Marathon Bet Bookmaker Review: Trust Rating and Feedback on Payout Honesty

Marathon Bet — is a bookmaker with a history worthy of an epic saga. It has been in the betting market since 1997, back when pagers were the height of fashion and mobile phones were a novelty. The bookmaker has a whole era of sports betting behind it, hundreds of thousands of winning bets, and millions of happy (and not so happy) fans. Its popularity has fluctuated like the form of football teams during the off-season: sometimes at its peak, sometimes in deep reserve, but always remaining in the hearts of fans.

Thus, the first decade of the 2000s passed for the company under the banner of rapid growth and expansion. It managed to become a leader in the entertainment industry not only in Russia and the CIS countries, capturing 50% of the regional segment, but also successfully entered the international arena. The bookmaker rapidly expanded its customer base and broke all records for visits to its official website in the .ru domain. However, years of hegemony were replaced by the eve of oblivion in the summer of 2011, when, along with the adoption of the law prohibiting the organization and conduct of gambling using communication means, it became known that the MarathonBet brand was ceasing its activities in Russia.

Having fallen under a ban in its homeland, the bookmaker marathonbet.com continued to operate in the global internet space under a license issued in Curacao (Netherlands Antilles). The comeback happened only in July 2017. At that time, the bookmaker marathonbet.ru officially returned to the legal market of the Russian Federation, once again posing worthy competition to local operators.

Let's check if the revival has been beneficial and how the bookmaker MarathonBet performs today. We will evaluate its odds dynamics, margins, betting lines, and spreads. We will analyze user reviews about the support service, website convenience, mobile application, and, of course, the speed of withdrawing earned winnings.

License and Reliability

In the betting industry, where gambling coexists with risk, and fortune is as capricious as spring weather, the task of finding a reliable bookmaker becomes a challenging test for newcomers. However, with our review, solving it will not be difficult. The first line of defense — document verification.

As the analysis showed, Marathon Bet operates under a license from the Federal Tax Service of Russia. This guarantees the legality of servicing clients, transparency of financial transactions, and protection of consumer interests at the state level. Moreover, online betting on the website and in the app is carried out through the Unified TsUPIS, while all tax and targeted contributions to the budgets of the subjects of the Russian Federation are monitored by the ERAI.

Having dealt with the legal side, let's move on to the second line of defense — reviews from real people. They serve as a reliable measure of the quality of the bookmaker's service, indicating the level of trust in it and the overall satisfaction of users.

Regarding reputation, the Russian bookmaker MarathonBet has established itself fairly well, averaging 3.8-4.0 out of 5.0 on rating platforms. Players highly appreciate it for a number of advantages:

● Convenience of the website and technological mobile applications;

● Fast bet settlement in live and pre-match;

● Beneficial bonuses to increase the bankroll;

● Flexible and responsive support;

● Easy withdrawal methods;

● A comprehensive line of sports events.

Among the downsides, the introduction of limits on the maximum bet amount for successful bettors is noted, sometimes unjustified account blocks, and advertising spam. Occasionally, there are long verifications for certain categories of users, caused by distrust of their identity and/or the origin of funds in the balance. Most of these issues are resolved through the internal support of the bookmaker or third-party arbitration, but we believe it is important to be aware of them to be prepared to spend personal time and effort communicating with support representatives.

Official Website

In terms of design, the official website of Marathon Bet resembles a cozy tavern where seasoned players gather, knowing a thing or two about sports betting. There is no place for lush graphics and trendy features, but everything necessary for comfortable betting is present: convenient navigation, an intuitive interface, and a relatively rich selection of sports events. Despite its "vintage" feel, the portal offers a pleasant online interaction experience, allowing users to change the format of odds, the view of the resource, the indication of odds movement, and the display of new blocks during loading.

The homepage and the official website of Marathon are executed in a dark cyan color, which dominates the entire design but does not interfere with the game. In the upper right corner are the registration and login buttons, and just below them are the chat, quick search, and settings icons. The header also contains the main menu of key sections: "Sports," "Live," "Esports," and "Super Prize." A little lower are additional links to results, statistics, applications, and bookmaker promotions.

A bright but unobtrusive advertising banner is separately highlighted, informing about current loyalty promotions — welcome bonuses, cashback, promo codes, zero margin, and the hottest matches. Its content is duplicated on the right, just below the coupon.

On the left, we see a traditional menu of sports, ranked by discipline, popularity, and timing of the match start. The central part features the betting line with spreads of proposed outcomes and their odds.

