Elite Sportsbook Review

Editor’s Note: Elite Sportsbook no longer offers online sports betting and has shuttered some of its retail locations. The Elite Sportsbook app faced significant challenges from day one, including a poor user interface, weak promotions, and stiff competition from established brand-name sports betting operators.

Elite Sportsbook is a retail sportsbook operator active in two states:

• Colorado: Elite Sportsbook at the Red Dolly Casino
• Nebraska: Elite Sportsbook at Grand Island Casino Resort

Its parent company, Elite Casino Resorts LLC, offered online sports betting in Iowa and Colorado but shuttered its app in both states after failing to gain significant market share. The company also closed its retail locations in Iowa after partnering with Betfred to manage its online and retail sports betting operations there.

The Elite Sportsbook app and website operated on technology from Bet.Works, which provided business-to-business services in the regulated sports betting industry. Bally’s Corporation acquired Bet.Works in 2021 but later admitted the acquisition was a mistake and shelved the technology platform.

Elite Sportsbook Bonus

Elite Sportsbook welcomed all new customers with a bonus worth up to $100 or $250 depending on their location:

• Elite Sportsbook Colorado Bonus: New users received a 100% first bet wager bonus paid as a free bet worth up to $100. For example, someone who registered and placed a $75 first wager got a $75 free bet. Customers could use the free bet on any market with odds of +300 or less. Bettors had to use the free bet within seven days of receipt.
• Elite Sportsbook Iowa Bonus: New Iowa customers received a “first bet rebound” worth up to $250. Anyone registered, placed their first wager, and lost qualified for a 100% refund paid as a free bet worth up to $250. Bettors had to use the free bet within seven days on any market with odds of +300 or less.

Elite Sportsbook Promo Code

Elite Sportsbook did not require a promo code. All new customers automatically qualified for the welcome bonus offered in their state.

Elite Sportsbook First Impressions

The Elite Sportsbook website was a straightforward operation that lacked the polish and some of the sports betting options offered by more experienced providers.

The primary wagers for each game were easy to find, but it was also easy to get lost in navigation because selecting the “more” option inside a specific game’s page brought users back to a listing of all wagers of that type for all games. It was a bit jarring because the industry standard for so long has been to keep users within a single game rather than bouncing them around between different games.

Additionally, there were not a ton of wagering options for each game. EliteSportsbook.com provided the standard pregame wagers such as moneylines, points, and spreads plus a few propositions such as the first team to score and team totals.

Overall, Elite Sportsbook got the job done covering the basic wagers, but the whole experience still felt amateurish compared to other leading Iowa online sports betting sites. With other operators such as Caesars, DraftKings, and FanDuel available in Iowa, Elite Sportsbook struggled to be even remotely competitive.

Elite Sportsbook App Screenshots

Elite Sportsbook App: iOS and Android

Elite Sportsbook offered mobile apps for iOS and Android devices plus mobile-friendly wagering. Mobile users could also visit the Elite Sportsbook website to sign up for accounts.

The Elite Sportsbook app was simple in design and function. Bettors could log in, view upcoming and live events, place wagers, and cash out with simple navigation menus. Elite Sportsbook did not provide many handicapping features and stats; the experience was simple and straightforward.

For example, in-play betting through the mobile sports betting app simply provided a list of odds that changed in real-time. Features such as game trackers and live stats were nowhere to be found. The Elite Sportsbook interface was simplistic compared to many other sportsbooks, but some bettors probably found it easy to use.

Elite Sportsbook App Screenshots

Elite Sportsbook In-Play Betting

In-play betting was available at EliteSportsbook.com, although the experience was limited compared to leading sportsbook brands. Navigating to the page of any sport using the left menu and then selecting “live lines” or “in-play lines” brought users to the live betting markets (if any) open for that sport.

We checked the in-play sports betting area during an MLB game between the Rays and Orioles while that game was underway and only found in-play wagers on the moneyline, point spread, and total. Other markets such as wagers on the current inning, the outcome of the next at-bat, and so on were noticeably absent.

The in-play betting interface could have used an upgrade as well. While competing sportsbooks in the US provide users with live scoring data and other game updates, Elite Sportsbook offered absolutely nothing of the type. Fans needed a separate website or TV nearby to keep up with what was happening on the field while doing their in-play wagering at Elite Sportsbook.

Elite Sportsbook Early Cashout

Elite Sportsbook offered early cashouts. For those unfamiliar with the concept, early cashout bets allow customers to close out wagers early at a premium. For example, if you have a bet on the Hawkeyes and they have the lead over Rutgers, you could use early cashout to close the wager immediately and lock in your winnings at the cost of a reduced payout.

Elite Sportsbook Betting Markets

Elite Sportsbook covered the following sports and leagues:

• Boxing
• CFL
• College Football
• Formula 1
• MLB
• NASCAR
• NBA
• NFL
• NHL
• PGA
• Soccer (MLS + International)
• Tennis (ATP + WTA)
• UFC
• WNBA

Elite Sportsbook College Sports Betting

Elite Sportsbook offered college sports betting. Unlike some states, Iowa law does not prohibit wagers on local college teams. As a result, Elite Sportsbook accepted wagers on in-state NCAA teams.

The one restriction under Iowa law is a prohibition on player props for athletes who play for Iowa college teams. For example, you may not wager on a local player winning the Heisman Trophy or scoring at least X points in an upcoming game. This prohibition applies only to wagers on individual Iowa college athletes.

Elite Sportsbook also offered college betting in Colorado.

Types of Wagers Offered

Elite Sportsbook offered a standard assortment of pregame wagers, parlays, teasers, in-play wagering, and early cashout options.

Pre-game wager types included:

• Moneylines
• Point spreads
• Totals
• Game props
• Team props
• Player props

Bettors could also build parlays from scratch by adding wagers to the betting slip, tapping the “parlay” or “teaser” tab, and choosing an amount to wager. Additionally, users could check an option on the betting slip to turn the current parlay into a round-robin.

A house rules document published just before EliteSportsbook.com launched details how these various types of wagers worked, along with a list of even more types of sports bets that Elite Sportsbook planned to offer in the future.

While the variety in bet types was commendable, it did not translate into a ton of betting markets for each sporting event. For example, we found anywhere from 7-10 betting markets for MLB games and just a handful listed for upcoming NFL and college football games.

A limited number of betting markets emerged as a recurring theme during our time spent reviewing the sportsbook. A lack of tennis markets was particularly noticeable. Right during the middle of the US Open, there were only two tennis markets: futures on who would win the men’s and women’s tournaments outright. We found not a single wager on individual matches – and this was during one of the most significant tennis events of the year.

Elite Sportsbook Deposit Methods

Elite Sportsbook only offered two deposit options, well below the industry standard:

Customers could deposit as little as $10 per transaction and up to $2,000 per day at Elite Sportsbook.

Expert Opinion: Is EliteSportsbook.com Legit?

EliteSportsbook.com was functional and got the job done.

If you live in Iowa or Colorado and would like to bet on sports more often without having to drive to the casino every time, Elite Sportsbook was a convenient option;.

However, Elite Sportsbook desperately needed an improved website, more betting markets, and a better in-play interface to live up to its name. Elite Sportsbook ultimately closed its online betting operations before making the necessary improvements.