Bookmaker Sportsbook Review: Casino, Poker & More

Overview of Bookmaker Sportsbook

Bookmaker is one of the most widely recognized sports betting sites in the U.S. It’s been around since 1996, and in 2007 its rating moved from an A to an A+. It appears to be licensed in Costa Rica, and it’s a rival to the likes of Pinnacle.

With a stellar reputation for being where the pros go, and with its motto “Where the Line Originates,” Bookmaker has always been aimed at high stakes gamblers who want a betting site that won’t limit them.

To that end, Bookmaker welcomes winners of all types, including recreational players who are on a lucky streak. It accepts Bitcoin and numerous other cryptocurrencies, and it always pays out quickly and reliably.

Things To Consider Before Signing Up 

Before you sign up for any sports betting site, there are a few things you should consider first:

• Sports variety – Has the sportsbook got the sports you prefer to bet on? What are the markets and odds like, too? Is there value to be had here?
• User interface – A poor user interface can really ruin your enjoyment. Make sure the site is easy to use and loads quickly
• Bonuses and promos – As well as a good welcome bonus, check to see if the sportsbook runs regular promotions and offers a rewards program
• Casino – Most sports betting sites come complete with casinos but some are better than others. Take a look at the casino before signing up to make sure it’s got your preferred games, and that it offers excellent gameplay and graphics
• Payment methods – It’s essential that you learn whether or not a sportsbook offers your preferred payment method
• Security – Site security is paramount to your enjoyment. You can learn more about a site’s security by reading their ‘About Us’ page

Bookmaker Sportsbook Broken Down: What’s It Got? 

Sports Variety 

Bookmaker does a lot of things well, but one of the areas where it’s lacking is in terms of sports variety.

Don’t get me wrong, all the big sports are covered here. But bettors who have niche sports that they prefer to bet on might be left disappointed, especially when you consider that this is one of the few high limits sites around.

Here is a rundown of all the sports offered at Bookmaker:

• Football
• Basketball
• Soccer
• Baseball
• Hockey 
• Golf 
• Tennis
• Martial arts
• Table Tennis
• Boxing 
• Rugby 
• Cricket 
• Aussie Rules 
• Handball

eSports and sports sims are also offered, but the likes of volleyball, boxing, UFC, motorsports, and snooker are all absent. Altogether, it’s a curious list but what Bookmaker does really well is it offers a variety of betting options and markets for all the major sports.

For example, soccer coverage is super in-depth. As well as covering the big leagues, such as the English Premier League, the Spanish La Liga, and the Italian Serie A, Bookmaker offers markets for more obscure leagues, such as the Estonian league and the Finnish leagues.

Betting options and lines are varied meanwhile. You can bet on over and under in the basketball, totals, halves, and lots of props. For the big sporting events, including the Super Bowl and the French Open (tennis), Bookmaker offers a high amount of exotic bets, futures, and more props.

And when it comes to the odds, Bookmaker is hard to beat. They like to boast that they’re the sportsbook that sets the lines, and their odds are definitely some of the sharpest around.

Live Betting

Live betting is now offered by all the top sportsbooks – and it’s available at Matchbook.

You can easily find all the live betting opportunities by clicking the ‘Today’s Live Betting’ tab at the top of the left-hand column.

All the major sports come with in-play opportunities, and there are a decent amount of markets offered. That said, betting options are generally limited to lines, totals, and moneylines. Moreover, Bookmaker doesn’t provide in-play stats and data, such as how many points have been scored. Instead, you’ll need to get this crucial data from another website or tool.

It’s worth mentioning, too, that most of the minor/niche sports don’t come with in-play betting options.

Also, the key to a good live betting experience is fast loading time. Bookmaker disappoints slightly on this front, as from my own experience site speed isn’t the best. Sometimes, you can be left waiting for more than a few seconds for a page to load. When you’re in a hurry to get a bet on before the odds change, this isn’t helpful.

Casino

Perhaps one area where Bookmaker doesn’t excel is with its online casino. Indeed, this casino appears to be more of an afterthought than anything else. That’s not massively surprising when you consider that Bookmaker’s sportsbook is where the pro’s go, and is obviously the company’s main focus.

However, it’s still disappointing that – as I write this – there are only 8 slots games to enjoy. There used to be 14, but it seems as though Bookmaker has done a bit of pruning. Current titles include Arthur’s Realm and Legends of Hercules.

