Archive for the ‘Sportsbook Reviews’ Category

One of the UK’s biggest sports betting firms, SportingBet has suspended trading on the London Stock Exchange. The move comes after a few months of speculation, in which SportingBet appears to be transferring to a new ownership group out of Turkey. While the US DOJ shuts down sportsbooks online, the European Union is allowing sportsbooks to trade on their local stock exchanges. Here is what the SportingBet fishing games ownership change means.

SportingBet has been around the online gambling industry for quite some time. For North American bettors unfamiliar with SportingBet, the best comparison is call it the Bodog of UK online gambling. That is to say, through an excellent marketing and customer service campaign, SportingBet has stayed amongst the heavyweights in the British online betting industry.

The suspension of stock trading for SportingBet has left both customers and betting writers alike in a state of confusion. Essentially, prior to the stock exchange issue, SportingBet was believed to have been discussing a merger with rival site Gaming VC. In this latter deal, Gaming VC would give SportingBet the rights to their Greek online gaming branches. However, the news of the halt in activity on the LSX has bettors concerned with the state of the company.

If SportingBet suddenly does collapse, the company that stands to benefit the most is archrival Ladbrokes. Ladbrokes has been slowly building up its British Empire over the last few years, and has enough money to buy out SportingBet in a similar manner that Bet365 did with Bowman’s a few years ago. Meaning to say, if they use the same approach as Bet365 did with Bowman’s, this would simply allow Ladbrokes to use the SportingBet brand name, while employing their own staff.

Over the last couple of months, the sports betting world has been turned upside down, as several big name sportsbooks have closed their operations in the North American market. However, while plenty of shops are closing, there are also several, that are afloat and flourishing. One such online casino site that is having success is Merge Gaming, which is a company that combines poker and sportsbooks together. Here is the latest news for Merge Gaming.

Despite being associated with the Jazette family of sportsbooks, Sportsbook.com has been able to stay afloat and grow into one of the top sportsbooks in the United States. While their colleagues struggle, with US policy indictments, Sportsbook and Merge Poker, have formed a collaboration to take over the US market. Earlier this summer, Sportsbook opened its doors to American customers, which allowed the company to go from a middle of the pack, money grabbing shop, to atop the leader board of sportsbook rankings.

Merge poker on the other hand, has risen from the basement of the poker industry all the way to the top. Essentially, Merge’s big competition, Full Tilt, and Poker Stars, each were struck hard with sanctions from the Department of Justice. As a result, the two biggest winners of the 2004 – 2005 NHL lockout, have seen not only their advertising campaigns pulled from the television, but also a huge withdrawal of players.

What’s more, Merge Gaming has rebounded, after a short layoff due to the aforementioned Department of Justice sanctions. Recall, Merge along with Full Tilt and Poker Stars, were all hit with sanctions from the government, preventing the use of playing poker for money online. In April, Merge claimed it would be closing down for a limited time, but now in August, the site is back and full of US customers.

After making marketing synonymous with sports betting for the last 20 years, Bodog sportsbook, will be leaving the US market in December of 2011. Known by many casual gamblers as one of the best sportsbooks on the planet, the Bodog has been entrenched in a legal battle with the US government for the past few years, after falling victim to the Anti-Internet Gambling act. Meaning to say, Bodog is set to be replaced by the MMGG Company. Here is what Bodog’s departure means for NFL betting lines enthusiasts.

Over the last few years, Bodog has had an agreement in the US with Morris Mohawk Gaming. This agreement, has allowed Bodog to stay afloat, since falling victim to the US’s crackdown on online sports betting. However, the numbers apparently aren’t up to par with what Morris Mohawk gaming was promised. As a result, end of the year, as we mentioned earlier, MMG is going in a different direction.

For US bettors, you can still wager with MMGG a new website by MMG or you can switch to the BetCris family of sportsbooks, such as Bookmaker or DSI.  Bodog on the other hand, will be still available in Canada, as well as Europe and parts of Asia. What’s more, Bodog CEO Calvin Ayre just revealed that Bodog had agreed upon a contract with the United Kingdom for Bodog’s online betting services. Meaning to say, despite losing the US market for now, Bodog is still very much alive and well.

Ayre has become a bit of a legend in the online gambling industry, as he helped resurrect Bodog in the beginning of the decade, after the original owners nearly went bankrupt. Since taking over Bodog, Ayre has maintained the shops reputation of being amazing at marketing and customer service.

Owned by the Jazette family of sportsbooks, sports betting enthusiasts looking for a new site to place their wagers with, should avoid Superbook like the plague. For those unfamiliar with Jazette, let us forewarn you, that withdrawing money from one of their sportsbooks will cause you to get upset, as they are slow at the best of times. On the other hand, Superbook like brother site Sportsbook has continuously gained popularity in the industry, if for no other reason than their MLB betting domain name. Here is a review of Superbook.

