Sportsbook Discussion - Sportbet

Mudcat · 07-07-06, 09:25 AM

My 2 cents in no official capacity other than as a player:

In my mind, Sportbet is just another book that is out there. I've tried them out and have found no reason to use them on an ongoing basis.

They have an enticing sign-up bonus of 50% cash (there are different caps depending on deposit method so check the site for details). They also offered a 20% cash bonus on my second Neteller deposit. But after those are exhausted, I don't see much reason to stay around.

I found lines were on the low end of the "opinionated" scale. Limits are low. I got too many bets that were rejected, and the line was moved, at the confirmation stage. Selection is unspectacular. As we speak there are no MLB lines up so it seems safe to say they are not quick to post.

They have had a spotty past in the Customer Service area and were even on the SBR Blacklist in 2001. Their climb to a B- rating is a good indication of their willingness to work hard at improvements.

Ortho · 07-07-06, 11:04 AM

I have been playing here recently, and still have money in here.

I signed up for the 50% bonus. It was credited quickly and the csr seemed anxious to spell out the terms of the bonus.

I have had a good experience with customer support over a bunch of things, including a rogue line that I bet on the Tour de France when the DQs were happening.

I cleared the WR for the bonus and had a big-ish win, and they let me cash out winnings but I had to leave the bonus + deposit in for their 30 day hold. I got my money in under an hour.

Their lines are bad, not terrible, on baseball, and terrible on just about everything else. The baseball lines seem to go up around 11am. They are quite slow to update their overnight lines, but I have never had a wager cancelled for betting a slow number.

Their betting system defaults to action on MLB, which I don't like.

Overall, I think that they are slightly underrated at B- (considering that something like BOS was rated at B- and this place is much better than that in terms of service) but, as you say, there is nothing particularly interesting about them and I doubt I'd find many reasons to play here were it not for their offer of the bonus. Perhaps I occasionally find a dog line a penny or two better than Pinnacle.

Edit to include the thing that I forgot that I absolutely HATE about this book: When I started my account, I was limited to $100 wagers. When I complained about it to CS, they upped it to $250, but I have often seen times where I would like to bet more and just ended up putting $250 on instead. Perhaps they would take more over the phone, but I prefer online betting, and I didn't feel like hassling with CS to try to get them to raise it more.

applepicks · 07-07-06, 12:50 PM

Originally posted by Mudcat

I found lines were on the low end of the "opinionated" scale. Limits are low. I got too many bets that were rejected, and the line was moved, at the confirmation stage. Selection is unspectacular. As we speak there are no MLB lines up so it seems safe to say they are not quick to post.

They have had a spotty past in the Customer Service area and were even on the SBR Blacklist in 2001. Their climb to a B- rating is a good indication of their willingness to work hard at improvements.

I played there last year and found the same thing. Just didn't couldn't find any reason to continue to play there. I think the bets being rejected was my biggest peeve. I can deal with late lines but that bet confirmation stage was agravating at best. I'll look at them again for football but can't see any reason to go back as of now.

RickySteve · 07-07-06, 01:49 PM

Pro - They have a lot of good promotions if you make the effort to take advantage of them.

Con - Site logs out after only a few minutes, which is incredibly annoying,

Pro - Extremely lazy in moving lines in some areas.

Con - Miniscule limits, even over the phone.

doc · 07-07-06, 04:19 PM

I love this book. I know that I may seem biased for reasons I will not mention because I by no means here to shill or promote.

Yes, the lines here can suck except when looking to scalp the great signup bonus or when you are looking to arb using matchbook or pinny. In which case the bad lines are great.

If they had over nights I would play a whole lot more here, but the truth is they are not the kind of book that wants anything to do with sharp action and even though somehow I have never gotten collared I know some who have.

One HUGE benefit of playing with this book is the Prop play of the day which is an even money bet. If the number is right on like it should be, you could bet this everyday and over the long haul end up even.

Pro's - Great promos. 50% bonus can be huge for beginners with a lack of a bankroll or for sharps who like to scalp bonuses.

Con's - Sucky lines, even tho they do have dime lines in MLB, the lines are still pretty bad. They avoid sharp action.

Overall they are a must book at least for the 50% Cash bonus which you can easily ARB over to Pinny and if you miss enough and meet the rollover then you can cash out the profits and after 30 days the bonus.

But not an A book by any standards.

Bill Dozer · 07-07-06, 05:45 PM

Good stuff in here! I like Sportbet for not trying to be all things to all people. They let their actions speak for what kind of action they want.

In the past, there were mornings when I knew the theme of the day was going to be Sportbet. I believe its been over a year now since we had to discuss a player issue and I know retention is up from the 2005 #s.

SportBet may see an upgrade durng football season, that's if an A+ book doesn't make them an offer they can't refuse.

doc · 07-07-06, 05:48 PM

You think that is a possibility Bill? I hate to see a quality middle tier books get eaten up like that but I know it is all about business.

I too admire these guys for knowing what they are and being safe about the action they can handle.