Pinnacle Review

Pinnacle Sportsbook Summary

Pinnacle is one of the world’s best-loved sportsbooks. Launched back on Aug. 6th, 1998, the gaming site has been serving players for over 20 years — and the odds now are just as good as they were back then, which is great news for Ontario sports bettors.

This sportsbook was initially aimed exclusively at high rollers, but it’s now far more accessible, with tempting odds on all kinds of sports. Its return to player (RTP) on its casino offerings is higher than average, and the range of sports on offer is second to none. Read our full review to learn more about why sports bettors hold Pinnacle in such high regard.

Pinnacle Quick Facts

Pinnacle Locations 

Pinnacle is a global sports betting brand that has been around for over two decades. There are Pinnacle offices in Malta, Sweden, Curacao, and London, while the company’s headquarters is operated out of Curacao. 

Pinnacle officially joined the Ontario market on Oct. 26, 2022 after securing regulatory approval from the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) and iGaming Ontario (iGO).

Sports Leagues to Bet On 

Pinnacle is perfect for sports fans, with a huge range of different games and leagues to choose from. Here are some of our top picks for players.  

NFL Betting

Those into wagering on the NFL will not be disappointed with the array of bets provided on Pinnacle. The spread, Moneyline, and Over/Under markets are nine times out of ten priced better than other sportsbooks. Pinnacle also features a robust game and player prop market, as well as alternate lines that are easily accessible.

In terms of futures, you may want to look to another sportsbook. While you’ll be able to bet on outcomes like the Super Bowl, AFC/NFC conference/division winners, and player awards, markets like the most regular season passing touchdowns are not featured at this sportsbook.

NBA Betting

Fans of the Association will love Pinnacle’s offerings. During the season, Pinnacle will offer competitive prices on all spread, ML, and O/U markets as well as player and game props. Unlike sportsbooks like DraftKings however, there are no options for player prop milestones.

College Football

College football represents an absolutely vast market of wagering, and Pinnacle has you covered in this regard. Like its NFL offerings, Pinnacle offers competitive odds on all major FBS Division I college football games. There are no player props provided for these games, however.

College Basketball

College basketball often gets overshadowed by other sports before March Madness, but at Pinnacle they take it very seriously. You’ll be able to bet on all the major games throughout the season, with a huge market of teams offered to win the NCAA tournament before the season starts.

NHL Betting

The National Hockey League holds a special place for Ontarians, and Pinnacle treats it with the amount of attention and care that it deserves. The sportsbooks has market-best odds for most ML, O/U, and puckline markets for the day’s games plus offer popular player props like shots on goal and goals scored.

MLB Betting

Everyone at one point or another wagers on baseball during the dog days of summer, and Pinnacle gives you plenty of options to do so. From your traditional handicap, ML, and O/U markets to player props, 1st innings and exact score markets, everyone from casuals to hardcore Blue Jays fans will find something to enjoy at Pinnacle.

Other Sports Leagues 

Pinnacle excels at the sheer amount of sports you’ll be able to bet on. From tennis, volleyball, cricket, cycling, darts, Formula 1, golf, handball, NASCAR, horse racing and rugby, people who have signed up and funded an account on Pinnacle will not be let down.

Its soccer market is extensive and has a wide breadth of alternatives that will make more experienced bettors of the sport notice. For example, the easy access of Asian lines (combining two bets such as X team +0.5 and +1) is a big plus. Much like its other major sports league offerings, Pinnacle time and time again has the best price for most of its ML and O/U markets.

Pinnacle now also provides odds on a wide range of eSports. There are competitive odds on everything from CS:GO - ESL Pro League to League of Legends - World Championship. Players can also bet on Mobile Legends - MPL Philippines, Age of Empires - Death Match World Cup, Overwatch, Rainbow Six, Starcraft, Valorant, and many more. Its “eSports Hub” offers a cool and engaging layout to bet on these sports.

Online Betting Experience 

Website Experience 

The Pinnacle website has been designed to work seamlessly on screens of any size, so you’ll find no disparity between the experience on desktop or mobile. It might not be as eye-catching as some of the other sportsbooks we’ve seen recently, but this site certainly makes up for it in terms of user experience. You can easily toggle between the default and dark mode layouts, and adjusting between American or decimal odds is seamless.

The Pinnacle site is incredibly quick and easy to navigate, and leagues can easily be favoured for easy access in the top left corner. However, only five can be featured at a time, while the rest lay under an “All Favourites” tab. I find this a much easier way to get to your preferred sports than navigating through the top sports tab. Your account features can be found in seconds, and the site works brilliantly fast no matter what you need to access.

Pinnacle in several different languages, to suit its global audience. Players can access all the site’s features in any of the following languages: English, Simplified Chinese, Chinese (Taiwan), Czech, Finnish, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Norwegian, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish and Swedish.  

