SBR review: Pinnacle Sports

Sportsbook Review Overall Rating: A+

Financial Rating: A+

Customer Service: B+

Software Rating: A+

Bonus Rating: B-

Comments

Pinnacle Sportsbook operates on the lowest bookmaking margins in the business, which means the best possible pricing for bettors. Those that understand how important the smallest edge is to successful sports investing understand that they cannot afford to pass on Pinnacle. The sportsbook has become somewhat of a high-volume, high-value sports betting warehouse.

When Pinnacle Sports, located in Curacao, Netherlands Antilles, came online in 1998, most bookmakers were battling for business using bonuses as their main weapon. Pinnacle’s quick-moving low juice lines educated players on the value of line shopping; and it wasn’t long before Pinnacle began taking business from the competition.

The growing customer base allowed Pinnacle more flexibility to safely book reduced juice at, what eventually became, the industry’s highest wagering limits. Pinnacle’s no-nonsense approach to bookmaking more closely resembled a stock trading website than the traditional online sportsbook. Pinnacle allowed the highest concentration of sharp players to shape its line, which in turn shaped the rest of the sports betting market. Today it is impossible to find an online bookmaker or a Las Vegas sportsbook that doesn’t pay attention to Pinnacle’s numbers. Pinnacle’s lines were so sharp that they became the first online sportsbook to move odds by pennies (odds changes equating to a fraction of what it would take to move the spread a half point). Pinnacle was able to reduce its margin even further on NFL spreads, cutting the cost from -105 to -104 style pricing.

Pinnacle’s website and betting screens are as sophisticated as its bookmaking style. Many books use the ASI software platform; however Pinnacle’s is almost unrecognizable due to in-house enhancements. Modifications include a proprietary spread drop down option that allows bettors to buy and sell points, and an account history option that is unmatched by the best online banking websites. Pinnacle took sports betting 101 a step further by offering dynamic lines, which lets players watch the odds move live with color changes without the need to refresh the browser.

Pinnacle Sports has also rolled out a mobile betting platform that allows players to easily place wagers using their smart phones or other new-age devices.

Customer service is handled almost exclusively by email, allowing Pinnacle to keep their operating costs low. The company’s efficiency means some players can go years without ever having to contact client support. On the rare occasion there is a book error or player dispute, the customer is addressed promptly and courteously. Overall, Pinnacle is a great book for the moderate to larger size internet bettor looking for the best betting odds for both American and European sports.

Operation Overview

Country Restrictions	USA, France, Turkey, Netherlands
Hours of Operation	Customer service & wagering staff on duty 24 hours, 7 days, 365 days per year. Online wagering 24/7/365
Management	Privately owned.
Reload Bonus	None
Special Promotions	Reduced pricing on all major sports 8-cent pricing (-104 style) for NFL sides and MLB money lines 0.3% cashback on Casino bets
Loyalty Program	None
Promotions / Incentives	Pinnacle Sports offers reduced juice on all events.
Most Common Complaint	Lack of customer support by phone
Customer Service	Although SBR rates Pinnacle average due to a lack of phone support, they are easily the most efficient and well run. They are so efficient that there are rarely customer service issues and when there are, they are incredibly effective and very fast responding through email.
Languages	English, Spanish, Norwegian, Italian, German, Russian, Portuguese, Chinese Simplified and Traditional, Finnish, Hebrew, Swedish, Thai, Japanese, Polish, French

Player Information

Min. Bet

$1.00 on-line

Max. Bet

On-line: NFL(Sides/ML/Totals) $30,000, $10,000, $10,000 | Wager limits for all sports

Reduced Juice

Yes.

Overnight Lines

Posted by 7PM EST on most sports

Options

If Bets - No
Reverse bets - Yes
Action points -No
Online Withdrawals - Yes

Limit Collars

No, All action welcomed

.10 bases line?

Best MLB Lines

Pinnacle is now offering alternate MLB RLs with a 14 cent betting line. See: Best Baseball Lines

We will use the lines posted for the Houston/Montreal game on 08/13 as an example. The traditional Run Line offered by Pinnacle looks like this:

903. Houston -1.5 -116
904. Montreal +1.5 +106

That's a 10 cent line: -116/+106. The alternate RLs look like this:

903. Houston -1 -157
904. Montreal +1 +143

903. Houston -2 +112
904. Montreal +2 -126

903. Houston -2.5 +143
904. Montreal +2.5 -157

That's a 14 cent line.

