Summary

BetOnline is widely considered to be one of the best and most highly trafficked sportsbooks in the US, and they have leveraged their popularity to expand into the poker and casino market as well. The company has a reputation for decent odds, a stable product and platform, and the willingness to move mountains to ensure customers get paid their winnings. While the current ownership is, understandably, kept under wraps, the company has a massive valuation and has been operating in relatively stable fashion for the last 15 years.

Our review starts with an examination of general issues with the overall betonline product such as the account opening and cashier process. After that, we look separately at the poker, sports and casino products.

Registration

While bitcoin gamblers might be take aback by the details, for a mainstream betting operator the online registration is relatively simple. Standard biographical details are required, like address, email, name and telephone.

Deposit and Withdrawal

The cashier is also served online, with poker player redirected from the downloadable client to the same page accessed from the web-based casino and sportsbook. Funds deposited from any of the three products are accessible on the other two, which is very convenient for those who like to dabble in, for instance, both sportsbook and poker.

There are a ton of different options for depositing, some more costly than others, others more difficult to complete or restrictive than others. What really comes into focus when attempting to deposit at betonline – or any mainstream betting operator for that matter – is just how fantastic bitcoin is as a payment option for US players. Please see below the payment funnel:

And done! Account credited within 5 minutes.

Let’s compare that with some of the other payment methods available.

Bank wire required too high a deposit for us – at $1,000 minimum, though the fee was covered by BetOnline. The helpful staff promised to send us the wiring information sometime that day and did indeed do so, about four hours later. We attempted to deposit using credit card and payment voucher but kept landing on a restricted access page, most likely due to our incorrectly inputting information on our bio page.

We then had a go at using Western Union. Had a bit more success with this option, though the fees, time required and overall headache factor are all high.

On the withdrawal side, betonline charges 2% to withdraw bitcoin and offers a processing time of 48 hours, which is the highest we have seen anywhere – for both processing time and fee. Of course when compared with express check or check by mail, with fees ranging from $25 to $50 and processing times from 7 to 30 business days, bitcoin does seem reasonable. Bank Wires are “usually pretty fast, within a week”, but could take longer. The fee depends on the amount sent, as well as intermediary bank charges – so we reckon you can expect to spend up to triple digits. The minimum withdrawals, it should also be mentioned, are $500 across the board, except for bitcoin at $20 and person to person transfers, at $50.

Long story short – bitcoin revolutionizes the online gaming experience for US players through greatly simplifying and cheapifying payment processing.

BetOnline Poker Review

Betonline has a very liquid poker room with lots of action up to about $2/$4 no limit, sometimes higher. They are members of the Chico Poker Network, which is one of the fishier places in the states to play due to the high number of sportsbook players at the tables.

BetOnline Poker: 200% up to $2,000 Welcome Bonus!

OK, so that bonus is massive. What’s the small print? Let’s take a look at how it vests, using a scenario in which $500 is deposited for a $1,000 bonus.

Rules	Stage 1	Stage 2	Stage 3	Stage 4	Stage 5
Rake Required (as percentage of deposit)	30.3%	99.27%	220.4%	402.3%	652.3%
Bonus released (Out of a total 200%)	10%	20%	40%	60%	70%

Using $500 Deposit Example

Rake Required	$151	$496	$1,102	$2,010	$3,260
POP Points	1,510	4,960	11,120	20,100	32,600
Bonus Money Released	$50	$100	$200	$300	$350
Rakeback Percentage	33%	20%	18%	15%	11%

For a total effective rakeback percentage of 14.2%. Players have 120 days to clear the bonus.

Pop Points

You will most likely notice that we’ve included the pop points required to release the bonus at each stage. And indeed, pop points, which are displayed in the poker lobby, are the method by which players can keep track of how much they have raked according to a 1 pop point per 10 cents in rake or tournament fee rule. Pop points can also be used to buy into select tournaments and step sit n gos.

Promotions

The $25,000 sitngo leaderboard challenge

Each month, a $25k prize pool is divvied up between the top finishers across three different sitngo buyin levels – $10 or more, less than $10 and less than $1. Points are allocated based on the number of tournaments, the amount of buy-in, and where the player finishes in each sitngo.

