If you’re perusing other information regarding TopBet, you may consistently see that some websites state that TopBet launched in 2011 rather than 2001. TopBet did enter the scene in 2001 and got off to a very dubious start.
In the beginning, TopBet worked with Game Tech Solutions that, at the time, was called FutureBet. FutureBet’s involvement was pretty extensive. Not only did it provide the software but was also involved in payment processing. FutureBet not only worked with TopBet but at the peak of its limited success, had 400 different gambling operators within their client base.
Unfortunately for TopBet, partnering with FutureBet may not have been the best business decisions. FutureBet, itself, was built on a house of cards. It was born out of a bigger organization called Global Interactive, a licensee of World Gaming and when Global Interactive severed ties to launch FutureBet, they were $1.5 million in the hole right off the bat resulting from a debt unpaid by World Gaming.
You might see where this is going now.
FutureBet’s payment processing worked for deposits, but cash outs are an entirely different story. At various times during the first decade of TopBet’s operation, there were numerous complaints of non-payment. FutureBet is estimated to owe players and operators over $5 million to this day, and some of that debt is attributed directly to TopBet’s unpaid players and due operational costs.
Let’s now take a look at the new decade and the gambling site’s operations since 2011, considered to be its relaunch period.
New management is on the scene, and TopBet strives for a new image and a clean slate. In many areas, it’s been successful. It’s active in social media and has a strong following on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook with over 15,000 checking in for daily advice, new wagers, and promotional launches. The website is a decent, user-friendly platform for bettors, bonuses are plentiful, the odds are competitive, and mobile and live betting are available to its registered clientele.
Let’s see… what have we left off? Oh, those pesky cash outs. We’re a bit uncertain in this area. Some players are reporting that they’ve been pleased with the process, but others are frustrated with slow pays. It certainly is a huge departure from the early days, but the site may have a bit farther to go before its former reputation is entirely wiped clean, but we will say, that this sportsbook does have its merits. Some players are loyal to the site and enjoy the experience. In fact, they note that 150,000 bettors currently use their service.
TopBet does not market itself as a US player-specific bookmaker and does allow for registrations from around the world. Its terms and conditions can read a bit vague as it states that everyone is responsible for abiding by gambling laws in their jurisdiction and it lists a minimum age of 18 to register a player account.
As it’s obvious that it’s US-centric, we wanted to just clarify a few things for bettors that are uncertain about the legality of this gambling website for Americans. And, honestly, you still may be a bit confused because there’s nothing straightforward about national gambling laws in the United States. Some exclusions are state-specific as well as effects from the 1992 PASPA (Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act) and the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act of 2006.
PASPA targets more land-based sports betting operations and affects 46 of the 50 states with the only exceptions being Delaware, Montana, Nevada, and Oregon. These four states were grandfathered in, which is why Las Vegas is still going strong.
The Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act of 2006 is the big one targeting online bookmakers, and it’s the reason so many were driven to operate overseas. This law is the one that can be a bit tricky because it does say that businesses cannot process money for betting or gambling payouts. What it does not affect are the bettors. Players can still make bets if sportsbooks are willing to accept those wagers. That’s why so many offshore operators welcome players from the states.
Gambling legislation has been and will continue to be a highly debated issue on the state and national level. Some states do see the huge tax benefits that come hand in hand with legalized gambling and are actively working to alter the current status.
Topbet.eu is considered to be a reliable recreational bettor’s resource. The website is not very complicated. It’s mainly divided into “sportsbook,” “promotions,” and “casino, ” and the sportsbook is one of the easiest we’ve ever come across regarding navigation and use. There’s not a lot to figure out, just get right to it.
As the menu is not quite as extensive as some of the other books, all of the offerings are broken down within the main left side menu. For example, if you’re looking for golf, golf has a submenu that lists every current golfing event available for players.
TopBet’s American sports do take top billing, and it has extensive coverage of Football, Baseball, Basketball, Hockey, and Golf, but international soccer games are plentiful as well. At the time of this writing, there were 62 soccer matches and finals alone. Some of this sportsbooks’ customers do come from the UK and Australia, so they are accommodated, at least with pre-match options.
The Live Betting area may be another indication that players are primarily from the US. Whereas you can click on Live Betting at any time of the day or night on many other sportsbooks to get in on some action that’s going on somewhere in the world, the website’s live betting area is quite limited. The few times we tried to access a game in progress, we were disappointed with zero in-play availability due to the exclusive US live betting.
TopBet covers NFL, NBA, MLB, and NHL games as well as NCAA Basketball and Football, but soccer is not an in-play option.
