PointsBet Review

PointsBet Summary

Cate Blanchett. Men at Work. The Hemsworth brothers. AC/DC. 

Australia has produced countless high-quality exports over the years — and with apologies to both cinephiles and music buffs, PointsBet Sportsbook might be the best of all. While it doesn’t carry the same name cachet of a DraftKings, Caesars or FanDuel, PointsBet has leaned on creative promos and bet types to make a major impact in states in which it operates.

Here’s a comprehensive look at why PointsBet Sportsbook is one of the best sports betting sites in North America for players who just want to have a little fun (but might not appeal as much to a serious betting crowd).

PointsBet Quick Facts

PointsBet Locations

PointsBet was one of the first sports betting sites to go live in Ontario following the province's April 4, 2022 launch of legal sports betting. PointsBet has gone all-in on Canada – developing a unique Canadian-based operations headquarters with experienced individuals that know the market well – and will almost certainly be among the first sportsbooks when other provinces introduce their own legislation.

“Since day one, we have remained genuine to our promise of building a Canadian sportsbook, with Canadian employees, for the Canadian market,” said PointsBet Canada Chief Executive Officer Scott Vanderwel. “PointsBet Canada’s unmatched speed and ease of use, unrivaled in-game betting capabilities, and unique local partnerships will bring Ontario sports fans a new, responsible, and dynamic form of sports betting and entertainment.”

PointsBet has secured some quality partnerships along the way after becoming the official and exclusive sports betting partner of Curling Canada and the NHL Alumni Association (NHLAA). They also secured sponsorship to become the official sportsbook of national alpine, para-alpine, and ski cross teams, Alpine Canada Alpin (ACA).

Sports Leagues to Bet On

Ontario sports bettors are well taken care of here, with PointsBet offering one of the most comprehensive sets of markets across all six major professional North American sports. Here’s a breakdown of those big six leagues, and how PointsBet serves them:

NFL Betting

PointsBet is all in on NFL betting as one of the top-rated NFL betting sites and Super Bowl betting sites. In September 2021, the brand announced that it will unveil integrations on the Football Night in America studio show and the new Peacock Sunday Night Football Final postgame show, stating that “Our NBC Sports NFL broadcast odds integrations represent a historic and groundbreaking moment for sports betting and PointsBet.”

College Football

In addition to offering a steady diet of NCAA football betting markets all season long, bettors have the opportunity to make Pointsbets, select an alternate spread number across a range of as many as 24 points per team, and even read a pre-written game preview right there on the betting odds page. These are minor enhancements, but they certainly add up.

NBA Betting

PointsBet is the place to be for all of your NBA betting needs. In addition to covering off the basic moneyline, spread and totals options, PointsBet offers hundreds of team and player prop betting opportunities for every regular-season and playoff game. This sportsbook is competitive in this regard with the rest of the industry’s heavy hitters.

College Basketball

Get your college hoops wagering fix with PointsBet, which offers a nice selection of standard and props bets across the Division I sports betting landscape from opening tipoff to the NCAA title game. PointsBet does offer a modest selection of pre-game player prop wagers, but only in states which allow those bets to be made.

NHL Betting

Ontario's NHL betting community is an ardent one – and it is well served by this sports betting site. PointsBet has all of its users’ betting needs covered either before or during the game, with a strong combination of lines, totals, team and player props and futures bets. Users are also presented with some nice boost options built around the NHL team in their region.

MLB Betting

PointsBet has the diamond well-covered with a wide variety of Major League Baseball wagering options. Choose from dozens of player prop options (covering both hitters and pitchers), or stick with team or innings props options. You can also build a Same Game Parlay quite easily on PointsBet, which is a nice feature to have.

Other Sports Leagues

Thanks to PointsBet being an international brand and owning its tech from end-to-end, it has one of the widest ranges of sports offered in the industry.

You’ll find any combination of Aussie Rules, basketball (WNBA, Int’l), boxing, cricket, curling, cycling, darts, eSports, football (CFL, XFL), Gaelic football, golf, greyhounds, handball, hockey (international), hurling, motorsports (NASCAR, F1), netball, Olympics, Rugby League, Rugby Union, soccer (multiple international leagues, World Cup), table tennis, tennis, track & field, snooker, squash, surfing, winter sports, and volleyball.