Poker Software

Betonline has a decent downloadable client, which can be accessed from windows or (hallelujah) mac devices. The interface will look familiar to any online player, with tabs at the top of the lobby segmenting game stakes and between Omaha, Hold’em and Tournaments, with no limit, fixed, pot limit and head’s up toggles shown below. Players are also able to access the online casino and sportsbooks from within the lobby, though these clients will launch online in separate windows.

The table opens by default with a big old blackjack table attached that cannot be closed, which is too aggressive in our opinion. Perhaps we are a bit daft, but we were unable to easily get rid of it. There is good action up to $1/$2, and during peak hours there will also be multiple $2/$4 tables running, with a sprinking of $3/$6 and $5/$10s as well.

Betonline Poker Mobile

Alas, there is no mobile product for poker.

Last word on Betonline Poker

To judge betonline, we should compare it to its US counterparts in general, and specifically to US counterparts that accept bitcoin. The standard bearer in the poker market is, in our view, Winning Poker Network’s America’s Card Room. The bonus clears much faster, the continued loyalty scheme offers massive value for players of all levels, and the promotions are absolutely sick. And as a result, there are more players at the table and more action to be had.

So why would someone pick Betonline over ACR? There are two possible reasons. First, the massive rakeback offered at ACR leads inextricably to a more professional, more sharky player base. Players will have an easier time winning at BetOnline, whose tables also happen to be infused with sportsbook players, who tend to be looser and more casual.

Secondly, the sportsbook and casino offering at betonline are superior. Players can have a central wallet for all gaming needs, though we would suggest that casino-first players are most likely better off going elsewhere.

BetOnline Sportsbook Review

Sportsbook is the bread and butter of the Betonline product, and has been providing service to US-based bettors online for close to 15 years. The product has slowly improved, with the integration of mobile and live betting, while building on a reputation of providing excellent value for loyal customers.

Sportsbook Bonus Special: 50% up to $1000 deposit bonus!

Use bonus code NFL15 in the cashier while making a deposit for a 50% bonus up to $1,000 on your first deposit at betonline. $50 is the minimum deposit required to take part in this bonus program.

For the bonus to vest, a user must rollover the entire deposit, bonus, and fees 10X, and no withdrawals can be made within 30 days of requesting the bonus. There are no odds requirements for bets to count towards the rollover requirement.

Example: Let’s imagine a player deposits $1,000, and receives an additional $500 in bonus amount. His lack of bitcoin enlightenment has led him to use bank wire which carries a $50 fee – due to the size of the deposit, however, this is absorbed by betonline.

To calculate the bonus requirements, we take the $1,000 deposit and add the $500 bonus and $50 fee. Multiplying this by 10 – $15,500 – is the amount required to be wagered prior to the bonus amount becoming available in cash.

25% lifetime bonus up to $1,000

BetOnline offers a really nice 25% bonus on every deposit as well, with a very decent rollover requirement of 6x bonus+deposit+Fee. This is an excellent mechanism for incentivizing and rewarding customer loyalty.

Sportsbook Promotions

Live Betting $25 Free Bet

The first live bet you place is eligible for up to a $25 refund! It’s as simple and wonderful as it sounds – simply place a live bet, and if it loses you get the $25 dollars back. Please note that to utilize the $25 returned bet, you’ll need to roll it over 6 times – i.e. make $150 in bets before using the returned bet as cash.

Mobile – $50 Free Bet

You will notice a trend here – try out different betonline features in exchange for free bets. Up for a wager from your smart phone? Place a bet up to $50 bucks and it will be returned to you in the unlikely event that you lose. To use the returned bet as cash again, you’ll need to bet six times its value – so $300 it bets would be required before you are eligible to use your returned $50.

MLB Dime Lines

Betonline promises dime lines for every game through game 7 of the World Series, guaranteeing some of the best odds available in the market on money line bets, anywhere!

