Hopa Review: – Our In-depth Look at the Sportsbook Newcomer

The Bookmaker’s Sports Markets and Betting Types

Visit the Hopa website and one of the first things you’ll notice is the large selection of sports that you can bet on. You’ll find popular sports such as football, tennis and basketball listed as well as the harder to find sports such as futsal. There is also a wide range of regional leagues, making this site a good option if you are into more obscure sites.

As you can see from the table above, just about every competition and tournament you can think of is available, not just the major ones. As well as having a great range of markets, Hopa also offers a very good selection of betting types available, for example, in a recent game between Brighton and Manchester United in the Premier League, there were 186 markets available. These bets cover everything from the number of yellow cards in the game to special combo bets.

Virtual sports are becoming popular with sports fans; the fast-paced nature of the games and due to them being available 24/7 appeals to many players. Hopa has a separate tab on the home page to their selection, making them very easy to find. Sports given the virtual makeover include football (English league and Euros), greyhound and horse racing and speedway.

In-play Betting & Live Streaming

The way we place bets has changed significantly in the last five years, and one of the main reasons for this is the introduction of in-play betting. Also called live betting, in-play lets you place wagers on the action while the event or game is still running.

In-play betting is done well at Hopa. At the top right of the screen, you’ll see text that says “In-Play Betting”, click on that and you’ll see a full list of sporting events that are currently taking place, it defaults to football, but handy icons depicting different sports make it easy to switch between different ones. The screen is sensibly laid out and never looks too cluttered. The only disappointment we had with the in-play offering was that live streaming of events is not possible. If this is important to you, bet365 might be a better choice.

Multiple & System Bets

Serious punters know that the key to seeing large returns on often modest stakes is to combine your bets to create accumulators. These work by transferring your winnings onto the next bet. To show you how significant these winnings can be let’s look at an example;

Let’s imagine we are going to place a bet on all the weekend’s Premier League fixtures. We pick; Brighton (v Norwich @ 5/4), Leicester (v Crystal Palace @4/7), Manchester United (v Bournemouth @ 20/87), Wolves (v Arsenal @ 11/10) and Chelsea (v Watford @ 2/5).

If we placed €10 singles on these and they won, we would receive a total of €87.50 from €50 in bets. However, if we instead placed a €50 accumulator, our winnings would be a much more significant €683.19. Fans of system bets will feel right at home at Hopa, not only do they welcome them, they offer a huge range that you can choose from. Just add your selections and in your betting slip click the System tab.

Minimum and Maximum Bet Limits at Hopa

At Hopa the minimum bet amount is set at just 10p, which is reasonable as it makes system and accumulator bets available to a wider range of customers. At some bookmakers, this figure is 50p or even €1, making full coverage bets such as the Goliath bet (247 bets), unaffordable to those without deep pockets.

Assessing the maximum bet is harder as this will depend on several things, including the sport you are betting on and if your account is subject to any affordability limits. Hopa does not specify these limits in their FAQ’s but state that any bet placed above their usual limit will be passed to a trader, who may accept or decline the bet.

Competitive Odds Throughout 8

We are quite obsessive about getting value for money and wouldn’t hesitate to switch our go-to bookmaker if it meant getting better odds consistently. It is for this reason that we suggest you open up accounts with more than one bookmaker. Doing this makes it very easy to compare the value being offered. A tip we would share is that switching from fractions to decimal makes this process much easier as some fractions (20/87, for example) can test even the most regular of punters.

For those of you that are fascinated with numbers, when a market only consists on a win or lose element (for example, over/under betting, which player or team to win with a double chance) the formula to work out the payout percentage is as follows; (1/Decimal Odds Option A)*100 + (1/Decimal Odds Option B)*100).

In our testing, we found that Hopa offered good but not spectacular odds, similar to that of TonyBet. Football showed the most variance, ranging from 91.23% in a Championship game between Leeds and Derby to an impressive 95.21% in a Premier League game between Brighton and Manchester United. This pattern was generally repeated in other sports, as you can see from the table below. Therefore, overall Hopa odds offer good value for money.

To ensure that we were testing for the markets that most people would use, we examined the Over / Under markets and BTTS (both teams to score) betting which is two of the most popular football bets placed. In a Manchester City and Liverpool fixture, the Over / Under market offered great value. Odds of 1.02 for Over 0.5 and 14.75 for Under 0.5 equates to a 4.818 profit line to the bookmaker. Showing a return to player figure of 96.29%. The BTTS market wasn’t so generous, BTTS yes @ 1.51 and no @2.40 is a 7.89 profit line and an RTP figure of 92.11%.