Comparable to brother site Sportsbook, Superbook is a haven for casual betting enthusiasts, just looking for a place to quickly deposit their money and place a bet on their favorite team’s last minute. Superbook doesn’t offer low juice or the earliest lines, but the site has a decent line variety and their loyalty program is one of the best in the industry.

However, having said all of this, as we mentioned earlier, the payout problems associated with their Superbook’s parent company Jazette, has really rubbed former clients the wrong way. In an industry where it is guilty until proven innocent, Superbook doesn’t stand a chance at attracting big spending clients.

In terms of customer service, Superbook has one of the nicest and knowledgeable staffs in the industry. The customer service agents can speak plenty of different languages, and explain to you how to create an account and then deposit your money and place a bet. Yet, when it comes to payouts, the customer service agents at Superbook are exact replicas of the agents at other Jazette run sportsbooks. What this means, is that it will be incredibly difficult to get someone on the line to answer your questions about why your payment went from “pending” to “withheld”.

Logans is a European style sports betting website in a North American setting. The shop is associated with Sportsbook.com which on behalf of the Jazette family of online betting shops has become synonymous with payout options. Aside from a regular delay in payouts, Logans provides its customers with one of the more refreshing gambling experiences you will ever experience. Here is a review of youthful sportsbook, Logans.

Logans has a great mix of new and more experienced bettors frequenting its sportsbook. On the one hand, the newbie bettors enjoy Logans because the lines are quite soft. Conversely, the sharps bet at Logans because unlike parent site Sportsbook, Logans offers some of the highest limits in the industry.

What’s more, as we mentioned earlier, Logans is a European style sportsbook trapped in a North American website. Essentially, this means that bettors have the option of requesting better odds on the games they are gambling on. For the reason that Logans provides its customers with countless options, you can expect a lot of bettors to come to the site, just to test it out.

Customer service is one of the more interesting experiences at Logans and not in a good way. In one scenario, Logans customer service agents act like your best friend when it comes to explaining how to create an account and deposit your money. However, when you’ve had enough and want to withdraw your winnings, Logans acts like that same best friend, only after they’ve taken your wife from you.

Meaning to say, the latter approach is a direct result of being associated with Jazette, which over the last five years has had more payout problems then Bernie Maydoff. In an industry, where receiving your winnings is primary to a successful sportsbook, Logans would be better served if they could somehow cut ties with Jazette.

Online sports betting have risen in popularity since the internet was first open to the public in 1990. However, for every amazing online betting site, there are 10 bad ones waiting to rip you off. Meet Sportsbook, a site that profits off its domain name, but otherwise doesn’t really stand out for anything good. Here is a review of the most popular gambling website in the industry.

For the reason that many hardcore sports betting enthusiasts have been burned by this book in the past, Sportsbook has been black listed by many of our colleagues review sites. Essentially, as we previously noted, Sportsbook receives the majority of its traffic because its domain name.

After you sign up for an account with Sportsbook, you can expect to wager on the four major North American sports, as well as certain niche sports such as MMA and NASCAR. For the most part, the live betting section at Sportsbook is pretty good as customers can place money on their favorite athletes and teams up until the games finish.

In an industry where you need to stand out to attract more clients, Sportsbook is not very unique at all. The customer service agents and kind and courteous when it comes to helping you create your account and explain the site rules. However, when your payment process goes from pending to being held, it is nearly impossible to deal with a customer service agent, as you are waiting on the phone for a long time.

What’s more, if you are new to the sports gambling online industry, any sportsbook being run by the Jazette Company, is a shop you should stay away from. In essence, Jazette and slow payouts are synonymous with one another, as many new bettors and more experienced ones, have grown agitated with the company.

With only a few days left until the Belmont Stakes betting lines close, horse race handicappers looking for an online sportsbook to gamble with should look no further than Rebate Wager. As the name suggests, at Rebate Wager, win or lose sports betting enthusiasts can make a profit. Meaning to say if you bet on the wrong horse with Rebate Wager, it is no big deal, as the sportsbook will reimburse you. Here is a review of Rebate Wager.

Rebate Wager is mostly a new and casual bettor’s sportsbook, however that isn’t to say that the sharps don’t bet here sometimes. Essentially, with an intriguing concept, great customer service department and relatively quick payouts, Rebate Wager attracts all comers. However, it should be understood, that Rebate Wager and several sharp bettors have had disputes, as the sharps have tried to take advantage of the Rebate Wager concept while receiving perks from other sportsbooks.