For those unfamiliar with the terminology, a dime line means there is less than a spread of ten between the favorite and the dog using American Odds format. The dog’s odds are represented by a negative number, which shows how much would be earned on a bet of $100. The positive number on the other hand shows how much would need to be bet to earn $100.

So for instance, a -133/+123 line would mean that a $100 bet on the dog would get you $133, while a bet of $123 on the favorite would get you $100.

Racebook Promotions

Bet Rebates up to 7%

That’s right, BetOnline returns 7% of online racebook wagers to it’s customers, every day! (4% for dial in wagers). The rebate runs without limit, and is not determined by wins or losses – just the overall bet amount.

$25 Free Bet on First Racebook Wager

If you have thought about betting on the ponies but have not yet taken the plunge, BetOnline gives a pretty good opportunity to do so with your first bet returned up to $25 if it losses. The returned bet must be rolled over six times before it vests as cash in the account.

Betonline Sportsbook Software

BetOnline targets predominantly US-sportsbetters, so it is no surprise that sports coverage is first the 3+1 – football, basketball and baseball + Hockey ( professional and college coverage), and then adds on international sports like soccer, pool, etc.

In terms of bet types, BetOnline underwhelms a bit in terms of the variety of bets offered.

Live Betting

Live betting offers full US sport coverage and very good lines – however, the variety of bets is ho-hum. You’ll find quarter and half winning bets, as well as point spreads who will score next, etc. but there is really a lack of more absorbing options. Only soccer is represented from international sports in live betting. Sorry, Dart, Cricket and Rugby live betting connoisseurs, you are out of luck.

Parlay Types

Parlay and Robin : Basically, you can box a parlay bet so that each combination of two winners pays out.

If Bet : Parlay’s are risky as they are all or nothing propositions. Bet on a three match parlay and one loss can nullify your entire bet. An If bet and reverse only continues to the next included match if the previous match has come out in your favor. For instance, a three way if bet for $300 would divide the bet between each game. If the first game game out positive, then the second bet would be in play – if not, you have lost only $100 rather than $300. Of course, the odds of a straight parlay are better due to the higher risk.
Please note that once an if bet is placed, you are unable to pull out the money after a successful game. The money is committed, you need to ride the wave, baby.

Reverse Bet : The reverse bet allows a parlay to be set up between two teams, with the order switched between the two bets. Assuming both bets are coinflip $110 bets, a split would result in a loss of $120, two wins would net $400, and two losses would lose $220. If somehow one of the games were to be canceled or tied, the payout would be $100.

Teaser : A teaser is similar to a parlay, with better per game odds. For instance, the point spreads might be narrowed in each of the games. This provides a greater chance of winning, but correspondingly less payouts.

Pleaser : A pleaser is the exact opposite of a teaser – the spreads move against your favor in exchange for crazy big payouts if you hit the parlay.

Racebook Product

The racebook covers most US racecourses and large international events. The book is intuitively designed, with available races and racetracks listed upon sign in. BetOnline offers additional informations about how specific horses matchup and other tips, if you are so inclined.

Most of the bets you’d expect are present within the book. You’ve got your standard win/place/shows, across the boards, exacta, trifectas, and superfectas, all of which can be boxed as desired. You’ll find the occasional daily double, which allows betting on consecutive races at a particular track.

All in all, a very nice product, delivering good track coverage in a nice, easy to use format.

Betonline Mobile Sportsbook

The web-based mobile product is very nicely done, redesigned entirely to suit fat-fingered sports fans. Matches and bet types are easily navigated, and live betting is offered directly from your handheld device.

Last word on BetOnline Sportsbook

Do you bet on sports? Do you live in the United States? If the answer to both these questions is yes, then BetOnline is a consensus choice for top 3 mainstream online sportsbooks in the market. If you answer yes to the third question: “do you want to deposit and withdraw with bitcoin?” then BetOnline tops the list of traditional sportsbooks in the US.

What stops BetOnline from being “just another BetSoft licensee” is their exceptional live dealer program. Table games are served up by beautiful women, and the Costa Rico-based studio ensures full staffing during peak US hours of operation. The online casino itself has a decent variety of games, and the bonuses offered are generous, if at times a bit difficult to clear.