On the plus side, Bookmaker’s selection of table games is good, and all the classics are here, including Blackjack and Baccarat. There’s actually a fine selection of blackjack games available (personally, I’m a huge blackjack fan) and this includes switch blackjack, Spanish blackjack, and Double Exposure.

There is also a Free Casino section for those who are just looking to have a bit of risk-free fun.

You will also find a selection of bingo games at Bookmaker, but overall the casino is definitely average compared to rivals.

Poker

One of the best aspects of Bookmaker is its poker room. Here, you will find a good selection of poker games, including lots of video poker titles. There are also tournaments going on all the time, and you can find out what’s happening and when by clicking on the calendar.

Also, if you’re not sure of the rules of poker or any other casino game, Bookmaker has a handy rules section where you can get clued up. Here, you can also read the terms and conditions.

However, I will add that Bookmaker’s collection of variants is nowhere near as varied as some sites. Seven-card stud, Omaha, and Texas Hold’em are, of course, here – but so much is missing. Competition can be unreliable, too, as the poker room isn’t the heaviest in terms of traffic. You will also find that stakes veer between micro and macro inconsistently too.

Racebook

Like the casino, Bookmaker’s racebook feels almost like an afterthought. I can only assume this is because it doesn’t generate as much cash for the site because – as mentioned – this is a site aimed at professional sports bettors.

So how does the racebook stack up?

Well, it’s not great. It’s about as basic as basic can be and, at the time of writing, features only a handful of racecourses that you can bet on, and these include Belmont Park, Arlington Park, Ellis Park, Indiana Downs, and Maywood Park. The 2020 Florida Derby is available to bet on at the moment – but really, not a lot else.

If horses are your preferred sport to bet on, my advice is that you look elsewhere. You won’t find what you’re looking for here.

User Interface

A sports betting site’s user interface often seems so challenging for companies to get right because you see so many that are just hard to navigate and use.

Fortunately, Bookmaker is not only one of the most professional sportsbook’s around, it’s also one of the cleanest in terms of how it looks. Its interface is uncluttered and neatly organized, and making your way around the site is a breeze.

Essentially, this is an intuitively designed website that somehow manages to squeeze all of its many lines together in such a way that it’s easy on the eye. Moreover, the whole betting process is straightforward, and my only complaint is that site speed is a tad below average.

Mobile Betting

Like all the best sports betting sites, Bookmaker offers mobile betting. This lets you place your bets on the move wherever you are.

There’s no actual app to download – instead, you just need to visit the Bookmaker from your mobile browser and access the website from there. It’s a fully responsive website that works well on Windows Phone, Android, and iOS, and it looks pretty much exactly the same as the desktop version.

All the same sports and markets are there, and it actually loads faster than the desktop version. This means that if you enjoy in-play betting action, you might be better advised to use the site’s mobile version when placing your bets.

Payment Options

As mentioned earlier, it’s really important that you take a look at a sports betting site’s payment options to make sure it’s got your preferred method.

Bookmaker offers a fairly comprehensive amount of deposit and withdrawal methods, and they were one of the first to accept cryptocurrencies. And they don’t just accept Bitcoin – they actually accept a large number of cryptos.

Bear in mind that each method comes with its own minimum and maximum deposit/withdrawal amounts, and there are fees attached to each withdrawal method except cryptocurrency.

Bonuses and Promotions

There is a decent amount of bonuses and promos available at Bookmaker. Before you take advantage of any of them, make sure to read the terms and conditions first.

• Welcome bonus – Bookmaker’s sign up bonus is split between a pair of 50% match deposit bonuses. One is for the sportsbook and the other is for the casino. Both are capped at $300.
• Reload bonus – The reload bonus varies between 10 and 15% and is only available in the sportsbook. It’s much as $2,500.
• Early Bird Tuesday – If you deposit $50+ on either Tuesday or Wednesday, you can earn an extra 20% match deposit bonus.
• Horses rebate – Horse racing fans can grab 8% cash back each day on losing (and even winning) bets.
  Casino slots bonus – Slots fans can grab a 100% match deposit bonus up to $500.

What Are Others Saying About Bookmaker?

For the sake of fairness and transparency, I like to take a look at what others are saying about the sportsbooks I review.

When it comes to Bookmaker, customers praise their high limits and the fact they welcome winners. However, some would like to see more sports variety: