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Esports Operator of the Year
As one of the world’s most recognisable betting operators, Pinnacle provides one of the largest online sportsbooks in the industry today, with the company having been founded back in 1998. With clients from over 200 countries from around the world, Pinnacle’s sports betting services are centered around attractive odds, rather than enticing bonuses and promotions. Despite being a relative newcomer to the world of esports betting, with markets introduced back in January 2010, Pinnacle have quickly made a name for themselves within the market, even collecting the SBC 2016 esports Operator of the Year Award. This operator review will take an in-depth look into the services and features provided by Pinnacle Sports, including their esports markets, odds, customer service and safety, among other things. After reading, you will certainly have a much better understanding of Pinnacle’s offerings, enabling you to decide as to whether they are the sportsbook for you.
Interface & DesignClean and Fresh Design for both Desktop and Mobile App
Pinnacle utilise a clean and fresh design for both their desktop website and mobile app, making it easy to navigate between your favourite esports markets. One of the reasons behind their success has been their dedicated esports page, something in which many of their rivals have so far decided against introducing. As a result, users at Pinnacle Sports are able to locate all esports action in just one click of a button, located at the top of the home page. With esports featuring so prominently, it perhaps comes as little surprise that Pinnacle received their 5,000,000th esports bet in February 2017, a great achievement given their time in operation.
The Pinnacle esports page differs somewhat in comparison to the rest of the site, with users firstly greeted with the latest industry news and esports articles, including betting previews and tips. Customers are then free to navigate between pages, by selecting from either the “Latest Odds”, or “Schedule” tabs at the top of the page. Pinnacle offer an attractive betting platform across the board, with their eSports pages taking advantage of the colour orange, that is now synonymous with the company. Clear menu’s and toolbars make it easy for users to navigate their way around the site also, with a whole host of esports bets readily available upon entering.
Bonus Offers & Free BetsPinnacle's main focus is on providing the best odds in the esports market.
As previously mentioned, the main focus at Pinnacle is the odds provided, as well as depth of markets. As a result, Pinnacle fail to offer those who open an account any form of welcome bonus, something of which is a little different to the market norm. Upon entering the Pinnacle Sports homepage, you are automatically greeted by the slogan “The Best Odds”, meaning that they offer some of the lowest margins around when it comes to placing a bet on esports. In the build-up to achieving their 1,000,000th esports bet, Pinnacle provided punters with the opportunity to win a whole host of prizes, of which can be seen below:
• Bet Number: 994,000: $250 plus a Razer Mouse and a Mouse Mat
• Bet Number: 996,000: $500 plus a Corsair Vengeance K95 Keyboard
• Bet Number: 998,000: $1,000 plus Sennheiser G4ME ONE Headphones
• Bet Number: 1,000,000: $2,000 plus a DXRacer Gaming Chair
Despite not being as frequent as some of their rivals, potential customers should be aware that this is not an area in which Pinnacle focus a lot of their attention, with esports betting fans making their money in other areas. While this promotion is now over, the above shows that from time to time Pinnacle will reward their players with some pretty impressive Pinnacle bonuses.
PaymentsRest assured that all your transactions will be processed in complete safety.
When it comes to payment options, Pinnacle provide a whole range of banking methods for both depositing and withdrawing money. Along with traditional payment methods, such as credit and debit cards and bank transfers, Pinnacle ensure that modern platforms such as PaySafe and Skrill are also available, which often ensure for quicker transaction times. All transactions processed are done so in complete safety at Pinnacle, with there being no need for customers to worry about security when it comes to their personal information. A full list of the payment options available at Pinnacle can be viewed below:
Esports MarketsA Plethora of Esports Markets Available
In terms of esports gambling, Pinnacle provide customers with a range of markets in which to take advantage of, including popular titles such as League of Legends, Counter Strike: Global Offensive and Dota 2, among others. With StarCraft 2, Heroes of the Storm and Overwatch also helping to make up one of the most in-depth esports betting pages around, fans with differing wants and needs are all catered for.
While the amount of markets within each game will depend on both the teams involved and the popularity of the tournament, individual map betting, live-betting and handicap betting are regularly available at Pinnacle, with users able to place an esports bet on teams such as SK Telecom T1 and Fnatic to win particular events. While some of their other sports betting markets may offer more diversity in terms of the type of bets available, placing an esports bet at Pinnacle is an enjoyable process, with plenty of options to choose from. While LoL betting has quickly become the most popular market among customers, the likes of Dota 2 and Counter Strike: Global Offensive are major players in certain regions, offering some of the biggest prize pools in the industry.
While the opportunity to back your favourite team to achieve first blood, first to 10 kills or destroy the first tower are not yet available at the Pinnacle esports page, their tournament coverage is of an extremely high level, making a bet on esports available on virtually a daily basis.