The available sports markets vary from state to state, so you might not have access to all of the above listed sports based on where you place your bets. 

Online Betting Experience

PointsBet Sportsbook has plenty of fans – but even its most ardent supporters would agree that the site could use a little sprucing. The desktop version features plenty of wasted space, while the app has more redeeming aesthetic qualities but also boasts issues that will have some players tearing their hair out.

Put together the best elements of the desktop and mobile experience and you have an app that would compete favorably with the industry leaders in terms of interface quality and ease of use. But that’s not the case here – and I have to ding PointsBet for that reason.

Website Experience

PointsBet provides a decent – but not great – desktop experience for users.

First, what I like: The odds are really easy to read, whether you’re perusing the main odds menu in the middle of the screen or pouring over your betting card (which remains hidden until you select an initial game). The font sizes for both are larger than the industry standard, which matters for players who aren’t into squint-reading their betting choices.

Unfortunately, this layout also leaves me wanting.

While most desktop sites feature a handy sports menu on the left-hand side, PointsBet has opted to leave this blank; you’ll need to click the hamburger menu in the top-left corner to access the list of sports, boosts and promos. Players also need to select their odds and then add that play to their betting card (the initial click opens a prompt at the bottom of the screen). Why not do what others do and allow players to add games to their card with one click?

Give full credit to PointsBet for going with a simple design – but in this case, it might actually be too simple, resulting in a lot of empty space on the screen. Give us a visible sports menu!

Mobile Betting and Betting App

A mobile-first mentality seems to be the theme with the PointsBet design.

The mobile app layout is much smoother than the desktop. However, it doesn’t save login info or offer Face ID or a PIN number. Users need to manually log in after 10 minutes of no activity, which is a drawback for those betting in-game specifically that want to jump on a bet quickly while watching a game. 

That said, PointsBet has an impressive rating of 4.8 out of 5 based on nearly 24,000 reviews on the App Store. That’s among the highest ratings of any regulated Ontario sports betting site, and speaks to the sustained popularity of the app among the general sports betting public.

Live Betting

PointsBet does feature live betting and streaming for select sports. This is an area PointsBet excels in as it offers one of the broadest selections of in-game bets and props in the industry. You can bet on super-specific bets like quarterback completion percentages and at exactly what second the first touchdown will be scored in a game.

PointsBet is hoping that its in-play betting product will earn it a 10% market share in every state it operates, according to a 2021 quarterly earnings report. Of course, with many of the industry’s big names having improved their in-play experiences, PointsBet faces an uphill battle there.

Casino, Poker, & Other Gaming Options

While you’re likely to see PointsBet continue to innovate on the sports betting side of the ledger, its casino offering feels like a table-stakes proposition that doesn’t really separate itself from a wide range of competitors in each of those states.

Slot games can be sorted by All, Featured, New, Exclusive, with standard offerings across all menus. Not that it will take you long to go through them all; PointsBet offers just 51 slot machine options to Ontario players. Blah. 

PointsBet also offers a token number of live games like Baccarat, blackjack and roulette, along with a handful of video poker options.

PointsBet History

PointsBet is a corporate bookmaker listed on the Australian Stock Exchange with operations in Australia, the United States, Canada, and Ireland. They joined the U.S. sports betting market shortly after PASPA was repealed, becoming the ninth sportsbook to operate in the state of New Jersey in January 2019.

They offer one of the deepest slates of pre-game and in-play betting options in the world, thanks to owning and controlling its technology end-to-end. Their innovative nature shows that they don’t want to just be another book where you place typical bets. Unfortunately, they are quick to limit bettors on a hot streak and limit the number of promos you’re able to take advantage of, making it necessary for you to shop at other books regularly.

In August 2020, PointsBet announced a five-year partnership with NBCUniversal to become the official sports betting partner of NBC Sports. PointsBet plans to commit $393 million worth of marketing spend throughout the partnership. NBC will also see a 4.9% stake in the betting company and receive fees in exchange for customer referrals with an exercisable option to increase ownership up to 25%.

In September 2021, PointsBet announced that it had entered into an exclusive agreement with Austin FC (AFC) of Major League Soccer (MLS), appointing PointsBet as AFC’s Exclusive Sportsbook Partner. PointsBet has also executed a market access agreement with AFC’s home stadium. Under the market access agreement, contingent on enabling legislation, PointsBet is appointed the venue’s exclusive partner for sports betting operations in Texas.

