Bookmaker is one of the sharpest sportsbooks online. They’re tough to beat and take the biggest action out of any betting site that services U.S. players.
The sportsbook is ideal for professional-level sports bettors who want higher betting limits. Bookmaker is one of the most renowned online betting sites in online gambling history.
The sportsbook’s roots go back to 1985, long before the proliferation of online wagering.
They began taking bets offshore via phone lines and launched their first online website in 2000. Today, Bookmaker bases out of Costa Rica but has many offices around the world.
Players from All Over the World are Welcome
They accept players from every country in the world, including those in the United States. Though most of their clients are from the United States, they have a strong global presence.
They have an unmatched legacy in the industry as one of the pioneers of online betting markets.
Besides their sportsbook offerings, Bookmaker offers an online poker room and online casino. Bookmaker shares ownership with another sportsbook, BetDSI.
Though they share ownership details, BetDSI may offer different promotions and odds. They share the same support staff, as well as deposits and withdrawals; processed through the same team.
Best Betting Site Alternatives To Bookmaker Sportsbook
Is Bookmaker A Legit Sportsbook?
Yes, Bookmaker is a legit betting site. Despite having some of the sharpest odds online, there is no better model of success in the offshore betting industry than Bookmaker.
Their two-decade track record speaks for itself. While betting their odds daily certainly isn’t advisable, their early lines are excellent for bettors who want to get on prices before the big moves that come the next day.
Bookmaker is one of the top choices for sports bettors in the United States.
A Personal Opinion on Bookmaker Sportsbook
What We Like About Bookmaker
Any online sportsbook that has been around as long as Bookmaker deserves the respect of US bettors, especially in a climate that is far from ideal.
The books’ massive betting limits mean everyday gamblers can trust them. Hundred dollar bets are nothing to this bookmaking giant.
Placing wagers under six figures is an easy task.
Bookmaker has an unblemished reputation across the industry.
They have paid players consistently for decades. They didn’t miss a beat even when the DOJ targeted their business and seized some of their payment processors.
What We Don’t Like About Bookmaker
This isn’t ideal for smaller players who rely on bonuses to jumpstart their bankroll. It’s hard to say this is a big negative, however.
Bookmaker is simply a higher limit sportsbook; their focus is for the professional level bettor, not beginning or novice sports bettors.
With that said, their significant bet limits do make them a bigger target for the Feds.
The US federal government has shown they will waste millions only to take down a domain name, and as we mentioned above, they have gone after them in the past.
This isn’t a major concern, but something worth mentioning.
There are little inefficiencies in their lines. As is the case with all sportsbooks that take in high limit wagers, their lines are sharp (if they’re not they will be out of business).
They have the sharpest lines out of any US-facing sportsbook, and that means they’re tough to beat. On the flip side, they are much slower to cut the limits of profitable bettors.
If you can manage to beat them, which could be difficult, you may be able to stay awhile and run up tens of thousands in profit.
Online Sportsbooks Worth Considering
- Rating
- Deposit Bonus
- Live Odds
- Cashier Fees
- Accepts Crypto
- Banned Regions
- Live Support
- Deposit Bonus:100% Up To $2,500
- Live Odds:Yes
- Cashier Fees:No Fees With Crypto
- Accepts Crypto:Yes
- Banned Regions:None
- Live Support:Yes
- Bet & Win at BetUS
- Deposit Bonus:50% Up To $1,000
- Live Odds:Yes
- Cashier Fees:Yes, But Crypto Payouts Are Free
- Accepts Crypto:Yes
- Banned Regions:None
- Live Support:Yes
- Bet & Win at Bookmaker
- Deposit Bonus:50% Up To $250
- Live Odds:Yes
- Cashier Fees:Free $50 payout per month/ BTC free
- Accepts Crypto:Yes
- Banned Regions:None
- Live Support:Yes
- Bet & Win at BetOnline
What Bettors Are Saying About Bookmaker.eu
There are few negatives surrounding Bookmaker.eu. Many complaints surround how sharp their odds compared to other sportsbooks. They have never stiffed a player on their winnings.
Bookmaker.eu Deposits and Withdrawals Methods
Bookmaker offers a bevy of different deposit options for US players.
In general, their deposit methods provide higher than the average default maximum deposits compared to other sportsbooks.
The most popular deposit method is by Visa card, which offers a max deposit of $1,00 per transaction. These are instant and free.
MasterCard and American Express are also available and have the same max per transaction, but have a much lower success rate than Visa.