The footer presents special informational subsections that will be useful for new guests of the establishment, in particular:

1. 1. About us.
   2. Privacy policy.
   3. Bookmaker rules.
   4. Contacts.
   5. Payment.
   6. Mobile site.
   7. Blog and Affiliate Program.

If necessary, by opening "About Us" or "Rules," Marathon visitors can access a full FAQ section, where the most popular questions and answers are collected. For convenience, they are grouped by topic. Detailed guides on account management, responsible gaming, bonus wagering, payments, placing sports bets, betting terms, etc., are also autonomously outlined. It is commendable that the bookmaker's blog publishes free sports predictions and general recommendations for placing bets.

The only thing we did not like about the website www.marathonbet.ru is the density of information. The pages are loaded with a large amount of text and tables without "air" between them, making content comprehension tiring due to the complexity of perception.

MarathonBet App and Mobile Version

The mobile version of the Marathon bookmaker's website was developed specifically for those wishing to place bets from portable devices. It is fully adapted to the players' requests and provides the ability to complete all steps in the process of placing bets online — from creating an account to withdrawing winnings to a personal account. However, avid bettors may prefer the MarathonBet app, which can be downloaded for free on a smartphone or tablet.

It is important to note that the Android app cannot be installed from Google Play due to existing restrictions on gambling in the store. Alternative sources from which you can download Marathon for Android phones include:

● The official website of the bookmaker:

● HUAWEI AppGallery;

● Samsung Galaxy Store;

● NashStore;

● RuStore.

The iOS app can be downloaded via a link from the mobile version of the betting company's website. The redirect leads directly to the Apple Store service, from where the app can be installed on an iPhone in one click.

Both software options have a similar design and functionality. No failures or malfunctions have been noticed in the software operation; it is regularly updated, with improvements being worked on. Particularly convenient features in the apps include quick bets, coupon editing, and early payouts.

Account Registration and Verification

In essence, the registration of new players at the Marathon bookmaker is not different from creating an account on other Russian bookmaker platforms. The procedure involves filling out a classic form, providing the requested data, and confirming the actions taken. It will take no more than a couple of minutes.

The next logical step is to verify identity and payment instruments. The simplest way to complete the verification is to link the authorized profile of the Unified TsUPIS to the bookmaker's account through a common identifier, namely, the mobile phone number.

If you haven't created an account in the Unified Center for Interactive Betting yet, now is the time to catch up by following this instruction:

1. 1. Open the TsUPIS Wallet app or visit the website 1cupis.ru.
   2. Click the "Register" button.
   3. Enter a valid phone number — an SMS with an activation code will be sent to it.
   4. Follow the system prompts until the process is complete.

After that, you will need to undergo identification through State Services or Tinkoff ID by filling out a special form in the TsUPIS Wallet app or in the Personal Account on the ECUPIS web portal. Authentication can also be done at land-based betting points of legal bookmakers in Russia, offices of the "Contact" payment system, and salons of the federal retail chain "Svyaznoy."

If everything is done correctly, any citizen of Russia receives one verified profile for quick identification in all legal bookmakers in the country, including Marathon. To verify identity, it will be enough to indicate the number linked to the ECUPIS at the registration stage in the bookmaker.

The second option is verification through the standard service "Document Upload." To confirm registration details, an electronic copy of the passport showing the full name and registration, as well as a selfie with it in hand, will be required. Sending documents that verify identity is considered a simplified data verification, imposing financial restrictions on the gaming account. The limits apply to deposits and withdrawals up to 60,000 rubles — at a time and up to 200,000 rubles — monthly. To remove them, full verification through TsUPIS is required.

Betting Options and Odds of the Bookmaker

In terms of the number of sports available for forecasting, Marathon ranks among the top 5 best bookmakers in Russia. The bookmaker's line is mostly a proprietary product rather than purchased from external providers or borrowed from competitors. This allows for a truly unique selection of betting options before and during matches, long-term bets, as well as markets with increased odds and minimal margins, even up to zero commission.

The line is densely filled with events from various disciplines, from popular football, tennis, hockey, and basketball leagues to esports tournaments and more niche areas, such as:

● Baseball;

● Golf;

● Gaelic football;

● Cricket;

● Rugby;

● Sumo;

● Chess, darts, etc.

The depth of competition coverage is also pleasing. The bookmaker's offerings include not only world, international, and national championships. Bettors can place bets on regional leagues, lower divisions, junior matches, women's, friendly, exhibition, and even amateur matches.

In addition to standard predictions for the winner of a particular game or the entire competition, a wide range of secondary markets is also well-covered. These include bets on statistics, combined outcomes, exact scores, intervals, various handicaps, and totals. For example, a mid-level football match from the European Cup series has about 150-200 options available for betting in its "menu." This is certainly not a record, but locally for the Russian bookmaker industry, it is a commendable result.