BetOnline Casino: 25% Reload Bonus up to $1,000 on Every Deposit

Get 25% extra on each and every deposit, playable on all casino games aside from Blackjack, Roulette, Craps, Baccarat and Mobile Casino games. The deposit and bonus must be rolled over 50x before payouts will be processed, or the withdrawal amount, or the entire bonus amount will be deducted from the cashout.

Please contact support to receive the bonus.

Casino Slots Bonus: 100% up to $1,000 – Every Deposit!

Slot lovers, this is a bonus for you. 100% on deposits from $100 to $1,000, each and every time! Please note: The deposit and bonus amount must be rolled over 50X on slot games only – and mobile play does not count towards the wagering requirements – before a cashout will be processed. Failure to do so, even after the entire bonus amount has been lost, will result in the reduction of the total bonus amount from the withdrawal.

To take advantage of this bonus, players must request it directly from support.

Highroller Bonus

High rollers are offered additional bonuses based on the total amount of bets placed in the previous calendar month on all games, excluding live casino and mobile games according to the following schedule:

Previous Month's Bet Amoun	Bonus
$75,000-$150,000	$50
$150,000-$250,000	$100
$250,000-$500,000	$250
$500,000-$1,000,000	$500
>$1,000,000	$1,000

This bonus also requires a 50x rollover on games excluding Blackjack, Baccarat, Craps, Roulette and Mobile, or the bonus amount will be removed in full from payout. Though you would think that based on such wagering levels the bonus would instantly vest, the rollover requirement should not be too difficult for high rollers wagering such bet amounts.

The highroller bonus must be requested within the first seven days of the next month.

Ten Percent Casino CashBack

Had a bad run? Go ahead and request the 10% loss rebate at the end of any week on a cumulative loss of $100 a more by sending an email to support, and they will instantly credit your account. The regular rollover requirements apply, will all wagering counted aside from Blackjack, Baccarat, Craps, Roulette, Live Casino and Mobile.

BetOnline Casino Software

BetOnline has a great variety of games, highlighted by the excellent collection of 3D slots thanks to BetSoft.

Video Poker players have over 17 different selections, while those who prefer table games can choose between Baccarat, nine different poker games including Pai Gow, Caribbean Poker, let it Ride and Three Card Poker, Craps, nine different blackjack games and four Roulette tables.

The Betonline has a longstanding partnership with Costa-Rica Global Gaming Labs (GGL) to power their live dealer casino, which has become a bit of a legend in the market. GGL’s angle is to basically employ hot girls as dealers, who dress in skimpy dresses and flirt with the customers. Crass, but hey they know what works I guess.

The live dealer casino offers Baccarat, Roulette and Blackjack.

Blackjack is played at full tables with $5 to $5,000 betting limits. Baccarat offers two varieties and bet levels from $5 to $5,000, while all Roulette is European, with bet limits of $5 and $500.

If it sounds like fun, give it a shot – BetOnline is so sure you’ll like it, your first bet up to $25 is risk free – if you lose, reclaim the bet by sending an email with the ticket number of the bet to support.

Customer Support

Betonline offers 24/7 email and chat support. Though they claim live chat is only offered to players with over $150 in fund in their account, they do not actually abide by their own rule, and chat is accessible for anyone through the create an account page, for instance.

BetOnline has a reputation for rude agents; however, we haven’t had any bad experiences to report.

Bottom Line

BetOnline is one of the oldest, biggest, and most reputable online sportsbetting products servicing the US market. They consistently demonstrate great odds, and have been paying out bets to their clients for close to 15 years.

The sit on the Chico poker network which, though having less action than America’s Card Room and the Winning Poker Network, has softer games due to massive amounts of sportsbook players at the tables. Their casino runs betsoft products, which means you get great 3D slots with excellent graphics, and multiple varieties of all your favorite table games.

With the integration of bitcoin, BetOnline has offered a massively improved method of funding and withdrawing from player accounts, both in terms of cost and quickness.