Parlay & Teaser Payoff

Parlay Payoffs:

STANDARD PARLAY PAYOUTS
Number Of Teams	Win Per Unit Bet	Return Per Unit Bet
2	2.6	3.6
3	6	7
4	12	13
5	24	25
6	45	46
7	80	81
8	150	151

Teaser Payoffs:

NBA, WNBA AND COLLEGE BASKETBALL
College and WNBA	4 POINTS	4.5 POINTS	5 POINTS
NBA Sides	4.5 POINTS	5 POINTS	5.5 POINTS
NBA Totals	6.5 POINTS	7 POINTS	7.5 POINTS
2 TEAMS	1 to 1	10 to 11	5 to 6
3 TEAMS	9 to 5	8 to 5	3 to 2
4 TEAMS	3 to 1	5 to 2	2 to 1
5 TEAMS	9 to 2	4 to 1	7 to 2
6 TEAMS	7 to 1	6 to 1	5 to 1

COLLEGE FOOTBALL SAME-GAME
6 POINTS	6.5 POINTS	7 POINTS	7.5 POINTS
21 to 20	1 to 1	10 to 11	5 to 6

NFL SAME-GAME
6 POINTS	6.5 POINTS	7 POINTS
1 to 1	10 to 11	5 to 6

ARENA FOOTBALL TEASERS
In Arena Football teasers, a tie is equivalent to a loss - SIDES ONLY
2 TEAM, 9 POINTS (TIES LOSE)	5 to 6

FOOTBALL SUPER TEASERS A tie in a SuperTeaser is graded "No Action" and all monies are refunded.
NFL, COLLEGE, or MIXED
3 TEAM, 10 POINTS	5 to 6
4 TEAM, 13 POINTS	10 to 13

COLLEGE FOOTBALL ONLY
	6 POINTS	6.5 POINTS	7 POINTS
2 TEAMS	1 to 1	10 to 11	5 to 6
3 TEAMS	9 to 5	8 to 5	3 to 2
4 TEAMS	3 to 1	5 to 2	2 to 1
5 TEAMS	9 to 2	4 to 1	7 to 2
6 TEAMS	7 to 1	6 to 1	5 to 1

COLLEGE FOOTBALL ONLY
	7.5 POINTS
2 TEAMS	10 to 13

NFL OR MIXED NFL & COLLEGE FOOTBALL
	6 POINTS	6.5 POINTS	7 POINTS
2 TEAMS	10 to 11	5 to 6	10 to 13
3 TEAMS	8 to 5	7 to 5	6 to 5
4 TEAMS	13 to 5	12 to 5	2 to 1
5 TEAMS	9 to 2	4 to 1	7 to 2
6 TEAMS	7 to 1	6 to 1	5 to 1

NFL OR MIXED NFL & COLLEGE FOOTBALL
	6 POINTS	6.5 POINTS	7 POINTS
2 TEAMS	10 to 11	5 to 6	10 to 13
3 TEAMS	8 to 5	7 to 5	6 to 5
4 TEAMS	13 to 5	12 to 5	2 to 1
5 TEAMS	9 to 2	4 to 1	7 to 2
6 TEAMS	7 to 1	6 to 1	5 to 1

NBA SUPER TEASERS
7 points on sides, 9 points on totals
2 TEAMS	1 to 2
3 TEAMS	5 to 6
4 TEAMS	7 to 5
5 TEAMS	2 to 1
6 TEAMS	3 to 1

Website Overview

Software Provider

ASI - SBR software rating A+
Pinnacle's customized version of ASI is the easiest and most efficient software a player can use.

Security Level of Server

Secure level III socket -128 bit encryption security with fire walls

Website Performance

Today
Last 3 days: 99.64%
Las 30 days: 99.78%

Reliability of Site

2001 - Poor
2002 - Excellent
2003 - Excellent
2004 - Excellent
2005 - Good
2006 - Excellent
2007 - Excellent
2008 - Good
2009 - Good
2010 - Good
2011 - Good

Betting Screens

The betting screens are organized, crisp and easy to understand. Making multi-league parlays and teasers are no more complicated than making a straight bet.

