Unbiased Bookmaker.eu Review for 2024

Bookmaker has been an online betting service since 1996 and
has served up millions of bets since then. Players can bet on a
wide range of sports including baseball, basketball, hockey,
martial arts, horse racing, and much more. In addition, players
can play poker at the Bookmaker.com poker room or gamble it up
at their full-service casino. Whatever your betting needs may
be, you can rest assured that Bookmaker.com has you covered.

Overview

Bookmaker.eu has a colorful past. Founded by a group of men
who ended up doing time (but are now above-board operators), the
brand has undergone several major renovations since its founding
in the mid-1980s as an illegal offshore sports betting
operation.

Bettors who have been in the online game for a while may
remember Bookmaker.eu by its former name: BetCRIS. That
operation got mired in legal trouble, and eventually the site
opened with a headquarters in Costa Rica under a somewhat
legitimate gaming license.

Bookmaker.eu has been taking sports, casino, and poker bets
since the 1980s, with online versions of these games appearing
in the 1990s, as that industry started booming. The site has a
long reputation, very little in the way of bad reviews or
customer complaints, and a variety of gambling options available
to most people around the world, including US-based bettors.

Let’s Start With Features of Bookmaker.eu That I Like – The
Reasons You May Want to Open an Account:

The site is open to American bettors. Americans have had
trouble finding sites to accept their wagers since the 2006
UIGEA bill, which forced most America-facing casinos and
sportsbooks to leave the market altogether. If you live in the
USA, it’s a big plus that Bookmaker.eu is even available to you.

A variety of games and bets are available. From multiple
variations of casino blackjack to horse races at obscure
Midwestern harness tracks, bettors of all stripes will find
something of interest at Bookmaker.

I had a hard time finding any bad reviews or customer
complaints about Bookmaker.eu. This speaks to the site’s
legitimacy. Rogue gambling websites are quickly identified by
the huge world of online gamblers, with facts displayed for the
whole world to see on sites like Casinomeister and
CasinoListings. Bookmaker.eu has a decent reputation, no matter
what major review site I consulted.

Now for the Bad Features – The Reasons Why You May Reconsider
Becoming a Bookmaker Customer:

The site is headquartered in (and licensed by) Costa Rica.
Costa Rica is a notoriously lax licensing body – in fact,
there’s no licensing involved at all. So long as a casino
operator pays a little over $10,000 a year in fees, the
government of Costa Rica won’t intervene. That’s really shady,
and it also makes me feel nervous about sending them any of my
cash. I won’t outright say that it’s a bad idea to make a
deposit to a Costa Rica-based sportsbook or casino, but I’ll
say: “Proceed with caution.”

The DGS-designed game library is small and boring. I’m really
disappointed by the casino titles at Bookmaker.eu. I cover the
games in more detail below, but I don’t know what’s worse than
boring casino games… maybe if the games were also somehow
painful to play, they’d be worse.

Bonus Details

The Bonuses Covered Below Are Valid As of the Time of My
Review.

To find out more about the latest promotions,
check Bookmaker.eu’s promotions page.

• Welcome Bonus

  This is actually two 50% deposit match
  bonuses one for sports bets and the other for bets on a
  few specific casino games. Both bonuses are capped at $300,
  but the rollover requirements are different. Sportsbook
  bonuses require wagers totaling 10x the deposit amount only,
  while casino bonuses require wagers of 40x the deposit plus
  the bonus amount.

• Sportsbook 15% Welcome Bonus

  New sportsbook customers
  can earn a 15% deposit match up to $2,500. This bonus is
  subject to a 4x deposit wager requirement.

• Sportsbook Reload Bonuses

  Customers reloading their
  existing accounts can earn either a 10% or 15% match bonus
  worth up to $2,500. The amount and terms of the bonus depend
  on the size of your reload amount. Bookmaker will also
  refund you the cost of any transfer over $300 as part of
  this bonus.

• Early Bird Tuesday

  & Wednesday Deposit $50 or more on
  Tuesday or Wednesday (with any method besides Neteller or
  Moneybookers) and earn a 20% deposit match worth up to
  $1,000. Online reload only.

• Racebook Horses Rebate

  Qualifying racebook customers
  can earn up to 8% cash back daily, win or lose. Internet
  exotic phone wagers only.

