PointsBet is a corporate bookmaker with operations in the United States and Australia. Their initial experience in Australia allowed PointsBet to develop a scalable cloud-based wagering platform through which it offers its bettors innovative sports and racing wagering products. PointsBet’s product offering includes Fixed Odds Sports, Fixed Odds Racing and PointsBetting (a riskier form of spread betting)..
Their first foray into the United States was into New Jersey with further expansion in their sights. Pointsbet have already locked down a partnership in Illinois and more of this kind are likely as other states join the legalised sports betting ranks.
PointsBet offer maximum entertainment by providing promotions and innovative products which enhance the bettors overall experience. PointsBet aims to provide more markets on the major sports than any other bookmaker. Now that is an admirable goal if ever I have heard one!
The Take Away: If you have a chance to bet with PointsBet, you should take it. They leverage previous experience in other markets to bring to the US a feature rich, best in class product that gives all bettors a fighting chance of becoming profitable. As time goes on it is expected that PointsBet’s appetite to gain market share will see them continually deliver what bettors want!
Overall Rating 91%
Ratings Methodology
In rating PointsBet Sportsbook, a weighting of 20% was given to each of the User Interface, Available Markets and Competitive Odds features. This weighting reflected those features that were deemed most important to an overall betting experience. A weighting of 10% was given to each of Live Betting and Promotions features and finally a 5% weighting was given to Payment Methods, Loyalty Rewards, Partner Deals and One Percenters.
The overall rating was then given by taking those individual weightings into account. It is important to note that a 100% rating would indicate the best possible online sportsbook model. There are some examples from international markets that give a pointer to what this ideal model may look like. At this point that model does not exist in the US as the online sports betting market is still maturing.
User Interface
The Pointsbet user interface on both browser and mobile app, is exceptional. I would go as far as to say it is the best offering in the United States at the moment. A big reason for the wonderful user experience is that Pointsbet was able to roll out their Australian mobile app in early 2017. Many of the early development issues were worked though before the New Jersey launch.
The mobile app is smooth and simple to use, while still being packed with features. The striking red and black colour scheme makes extended viewing sessions easier on the eyes. The slide in menu from the left side lists the featured markets including in play and upcoming, the full range of sports offerings, along with other key elements like the Pointsbet Card and the Revis Betting Academy.
The main screen has icons linking bettors to all featured markets as well as links to the live betting platform and a useful slider advertising relevant promotions.
The bet slip is simple to use, with bettors able to choose from pre-selected round dollar amounts like $20 or $50 or alternatively they can choose to enter their own specific dollar and cents amount.
The PointsBet User Interface is close to the best on the market. It is hard to imagine any bettor would be disappointed with this product.
Available Markets
Pointsbet pride themselves on the volume and variety of markets they provide the bettors. In fact they offer more NFL, NBA, NHL and MLB markets than any other sportsbook in the world. Included in that are a variety of prop bet markets not offered anywhere else. For example in the NFL, quarterback completion %, time of first touchdown, and longest made FG (distance) are regular offerings. Pointsbet offers over 1000 markets on each and every NBA game.
The good folk at Pointsbet also bring to the table a global focus with offerings across many international sports and leagues. This gives the bettor the opportunity to wager on sports markets around the clock. Sports such as cycling, darts, cricket, rugby union and Australian Rules Football are staples for Pointsbet. These sports are huge volume markets globally while perhaps not drawing the same attention in the US. If you are looking to bet on these markets Pointsbet has you covered.
Competitive Odds
Like most online sportsbooks the PointsBet odds are probably not the most competitive in the game but on the flipside they are not the worst. On all major US sports you will be able to find -110 opening lines. Perhaps not the -105 you may occasionally see around the place but still competitive.
Having said that PointsBet periodically offers No Juice Spreadlines and -105 spreadlines on the NFL and NBA. While these are limited in the amount you can wager they are still very generous and it’s definitely worth getting a piece of the action.
The issue with the concept of best odds is that no bookmaker can sustain the best odds on all markets at all times. With PointsBet you know you are going to be able to find the market you desire and probably at a price that is comparable to most of the industry. The benefit is you are betting on your mobile on the run. That is hard to beat.
If you truly want the best odds all the time then you need to be operating accounts with multiple sportsbooks. In that case then you would be crazy not to have an account at PointsBet
Live Betting
The PointsBet Live Betting Platform is very good. It offers a simple to use interface with all major sports included. If there is a game on somewhere you can guarantee PointsBet have a live market up for it.
When you drill down into an individual market there is game situation data available to the bettor alongside the live odds. This is includes the scoreline and game clock among other things. While some other sportsbooks offer more functionality in this department PointsBet provides the bettor with the essentials.
PointsBet offer Cash Out to bettors. This is an excellent feature that is closely linked to the live betting odds. Players are offered a point in time cash out figure which they would receive should they settle their bet at that time. As the live odds, and therefore the likelihood of the bet winning fluctuates, so does the cash out figure. I view cash out as an essential feature for any sportsbook you use.
Promotions
The US sports betting market is not short of great promotional and bonus markets. Pointsbet’s promotional offerings are simply too good to pass up. They are arguably the best in the US market and by some way.
The promotions are fun, creative, generous and easy to understand for recreational or beginning bettors. Any bettor that has engaged in the grind to become profitable appreciates a chance to get a leg up from their sportsbook. Many of the promos offer real cash back or real cash boosted winnings. You can’t beat real cash!
