Ladbrokes
General Information
Ladbrokes is a British based gaming company, and overall the biggest betting company in the UK and largest retail bookmaker in the world, with more than 2700 betting shops located in UK, Ireland, Belgium and Spain. It is one of the really old and traditional British bookies founded way back in 1886. The company was known as Hilton Group plc between 1999 and 2005 when they owned the Hilton brand outside of the US. In December 2005 they sold their hotel operations and once more rebranded themselves as Ladbrokes plc. Today they are one of the most trusted names in online gaming, and synonymous with sports betting in the UK.
Financial matters
Ladbrokes is listed on the London Stock Exchange and a member of the FTSE 250 Index. Annual revenue in 2011 was £980.3 million, up 0.4% from 2010. So far in 2012 the first-half revenues have grown by 8.4% year-on-year. Although the digital division is reporting decline in 2012 first-half operating profits, the fact that Ladbrokes is listed means you have good access to their numbers, and as a bricks and mortar gaming operation with numerous betting shops, you can always trust then and will be hard pressed to find a more solid and safe bookmaker.
Payment methods
Ladbrokes accept all major currencies and deposit and withdrawal methods, and often the choices you have available are determined by your country of residence. Minimum deposit is £5 and you can deposit using Visa/Mastercard credit cards, Maestro, Solo, Delta, Switch and Laser debit cards. You can also use Moneybookers, Neteller, Ukash, Western Union, internet bank transfers, to name a few. Another interesting option is that you deposit and withdraw by Paypal, this is an option not offered by that many other bookmakers. Ladbrokes is of course following national legislation, so do not offer certain payment options in certain countries.
Website performance and usability
The website is good looking and quite easy on the eye without too many distracting elements. It is easy to use and new users will quickly be able to place their bets. The downside is that it does perhaps not look and feel quite as up to date as some of the competitors’ websites. But this is all a matter of taste, and once you have used the Ladbrokes website a bit then you will feel right at home.
Customer service
Customer service is offered 24/7 in multiple languages, and you can contact them via email, phone, and live chat. The support staff is friendly and reply quickly to emails, usually within 1-2 hours.