Pinnacle's Fans Have the Potential for Becoming Punters

A sportsbook that has a seal on its website stating “20 years strong” is definitely doing something right. Over the past few years, Pinnacle has not only decided to expand its eSports betting section, but also provide punters who prefer these types of markets with numerous possibilities.

The eSports industry itself is worth billions of dollars, and it continues to rise in popularity as well as in value with each passing day. Today we take a look at Pinnacle eSports and the markets it offers for one title in particular; Counter-Strike: Global Offensive.

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Pinnacle

Pinnacle
  • Clear Bonus Scheme: 1.0
  • Payment Methods: 1.0
  • Support: 1.0
  • User Experience: 1.0
  • Live Betting Options: 1.0
  • Trustworthy: 1.0
  • Safe: 1.0
  • Overall Rating 1.0

Quick Overview

  • Founded: 1998
  • Licence: Curacao, Malta
  • Minimum Deposit: N/A
  • Withdrawal Time: up to 5 days
  • Support: 24/7 Live Chat and Email
  • Live Betting: Yes
Bonus: N/A
Not Verified
* T&C's apply

A Modern Website with Easy Navigation

The Pinnacle eSports betting website is a delight to look at. A blue-gray-ish color scheme welcomes all newcomers, presenting any interactive elements in full view. The placement of everything you see is in harmony with the latest UX design trends, which means that navigation throughout the entire website should feel as native as possible. If you wish to go straight to the CS:GO markets, you can do so quick and easy – just navigate to the eSports section on the list to the left.

Account Registration and Verification is Simple

Account registration at Pinnacle

The registration process feels much more “laid out” when compared to other sportsbooks like Betsafe and Esportsbetting.com. Once you click on the “open account” button, a separate page will open with all the necessary steps you will need to take in order to register. You will be requested to input your essential details such as email, username, birthdate, address, etc. Note that you will also be asked to choose a preferred currency from 20 supported types. After agreeing to the website’s terms and conditions, you will be good to go. At the bottom of the registration page, there will be two checkboxes which let you choose if you would (or wouldn’t) like to be contacted for marketing purposes.

Licenses and Memberships

Licenses possessed by Pinnacle Sports betting come courtesy from the Government of Curacao and the Maltese Gaming Authority. The bookie recognizes the need to raise gambling addiction awareness, and this is why it has teamed up with GamCare, as well as eCOGRA – both are considered to be quite popular organizations tasked with the mission of informing players online about the dangers of gambling addiction, as well as providing support and treatment for those who need it.

Platforms and Availability

Pinnacle doesn’t seem to provide an installer for a desktop computer, but that isn’t a drawback, given the quality of the website itself. You will be happy to learn that Pinnacle eSports betting platform is fully supported on relatively modern devices and software! If you’re running on Windows, MacOS, Android or iOS, you can properly use the website and all its features.

The Pinnacle CS:GO Mobile Betting App

There used to be an available Android and iOS app, but it is currently not supported. The company is presently re-developing its mobile software, and sometime in the future they will have it ready and available to the public. So far, Pinnacle CS:GO in iOS and in Android is not available for download. You can still benefit from Pinnacle CS:GO mobile betting, by logging in to the website through any smartphone or tablet that supports a browser. Many bookies in the industry today decide to shut down their applications completely, but Pinnacle still recognizes the importance of having a native application, and this is why they are re-developing their own.

Currencies and Payment Methods

Available Payment Methods

  • Visa
  • Ecopayz
  • Entropay
  • Paysafecard
  • Neteller
  • BitCoin
  • Skrill
  • Bank Transfer
  • Mastercard

This bookie supports approximately 20 currencies. The interesting thing here is that although there are commonly known moneys such as USD, EU, and GPB, there are a lot of Asian currency types as well – Japanese Yen, Chinese Yuan, Hong Kong Dollars. The reason we mention this first is that choosing your preferred currency will determine the banking methods (types and brands) you will get to use later for any financial operations.

You will be able to deposit and withdraw money with the use of regular bank transfers, e-checks, e-wallets, credit/debit cards, and to the luck of some – cryptocurrency (Bitcoin). Among the brands you will encounter, are Visa, MasterCard, Entropay, EcoPayz, iDebit, Instadebit, Neteller, Skrill, MuchBetter, Sofort, Paysafecard, WebMoney, Trustly, and a few others. You can use almost all methods for deposits and withdrawals. Pinnacle payments and transfers may or may not be charged, depending on your preferred method.

Privacy and Security Info

Given the fact that Pinnacle has been in the industry for so long, it is only natural for the brand to know how to keep its clients' details secure. While there is extensive information on the types of “cookies” the website uses and how they process the data of its clients, we couldn’t locate the kind of encryption they use for their system. Usually, online sportsbooks list the types of SSL protocols they utilize, however, this information is missing. Whether this is intentionally done for additional security purposes or not, is unknown at this point – one thing is for sure, Pinnacle eSports is safe and secure!

