Karamba Review
Karamba are most widely known for their incredibly well stocked casino which they have been running for well over a decade now. They launched a sportsbook at the beginning of 2019, but is this just another poorly planned casino add on to earn a few extra pennies, or is it a genuine new contender for punters attention?
Driven by Btobet, the sports section stands alone as a very well equipped online bookie. The industry knowledge from running a casino since the early days of online betting means they have generated a top end product that fits perfectly with the vivid, modern and dynamic theme. With a lot of resources behind them Karamba provides a wide range of markets, payment methods, and betting features not usually associated with younger brands.
If you like to play casino these guys are good, if you like to bet on sport they are good, but as a combined product they are right up there at the top, especially for those looking for something different to the norm.
About Karamba
Karamba will probably not be the first name that comes to mind when you think of sports betting, but you might want to take a look at their site before you disregard them. They are well known as an online casino with a vast games catalogue, and now they have developed a cracking sportsbook.
If you are someone that likes both sports and games and you have been looking for a site with the perfect balance of the two – and there aren’t many that can do this – then give Karamaba a go.
The Karamba brand launched early in the world of online casinos, back in 2005, and over this time they have developed their own personality with a very loyal following of casino players. The sportsbook launched only relatively recently but by having a lot of prior experience and, crucially, industry connections, the company have produced a very good sportsbook out of the box.
ASG Technologies Ltd own the Karamba brand, which is licenced in the UK for gambling under AspireGlobal Communications, the platform that provides the gaming titles, who are based in Malta.
With the Karamba theme it is an all-in experience, which probably makes it something a love-hate brand, especially for sports bettors. Those that want to see a bit more style and colour when they log into a betting site are going to get on well with this company, but then again those that see betting as a more serious endeavour may not get on with it so well.
Karamba Casino
If you have heard of Karamba before it will probably have been because of the casino which opened in 2005.
Since then it has developed and grown to the point that it is now powered by more than 400 games from multiple game providers including the likes of NetEnt, Play’N GO, NextGen, WMS, and Microgaming to pick a few from the crowd.
Those of you with a bit of industry knowledge will have already figured out that this means Karamba have handpicked which games they want from each provider rather just bunging their full catalogues on there, which means anything not considered up to par has been scrapped.
As well as a live casino powered by the mighty Evolution Gaming, they also have a lot of exclusive slots and scratch cards from NeoGames, so you will be getting access to games that you simply cannot play anywhere else.
| Karamba Casino Pros | 1 | 2 | 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Exclusive Titles | Top Providers | Exciting Offers |
In short, it’s an easy to use casino with enough extra oomph to reward players at both ends of the scale, boasting a selective list of quality titles.
Karamba Sportsbook
I understand if you are sceptical – the mascot is a parrot for goodness sake, it doesn’t exactly scream (or squawk) ‘professional betting platform’, does it?
But do you know what? It’s an accomplished product.
Karamba are not one of those casino brands that just bolt on a half-baked sportsbook. They have instead gone for a solid and reliable company called Btobet to feed the odds and data into the existing design.
Btobet also work with top brands such as Coral and William Hill and are known for seamlessly integrating feeds to existing packages, rather than providing the whole platform from scratch. This allows Karamba to keep their look and feel from the casino side but actually provide a decent sports betting experience too.
The site is already fully stocked with features such as cash out, a massive in play section and a suite of over 35 sports markets, covering many niche sports as well as traditional ones. The odds for sports like darts, basketball and golf are especially good, but football, tennis, and boxing fans will also find plenty of value.
Market depth isn’t quite where it needs to be yet but you are looking at around 120+ markets for a Premier League game as a barometer, and over 130 football leagues/competitions. At the other end of the scale you might only find simple win/lose bets for more niche sports like badminton or Gaelic football.
It is the unique features where Karamba really excels with many betting tools available that you won’t get from some of the biggest brands. These include fast markets, which let you bet on a host of scenarios that may occur in sports like football or tennis over the course of the next 1 or 5 minutes; there is also the Karambot that provides tips based on the same algorithms used to calculate odds.
One of the other stand out features for Karamba is their look. Many older brands have become very samey and almost boring in design, so if you are looking for a bit of colour and vibrancy when you place your bets then this could be your perfect home.
| Karamba Sportsbook Pros | 1 | 2 | 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Numerous Features | Good Odds | Unique Appearance |
Overall Karamba is toting a promising sportsbook that is already head and shoulders above most others in the same league, even venturing into the big leagues when it comes to odds levels and betting features.
Quick Fire
I don’t want to drone on for hours about the ins and outs of everything, so here is all you really need to know when it comes to the following aspects of using Karamba as your bookie and/or casino.
Banking
In terms of banking you are well covered with bank cards, prepay vouchers, and loads of eWallets accepted. The limits are also good at £10 in and out, which is more usual with established bookies rather than newer sportsbooks, and timeframes are ok if leaning towards the lengthier end of the scale.
This is an example of where being well resourced allows you to enter the market on a much stronger footing. The same is true with the customer support which is available from 6am to 11pm seven days a week by live chat, email or phone.
Support
From 8am to 1am seven days a week you can contact support using live chat (the parrot is holding a phone at the side of the page, just go with it), e-mail, or phone.
The live chat console feels like a leftover from the early 2000s but it works fine.
It’s a good service with helpful staff on the other end, but if you like to be more independent their FAQ is pretty thorough.
It’s searchable and the answers to the many questions go beyond one liner explanations.
Promotions
Existing customers promotions are well balanced and very well suited to anyone that likes to have a good mix of sports and casino.
There is also a quirky element to many of the deals in fitting with the theme of the brand.
You can expect to find things like accumulator offers, linked free bets and bonuses on a regular basis, although there will probably only be a handful of promo’s on the go at any one time.
Live Betting
You won’t struggle to find something to bet on whatever time you log on, but some fixtures in certain sports might be a little thin on the ground in terms of betting lines.
It’s a great interface to use though with plenty of options and the ability to track more than one fixture at a time.
There is no live streaming at this point in time but the match tracker goes a long way to making up for it, even offering fairly detailed in-game statistics and information on key areas of play.
The Good the Bad and that Parrot – Final Words
I know it’s a funny mash up this one, but if you can get past the fact that you have a parrot as a mascot that gets absolutely everywhere, Karamba is a better than average bookie and a killer casino.
It’s clearly not going to be the right place for someone who lives and breathes every second of every sporting fixture, but for gamers who like to bet or bettors who love a hand of blackjack, for example, it’s ideal.
Even if you wouldn’t admit it to your mates, it’s worth holding an account for some of the odds that crop up, sometimes they are well worth the ribbing you might get for betting with a parrot.
Rarely can you get the best of both worlds in the online gambling industry, but you genuinely can here.