Placing a bet at Pinnacle Sportsbook:


Select your wager	Confirm your wager	The confirmation page

Transaction Polices

Methods of Deposits	Credit Card - Visa, MasterCard Bank Wire - $10 min deposit, no maximum - 1-3 business day processing time Chinese Debit Cards - 80RMB min deposit, max 5,000RMB per day and 40,000RMB in any given month - Instant processing time Delta Debit Cards - £25 min deposit; £2,500 max per transaction, £5,000 max in a 24-hour period, £20,000 max in any 30-day period - Instant processing time Instant Bank Transfers by InstaDebit - $10CAD min deposit; $2,500CAD max per day, $6,000CAD max in any 30-day period - Instant processing time Moneybookers - $10 or £10 min deposit; $12,000 max per transaction - Instant processing time Moneybookers Direct Deposit - $10 or £10 min deposit; $12,000 max per transaction - Instant processing time Neteller - $10 or £10 min deposit; $50,000 max per transaction - Instant processing time Neteller (1-Pay) - 80RMB min deposit; 330,000RMB max per transaction - Instant processing time POLi -AUS$30/NZD$35 min deposit, AUS$501/NZD$500 per 24hrs -Instant processing time Przelewy24 -10zl min deposit, 20,000zl per transaction -Instant processing time Visa Electron - £25 min deposit; £2,500 max per transaction, £5,000 max per 24-hour period, £20,000 max per 30-day period - Instant processing time WebMoney - $10 or €10 min deposit; $25,000 or €19,000 max per transaction - Processing within minutes ClickandBuy - $1000 per Day up to a maximum of $5,000 per month - Instant processing time
Cost of Deposits	Credit Card - Visa, MasterCard Bank Wire - Bank fees paid for deposits of $1,000 or more Chinese Debit Cards - No fees Delta Debit Cards - No fees Instant Bank Transfers by InstaDebit - No Fees Moneybookers - No fees Moneybookers Direct Deposit - 5% fees Neteller - No fees Neteller (1-Pay) - No fees POLi - No fees Przelewy24 -No fees Visa Electron - No Fees WebMoney - No fees ClickandBuy - No fees
Methods of Withdrawal	Bank Wire - No min or max withdrawal, max one transaction per day per client - Processing time within 24 hours Mon-Fri excluding bank holidays Instant Bank Transfers / InstaDebit - No min withdrawal for first withdrawal in a given month; $12 CAD min for subsequent withdrawals in a given month - $12,000 CAD max per transaction per day - Processing time within minutes Neteller - $10 min withdrawal per Neteller; $50,000 max withdrawal - Processing time for withdrawals of less than $10,000 within minutes; withdrawals of $10,000 or more require manager approval and may take longer Neteller (1-Pay) - 80RMB min withdrawal per Neteller (1-Pay); 330,000 RMB max per transaction - Processing time for withdrawals less than 65,000 RMB within minutes; withdrawals of 65,000RMB or more require manager approval and may take longer Web Money - No min withdrawal; max is $25,000 in any 30-day period Processing time within minutes on withdrawals less than $10,000; withdrawals of $10,000 or more require manager approval and may take longer Moneybookers - No min on first withdrawal each month - $12,000 max withdrawal - Withdrawals under $10,000 are processed within minutes; withdrawals above $10,000 require manager approval and may take longer
Cost of Withdrawals	Bank Wire - One free bank wire per month - $25 fee for subsequent bank wire transfers within a month Instant Bank Transfers / InstaDebit - One free withdrawal per calendar month; no min withdrawal for first one per month - $18 CAD fee per subsequent withdrawals Neteller - One free withdrawal per calendar month - $15 for subsequent withdrawals Neteller (1-Pay) - One free withdrawal per calendar month - 120RMB fee per subsequent withdrawals Web Money - One free withdrawal per calendar month - $15 fee for subsequent withdrawals Moneybookers - One free withdrawal per calendar month - $15 fee for subesquent withdrawals

Location Facts

Location	Curacao, Netherlands Antilles
Date Established	1998
Current License	Netherlands Antilles Gaming Commission - Good standing Alderney Gambling Control Commission - Good standing
Physical Address	Pinnacle Sports Worldwide In the Holiday Beach Hotel and Casino Bld Pater Euwensweg 31 Willemstad, Curacao Netherlands Antilles
Hyper Link	Pinnacle Sports Player Reviews Submit a Review