Expert View of BetOnline Sportsbook
BetOnline has become a top sports betting site in recent years in the U.S. Their large deposit bonuses and fast payouts make BetOnline as well as their sister site, Sportsbetting.ag, elite options.
BetOnline Sportsbook Summary
BetOnline has been in the offshore industry for over 15 years and has taken a much larger hold in American betting markets in the last several years.
It began as Best Line Sports in 2001 before the company acquired BetOnline.com and subsequently moved to BetOnline.ag. They rebranded the company into BetOnline in 2007 after purchasing the .com domain.
BetOnline operates out of Panama City, Panama. They accept sports bettors from the United States and worldwide. Their poker room has become popular for US players and has brought many customers to the site in recent years. They also offer a full-service online casino.
They accept players from all around the world, but most of their customers come from the United States. BetOnline.ag operates a skin sportsbook at Sportsbetting.ag. Sportsbetting.ag shares the same odds, service staff, and cashier as BetOnline.ag.
A Personal Opinion on BetOnline
What we like about BetOnline Poker
The site has turned into one of the more reliable options for bettors. Although they have had issues with payout speeds in the past, sports bettors have always gotten paid. Over the previous two years, their withdrawal speeds for all methods have improved. They are one of the top sites on our monthly U.S. Offshore Online Sportsbook Payout Report.
BetOnline offers loads of seasonal promotions. They also offer a host of competitive odds in American betting markets. The sportsbook has been close to perfect for US bettors in their recent history. This is something that isn’t said about a majority of betting sites, regardless of the market.
They post their lines earlier than most sportsbooks online. Bovada often doesn’t post their odds until Tuesday for the coming week’s NFL games. BetOnline has these out on Sunday evening. They also have NBA games that take place the next evening available for betting before the current evening’s games even tip off. Night limits are low (usually $250 or less), but it still allows gamblers to get money down long before other sites even post their odds.
BetOnline isn’t going to change their policies purely based on the opinion of their customers, but they have made changes in recent years that have been beneficial. After charging an absurd fee for Bitcoin deposits and withdrawal – they’ve removed all fees for the crypto-currency, after heavy customer complaints.
What We Don’t Like About BetOnline
While their past few years have come with mostly positive reviews, perhaps because of a change in management, BetOnline has a shady past when it comes to treating online poker players fairly. It’s worth saying that sports bettors who profit have not run into these problems.
Even so, BetOnline’s past treatment of poker players is worrisome to all customers. There have been several instances where players ran up large balances in the poker room and then have their accounts frozen. Meanwhile, the players themselves got accused of fraud and chip dumping.
One player even had $65,000 frozen by BetOnline management, which offered no evidence to the player or community that he was guilty of chip dumping. However, after several months, this dispute and several others (less than a half-dozen) were resolved. The players were able to cash out their full balances.
It may be hard to take our “What We Like About BetOnline” seriously after detailing the attempted theft the operator tried to pull with their big poker winners, but they have cleaned up their act plenty since then.
There hasn’t been an incident like this in three years. In general, withdrawal speeds from BetOnline have improved since then. This is a black mark on their resume. Remember though, the players’ funds got returned to them, and they were able to withdraw in full.
Also, sports bettors have never had any issues receiving their winnings. This has only happened to a select few poker players nearly three years ago. Nevertheless, it deserves mentioning.
Since we are actively promoting and recommending BetOnline to players, we at Safest Betting Sites believe that their transgressions are far behind them. BetOnline is clearly above-average, bordering on elite, sportsbook, in the much-maligned US-facing online sports betting industry.
What Players are Saying about BetOnline
Bettors have mostly positive things to say about BetOnline. They are favorites of sports gamblers due to their large bonuses and early opening lines. Feedback on payouts have been strong, and management has come a long way in the past few years. They’re regularly getting A-ratings on our U.S. Offshore Online Sportsbook Payout Report.
BetOnline Deposits and Withdrawals
Deposit Methods
BetOnline is one of the most versatile sites when it comes to deposit options. Credit card or debit card is the most convenient choice for deposits. Players will not only be able to use Visa and MasterCard but other cards such as Discover and Diners Club. Few sites accept more than MasterCard and Visa, (many accept only Visa deposits) so this is a huge leg-up for BetOnline. Credit card deposits are instant and are free of charge. The crypto-currency, Bitcoin is also accepted.