This sportsbook does offer two different betting slips, one for pre-match and one for in-play and the betting slips are one of the standout features of this particular book. They’re concise, easy to use, and feature drop down boxes to assist the newbies in figuring out what type of bet they’d like to place.
The promotions area contains quite a bit of information and publicity about current opportunities like the $10 Major League Baseball Sunday Free Bet, Casino Cash Back Rewards, and Courier Free Payout. Unfortunately, unless you’re a registered player, you won’t find out very much. Details are only provided to anyone who is logged into the sportsbook or casino.
The final area of the website, the casino, carries slots, blackjack, table games, and other games like Keno, Pachinko, and Virtual Derby. Virtual Derby might be appealing to some of the sports bettors as this site does not offer a racebook.
While the website isn’t over the top with style and content, it is still a good middle of the road sportsbook that should appeal to recreational bettors. As we just made mention of the bet slips, we do need to include them in this section as well, as they are helpful resources and are positioned right up front on the homepage.
The rest of the website is easy to navigate, and the comprehensive list of sports and events right in the main menu enhances the experience for anyone new to sports betting. We can’t say enough about how everything is right in full view thereby making it incredibly easy to place a bet whether on the full website or mobile devices.
We also want to credit TopBet with providing Bitcoin as an alternative method for player account funding and new players using Bitcoin are also entitled to a bigger welcome bonus. The first deposit made using Bitcoin qualifies for a 100% match bonus up to $1000. We’ll get more into bonuses a bit later on, though.
TopBet has come a long way regarding their Customer Service department as well. They still don’t offer live chat, but email interaction proves to be efficient. We received a near immediate response that was both friendly and thorough. In the company’s early days, we couldn’t find one account of excellent service provided to its players back then, so kudos to TopBet for kicking it up a notch.
The line-up of American Sports as well as some fun sportsbook-only promotions like their parlay challenges should appeal to US players and encourage them to bet with friends. TopBet does provide a good hobby with their selections, bonuses and the little extra ways to maybe even make a few more dollars.
Let’s face it. The company had a big mountain to climb to get themselves back on track after the FutureBet debacle in its early years. Payouts are something that you just don’t mess with, and players do remember.
They have come a long way, and their current sportsbook is a good possibility for recreational bettors looking to have some fun with sports betting. There are still a few areas that could be significantly improved upon, though.
We’ll start with the minimum bet. For those casual bettors, a $5 minimum bet on straight bets is high. Some competitors offer $1 bets right across the board and, especially for someone just looking to get their feet wet, $5 may be a deterrent.
Live, in-play betting always makes for a welcome addition to any online book and bettors these days have come to expect it. This online betting site provides live betting, but it’s limited to American sports only. That’s not too bad if its entire clientele is American but, even then, US punters like options.
The topic of maximum bets may be debated. This is a sportsbook for casual bettors so limits of $1,000 on Major League Baseball and National Hockey League Moneylines and $500 for Boxing and MMA may not be an issue for most. There are still pretty small, though, especially compared to many others.
There’s also a $25,000 maximum monthly payout limit with $2,500 caps per transaction. If you end up cashing in a lucky parlay, not only are you going to wait awhile to receive all of your funds but you’re going to incur some fees in the process. In addition to the 2-3 day initial approval, there is an extra 15-20 business day window in order to receive on check via DHL or FedEx.
Let’s do the math here. Let’s say you win $10,000 and you want that money in your account as soon as possible.
First of all, you can only cash out $2,500 at a time, so you know it’s going to take you at least four different days of payout requests.
Then, the first ever payout is free so if this is the very first time you’ve ever cashed out, your first $2,500 check is just that – $2,500. However, subsequent withdrawals via the check payout option are $40 for each one over $200 ($60 for anything $200 or less!).
Your complete payout scenario:
1. Four payments of $2,500 to be issued 2. 18-23 business days to receive each one 3. Total fees for your cash out = $120.00
First, it would be helpful for players to be offered some e-wallet banking options. Then, if a check is being sent via an overnight service like DHL or FedEx, it shouldn’t take 15-20 business days after the initial processing. Finally, fee-free transactions are also a significant benefit to players. The first payout ever is free, but the competitors offer one free payout per month at no charge and have higher cash out ceilings.
Actually, with the reputation that TopBet had in its former life regarding financial transactions, it would behoove it to create a cash out system that surpasses everyone else’s.
No surprise here. American sports are going to be first and foremost for wagering consideration specifically with NFL, MLB, NBA, NHL, as well as NCAA sports.
TopBet not only posts competitive lines but offers the higher betting limits, as well as more promotions, regarding these particular sporting events, both regular season and during tournament play.