• Casino Slots Bonus

  Slots players are eligible for a
  100% deposit match bonus worth up to $500. This bonus must
  be requested via Live Chat. Only bets on one of the site’s
  twelve slot games count toward clearing the bonus, which
  requires a 25x deposit-plus-bonus rollover.

• Casino Table Game Bonus

  If you plan to play blackjack
  and/or video poker, this bonus makes you eligible for a 100%
  deposit match worth up to $250. Only bets on blackjack and
  video poker games count toward clearing the bonus, which
  requires a 40x deposit-plus-bonus rollover.

• Refer-a-Friend Bonus

  If you refer a friend and they
  meet certain requirements. You can earn a
  bonus worth 50% of their first deposit, up to $500. There is
  no cap on the number of referrals you can make.

Banking Options

Let’s Start With Some Details on the Deposit Options Available to Bookmaker.eu Customers:

Now For Details on the Withdrawal Options Available to
Bookmaker Customers:

Sportsbook

All Digital Gaming Systems-powered sites are focused on
sportsbook services over casino, poker, bingo, or any other
game. It’s a fact of life in the online gaming industry, like
welcome bonuses and licensed slots.

No surprise, then, that I found the site’s sportsbook to be
by far the most charming of all its offerings.

Here is the List of Available Markets, Valid at the Time of
This Review:

• Tennis
• Baseball
• Soccer
• Basketball
• Golf
• Football
• Motor Racing
• Boxing
• Martial Arts
• Cricket
• Australian Rules Football
• Rugby
• Cycling
• Politics
• Entertainment
• Surfing
• Sports Futures
• Politics Futures
• Entertainment Futures

I love the obscurity of Surfing, Aussie rules, and
Entertainment futures. It’s a nice touch that most bettors will
probably never take advantage of. To me, including oddball
markets is a sign that Bookmaker.eu is trying to provide a
full-service sportsbook and not just an NFL bet shop.

Don’t think that only professional leagues are represented –
if you click on a market, a menu will drop down, and almost
every one of them has a decent list of amateur and pro leagues
from around the world.

Sports bettors can place a variety of wagers at Bookmaker –
straight, parlay, teaser, and a whole series of if-win and prop
bets.

The site has a live betting section, but it seems sparsely
populated and dashed together at the last minute. This should
come as no surprise – DGS sites have been adding sub-par in-play
betting options over the past few years, as the market for this
style of betting increased. My complaints here are many – too
few games, choppy presentation, and a general lack of interest
on the part of the site’s designers.

The collection of events covered in the live betting section
varies, obviously, by sports season, but appears limited to the
major world sports of soccer, tennis, baseball, football, and
basketball. I read tons of reviews saying that the site’s live
betting choices during the Olympics is above average, but I
didn’t get to experience that for myself.

As for the racebook – well, it exists. That’s about all I can
say for it. It is nowhere near as popular as the sportsbook,
which means it makes less money for the site’s operators, so
naturally it gets left out of the redesign process. It looks
worse for the wear.

Here’s the Full List of US Thoroughbred and Harness Tracks
Available For Wagers at Bookmaker.eu:

• Arlington Park
• Belmont Park
• Ellis Park
• Emerald Downs
• Evangeline Downs
• Finger Lakes
• Gulfstream
• Indiana Downs
• Laurel Park
• Lone Star Park
• Los Alamitos Thoroughbred
• Louisiana Downs
• Maywood Park
• Meadowlands Harness
• Mohawk Raceway
• Monmouth
• Monticello Raceway
• Northfield Park
• Penn National
• Pleasanton
• Pocono Downs
• Prairie Meadows
• Retama Park
• The Meadows
• Thistledown
• Woodbine
• Thoroughbred
• Yonkers Raceway

Racebook customers can take their pick from the following bet
styles: win/place/show, daily double, exacta, trifecta, and
boxes. Coverage in the racebook is not nearly as universal or
interesting as the sportsbook’s coverage, in part because the
site is currently limited to US tracks only. At the time of this
review, for example, the racebook offered just eight races all
day long.

Casino

Digital Gaming Systems designed all the casino games
currently hosted at Bookmaker.eu. DGS is the preferred platform
of a number of international sportsbooks that also host casino,
bingo, and other games of chances. The trouble with DGS-powered
sites is that their casino games are sub-par.