Person-to-person transfers are another popular method. Support may take a few hours to pick up the transaction. The player accounts have the deposit credited shortly after. These have fees, but BetOnline will reimburse players who deposit $300 or more when using this method.
The above methods offer a maximum deposit of $1,000 and $1,400, respectively, but for bettors who want to deposit more money there are several other options. Players can mail a certified check which has a $25,000 maximum deposit, or send a bank wire which has no maximum deposit amount. Both of these take several business days or more, but are by far the best option for depositing.
Payout Methods
For withdrawal speeds, BetOnline falls right into the industry standard (if not slightly better). Their speeds have improved drastically in recent years.
Checks
Processed checks arrive in 1-2 weeks and have a processing fee of $25 per check. There is a maximum amount of $2,500 per check. An express check will cost $50, but will arrive in under a week.
Bank Wires
Bank wires take around the same time to process and come with varying fees from $50-$75 depending on the fees charged by the banks. These have a minimum withdrawal amount of $500 and a maximum amount of $15,000.
Person-to-Person
Finally, person-to-person transfers are also available as a withdrawal method. Processed in under two business days, making the the fastest option. They have a max amount of $1,000 and come with fees ranging $35-$120 depending on the amount requested.
One drawback compared to other sportsbooks is that BetOnline does not offer a free withdrawal every month or 30 days. Most sites will offer a complementary check to players during this time frame, but customers will have to pay for each withdrawal at BetOnline.
A Note for Bitcoin Users
In March 2015, BetOnline became one of several sites to adopt Bitcoin as a deposit and withdrawal method. The crypto-currency is ideal for online gambling for many reasons, which include its small or nonexistent processing cost.
Players can deposit up to $5,000 via Bitcoin. Deposits are quick and processed as fast as the blockchain will allow. No more than a few hours, but usually much faster. Withdrawals processed at BetOnline take 48 hours or less.
BetOnline used to charge a whopping 6.5 percent on deposits with Bitcoin and 2 percent on withdrawals. They got rid of the deposit fee in August 2016, and in January, 2017 eliminated the 2 percent fee on payouts. BTC cashier processing now comes with no fees at BetOnline.
We can understand charging a slight processing fee, but the above fees are highway robbery. Worst of all, there is no mention of the 6.5 percent fee on the cashier screen where players choose their deposit method.
BetOnline Sportsbook Bonuses
Details
50% up to $2500
- No expiration
- 10x Rollover
- 25% up to $1,000 lifetime
bonus
BetOnline offers loads of year-round promotions for major sports. Their standard deposit bonus is 50% Welcome Bonus up to $2,500 for players on their first deposit. This deposit comes with a 10x rollover.
Yes, they call it a “lifetime bonus guarantee” and that’s a fairly accurate statement. All that is required is that you use the bonus code listed on BetOnline.ag and that you have a zero balance, along with no pending rollovers.
The rollover rate is 6x, which includes the deposit amount, the bonus amount, and any fees associated with the deposit. A 6x rollover isn’t elite, but it’s not terrible either, particularly when players can get up to $1,000 in freeplay.
Of course, players also don’t have to receive a bonus, and can just deposit and bet with their own funds.
BetOnline offers several other promotions, including a Live Betting $25 Freeplay and a $50 Mobile Betting Freeplay.
100% Bitcoin Bonus
Before the upcoming 2017-18 NFL football season, BetOnline added another promotion, specific to Bitcoin depositors. If you’ve never made a deposit with Bitcoin before at BetOnline – you’re in luck. Bettors will earn 100% Bonus up to $1,000 on their first-ever Bitcoin deposit. Use the promo code “BTC2017” on any deposit from $20 to $1,000 to receive the bonus. The bonus has a 14x rollover.
BetOnline Bonus Tip
Be sure to maximize your freeplay funds when you make your first deposit. Use the bonus code “NEW2500” while making your initial deposit and deposit $5,000, if possible. This will ensure you receive the maximum bonus available, $2,500.
BetOnline Highlights
BetOnline has been one of the best sportsbooks online in recent years. Their ascent to the top is due to one of the largest deposit bonuses online, unlimited reload bonuses, and most importantly, fast payouts.
Their numbers of markets are impressive, along with their betting limits. BetOnline is the perfect hybrid for recreational sports bettors and professionals. They have all the bonuses that recreational players want, and the large betting limits that professional level bettors desire.