NFL Totals, Spreads, and Moneylines allow for $2,000 stakes, and NBA spreads are set at $1,500. Even NHL hockey that attracts both American and Canadian punters has a $1,000 Moneyline cap.
TopBet doesn’t list any Props or Futures on soccer and, despite the extensive international schedule, limits straight bets to $500 and parlays to $1,000. We’re a bit surprised that soccer fans aren’t offered more choices. The games are there, but the markets are lacking. Soccer in-play is also not available, so options are even more narrowed down.
There are a significant number of European sports missing including rugby, cricket, snooker, and darts as well as some offerings standard on many online sportsbooks including volleyball, water sports, winter sports, pool and, of course, horse racing.
TopBet also does not carry eSports or virtual sports, both of which are becoming more and more popular and have even surpassed some traditional sports in betting volume with some bookmakers.
As we’ve mentioned a few times already, though, TopBet is a good recreational bettor site. The line-up is standard and does a good job of covering American Sports. There are enough in both number and variety to take care of US bettors who aren’t seeking out big action but, rather, are looking to have some fun and don’t want to be bothered with sifting through pages and pages of information and redirects to find a sport that is appealing.
Despite some small limits for certain games, TopBet does surpass some of its US-focused competitors, such as Bovada, in a few different areas.
When comparing some imposed limits, Bovada’s NFL Moneylines and Totals are capped at $1,000 as opposed to $2,000 on TopBet, and TopBet offers the same Moneylines and Totals for NCAA football as well, whereas Bovada tops out at $500 Moneylines and $1,000 Totals.
NFL Football Spreads – $2,000 Moneylines – $2,000 Totals – $2,000 Parlays & Teasers – $1,000
NCAA Football Spreads – $2,000 Moneylines – $2,000 Totals – $2,000 Parlays & Teasers – $1,000
NBA Basketball Spreads – $1,500 Moneylines – $1,000 Totals – $1,000 Parlays & Teasers – $1,000
NCAA Basketball Spreads – $1,500 Moneylines – $1,000 Totals – $1,000 Parlays & Teasers – $1,000
MLB Baseball Spreads – $500 Moneylines – $1,000 Totals – $500 Parlays & Teasers – $1,000
NHL Hockey Spreads – $500 Moneylines – $1,000 Totals – $500 Parlays & Teasers – $1,000
Soccer Spreads – $500 Moneylines – $500 Totals – $500 Parlays & Teasers – $1,000
UFC-MMA Spreads – n/a Moneylines – $500 Totals – n/a Parlays & Teasers – $1,000
Boxing Spreads – n/a Moneylines – $500 Totals – n/a Parlays & Teasers – $1,000
Nascar Odds to win – $500 Head-to-Head – $500 Parlays & Teasers – $1,000
Tennis Futures – $500 Head-to-Head – $500 Parlays & Teasers – $1,000
Golf Futures – $500 Head-to-Head – $500 Parlays & Teasers – $1,000
This question depends on what type of bettor you are and how much you’re expecting to wager. If you are a sharp bettor looking for the biggest sporting menu and markets, then this website may not be the ideal site for you. It’s American sports-focused and has limitations regarding its in-play options as well as maximum betting limits with an all-around top bet of $2,000.
However, American sports enthusiasts looking for some competitive odds as well as reload bonuses, parlay and teaser challenges should enjoy this particular sportsbook. Additionally, the gambling site offers reduced juice odds for NFL games on Wednesdays between 6 pm and 9 pm and the same -105 lines on Tuesdays, 6 pm – 9 pm, for the NCAA games.
When we look at the overall picture of TopBet, it reminds us of a site that you use in conjunction with your friends. It’s almost like a community-based forum for sports betting where you and your fellow bettors meet up at certain times to go through the week’s games and make some bets for fun, maybe even betting as a collective. Can’t you just imagine meeting up with your personal network of friends online each Tuesday and placing your NCAA picks of the week?
In fact, TopBet does provide challenges that bettors can make with their friends through their 15 and 16 team parlay challenges. Players challenge their friends to see who has the biggest number of wins and there are additional prizes up for grabs. The concept just adds to the fun factor of TopBet.
So, unless you’re a hardcore, high roller punter, TopBet can be a fun experience and maybe even a casual hobby.
We’ve got a thumbs up and thumbs down scenario to go over about TopBet’s bonuses and promotional programs.
Thumbs up for the significant welcome bonus and the variety and quantity of other free bet opportunities.
