PointsBet Promises to Book Big Wagers from Sharp Bettors

Note: We have been hearing more and more about bettors at PointsBet being significantly limited, and the brand is currently rumored to be for sale. Please note that the policy listed below may no longer be in effect.

New Jersey betting site PointsBet US has announced an ambitious new campaign to attract skilled sports bettors (sharps) and high rollers. In a press release published yesterday, PointsBet US promised it will take minimum bet to win wagers of $10,000 from all customers no matter how skilled.

This guarantee flies in the face of customary treatment given to sharps by the industry in general. That is, while other sportsbooks move to restrict skilled sports bettors to limits as low as $1 or $10 a game, PointsBet US will be taking big action from any and all.

Limiting sharp players is perfectly legal in the US, but it does leave a bad taste in the mouths of bettors who compete against the oddsmakers on equal ground – right up until the point the customer starts winning. Nevada, for example, has limited winning customers for years.

PointsBet calls it the “Game Day Guarantee” and the new policy will cover all NBA and NHL playoff games plus the entirety of the next NFL season starting at 10 AM every game day. The offer applies to all regular point spread and moneyline wagers.

In its press release, PointsBet noted that many bettors are already limited or completely restricted by NJ betting sites just for being too good at what they do. This, PointsBet says, has resulted in “large amounts” of money going offshore to unregulated betting sites that do not enforce such restrictive limits.

Here’s PointsBet US CEO Johnny Aitken on the Game Day Guarantee:

“We’re bookmakers at heart and accepting action from sharp bettors is in our DNA. We are excited to get our guarantee underway and ensure PointsBet is doing its upmost along with offering the best prices to bring money back from off-shore sites into the legalized US market.”

PointsBet Courting the US Market with a Gentle Touch

PointsBet.com originally launched in the United States, but Aitken said in an interview back in 2018 that the US market has always been their ultimate focus. After establishing the business in Australia, PointsBet gained access to the NJ market in December 2018 in partnership with Meadowlands Racetrack.

Yesterday’s press release made it clear PointsBet wants to set itself apart from other legal online sportsbooks by building “trust and credibility” with customers. The new Game Day Guarantee is just the latest of the company’s efforts to that point.

Back in February, PointsBet did customers another big favor after the Duke vs. UNC game that saw Zion Williamson play less than a minute before spraining his knee and leaving the game. The injury deflated what would have been a great game between two long-time rivals, ending it in disappointment for fans on both sides.

North Carolina went on to win the game but squashed some of the satisfaction even for UNC fans with Duke’s key player out of action. Bettors who backed Duke at any other sportsbook simply lost their bets as is custom. Sometimes luck just doesn’t go your way.

PointsBet, however, took a different approach when its in-house Karma Kommittee authorized its sixth ever “Good Karma Payout” for the game. Customers who had Duke spreadlines, Duke moneylines, Zion Williamson booster bets and PointsBetting spread bets on the game were refunded with bonus bets as a consolation prize for the unfortunate ending to the game.

In a clever attempt to poach unsatisfied customers from the competition, PointsBet took it a step even further by extending the offer to people who had lost Duke wagers at other books. Anyone who backed Duke through any other sportsbook was invited to sign up for an account at PointsBet US, use the promo code KARMA and then send a picture of their losing betting slip through social media for up to $100 in bonus bets.

This is all on top of PointsBet just taking a unique approach to online sports betting in general. PointsBet remains the only betting site in the US today to offer “PointsBetting” style wagers with payouts that grow based on how right you are. For example, you can bet $1 per point on the over in a total bet and earn $1 for every point above the total scored in that game.

PointsBet also accepts standard wagers on all the major sports to fully round out its offerings. In many cases, it is PointsBet with the best lines in the industry. That too is an attractive prospect for serious and amateur bettors alike.

If you add to that the unique types of promotions PointsBet announces on a regular basis, you have all the trappings of a disruptive betting site in the US. Even simple promos such as this week’s “Let It Fly” promo that offers a $10 bonus for every home run your team hits help differentiate the site from all the others US fans have to choose from today.

There’s no doubt PointsBet is heavily targeting the US betting market but with a gentle touch. Rather than aggressive advertising and unrealistic welcome bonuses, PointsBet is taking the hearts and minds approach. Time will tell how this all works out, but the method is certainly endearing.