Introduction
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The following is an in-depth review of the betting agency Pinnacle Sports. This review covers the history, features, interface, sports & racing markets, upsides and downsides of the service. This review is part of our comprehensive Bookmaker Reviews section. The Betting Agencies page provides information and reviews for other sports betting agencies that are suitable for Australians. The following details are updated periodically to keep them up to date. |
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History, Location and Licence
Founded in 1998, Pinnacle Sports is located on the island of Curaçao and is licensed in the Netherlands Antilles. The company is a truly global sportsbook, boasting customers from over 100 countries. Since 2004, Pinnacle Sports has offered online casino gaming in addition to its sportsbook. 1
The biggest draw card of Pinnacle Sports is its odds. To the best of our knowledge it offers the lowest margins (best value odds) of any bookmaker that supports Australian dollar accounts. Pinnacle Sports claims to offer 60% better odds than other bookmakers, and our bookmaker margin survey supports this claim. For example, Pinnacle Sports offers line odds between 1.95 and 1.96, while most bookmaker line odds range between 1.87 and 1.92. The Pinnacle Sports business model is centred around low margins and high turnover.
Services and Features
| New member offers | Pinnacle Sports offers better value odds in place of traditional sign up bonuses. |
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| Deposit options | Australian customers: credit/debit card, POLi, bank transfer (to an Australian account), Moneybookers, NETeller, EntroPay, ClickandBuy |
| Withdrawal options | Australian customers: credit/debit card, bank transfer, Moneybookers, NETeller, EntroPay, ClickandBuy |
| Transaction fees | None for deposits. Members get one free withdrawal per calendar month. Additional withdrawals cost between $20 and $35. |
| Currencies | AUD, CAD, RMB, CZK, DKK, EUR, GBP, HKD, JPY, MYR, NOK, NZD, PLN, SEK, SGD, THB, TWD, USD |
| Languages | English, 简体中文, 繁體中文, Suomi, Français, Deutsch, עברית, Italiano, 日本語, Norsk, Polski, Português, Русский, Español, Svenska, ภาษาไทย |
| Odds formats | Decimal, American, Hong Kong |
| Minimum deposit | POLi: $30 Moneybookers, bank transfer, ClickandBuy, NETeller: $15 Credit card, Entropay: equivalent to EUR €20 |
| Minimum bet | $1 USD or the equivalent in your local currency |
| Maximum payout | The maximum limits vary per sport & league but are clearly marked when you view the odds. Pinnacle Sports claims to offer the highest maximum limits for Internet betting in the industry. |
| Deposit turnover requirements | None that we’re aware of |
| Bonus credit turnover requirements | N/A |
| Bookmaker margin | The biggest strength of Pinnacle Sports is its odds. Pinnacle Sports consistently had the lowest margins in our bookmaker margin survey, with an average margin of 102.3%. Most bookmakers were around the 105.2% mark. Learn more about bookmaker margins. |
| Credit facilities | None |
| Forbidden Jurisdictions | United States, Netherlands, Netherlands Antilles, Turkey, Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands (U.S.), United States Minor Outlying Islands, Guam, American Samoa, Northern Mariana Islands, France, French Territories |
| Mobile version of the website? | No |
| Identity checks | Pinnacle Sports reserves the right to request valid proof of identification from all players. Valid proof of identification includes but is not limited to, a picture ID (copy of passport, driver’s license or national ID card) and a recent utility bill listing your name and address as proof of residence. |
| Dormant account fees | None |
Betting Interface and Website Layout
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Rather than use the ubiquitous three-column, [navigation | odds | betting slip] layout that is popular with other bookmakers, the Pinnacle Sports interface displays the navigation, odds, and betting slip one at a time. Each takes up the entire width of the page, and proceeding from one step to the next takes you to a new page. With that being said, the sport top categories are displayed above the odds and betting slip area to facilitate faster navigation. The sports navigation area consists of a two-column page with drop down menus to select sporting leagues and sub-categories. Sub-categories are displayed without reloading the page to save time. The sports are colour coded to highlight which sports are available to bet on and which aren’t. The odds display is unspectacular, but functional. It takes up the entire width of the site and functions as a giant input form. This is in contrast to other bookmakers where you click on the odds and the selection is added to the betting slip. Here, you input your wager amounts into the boxes corresponding to your selections. The maximum accepted wager amounts are displayed when you hover your mouse over a wager input box. Pinnacle Sports uses slightly different betting terms to what you may be used to. For example, they use ’1×2′ or ‘Money Line’ instead of ‘head-to-head’. It doesn’t take long to get used to the different terminology. Once you submit your bets you are taken to taken to a betting slip where you can review your wagers before submitting them. Multi betting (Parlays / Accumulators) are supported. In summary, the Pinnacle Sports interface is simple, but effective. |
Sports navigation
Odds display
Betting slip
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Sports Markets
The betting selection is adequate, but is not a strength of the service. The NRL and AFL are cratered for, but you have to look under ‘Football betting’ to find the AFL odds. For most NRL and AFL fixtures, Pinnacle Sports offers line, head to head and total points markets. If you enjoy exotic wagers on domestic sports, we recommend an Australian bookmaker membership.
As you would expect, international sports are well catered for, with virtually every soccer league under the sun covered. Miscellaneous markets such as Starcraft 2, World Series of Poker and politics are available.
Overall, the selection is more than adequate for most punter’s needs, although some will prefer to use the service useful in conjunction with an Australian bookmaker membership.
Horse Racing
No racing markets were available at the time of review.
Live Sports Betting
Another major draw card of Pinnacle Sports is it enables Australians to bet live online. The live betting interface is the same as that used for the rest of the website. Unfortunately, you have to refresh the page to view the latest odds and the website doesn’t feature live video feeds. If live online sports betting is what you’re after, we recommend bet365.
Other Features
Members can access an XML feed for the Pinnacle Sports odds. This is a great feature for the technically minded punters who wish to set up applications that monitor the latest odds.
Upsides
- Live online betting
- Best odds of any bookmaker we’ve seen
- Good selection of deposit and withdrawal options, including bank transfers to an Australian account. POLi is also available.2
- Pinnacle Sports claims to offer the highest maximum limits for Internet betting in the industry.
- No turnover requirements that we’re aware of
Downsides
- Pinnacle Sports assigns you a Client ID rather than let you choose a username. This is inconvenient when trying to login but can’t remember your ID.
- The betting selection for Australian sports is inferior to that offered by Australian bookmakers
- No horse racing markets at the time of review
Bottom Line
Pinnacle Sports offers by far the best value odds in the industry. It also enables Australians to bet live online. The interface is not feature-packed, but is perfectly functional. Australian sports betting enthusiasts should consider using Pinnacle Sports in conjunction with an Australian bookmaker membership. If you wager with the genuine intent of winning money, then a Pinnacle Sports membership is a must have.
Notes and Sources
- 1 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pinnacle_Sports
- 2 POLi facilitates online bank transfers that are acknowledged by the bookmaker instantly. This enables you to log into your banking provider, transfer money to the bookmaker, and place bets immediately.