Live StreamingA wide range of live streaming options are available at Pinnacle
Unlike some of their competitors, Pinnacle provide customers with a wide variety of live streaming options, making the esports betting process all the more enjoyable and exciting. With live-betting playing such a big part within the markets offered by Pinnacle, the opportunity to simultaneously bet and watch high quality action from the esports world has quickly become a favourite pastime for many. While generally only covering some of the more established esports competitions, including the EU and NA Spring and Summer Splits from League of Legends, DreamHack Series from CS:GO and the DreamLeague from Dota2, such a feature is still certain entice customers into placing esports bets.
A dedicated section on the Pinnacle website, entitled “How to bet on esports live”, ensures that customers never miss out on upcoming action, with a full schedule also made available to users. However, partly due to the nature of the game, Pinnacle do currently not offer any live-betting markets when it comes to CS:GO.
Top 3 Bookmakers with Live Betting
Odds and LimitsPinnacle excels with the best odds on the market
Odds and betting limits are an area in which Pinnacle take great pride in their work, with some of the most competitive and attractive offers around found on their website and mobile app. No matter what your objectives are when it comes to esports bets, whether you are looking to give yourself a little extra spending money or significantly adding to your income, Pinnacle ensure that all types of customer are catered for. Along with a minimum deposit of just $1 making Pinnacle the perfect platform for recreational punters, some of the most enticing betting margins can also be found at Pinnacle, which currently sits at just 3.10% overall, with an average payout of 96%.
With betting limits on esports events generally capped at around $25,000, this amount of money is likely to cover the majority of potential customers. All of these numbers are more than favourable when compared to the rest of the market.
Customer ServiceReachable on Social Media
At Pinnacle, and as with many of their other features, customer service is a little different in comparison to some of their more established competitors. Pinnacle’s social media pages play a significant role in their customer support features, with more and more customers using mobile devices to place their esports bets. As a result, Pinnacle make customers well aware that their Facebook and Twitter pages are tools in which they can contact members of staff, with response rates generally within a matter of hours. The Pinnacle Twitter feed can be viewed on the right-hand side of the desktop site, allowing users to see some of the most recently answered questions and queries. Along with this, a detailed FAQ section is available to read at Pinnacle, which covers information on placing bets, banking and contact details, among others.
A dedicated help section on the Pinnacle esports page is perfect for those new to the industry, with relevant information concerning the market available at all times, including betting advice and help. As well as this, Pinnacle can also be contacted via email and post, with their headquarters based in the Dutch Caribbean island of Curaçao, with their email service available on a 24/7 basis. Despite a lack of telephone or live chat features, issues and problems are still dealt with in an efficient manner, with a whole host of languages available, meaning that customers from around the world are catered for.
SecurityLicensed with MGA and Curacao
Given the heightened exposure upon safety and security over recent years when it comes to placing a bet on esports, Pinnacle have taken all of the necessary precautions to ensure that their betting platform is immune to such issues. All transactions placed at Pinnacle are double checked by members of staff, with any ambiguities quickly spotted, before being dealt with in the necessary manner. No third parties will ever have access to your personal details or banking information, an area in which Pinnacle take pride in their work.
Having originally been located in London, United Kingdom, Pinnacle have since moved to Curacao, holding a full gaming license from the local government, allowing them to operate for 17 years, starting in 2015.
As well as this, Pinnacle have ensured that they completely follow the rules and regulations of the gaming authorities, the bookmaker also received a second betting license back in 2015, from the Malta Gaming Authority, only adding to their safety.
ConclusionAt the height of excellence
Having reviewed all of the necessary information, it is clear that Pinnacle is much more than a run of the mill betting platform. Having offered esports betting markets online since 2010, they have gained an excellent reputation within the industry. With Pinnacle, you will not be in for any surprises, with their sportsbook clearly stipulating what is on offer from the get-go. With some of the most attractive esports betting odds and betting margins around, the potential for hefty payouts is substantial at Pinnacle, no matter which esports title it is that you favour.
Their range of games, from established titles such as League of Legends and Dota 2, to modern favourites including StarCraft 2 and Overwatch, make them an appealing platform for any potential customer, with the type of bets available also certain to please many fans. Having also recently added Street Fighter, Pinnacle have clearly demonstrated that they are open to improving their services and features at every possible opportunity. Already offering one of the finest live-streaming services around, Pinnacle have the potential to grow even further, with their dedicated esports page among the most detailed in terms of its information, markets and odds.
Despite a lack of welcome bonus, Pinnacle remains an attractive option for all types of customers thanks to their odds. Having steadily made improvements in terms of their customer service features and payment options over recent years, ensuring that any problems are quickly eradicated, users at Pinnacle can certainly rest assured that they are in a safe betting environment. As a result, it is clear to see why they have achieved so much in a relatively short period of time, with their volume of customers only set to increase if this review is anything to go by.
