range of betting markets Sign-up forms could be laid out better Competitive odds Slightly fewer features than 888sport Fair wagering conditions on welcome bonus Payment options could be expanded 888sport Ireland ✔️ Strengths ❌ Weaknesses Slick mobile app Restrictive T&Cs on welcome bonus Great range of payment options Poor variety of markets on niche sports Solid choice of features Limited live streaming Top-class customer support Odds not always the best
According to the BettingTop10 Ireland team – Boylesports beats 888sport in the battle of sports betting websites. While there is little to choose between the pair, Boylesports come out on top in all the main categories which gives them edge. Having said that, we wouldn’t put you off opening an account on either site! Why not check our Boylesports and 888sport reviews for a more in-depth look at what they have to offer? Final Score: Boylesports 8½ – 4½ 888sport