Mobile Betting and Betting App 

Pinnacle has a responsive mobile site, which works well on Android and Apple devices alike. Players can access all sports markets via the mobile site, and the front page automatically shows live games for quick access to the live betting market.

Unfortunately, it is in the mobile app department where Pinnacle really lags behind its competitors. Pinnacle does not have a mobile app available on the App Store or Google Play, as the mobile site is the only way you’ll be able to wager on your cell phone. Its old mobile app “Pinnacle Lite” wasn’t much to write home about as it lacked even the simple ability to live bet on a game. Pinnacle has yet to announce when a new mobile app will be released.

Live Betting 

In-play betting is available on almost all of the sports offered at Pinnacle on their desktop and mobile platforms. They do not have a cash-out feature on live bets, but like most markets, they offer you will usually be able to get a better price than other sportsbooks.

Casino, Poker & Other Gaming Options 

Not just a sportsbook, Pinnacle also has its own online casino with a whole host of different games to try out. It features 2,505 different slots to choose from, as well as 25 different blackjack games, 27 roulette tables, and 48 different table games. Its live casino has 15 different baccarat tables, 20 blackjack games, nine roulette tables, and seven game shows including Monopoly Live and Deal or No Deal.

Sportsbook balance and casino balance are treated differently at Pinnacle, making it seamless to trade casino winnings to the sportsbook and vice versa.

Pinnacle History 

First launched in 1998, Pinnacle was initially known as Pinnacle Sports. It’s always been a fully licensed online sportsbook, but over the years it's grown and improved its offering for players based all over the world.

The site rebranded in 2016 by changing its name to Pinnacle, but the range of sports betting and casino games on offer remained the same. Today, Pinnacle serves players in over 100 countries. It’s available in 15 languages, and it holds gambling licences in several different regions too.  

Customer Ratings & Reputation 

Pinnacle has a longstanding history in the sports betting space and has built a solid reputation over the past 20 years. Players rave about the choice of sports on offer at Pinnacle and the high limits that are available on the site. Its reputation was built by reducing juice on major sports, and that trend continues today. Pinnacle even features betting resources that can help you develop a strategy for betting on the NFL and more. 

Negative sentiments about Pinnacle surround its lack of a mobile app and the fees for withdrawals. The sign-up process can also feel daunting due to the fact that you need to provide a piece of photo ID before you can bet.

Customer Service 

Pinnacle has a responsive customer support team that can be contacted through numerous channels. Live chat is the simplest and easiest way to contact Pinnacle, but players can also opt to email customer services if they prefer.

I found the support team to be helpful and friendly when I sent in a few test queries. My queries were solved fastest via live chat, but email is another good option if you’re in a rush. The customer support email account is monitored 24 hours a day, seven days a week.  

Pinnacle Contact 

• Live chat
• Email: [email protected]
• Twitter: @PinnacleHelp

Pinnacle Legal Betting

Pinnacle is fully licensed by the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario and iGaming Ontario. Players can rest assured that the sportsbook is safe and secure to play at and that there are no concerns regarding the fairness of odds or payout procedures.  

Pinnacle protects players’ information using 128-bit certificate-based encryption. These are the same security standards that major financial institutions use worldwide for online transactions. Players’ personal and financial information is well protected when they play here.

Responsible Gambling 

Pinnacle is committed to helping its players, particularly those who find themselves struggling with problem gambling. They offer a self-exclusion service that can be accessed in your accountHere are some of the recommended partners provided by Pinnacle.

• ResponsibleGambling.org: The Responsible Gambling Council (RGC) is a respected, independent non-profit organization. They have been a leader in preventing problem gambling in Canada and globally for more than 35 years.
• Gambling Therapy: a global service provided by Gordon Moody offering free emotional support and advice to anyone affected by gambling.
• BeGambleAware.org: offers free, confidential help and support to anyone worried about gambling for themselves or others.
• Connex Ontario: A provincial resource dedicated to mental health, addiction and problem gambling community services. It’s available via telephone, email or online chat 24 hours a day/7 days a week.
• Gambling, Gaming, and Technology Use: Provides information on self-help tools and problem gambling treatments.

Why Choose Pinnacle?

Pinnacle is excellent in a few aspects. Its high limits, reduced juice, and expansive market offerings make it a great place to place a bet. If you’re looking to lay down a stack of cash on the spread, Pinnacle feels streets ahead of the competition.

But with the explosion of sportsbooks in the last couple of years, it feels like Pinnacle has been left behind in some ways. The lack of a mobile app and the limited player props from various games can make it feel lacking to our top-rated Ontario sportsbooks like Caesars and FanDuel. Of course that could be very much by design – Pinnacle is very much a sportsbook geared to the more seasoned bettor.

For experienced bettors looking to open up an account at another sportsbook, you could do a lot worse than Pinnacle. For people just getting into sports betting, you may want to dip your toes first with another operator.