On November 8, 2021, the New York State Gaming Commission recommended PointsBet as one of the nine companies to be awarded a Platform Provider license to operate mobile sports wagering in the state along with FanDuel, BallyBet, BetMGM, DraftKings, Rush Street Interactive, Caesars, WynnBet, and Resorts World.

Customer Ratings & Reputation

From its industry-leading innovation to its proprietary odds offerings, it’s easy to see why PointsBet is one of the most popular sportsbooks in Ontario. Customers will rave about the sheer volume of available betting markets, along with countless live bet options and cool additions like Pointsbets and Create Your Own Bet.

You’ll find standard odds at PointsBet, which doesn’t traditionally open the market but will often offer boosted odds for local teams. In addition, it features promos like the “Crowd Booster” that sees the line move based on the amount of action it’s getting from the public. 

Its biggest flaw is that, if you are an experienced or highly profitable bettor, your limits will drop like the other major sportsbooks. PointsBet will also restrict you from opting into specific events. For this reason, we always suggest that bettors have active accounts set up at most major competitors such as BetMGM, Caesars or FanDuel.

There’s also the issue of more experienced bettors no longer having access to promos that are specifically designed for new or less active customers. This might endear PointsBet to first-time bettors but predictably doesn’t sit well with loyal PointsBet users who suddenly find themselves on the short end of the site’s promo opportunities.

But these are either minor quibbles or issues that every major sportsbook presents. And if you need further proof that PointsBet is one of the most revered betting sites in North America, look no further than its 3.8/5 rating on Trustpilot – an absolutely unheard of score for a sportsbook. It helps greatly that PointsBet has responded to 97% of negative comments on the site.

Customer Service

PointsBet prides itself on providing one of the best customer service experiences in the industry – and it’s fair to say it has achieved just that. The 24/7 live chat service quickly connects players to helpful, courteous customer service representatives who provide quick assistance. Even the email response is faster than most major sportsbooks.

In addition to helping players through customer service channels, PointsBet has one of the most detailed Help sections of any regulated sports betting site in Ontario. On it, you’ll find a whopping 13 tabbed FAQ options, broken down into categories like Sports Betting 101, My Account, Casino and Rules, Terms and Conditions.

Read the notable review sites and you’ll find some disgruntled users, but this is par for the course in the sportsbook industry. Where complaints are concerned, PointsBet appears to have the fewest of any of the major sports betting sites.

PointsBet Contact

• Phone: 1-833-338-PBET
• Email: [email protected]
• 24/7 live chat
• Detailed Help section

PointsBet Legal Betting

PointsBet Sportsbook is regulated in Ontario by the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario and iGaming Ontario.

Responsible Gambling

Here is a list of some recommended resources for Ontario players:

• 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. Operators in Ontario are required to register with RGC to operate in the province.
• ConnexOntario: ConnexOntario provides service information for people experiencing problems with gambling, drugs, alcohol, or mental health. Helpful, supportive system navigation specialists answer all calls, emails, or web chat requests 24/7. Call 1-866-531-2600 for more info.
• BeGambleAware.org: offers free, confidential help and support to anyone worried about gambling for themselves or others.
• Gambling Therapy: a global service provided by Gordon Moody offering free emotional support and advice to anyone affected by gambling.

Why Choose PointsBet?

There’s plenty to unpack with PointsBet – and fortunately, most of it is positive. Its innovative Pointsbetting offering is a game-changer for Ontario bettors who like to live a little more dangerously, and is the cornerstone feature of a sports betting site that has prioritized finding the most creative ways to attract and retain customers.

This, combined with a selection of betting markets that rivals virtually any sports betting site in the country, gives PointsBet plenty of currency with new and casual bettors. I would happily extend that to include more experienced wagerers were it not for PointsBet’s unfortunate tendency to limit successful bettors and reduce incentives for veterans. 

Still, the positives far outweigh the negatives here – and while PointsBet might not get to its target market share in some states, it isn’t going away. If you’re an Ontario bettor looking for a first or new sportsbook, give PointsBet a try. You might just wind up feeling thunderstruck (in a good way).

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