I’ll give some specific examples of why this software is
inferior to other better-known game suites: the selection is
very limited, the games are miles from the cutting edge, and the
user interface itself looks dated. I also experienced more lag
on the DGS interface at Bookmaker.eu than at any other online
casino I’ve visited this year.

The entire library consists of thirty-eight games, a
collection smaller than the list of progressive jackpot games at
other online gambling sites. Part of the fun of casino gambling,
online or otherwise, is variety. I don’t know about you, but I
tend to hop from slot machine to slot machine, testing out
different games, wager levels, and gimmicks. That’s a big part
of the experience for me and for other bettors I know. Limiting
your library to fewer than four-dozen titles total means you
don’t really care that much about your casino customers.

Here’s a breakdown of each category in Bookmaker.eu’s Casino
section:

Blackjack Tables

I’m a big blackjack fan, and I’m not all that disappointed by
the selection available. I tend to stick to single-hand
traditional blackjack, but I know plenty of blackjack fans who
like to play around Switch or Spanish 21 from time to time.
Though other casinos have a few more variations available, the
ones hosted under the Blackjack Tables category at Bookmaker.eu
do a decent job of covering all the variations players are
likely to want to play.

Here’s the Full List:

• Blackjack – This is the site’s standard-issue game played
  with six decks. Single-hand only.
• Multi-hand Blackjack – The site’s traditional game but
  allowing for up to five hands at a time.
• Double Exposure – A variation of blackjack in which both
  dealer cards are exposed.
• Spanish Blackjack – A variation of blackjack in which the
  deck contains no Tens.
• Switch Blackjack – A variation of blackjack that allows
  players to swap out cards.

Classic Slots

Naming this collection of dull old-fashioned games “Classic
Slots” implies two things – one, that they are in any way
classics, and two, that there is any other category of slots
available. There is not. Check for yourself.

At the time of my review, Bookmaker offered twelve slots, all
designed by DGS, all of them way behind the times, with little
replay value and few incentives to play beyond a few rounds out
of sheer curiosity.

Here’s the Complete List of DGS Slots Available:

• Sportfishing
• Legends of Hercules
• Victory Lane
• Pirate’s Revenge
• Bounty Hunters
• Fruity Fortune
• Knight’s Conquest
• Retro Sci-Fi
• Serpent’s Treasure
• Jurassic Fire
• Touchdown Fever
• Wild 7’s
• Video Poker

Video Poker

I’ve been curious about Bookmaker’s video poker offerings
since I started investigating the site. I’m a big video poker
fan, and I’ve always said that it’s by far the easiest game to
translate for online play. Sitting at my laptop playing online
video poker is so close to sitting in front of a game in
Atlantic City or Vegas that the two experiences are
interchangeable.

So when I saw that Bookmaker offers just five variants of
video poker, I was sorely disappointed. Variety is a big deal
for all bettors, but especially slots and video poker players.
Variety allows us to hunt for the best pay tables and for the
game rules that we enjoy playing. Limiting video poker fans to
just five titles is another sign that Bookmaker.eu is just not
that interested in pleasing their casino gamblers.

Here’s the Complete List of Video Poker Titles Available at
the Time of This Review:

• Aces & Eights
• Deuces Wild
• Double Double Bonus
• Jacks or Better
• Jokers Wild
• Deuces Wild 25 Line
• Jacks or Better 25 Line

Table Games

The games collected under this heading represent most of the
classic casino titles you know and love. From baccarat to
Euro-style roulette (with a ton of casino-style poker games
thrown in for good measure), if you can play it in Vegas, you
can play it at Bookmaker.eu.

Just don’t expect a high-quality game. There’s no way to
describe what’s wrong with the casino games at Bookmaker except
to say that they look out-of-date. It’s clear that the software
hasn’t seen a major update for a decade. It’s also clear that
DGS is far more concerned with designing a solid sportsbook
interface than perfecting their (no doubt less lucrative) casino
titles.

Here’s the Full List of Table Games Bookmaker Hosts in Its
Casino:

• Baccarat
• Craps
• Pai Gow Poker
• Three Card Poker
• Caribbean Stud Poker
• Stud Poker
• Caribbean Stud Poker
• Progressive Stud Poker
• Let It Ride Poker
• American Roulette
• European Roulette

Bingo & Keno

Just two games make up this section – one version of video
bingo and one version of video keno.