The Hopa Betting Interface

We are great believers that the appearance of a website, as long as it doesn’t impact on the functionality, is subjective. What appeals to one person, doesn’t to another. It is for the reason that we take a common-sense approach in our Hopa review and concentrate more on performance than cute graphics.

As well-known SBTech power the platform, regular bettors or those of you with several online bookmaker accounts will recognise the layout as other betting site providers use it. The simple white on black design is easy to read, and while not the most aesthetically pleasing look, it’s perfectly functional. The screen layout is designed well, top events can easily be accessed, and in-play markets are shown on loading, making those time-critical bets easy to place.

Initial loading can sometimes be slow, especially on a slow connection but is no more time-consuming than other operators such as 888sport. All the functions that you need quick access to; such as odds format changer, results page, promotions and getting help are easy to find. More detailed information on the company and terms and conditions are located in the footer. Overall, the design makes Hopa betting quick and easy.

Hopa: How to Place a Bet

To place a Hopa sports bet, you’ll need to open up an account. Fear not, this is a quick and easy process and shouldn’t take any longer than five minutes. For best value, click on one of our buttons to visit the bookmaker, and you’ll receive an exclusive bonus as you are directed to the website. Click on the join button, and you’ll be asked to provide an e-mail address, a user name and provide a password for you to access your account once created.

You will also be asked for the following details; full name (which must match your ID that you’ll be asked to provide at a later time), gender, your date of birth, chosen currency, full address including postcode and mobile number. You’ll also have the option to receive promotions via email and finally a tick box to confirm you have read the terms and conditions and the privacy and cookie policy.

• [1] Open An Account Setting up a new Hopa account is easy. From the main page of the website, click the join button and enter the required details.
• [2] Find An EventThe next step is finding the event or events you wish to bet on. You can pick your sport from the selection on the left, alternatively use the search icon.
• [3] Place Your Bet Once you have found the market, you will see the odds displayed for the different outcomes in a game or event. Click on your selection, and it will be added then press place bets.

Once your account is created, you may have to log-in with the user name and password that you chose. You are now all set to make your first bet. On the right-hand side of the screen, you’ll find quick links at the top of the screen; these give you quick access to popular events such as the Premier League, La Liga, Champions League and tennis markets. Just below these quick links you’ll find a full A-Z of all of the Hopa sports that you can bet on, just click on a sport and all the events available will be shown.

In the centre of the screen, you’ll see a list of all the major events taking place today as the ‘Today’s Events’ tab is the default view, clicking the In-Play button will allow you to place bets while the event is taking place. In-play differs from placing a bet before an event as you odds constantly change to reflect the current score line or state of play. Experienced bettors often wait until the action starts as it is possible to see how well a player or team are performing before committing to bet.

Hopa: Company Info

Now we have explored the different sports and bets you can place, in this next section, we’ll take a closer look at who exactly Hopa are. We’ll tell you more about the company, tell you when they started, discuss their parent company. We will also rate Hopa’s customer service and discuss the different ways you can contact the bookmaker.

Hopa: The Business Under the Microscope

Aspire Global, who own Hopa, are a well-known name in both online sports betting, bingo and casino gaming. Founded in 2005, they provide what is called a ‘white label’ offering which enables companies to offer sports betting and other products using the Aspire Global platform. Currently, over 60 companies use their products and services.

This fifteen years’ experience shows as Hopa sports betting has everything you’d expect. The interface is easy to use with all 30+ sports laid out logically. In-play betting is simple, and it is possible to back several events at once, and the huge range of bets that you can place has to be seen to believed, it’s not unusual to see over 200 markets for the Premier League.

The company are headquartered in Malta and hold valid licenses from the Malta Gaming Authority and the UK Gambling Commission. The company offers three ways to contact the company; Live chat, online email form and telephone support. Customer support is not 24/7 with LiveChat and telephone support available from 06:00 – 23:00 GMT 7 days a week.

Hopa: Customer Support 7

Hopa offers a good range of options when you wish to contact customer support. Alongside LiveChat, the company has a web-based form for email enquiries and rather uniquely for a relatively new bookmaker, telephone support. It is surprising support is not available 24/7, but the 6 am – 11 pm window will suit the majority of punters.

Help options are easy to find on the page, you’ll see help wording at the top of the main screen, and further options are also available in the footer. These provide access to a huge library of self-help articles that can be used to find the solution to your problem yourself.

