Note:
This article has been superseded by a more recent, in-depth review. View the most recent review of Pinnacle Sports.
The following is a review of the betting agency Pinnacle Sports. I will update this review periodically to keep the details up to date. You can view other agencies that support Australian dollars here. You can view a list of other international bookmakers here.
Pinnacle Sports is licensed by the Government of the Netherlands Antilles, on the island of Curacao. With customers from over 100 countries, it is regarded as a truly international bookmaker. I hadn’t reviewed Pinnacle Sports before now, because I had wrongly presumed that it didn’t support Australian dollar accounts. Not only does it accept Australian dollars, but it also accepts POLi as a deposit method for Australian bank accounts. This enables you to avoid the hassle of sending them signed copies of your credit card after making a deposit.
The main feature of Pinnacle Sports, which separates it from its competitors, is its reduced margin-pricing model. Pinnacle Sports claims to offer 60% better odds than other bookmakers. For example, Pinnacle Sports offers between 1.95 and 1.96 handicap odds, while most Australian bookmakers offer 1.91 handicap odds. Its profit is derived from lower margins but a far higher turnover.
- New member offers – Pinnacle Sports takes the unique strategy of not offering any new player bonuses. They claim to be the first bookmaker to introduce a reduced margin-pricing model, guaranteeing the best value. According to their website, “we think you will find that the long-term savings that our odds provide, will represent far better value than any bonus, or other sign-up incentive that can be offered by any competitor.”
- Deposit options – Bank Wire Transfer, Cashier’s Cheque, ClickandBuy, Credit Card, Delta Debit Cards, EntroPay, InstaDebit transfer, Moneta, Moneybookers, Neteller, POLi, Przelewy24, Sofortüberweisung, Visa Electron, WebMoney
- Withdrawal options – Bank Wire Transfer, ClickandBuy, Credit Card, Delta Debit Cards, EntroPay, InstaDebit, Moneybookers, Neteller, Visa Electron, WebMoney
- Transaction fees – members receive one free withdrawal per calendar month. All additional withdrawals during the calendar month, for any amount using any withdrawal method, incur a fee.
- Currencies supported – AUD, CAD, CZK, DKK, EUR, GBP, HKD, JPY, MYR, NOK, NZD, PLN, RMB, SEK, SGD, THB, TWD, USD
- Minimum bet – $1 USD or the equivalent in your local currency
- Turnover requirements – none that I’m aware of
- Betting Markets / Options – the sports betting selection is average for the industry. The likes of bet365, Betfair and William Hill offer a better selection, but I’ve seen far worse. The football (soccer) selection is comprehensive, which is to be expected. The NRL and AFL betting is very basic, even in the midst of the AFL and NRL Finals. If Australian sports are your thing, I recommend an Australian bookmaker instead. Pinnacle Sports offers poker and casino games in addition to its sports betting services.
- Live betting – Live ‘in-play’ betting during popular fixtures is available
- Credit facilities – Not that I’m aware of
- Restricted countries – Pinnacle Sports is not available to residents of the United States
- Upsides
- The array of deposit and withdrawal options is fantastic. POLi is available for Australian users
- The range of accepted currencies is as good as you’ll ever see
- The margins genuinely are narrower than its competitors. Most Australian bookmakers offer 1.91 handicap odds, while Pinnacle Sports offers between 1.95 and 1.96 handicap odds.
- Poker and casino games are offered on top of the sports betting service
- The help section is very good
- As far as I’m aware, there aren’t any turnover requirements before withdrawing funds
- According to its website, “Pinnacle Sports offers the highest maximum limits for Internet betting in the industry.” One interesting feature is, when you move your cursor over a betting option, the website displays the maximum bet they will accept on that outcome. This saves you the hassle of inputting a wager only to be turned down when you try to submit it.
- Downsides
- The betting selection for Australian sports is limited
- The minimum deposit of $30 AUD is higher than at most other bookmakers
- The sports betting interface is very basic, although it is intuitive. The website looks like it hasn’t been renovated in ten years.
- Bottom line – Pinnacle Sports has gone to great lengths to distinguish itself as having narrower margins than its competitors. Based on my own experience, I have found this claim to be valid. For this reason alone, this is a fantastic service. Pinnacle Sports is truly an international bookmaker. Its wide selection of account currencies and deposit methods is a huge draw card for its customers from over 100 countries. The service is backed by a large company, and many punters will appreciate the access to poker and casino games on top of the sports betting lineup. One of the key drawbacks for Pinnacle Sports is its weak sporting selection for Australian punters. If you’re into soccer and American sports, however, this won’t be an issue. Another feature that lets Pinnacle Sports down is its interface. While it certainly does the job, the website looks like its design hasn’t been updated in years. Overall, for the fact that its odds genuinely are better than its competitors, I recommend adding Pinnacle Sports to your list of bookmaker accounts.