As for the live service, it is also satisfactory, but nothing more. Up to 70-100 games are held online daily, and on weekends, a couple of hundred can be played. The spreads are at a decent level, and odds are updated almost without delays and errors. Rated events come with video broadcasts, detailed match centers, and infographics. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for secondary games, for which often only basic information about the current score and the time elapsed since the start of the draw is available.

Marathon's pre-match odds exceed the average benchmark. The margin on leading events ranges from 3.5 to 5% (for key sports), while for tournaments with less fame, the commission increases to 6-8%. In Live, this figure is a couple of percentage points higher. In terms of the overall size of odds, the platform holds a stable place among the top three bookmakers in Russia, largely due to reducing costs to 0% on matches from the top tier of the most prestigious leagues: UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League, Russian Premier League, English Premier League, Bundesliga, Serie A, NHL, KHL, NBA, Dota 2 DreamLeague, etc.

Payment Methods

Deposits (acceptance of interactive bets), making predictions, conducting calculations, and payouts are carried out in Russian rubles. Other currencies do not apply.

The maximum and minimum bet amounts are indicated in the coupon. The figures may differ for different events. The maximum win at MarathonBet is up to 17 million rubles, depending on the type of competition and type of bet: single, express, system.

Account Funding

As for payment methods, the Marathon bookmaker supports:

1. 1. Visa, Mastercard, and MIR bank cards.
   2. Electronic wallets Yoomoney and TsUPIS.
   3. Mobile commerce providers MTS, Tele2, Beeline.
   4. Payment systems SBP and SberPay.
   5. "Elexnet" terminals.

Note that the last option is strictly used for cash transactions. Meanwhile, SberPay and mobile operators are only suitable for depositing funds; withdrawing money through their payment gateways is not possible.

The minimum deposit amount for the gaming balance is 100 rubles. The maximum is determined by the conditions of the chosen payment system and the level of verification obtained, in any case not exceeding 595,000 rubles for a single transaction.

Withdrawal of Funds

In addition to cards and other previously mentioned payment methods, the Marathon bookmaker allows cashing out winnings through bank transfers to specified details. The minimum payout for e-wallets is set at 100 rubles, while for cards, there is a limit of 1,000 rubles. According to the regulations, withdrawal requests are processed within no longer than 48 hours.

Taxation of Winnings

A 13% personal income tax (PIT) is automatically withheld by the betting company from users for winnings equal to or exceeding 15,000 ₽. This occurs during the withdrawal of funds by reducing the withdrawal amount. If the payout amount is no more than 15,000 rubles, the obligation to calculate and pay the tax falls on the player.

Marathon Promotions and Bonuses

Speaking of the Marathon bonus program, there is no doubt that the brand stands out as an unparalleled leader among Russian bookmakers in terms of hospitality. Its permanent arsenal includes no less than 10 promotions with free bets, express cashback, bet insurance, cashback, and loyalty points.

Rewards are credited for almost any gaming activity. This includes registering, making the first deposit, installing the app, winning tournaments, unlocking new levels in the rewards system, etc. Clients can expect not just a couple of boring benefits, but a whole array of bonuses for every taste.

Bookmaker Support Contacts

Marathon Bet support consultants are available via email at [email protected], as well as in the online chat on the official website. These are the main communication channels, but not all. A free hotline 8 800 550 20 11 has also been launched, and the brand has a presence on social media and messengers. The support service of the company has mostly earned a positive reputation for the speed of responses and adequacy in addressing complaints.

FAQ

● How does registration at Marathon work?

○ To create an account at the Marathon bookmaker, you need to go to its official website or app, then fill out a form that includes personal data, as well as choose a username and password. Everything is logical and intuitively simple.

● Can I download the bookmaker's app to my phone?

○ Yes, the company has taken care to release a mobile client for iOS and Android devices. They can be downloaded from the bookmaker's site or official online stores.

● How to withdraw money from the Marathon bookmaker?

○ You can cash out winnings through the personal account on the website or in the bookmaker's mobile app. To do this, you need to specify the preferred withdrawal method, the desired amount, and confirm the operation.

TEXT CHECK FOR UNIQUENESS: 100%

Ratings

1. Reliability — 4.2.
2. Bonuses and Promotions — 4.9.
3. Payment Convenience — 4.5.
4. Live Line — 4.
5. Pre-Match Line — 4.6.
6. Support Service — 4.8.
7. Odds — 4.6.