An example is the 4+ legs parlay double winnings. In this promotion a bettor will receive double their winnings in bonus bets on the parlay up to a maximum of $200 in winnings. Needless to say that is enticing!
Another example is the early payout promotion like this one offered on the Major League Soccer. In this case bettors were paid out as winners as soon as their team lead by 2 goals. A profit locked in is a dream for any bettor.
The promotional markets at Pointsbet are reason enough to hold an account at this sportsbook.
Payment Methods
Pointsbet offers standard deposit options for bettors. Traditional
- Visa and Mastercard Debit/Credit card functionality
- Online Banking Transfer
- Pointsbet Card powered by EML
The bank transfer method is widely accepted by most banks but can take a couple of business days (in some cases up to 5) to appear in your account. In this case you need to be preplanned and process the deposit well before you wish to begin betting.
The Pointsbet card is simply a must have feature. It would not surprise if this feature is adopted by many other sportsbooks in the marketplace.
The card is issued to members who apply and arrives in the mail in 7-10 days of the application. Once the card arrives the bettor can use the card to load money into their account. They can withdraw betting account money from an ATM quickly and easily or even more conveniently the card can be used much like a standard debit card at any retailer that accepts visa or mastercard. The versatility provided by the Pointsbet card is a real plus for bettors.
Loyalty Rewards Program
The PointsBet loyalty rewards program is the best in the business. It uses a points system to reward bettors for their betting volume. Working much like a frequent flyer program, bettors earn in the following way:
| Bet Style | Points Earned |
| Fixed Odds Single Bet | 1 Point Per $5.00 Bet |
| Parlay Bet | 1 Point Per $1.00 Bet |
| PointsBetting | 1 Points Per $1.00 lost or won |
Earned rewards points can be cashed in for bonus bets at any time the bettor wishes. Obviously this is very useful in any case, but look at it from the viewpoint of a break even bettor. They may grind out large volume and over time only maintain parity. The rewards program allows them to accrue some value through that time which eventually they may be able to convert to real money with some well placed bonus bets.
A rewards program is a must at any retail sportsbook in my opinion. The competition to win a bettor’s business is intense and the bettor should view this as a commodity they own. For that reason alone the bettor should be given some kind of kick back for directing the majority of their business to a particular book. PointsBet has recognised this and are offering the best rewards program in business.
What a compelling reason to get on board at this sportsbook!
Partner Deals
PointsBet offer a pretty good a partner deal with Top Golf in New Jersey. With the Garden State being a test case for PointsBet it is to be expected that deals like this will become the norm across the country whether that be with Top Golf or other entertainment or retail providers.
The Top Golf deal allows bettors to access a discount on gameplay coupons as well as access to a Pointsbet branded sports bar. The sports bar has multiple screens with nonstop sports action and heaps of prizes and promotions. Having frequented Top Golf, this comes across as a great fit.
PointsBet has partner deals with various casinos as it rolls out across the country. These deals are what actually allows PointsBet to offer mobile betting in any state that has taken the plunge to legalize sports betting. The state specific casino partnerships are sure to yield great value for bettors who enjoy casino games if and when they are added to the PointsBet platform.
One Percenters
PointsBet is loaded with one percenter value. One percenters are those things that on there own offer only small benefit but as a collective can make a real difference. There is no doubt that PointsBet’s one percenters are what sets them apart from the rest of the industry.
Points Betting
You cannot log onto the PointsBet app without coming across the concept of Points Betting. It is completely unique to the US retail sports betting market and for those with a greater appetite for risk it may just be your new favorite thing!
Check out this video where we explain how it Points Betting works:
The Good Karma Payout is one of those things that a sportsbook doesn’t have to offer but PointsBet just do! It occurs when the good folk at PointsBet consider the bettors have been dudded or at the very least where plain unlucky. An example of a Good Karma Payout occured in the 2019 British Open Championship Golf which was played at Royal Portrush Golf Course in Northern Ireland. Local favorite Rory McIlroy who had seen a pile of money wagered on him, had a horrible first day and shot a 79. PointsBet dutifully refunded all outright bets on Rory to win the tournament. You can’t complain about that!
Name a Bet is another first class one percenter offering from PointsBet. Through the use of social media bettors can request a market be framed for a particular bet. PointsBet will then offer that bet up for all clients, as seen in the above example.
Window to the Wiseguys is a part of a whole range of Youtube content that PointsBet offer up to assist bettors in making good wagering choices. In these videos Bill Krackomberger gives mini tutorials on some fundamental betting concepts. Not every bookmaker is so willing to assist bettors in learning more about the fine art of sports betting. We think there should be more of it, after all, that’s what school of bets is all about!
Areas for Improvement
Live Streaming. I would imagine in the very near future PointsBet will include some live streaming of sports alongside their live betting odds. This is one way they can add to their already rich user experience. At this moment live streaming is not an offering but this space is very young and there really aren’t any significant offerings like this in the US market place at the moment.
A minor improvement to the user interface would be a filter on the upcoming sports. As it stands the list of upcoming sports is very thorough but in peak times some bettors would probably appreciate the option of filtering more obscure sports from that list to speed up the process of finding a market.
The Game Starts Now!
PointsBet is an essential addition to any sports bettors sportsbook repertoire. It is market leading in most facets and has the desire to continue to be an innovator in this space. Their promotions are second to none and their customer service is top shelf. Use the links on this page to grab you best in the business sign up bonuses and as the PointsBet motto says ‘stay sharp’.