Betting sites like BetOnline are favorites in our book. Not only do they have an online sportsbook, but they’re a “one-stop shop” for just about any form of betting. They have a Vegas-style online casino, live casino, online poker, and other forms of betting all from the same account.
Tons of Betting Options for Americans
BetOnline, more than any other US-facing sportsbook, focuses heavily on American betting markets. The site has a long list of sports they offer. These include, auto racing, boxing, cricket, darts, golf, martial arts, rugby, snooker, soccer, tennis, lacrosse and Olympic events. Each one of these sports has future markets, as well.
Even with these options, bettors will have a much larger list of markets centered on American sports. This is a positive because the vast majority of their customers are US residents.
Straight bets, parlays, teasers and pleasers, if-bets and reverses, are all available. Depending on the sport, there will be a host of other options, including first half lines, quarter lines, half-time lines, and 5-inning lines.
BetOnline offers a host of team and player props for the bigger sports and contests. This means loads of propositions for NFL games across the board and a host for nightly basketball, hockey, and baseball matchups.
BetOnline’s live betting menu is excellent. They offer a fluid and simple interface and a large list of games that are available daily for live betting. Their markets aren’t as advanced as other sites and their client isn’t as smooth as top-tier platforms like Bovada, but bettors won’t be disappointed.
Ideal for Sports Bettors
BetOnline is ideal for bettors who want to bet openers. They have a ton of betting options and make an excellent site to deposit at if you’re looking to bonus whore. They’re also an excellent site for just about everything from one account, including sports betting, poker, casino gambling, and financials.
Competitive Odds
Like many other sportsbooks that cater to recreational bettors rather than high-volume professional types, BetOnline shades their side toward the public action. This means getting that extra half-point on an underdog will be easier here compared to other sportsbooks.
They also post their lines much faster than other sites in the US market. Only Bookmaker and perhaps 5Dimes beat them to the punch, but it’s very close. They will usually have NFL lines for the next week posted by the start of the Sunday Night Game.
The same goes for other sports. They offer overnight lines and are often one of the first sportsbooks to post odds for the next day’s NBA or MLB games. Speaking of MLB, BetOnline offers dime lines up to -199 pricing, even overnight.
They have 6-point NFL teasers at -110, which is right around the market standard. Their two-team parlays are slightly below average at +260.
Large Wagering Limits
BetOnline offers bets as low as $1 and bets as high as $25,000 on certain sides and totals. Overall, the sportsbook is middle-tier in terms of betting limits. They cater to recreational bettors and those that are betting middle to high stakes.
Like most sportsbooks, the more popular the sport, the higher the betting limit. BetOnline offers a $25,000 wager limit for NFL spreads Thursday-Sunday, and $15,000 limits during the same time frame for college football.
For basketball, the NBA caps sides at $10,000 and $5,000 on money lines and totals. College basketball goes even lower, at $3,000 on point spreads, $1,500 money line and $1,000 totals maximum. NHL hockey is a max of $3,000 across the board.
Of course, smaller market sports are usually even lower, along with some proposition markets. Some may be as low as $250, but the maximum for these types of bets is around $500.
BetOnline won’t accept the enormous wagers that Bookmaker does, but it’s a perfect place to run up a deposit and bonus and still be able to bet if you like.
Related Online Sportsbooks
Betonline Support
As most large offshore operators do, BetOnline offers support 24/7/365 via phone, email, and live chat support. Their staff is available all the time, but support is one area in which bettors have reported that the sportsbook is lacking.
Employees are often unaware of the shop’s policies through the live chat support. Players often have to explain issues to multiple representatives several times through email or chat. Players do report issues as resolved eventually. BetOnline’s support staff is not one of their strong suits.
Betonline Sportsbook – In Conclusion
BetOnline has become an elite option for Americans looking to bet online. They’re now right up there with Bovada as the best overall betting site. Few sites can top their bonuses offers, early lines, an abundance of markets, and large betting limits. Their cashier is also one of the best regarding payout speeds and available methods.
Sports betting aside, BetOnline is one of the best all-in-one gambling sites for US players. Their poker room is full of fish, where players can easily transfer funds back and forth from their sportsbook account.
Their past issues are now in the rearview mirror and we’re happy to recommend them as a top choice for sports bettors.
- One of the largest sportsbooks online.
- Massive $2,500 Sign-Up Bonus.
- Some of the largest wagering limits for Americans.