Thumbs down for TopBet’s neglecting to fully disclose all of the ins and outs of the bonus programs to non-registered players. Some of the details and terms and conditions are not accessible unless you are a registered player. In fact, when you click on the welcome bonus terms without being logged in, you are immediately forwarded to a registration page.
We’ll try to make some sense of it for you but, we always, always, always suggest that any player read through the latest terms and conditions of any sportsbook and ask customer service to clarify anything that may be fuzzy. Bonus offers are great if they’re used correctly in accordance to all of the play through requirements and other guidelines, but can actually affect the bottom line if they aren’t complied with to the letter.
We’ll start with the welcome bonus that is dependent upon the account funding method, meaning that:
Bitcoin has a 100% welcome bonus good for up to $1,000 Mastercard has a 100% welcome bonus good for up to $250 Visa has a 50% welcome bonus good for up to $250
Next, we sifted and sorted through the terms and conditions posted for the public and TopBet lists a play through requirement of three times the deposit plus bonus amount to be able to cash out anything. This three-times requirement is specifically noted to be in conjunction with the reload deposit bonuses, though. We did come across some other details that were not posted on the homepage or in the promotions area that stipulated a five-times rollover requirement for the initial welcome bonuses issued to new players. The distinction is important to note as you wouldn’t want to comply with the three-times reload condition and try to catch out winnings from a welcome bonus that mandates five.
TopBet does offer a good reload bonus to its sports bettors that provide for some extra on-going value. The standard reload bonus is 15% and does have that three-time rollover stipulation we just mentioned but, TopBet also occasionally issues 20% to 25% reload bonus offers to its loyal players with the same three-times mandate.
We talked about how TopBet could be a gathering place for players and their friend group, so it’s fitting to mention that there is a “Refer a Friend” program offered. The player making the referral can receive a 25% bonus up to $250 based on the “friend’s” initial player account deposit.
Before we move on to some other bonuses, we do need to mention that players must have at least an equal amount of money available in their player’s account as the bonus offer value. So, if a $50 bonus is awarded, there must be at least $50 in real betting (not promotional) money in the betting account.
TopBet has some other fun promotions that enhance the value of this sportsbook and appeal to players who enjoy the added value.
Currently, Major League Baseball bettors receive a $10 Super Bowl free bet on Sundays.
There are also Parlay Challenges and Teaser challenges that award successful players with a 20% higher payout than on regular parlay bets. The bookmaker builds a parlay or teaser card and then posts the weekly challenges early in the week. To participate, the player picks the challenge, selects his or her teams, and hits enter. That’s all there is to it. Challenges cost $20 or $50, and a tie equals a loss.
Other promotions do pop up on the TopBet website such as the Kentucky Derby $10 Free Bet and other free bets, as well as free money and tournament opportunities in the TopBet Casino.
It can be as challenging for the operator as it is for the player when it comes to banking transactions for American sports bettors. With the current state of gambling legislation, most banks are not inclined to approve any transactions that involve online betting.
That’s why it’s a bit puzzling as to why more operators who service this US-based clientele don’t offer more e-wallet solutions like Neteller or Skrill. Although these banking alternatives are not as widely used in the states, there are accounts like these that are available in certain areas and would be an easier way to facilitate deposits into a sportsbook.
Having said that, we do think that this sportsbook has made a good move in offering Bitcoin. Again, not as widely used, but another suitable method that allows for instant processing and acceptance and preserving the anonymity of the bettor. Newly registered players on Top who utilize Bitcoin are eligible to receive the biggest of all welcome bonuses offered with a 100% match up to $1000 on the first deposit made into an account.
Additionally, the site does offer credit and debit cards, and they can be either Visa or Mastercard. To overcome the banking hesitation with approvals, it allows for re-loadable prepaid card transactions as well as international gift cards. For anyone who has attempted using a personal credit and debit card and has been declined despite ample available funds, this is handy information.
Deposits, whether by credit and debit cards or through Bitcoin, should be credited almost immediately to the player’s account for instant betting opportunities.
Eeks. When we say fun, in this case, it’s sarcastic. Cashouts can be challenging, especially because it’s not uncommon for debit and credit cards to be unavailable options and, in this case, that holds.
This service offers payouts primarily through courier checks delivered via DHL or FedEx or through bank wires, and the process can be quite lengthy.
We want to explain one thing first. Payouts do have charges assessed except the very first payout ever requested. The policy statement does not refer to the first payout of the month. This means the first payout ever. You get one and then you’re on your own.