Both games are exactly as described – in video bingo, players
can bet between $0.25 and $40 per card, on up to eight cards per
game. In my opinion, part of the entertainment value of bingo is
the social element – that may be the biggest part of it for most
players. Removing that element makes the game less interesting,
especially with a boring version (with an ugly GUI) like this
one.

The story is no different with video keno. Keno is already
one of the less interesting casino contests, in my opinion,
because of its slow speed and high house edge. I can’t imagine
sitting in a casino for an hour waiting on keno outcomes – why
in the world would I want to do it online?

But if you’re a bingo or keno fan, and if you don’t mind a
limited selection of wages and game styles, there is a section
for you.

Poker

Bookmaker.eu added their poker room in 1999, around the time
they launched all of their other online services. The site has
bounced around a few different networks over the past few years,
but is now a member of Winning Poker.

I’ll get my biggest complaint about Bookmaker (and the
Winning Poker network) out right in the open – they have a
crappy collection of variants. Three at the time of this review
– Texas Hold’em, Omaha, and seven card stud. I get it, most
players will stick to Texas Hold’em, but it’s nice to have
choice.

The entire Winning Poker network is averaging around 400 live
cash players at any given time in the past week. The network’s
24-hour peak was just 747. It’s not one of the better-known or
heavier-trafficked networks, which means the competition is
unpredictable. Throw in the fact that many of the site’s
customers are sportsbook or casino bettors, and it’s easy to
imagine why rumors of soft competition are rampant.

At my last visit to Bookmaker’s poker room, I was surprised
to see such a variety of stakes in NL Hold’em, from micro- to
macro-stakes, and each with a few active games. The flow of
players may be small, but they are dedicated, and they’re
willing to spend at all bankroll levels.

You’ll find the standard tournament fare running regularly at
Bookmaker. Lots of Sit-n-Go games for the grinders, along with
some Multi-Table Tournaments for those so inclined.

Tournaments are disappointing – sit-n-go action is
concentrated in the $3+.30 turbo NL games. Games turn over about
once every couple of minutes. Sure, a few high-stakes SnGs
($100+7) made while I was watching, but not nearly as many as at
the $3 level. If you want to play a SnG outside of that range,
you may have to wait a while. Some of the site’s guaranteed
tournaments are popular – the most popular is the Sunday $7,500.

The poker room earns decent reviews from the poker sites I
trust – PokerScout had some interesting information and user
reviews. I didn’t find anything I didn’t like in message boards
or forums, but it’s really nothing to write home about. The
limited number of game variants available is enough of a
disappointment for me to say that I don’t recommend this site to
poker players.

Customer Support

Bookmaker maintains a long list of telephone numbers for various customer
needs. The toll-free number listed for my country worked,
and I was speaking with a human being after just a few rings. My
question about currency support was answered quickly in plain
English.

You can also email Bookmaker’s customer support team via their online form.
I got a response about a language support question within
fifteen minutes. That may be because my question was such a
simple one to answer – but either way, it’s an impressive
turnaround time.

Bookmaker.eu promises immediate around the clock service on
its live chat platform. Unfortunately, either the live chat
service was down, or it was busy, or maybe it was outright
closed when I tested it for this review. I attempted again in an
hour or two, and when it didn’t work, I sent an email via the
contact form. I didn’t get a good answer back, except that I
should clear my cache and try again. That was a disappointing
experience, but I’m willing to chalk it up to a tech glitch
rather than any oversight on the part of the site.

Summary

The site has a colorful past but also a consistently good
reputation. I can overlook the low-quality casino and poker
options if I’m just a sports bettor, but that’s not how I like
to play. The bonus program looks interesting, and I had a decent
experience with customer service. I just wish the site would
abandon the ugly and ineffective DGS casino format and replace
it with something useful.

Verdict

Outside of the fact that they’re based and
licensed in Costa Rica – a major red flag, in my opinion – they
seem to be an above-board operator with a long history of solid
customer service. If, on the other hand, you’re looking for a
place to play online blackjack, slots, or poker, a dozen sites
with far better features exist, and you should do more research
before you commit to Bookmaker. They just don’t handle anything
besides sportsbook and racebook bets very well.

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