Bitcoin Deposits and Payouts
In February 2015, Bookmaker added the crypto-currency, Bitcoin, as a cashier option. Players can deposit and withdraw up to $50,000 per transaction. Deposit acceptance takes roughly 20 minutes.
Withdrawals process within 1-2 days. There are no fees when depositing and withdrawing. They also accept a variety of other cryptocurrency deposits, including Litecoin, Bitcoin Cash, Ether, and Dash.
Withdrawal Methods
Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies are the most popular payout methods at Bookmaker.eu. They come just a $10 minimum for payouts and a $100,000 monthly maximum.
They’re by far the best method when it comes to payout speeds and costs. Most withdrawals are processed within 24 hours with all cryptocurrencies, including Bitcoin.
The second most popular withdrawal option for players is bank draft (check). These come with a $50 fee and a maximum amount of $3,000 per check. They take 1-2 weeks to process.
Bank wires come with the same fee, plus added costs from intermediary and receiving banks. Bank wires have a $10,000 minimum, but a $20,000 maximum withdrawal. They process in a similar timeframe as checks.
Person-to-person transfers come with varying fees depending on the amount. These process fast, but have a maximum withdrawal amount of $500. Players receive them in less than 24 hours during business days.
| Method | Deposit | Payout | Minimum Limit | Maximum Limit | Estimated Payout Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Visa |
Deposit: $25Payout: 0 | Deposit: $1000Payout: 0 | N/A | ||
 MasterCard |
Deposit: $25 | Deposit: $999 | N/A | ||
 American Express |
Deposit: $25 | Deposit: $600 | N/A | ||
 Bitcoin |
Deposit: $10Payout: $50 | Deposit: $50,000Payout: $100,000 | 24hrs | ||
 Cryptocurrencies |
Deposit: $10Payout: $50 | Deposit: $50,000Payout: $100,000 | 24hrs | ||
 Check |
Payout: $50 | Payout: $3000 | 3-5 Days | ||
 Bank Wire |
Payout: $10,000 | Payout: $20,000 | 3-5 Days | ||
 MoneyGram |
Deposit: $25Payout: $100 | Deposit: $500Payout: $350 | 3-5 Days |
Bookmaker Sportsbook Bonuses
Bookmaker has several bonus options for new players when they make a deposit.
The best deposit bonuses are only available using cryptocurrencies and for new players making their first deposit. There is only one bonus available for cash deposits (deposit not using cryptos)
There are three crypto bonus options:
- 25% Up To $500 (8x rollover)
- 50% Up to $500 (15x rollover)
- 100% Up to $300 (30x rollover)
Bettors will not need a bonus code to receive each bonus when making a deposit. Bonuses are optional, and you can select if you want a bonus or not inside the cashier when you make your deposit.
Bonuses do not expire at Bookmaker. They are cash bonuses and not freeplay. Once you complete the rollover requirement, you can withdraw your bonus and any funds you won or deposited.
The bonus is only available for American and Canadian residents.
Reload Bonuses
Bookmaker does reload bonuses for customers. These are a lot less when it comes to the percentage of your deposit that is eligible for the bonus, but bettors can still receive some reload bonuses in more significant amounts.
Here are their current offers for reload bonuses:
- Reload Gold 10% Cash Up to $600 (4x rollover)
- Reload Platinum 15% Cash Up to $2,500 (5x rollover)
- Reload Diamond 20% Cash Up to $5,000 (5x rollover)
Bookmaker.eu Sportsbook Insight
Bookmaker is as safe as they come when it comes to getting paid. They’re not a sportsbook that’s worth attacking, at least not right away.
They’re a full-vig betting site with some of the sharpest odds online. Those advanced enough can beat the odds. However, they’re not a shop to go after until you limit yourself at other sportsbooks.
Bookmaker.eu BetPoints Loyalty Program
Bookmaker is one of the few US-facing sportsbooks to offer a VIP Rewards program. Bettors will earn BetPoints for all of their sports wagering, along with casino and poker play.
As customers bet more, they will gain levels in the VIP program and earn more BetPoints.
Players can redeem their BetPoints for various rewards, such as cash back directly into their accounts, gift cards, airline miles, and free withdrawals.
Depending on the type of bet and amount wagered, players receive 1 or 2 points per wager. Straight bets, for example, are worth 1 BetPoint.
The points do expire. Players will lose a status level after eight months of inactivity. BetPoints are zeroed after 12 months of no play.
Bookmaker Review Highlights
Betting Markets
Most of their clients are based in North America, predominantly from the United States. Bookmaker has many sports on offer, along with an expansive list of markets.
