Pinnacle.com
Year established: 1998
Mobile compatible: Yes
Jurisdiction: Curacao
Overall rating: A+
Recommended: For professional players
Pinnacle Sports Review
The bookmaker formerly known as Pinnacle Sports underwent a rebrand in June 2016 to the current and more simplified name of Pinnacle.
The online bookmaker started life in 1998 and has become a well-known operator worldwide with customers in over 100 countries and a site which has 19 different language options. The headquarters are located in Curacao and it has a licence both from there, and since 2015, Malta too.
It’s an online sportsbook and casino which has the justified reputation for being one of the first to seriously offer esports markets on a large scale since 2010. In 2008 it began offering online poker but due to licensing issues this was shut down in 2011.
In 2007 the announcement was made that Pinnacle would no longer accept wagers from US citizens, which was a major revelation since at that time over 60% of its customers were from this part of the world. This decision was due to the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act of 2006. The statement read as follows: “After careful consideration, Pinnacle Sports has chosen to voluntarily exit the U.S. market. Accordingly, wagers will no longer be accepted from clients within the U.S. as of Thursday, January 11, 2007.”
Pinnacle mostly stays away from team sponsorships and celebrity ambassadors, though with this recent rebranding this could change. Social media channels are maintained on Facebook, Twitter and Google+.
Betting Markets
The full list of sports betting markets customers have access to with an account at Pinnacle can be seen here: Baseball, Soccer, Tennis, Basketball, Boxing, Chess, Cricket, Cycling, Darts, Field Hockey, Floorball, Futsal, Esports, Football, Golf, Horse racing, Ice Hockey, MMA, Motor Racing, Rugby, Aussie Rules, Badminton, Table Tennis, Volleyball, Water Polo, Winter Sports and Yachting.
Politics markets are also offered as well as other specials depending on the time you access such as the Crossfit Games and the Olympics.
Pinnacle doesn’t offer Virtual Sports at this time.
In-play betting
Since the rebrand Pinnacle’s new site is good for live betting; it’s easy to access and the drop down menus work well. One of the most important things to get right with an inplay product is speed and smooth operation and Pinnacle’s ticks both boxes.
It needs to add live streaming and cash out if it’s to seriously contend with the best out there.
Usability of the site
The new site is great to use, easy to get the hang of and Pinnacle mobile is excellent as a standalone product too.
Pinnacle is well received by customers as a professional operator, and this is of little surprise since it’s been around since 1998 and is extremely well established.
One issue and major area for improvement is in customer service. Whilst its email service is 24/7, helpful and responds reasonably quickly, there’s no excuse for a major operator not including a live chat function and moreover some people still like to use the phone.
In terms of banking, deposits and withdrawals, it’s hard to knock it with fast payout times, numerous options such as Visa, Mastercard, Skrill, Neteller, Moneybookers and more. It doesn’t offer Paypal but this is common throughout the industry.
The betting resources section of the site is also an excellent go to for betting tips, features and general educational gambling information. This is in terms of explaining markets, odds, how they’re calculated, margins and generally the boring, very helpful stuff most casual gamblers gloss over. The Pinnacle Twitter promotes this well too and it’s particularly well presented.
Conclusion
Pinnacle is an established bookmaker which has a great mobile product and, since its overhaul, looks the part and boasts an intuitive site which will attract both layman and professional gamblers alike.
It needs to expand its customer service options and add live streaming to improve, but if you’re a fan of esports wagering there are few better places to come.
Advantages:
- One of the best bookmakers in the world;
- Company has one of the most solid reputations in online betting;
- The website is practical for the professional player;
- Has the highest odds in most cases;
- The highest limits in the industry;
- High limits of the wins;
- Many international currencies accepted;
- Good selection of deposit and withdrawal options;
- Great customer service;
- Ultra fast payments.
Disadvantages:
- Basic interface;
- No sign up bonus;
- Very overwhelming for inexperienced punters;
- Betting variety limited mostly to major sports;
- Limited betting selection for each event;
- Combined bets are only on main competitions;
- Live bets cannot be combined (Parlays);
- Get 1 free withdrawal per month.
Payments:
Visa/Mastercard, Skrill (Moneybookers), Bank Transfer, Cheque, Citadel, ClickandBuy, EntroPay, InstaDebit, Instant Wire Transfer, Moneta.ru, Neteller, Poli, Przelewy24, Sofortuberweisung, WebMoney
*Keep in mind to double check information. Be prepared for changes to restricted countries, bonuses, currencies, deposit and payment options, languages, contact info.
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