As we did walk you through a scenario in the “Could they do some things better?” section, we won’t go into great detail here, but the withdrawal scenario can be summed up as follows:
Check by Courier – delivered via DHL or FedEx – processing time – 2-3 business days – shipment time – 15-20 business days – first payout EVER – free – subsequent payouts – $60 for withdrawals $200 or less and $40 for withdrawals over $200 – maximum payout per transaction – $2,500 – maximum payout per week – $25,000
Bank Wires – paperwork required for banking information – processing time – 2-3 business days – additional time needed to receive funds – should be immediate but it’s unclear – first payout EVER – free – subsequent payouts – a flat $50 fee regardless of the amount of withdrawal – maximum payout per transaction – $2,500 – maximum payout per week – $25,000
If you’ve noticed that we neglected to mention Bitcoin, it’s because we weren’t provided with Bitcoin as a withdrawal option. That may have changed recently, but customer service did not include it in the information we received when confirming their fees.
We’re going to set a bit of a different tone here as we have been rather hard on TopBet in a few aspects of their sportsbook operation but, when it comes to customer service, we think they’ve managed to put together a top-notch staff.
No longer do you see the harsh words about non-response or rude behavior. Players are pleased with the turnaround time and quality of the interaction with TopBet’s agents. We experienced, first hand, a near immediate email response that was detailed, helpful, and extremely pleasant and further included direct contact information for additional questions.
No, they don’t offer the live chat option, but the email response is so swift that it does make up for the chat function.
Customer Service Department:
E-mail – support@topbet.eu Phone – 877.528.6748 (24/7) Fax – 877.517.2311 Live Chat – not available
see has to do with TopBet being more of a recreational bettor’s sportsbook as opposed to the go-to for sharp bettors.
Let’s make a quick comparison:
TopBet is absolutely an American sportsbook. Their sports offerings are all geared toward the major leagues including the National Football League (NFL), Major League Baseball (MLB), National Basketball Association (NBA), and National Hockey League (NHL) with some soccer, golf, tennis boxing sprinkled in for good measure. TopBet also carries the colleges with NCAA basketball and football.
Live, in-play betting is available for American sporting events only and promotions are also US driven.
Regarding any non-sporting events that are now becoming more popular, virtual and e-sports are not included as options for TopBet’s players. It does host an Entertainment section that currently is offering two political lines but, aside from those, this is a sports-only book.
Comparing sports to a US players-only site like Bovada, Bovada does come out ahead. Not only does it carry great American sports but also encompasses those other categories we’ve mentioned previously such as cricket, darts, handball, volleyball, plus Futsal, Aussie Rules and e-sports and virtual sports.
BetOnline that primarily caters to the U.S. as well as Canada also maintains that extensive range of sports and non-sports and also has snooker and lacrosse. BetOnline’s nonsport-related focus is on Financials.
So, while TopBet does have a good, basic structure, others go a bit above and beyond.
Taking a look at betting limits, we have mentioned that they are relatively small but so is Bovada. In fact, TopBet beats out Bovada with higher limits for basketball and football, but Bovada is superior in its baseball opportunities. BetOnline is the overall winner, though, with limits much higher than other US focused bookmakers.
TopBet’s $5.00 minimum on non-parlay wagers is one of the highest we’ve come across through sportsbooks that focus on American bettors. The typical minimum is $1.00 everywhere else.
Bonuses are plentiful on TopBet and also generous in limits. The $1000 Bitcoin Welcome Bonus is one of the highest and don’t forget that TopBet has the on-going reload bonus opportunity as well as some of the more fun promotions that we’ve come across such as the parlay challenge.
Cash in and cash out is problematic, though. Bovada has the same limited menu with credit and debit cards or Bitcoin available, but they offer one free withdrawal per month whereas TopBet offers one free lifetime cash out.
Looking at the overall website, TopBet is a good choice for recreational bettors. It’s basic and easy to navigate, and it offers one of the most user-friendly betting slips that we’ve come across. The menu is organized well, and promotions are listed in their own section of the website. The only thing that they could do better in this area is to allow everyone to review bonus information, and not just registered players, as bonuses do impact some people’s decision-making process.
We’ve taken you on a journey from the site’s early years to what it is today, and it has become a decent all-around sportsbook. We would compare it to the neighborhood bar with some good happy hour specials on wine and beer as opposed to its bigger competitors that have the full cocktail menu and the larger booths.
Several reviewers have mentioned that they recommend this gambling site for players that already have another sportsbook betting account as it’s more of a supplemental book rather than a full-scale service and we think that’s a good assessment. For the very casual bettor, though, that doesn’t bet all of the time and maybe is looking to have a bit more fun while watching their favorite team, TopBet may fit the bill with its fun promotions, good bonuses, and alternative casino options.