Straight wagers, parlays, teasers and if-bets and reverses are available for about every sport. The majority of their markets focus on US sports, like the NFL, NBA, NHL and MLB, along with college basketball and football.
However, their list of worldwide leagues rivals the best sportsbooks online.
They have odds on just about every soccer league in the world, including South American and Asian markets, and have odds on European basketball as well.
Auto racing, mixed martial arts, rugby, golf, cricket, and tennis are also covered.
Futures For Every Sport
While their list of markets is not nearly as expansive as other US-facing sportsbooks such as 5Dimes, they offer futures for just about every sport and a host of team and player props for more popular markets, such as the NFL.
Quarter lines, halftime lines, and alternative lines are mainstays for highly-bet markets.
Live betting is also offered, and they don’t disappoint in this regard either. Their live betting platform is pretty advanced for the US market and includes a host of props. Updated minute-by-minute as contests happen live.
They don’t offer live betting on every game. However, have dozens of games every day that you can view on their live betting calendar.
Sharp Betting Odds
Bookmaker’s odds are the toughest around when it comes to US online betting markets. They can’t afford to post inefficient lines due to the high volume of bets coming in across the board.
Those who enjoy betting parlays and teasers are better off going with another book. Their NFL teaser odds aren’t great, and parlay odds are nothing special either.
Even their player and team props are much sharper than competing sportsbooks. It’s extremely tough to catch Bookmaker napping when it comes to any market.
With that said, Bookmaker’s one massive advantage is how quickly they post their odds. Their NFL lines for the next week are out by Sunday evening at the latest, much faster than any other US-facing site.
This is important for bettors who want a jump on the early lines before the market moves. They also have overnight lines for NBA, NHL, MLB, and college sports.
Massive Betting Limits
While Bookmaker offers higher betting limits than any other US-facing sportsbook, they still provide a minimum online wager of just a dollar, allowing small-time bettors to wager as well.
While their wager limits are just $10,000 on sides and $3,000 on totals and NFL openers, their Thursday to Sunday limits are massive.
Bookmaker accepts up to $50,000 on NFL sides, $20,000 on totals, and up to $20,000 on moneylines. NCAA football has a $20,000 max on sides late in the week as well.
Other sports have lower limits in comparison, but most are still higher than other sites in the US market. NBA sides cap at $10,000 and $5,000 for both totals and moneylines, and likewise for MLB.
The NHL is $5,000 across the board while NCAA basketball is notably lower at $5,000 per side with $1,000 totals and moneyline limits.
Bookmaker’s limits are the highest available in the offshore industry. Also, keep in mind that these are online limits – players will perhaps be able to call Bookmaker and receive a larger betting limit depending on the market and their betting history.
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Bookmaker Excellent Customer Support
Of course, they also offer email support and have a fax number. Also, they have easy-to-locate live chat support which has a link on just about every page.
Live chat support truly is available 24/7, and it’s rare to have to wait more than 30 seconds for an operator to respond.
Overall, their support staff is one of the elite groups in the sports betting industry worldwide, not just in US markets.
Bookmaker’s Recent History
While hundreds of online bookmakers have risen and fallen in the nearly 20 years Bookmaker has been operating; the company has weathered the storm better than anyone. In fact, they have thrived.
Those that wagered online from 2000 to 2006 will probably remember BetCRIS.com as an excellent option for gamblers.
This was the domain Bookmaker operated at until 2007, not long after the US government passed the Unlawful Internet Gambling Prohibition Act (UIGEA).
This law, along with the 1961 Wire Act has been the basis for criminalizing offshore betting operators for offering sports betting to United States citizens.
Two Brands, Same Operator
While many sportsbooks and other gambling sites left the United States altogether, BetCRIS and Bookmaker decided to stay but split into two brands.
In 2007, BetCRIS shifted to a non-US, Latin American focus and is still operating today. The betting company purchased the domain Bookmaker.com for their English language and US operations.
It was business as usual for both sites for several years until the Bookmaker.com domain got seized.
This also happened to several other US-facing sportsbook domains in May 2011. The stoppage was short-lived for Bookmaker. They were back online in a matter of hours servicing players at a new domain, bmaker.ag.
Bookmaker later purchased the Bookmaker.eu domain name, where they continue to operate to this day.
About the Author
Joseph Falchetti
Editor-in-Chief, Pro Sports Bettor and Casino Expert
Joe is the author of the majority of sports betting pages on SBS and he serves as a gambling consultant to our content team. He's been mentioned on Forbes.com as a gaming analyst, and his articles have been linked by larger publications, such as the New York Times.