We didn’t like the process of speaking to an advisor via LiveChat. Many of us already try and find an answer ourselves, therefore clicking on ‘speak to an advisor’ should enable that. However, Hopa took us through the whole process of selecting a problem and only providing written information; we later realised that you need to click on the advisor icon. While not strictly a fault on their behalf, better, clearer design would avoid this.

Hopa: Licensing & Security 10

As Hopa’s parent company, Aspire Global not only deal with customers through this brand, they own the platform used. Not only that, but this technology is also used by other online sports betting companies who deploy their own company branding. Therefore if businesses trust this company, it is a strong indicator that this is a reputable company.

As with all betting sites we feature, Hopa is fully regulated and licenced by the UK Gambling Commission. This fact alone is reassuring as you know that the company must follow all the rules and regulations and is subject to audit by the Commission. As well as a UK licence, Hopa also is regulated in Malta.

Hopa employs the latest 128-bit Secure Socket Layer (SSL) encryption technology to ensure that any sensitive data is transferred securely over the internet to the company’s secure server. A further level of protection is offered due to a firewall which prevents unauthorised access—making all bets and transactions as safe as possible.

Hopa: Bonus Points 6

In this section, we like to award bonus points if a company performs particularly well in certain areas as well as highlighting areas of improvement. One of the biggest disappointments with Hopa IE’s offering is the lack of live streaming. While we are used to events such as the Premier League not being streamed, it seems weird betting on horses without the streams that we are used to seeing at other sites such as bet365 and Ladbrokes.

If you intend to bet often, Hopa offers an excellent VIP scheme in which you earn points to move up the levels. The higher tier you are in, the more generous the rewards are. Prestige members, for example, receive bonus cash and personal offers from the account manager that will be assigned to you.

• Live Streams.0/3
• Sponsorship.0/3
• Awards.2/2
• Extra Markets.1/1
• Bonuses.1/1
• Bonus Points.2

We love choice, and when Hopa betting, you get plenty of it with the huge selection of markets on offer. Although the Hopa brand hasn’t received any individual awards, the platform that it runs on is provided by their parent company, they have been shortlisted for four categories at the EGR B2B Awards 2020. These categories are; white label partner of the year, multi-channel supplier, best customer service and platform of the year, pretty impressive!

Hopa IE Sportsbook: Conclusion

Using Hopa to place sports bets is an enjoyable experience that is only let down by the lack of live streaming. The design of the website is good, it’s not the most attractive of sites, but the functionality is great, and you’ll have no problems placing bets, making it ideal for inexperienced bettors.

In our Hopa review, we praised the bookmaker for the number of markets available both pre-event and in-play, they offer among the highest number of betting opportunities that we have ever seen at a bookmaker. The company offer a wide range of deposit options.

A unique feature we liked at Hopa was the BETASSISTANT. This handy tool will recommend bets that you can place in-play, perfect if you need a bit of inspiration. We found the Hopa odds are great overall for some markets, but this does vary so price-checking is recommended. The bonus deal is high-value, effectively giving you a 150% bankroll boost. Overall a highly recommended sports betting site and well worth a look, check out our list of top betting sites in Ireland for a comparison.

Frequently Asked Questions

We have reached the end of our Hopa review. We hope that you found it helpful. If you still have any questions about the bookmaker, we recommend checking out the following FAQ section. For any further queries, please send your questions to info@bestbettingsites.com and we will endeavour to answer your enquiry.

Does Hopa feature in-play betting?

Yes, in-play betting is available on the Hopa IE site. The online bookmaker offers a wide range of sports for in-play betting. The website clearly lists the sporting events that are taking place, so you can easily find the games you can bet on. While in-play betting is available, Hopa does not currently offer live streaming.

What betting markets are available at Hopa?

You can bet on a large selection of sports at Hopa. These include football, basketball, tennis, golf, and virtual sports, to name just a few. You can find an overview of the most popular sports markets at Hopa in this review. There, you can also find out about the types of bets you can place on the various sports.

Is Hopa sports betting site legit?

Yes, Hopa is a trusted and reputable online betting site. Hopa uses SSL encryption to protect your payments and keep your private data secure. The operator is licensed and regulated by the UK Gambling Commission and the Malta Gaming Authority. This verifies that the betting site operates legally and fairly.

How can I contact Hopa sports customer service?

Hopa offers a variety of options to players in need of help. The Hopa customer service team can be reached using LiveChat, phone, or web contact form. You can check our Hopa customer service overview to find out operating times and other useful details about the support options.