On paper, this is one of the most ideal sportsbooks for any sports gambler, as you can receive up to 50 percent of your losses, in rebates. Meaning to say, if you bet on six races at Belmont Park on race day Saturday, you can receive the same amount of money as you would on three wins. What’s more, in terms of payout options, Rebate Wager understands that their sportsbook may not be for everyone. As a result, Rebate Wager has same day payouts of up to $500 for bettors to receive.

Personally, the one thing we always look at with any sportsbook is the customer service department. With a concept that seems too good to be true, Rebate Wager customer service agents are constantly taking calls, emails and live chat inquiries from their customers. The customer service department was one of the first to use a 24 hour a day seven day a week year round concept that has since been adopted by the rest of the sportsbook industry.

For horse race handicappers Belmont betting for the first time, finding the right sportsbook to place your money with can seem like an overwhelming task. However, by betting online with Diamond Sportsbook International, you can be assured that you will receive the best odds and fantastic bonuses. Here are a few reasons why you should open an account with DSI today.

Owned and operated by the BetCris network of online sportsbooks, DSI along with brother site Bookmaker provides betting services to American customers. DSI excels in the three things that every bettor whether you are new or more experienced will look for, good betting options, quick payouts and great customer service.

As a result of being a member of the BetCris family, DSI has a wide spectrum of customers, from new bettors trying to get their feet wet with a reputable book, to sharp bettors who just enjoy wagering with name brand organizations. One of the main appeals for DSI bettors is that DSI is one of a handful of shops that sets the lines for the rest of the industry. What this means, is that if you are an early bird and like to place your bets before heading into work, creating an account with DSI is your best option to do so.

On the other hand, if you are a casual bettor just looking for a good time, DSI is also the sportsbook for you. For the most part, casual and new bettors love DSI because of the loyalty points program, plethora of betting options and exceptional customer service. The loyalty points program starts as soon as you open a new account with DSI.  Bettors start in the Gold program, and the more they wager, the higher level of loyalty. The other two loyalty sections are platinum and diamond.

With just under two weeks until the 2011 Preakness betting lines close, horse racing handicappers from around the world are scrambling to find the right sportsbook to place a wager with. Well, there is no need to search any longer, as betting online enthusiasts reading about Matchbook will soon find the book of their dreams. Here is a guide to why Matchbook is the sportsbook you should use this Preakness Stakes season.

As the name suggests, Matchbook acts as a matchmaking service for bettors. The goal of the sportsbook is to give you lines to choose from and for you to provide them with lines to send out to other bettors. After finding your match, you are left with one of the most secure stable sportsbooks in the industry. What’s more, you can expect to pay as little as possible at Matchbook in juice fees, as the shop’s goal is to match you up with perfect line.

Who Bets Here - Matchbook mainly caters to casual bettors, but tends to have square and sharp bettors test out the site, as the concept seems a little too good to simply hear about. While we noted earlier, that the juice fees are small at Matchbook, that doesn’t necessarily mean that the sportsbook doesn’t charge a fee. No, instead, Matchbook uses the juice fees to compensate for how soft the lines get, since they want to pair you up with the best lines possible.

Putting things into perspective as it relates to the Preakness Stakes, you will find that Matchbook is better than the competition. Essentially, around this time every year, many sportsbooks offer a plethora of deals to attract you to their horse racing section. With Matchbook on the other hand, you can expect the same category of lines that you would enjoy any time of the year, and have no bells or whistles to deal with.

For the sports bettor looking for a sportsbook to place their Kentucky Derby betting wagers, consider creating an account with TheGreek, one of the best shops in the online industry. Proud owner of BetJamaica, TheGreek is a sports betting website that has extremely high limits, incredible wagering options, and a customer service staff that makes you feel like a person instead of a number. Today we look at the best parts of TheGreek sportsbook.

Who Bets Here – TheGreek has a primary focus on appeasing the sharp bettors of the industry. For the majority of sports, TheGreek is the sportsbook that sharps and professional handicappers turn to for early lines, high limits and a plethora of betting options.

TheGreek carries all of the traditional betting options, from spreads, to totals. However, their main focus seems to be money lines as no matter what the spread is on some games, TheGreek always has a money line wager for their sharps to choose from.  What’s more, as we noted earlier TheGreek also has really high limits, meaning to say they receive a ton of action from bettors that enjoy risking a lot of money. Although their maximum limit is $3000, TheGreek customer service staff has been known to raise the limits a little higher.

Customer Service – TheGreek uses an old school approach to customer service, nevertheless, they are still considered by many to be a leader in customer support. While most of the big name sportsbooks have adopted the live chat and email approach to communicating with the customers, TheGreek isn’t as up to speed. While TheGreek has email, your best chance of talking to a customer service agent is by calling TheGreek hotline. The hotline is operational 24 hours a day 365 days a year. What’s more, the nicest feature about the customer service is that you can call the particular area you are concerned with, as opposed to phone into an operation board.