No Pinnacle eSports Bonuses?

We’ve come to the understanding that throughout the eSports betting industry, there are rarely any substantial promotions or bonuses, but with Pinnacle things seem a bit special. If you’re hoping for any Pinnacle eSports betting bonus, you will be disappointed, as there are none. After confirming the lack of any promotions regarding the sportsbook with official channels, we were left scratching our heads in the process.

Better Than Betting Exchange – Beyond True Odds

Available margin calculator

Although there are no promotions, certain features provided by Pinnacle eSports feel like a bonus – such is the case with of “beyond true odds.” In the sportsbook industry, betting exchange platforms allow players to find the best odds on a market they are interested in and charge a commission on winning bets. The rate can go as high as 5%! Pinnacle is known for its incredibly low margins (at approximately 2%), and also offering the best odds online, which plain and simple defeats the purpose of having any bonus. We’ve asked around if they would start to provide some promotions, but at this point, they couldn’t give us any definitive information.

Bet Slip and Wagering Types

With some bookies, if you would like to see the interface of the bet slip, all you would have to do is click on a chosen market – sadly, this isn’t the case here. To view the bet slip element in all its glory, you will need to register an account – even a notification bubble will appear if you try to click on any market’s odds. After doing that, the slip itself will feature two clickable buttons on top of it. The first one will display the bets you’ve selected, and the second one (open bets) will contain those that have not been resolved yet.

Pinnacle CS:GO betting is quite plentiful when compared to most sportsbooks that offer eSports markets. While usually, most bookies go only with outright bets, Pinnacle offers odds such as over/under, special rules, handicap, and money line. It is entirely possible that other odds may be added to a market once it goes live, but this isn’t guaranteed. The best way to find this out, is to follow up on the CS:GO tournament of your choosing and check it once it goes live.

Live Betting Opportunities

In-play market betting at Pinnacle

In-play market betting is available and continuously updated. While currently there aren’t any CS:GO markets listed under the live section, it is because they aren’t online yet – once any competition is in session, it will appear on the very top of the list. We were trying to find a live stream function that would complete the entire in-play betting experience, but we couldn’t. The reason for this is that there isn’t any live streaming at all. We asked customer support staff if the sportsbook plans on introducing streaming services in the future, but we didn’t receive a definitive answer.

Classic Sports and Traditional Markets

Although Pinnacle is very dedicated to its eSports section, its main direction is to traditional sports markets. With approximately 30 market sections, the list’s items are separated by three different titles which summarize the genre of all of them. On the very top, you have Live In-play (which currently has Soccer and Tennis), followed by Match Odds (which contains the majority of sports markets such as Baseball, Boxing, Chess, etc.) and specials. Specials feature markets such as Crossfit, Entertainment, Politics, and other “non-standard” betting opportunities.

eSports Markets

There are eight game titles under the eSports section, and by the looks of it more will be added in the future. The games are Rainbow Six, Team Fortress 2, StarCraft 2, StarCraft Broodwar, Rocket League, Overwatch, King of Glory, Dota 2, and Clash Royale. An interesting fact here is that the gaming title that features the most tournament markets is CS:GO. Currently having eight market sections, CS:GO is seemingly the one E-Sport that enjoys an incredibly large number of punters.

The Tournaments

At this moment, Pinnacle offers three different championships in CS:GO. Official competition events are the driving force behind every single sports market online, and the more tournaments are represented, the higher the opportunity is for a punter to make a potential win. While at some point the markets in CS:GO might seem depleted, this shouldn’t be a cause for concern. As new events are being organized at all times, they are held in regional and worldwide levels which means that there will always be CS:GO markets to bet on. Below, are the current official events featured in the CS:GO section of Pinnacle eSports betting.

Intel Extreme Masters – Qualifier Event in Katowice

Intel Extreme Masters is one of the most renowned tournament formats in the world. It was founded more than a decade ago, and today it is considered one of the most prestigious CS:GO competition events ever. Pinnacle eSports always features markets from all independent IEM editions – Europe, North America, Asia, and Worldwide. With one million US dollars in prize pool money at stake, you can be sure that the odds and markets provided by Pinnacle eSports will be rich in both quality and variety.

Loot.bet Championship Event

Due to the relatively recent establishment of the tournament, Loot.bet is currently only held on a European level, but that doesn’t mean that the competition will be small. 22 teams in total will compete for the first place in the Loot.bet event, for the chance to win $10,000 – but don’t let that relatively small prize pool fool you. The odds and wager types featured in the Pinnacle CS:GO betting section will be more than lucrative.

Nox Fire Tournament

Another tournament exclusive to Europe is the NoxFire League. Sponsored by the company “NoxFire VPN” this is another minor-tier event, but small doesn’t mean wrong. The markets provided in the Pinnacle CS:GO betting section for this event, will be the same as those featured in the most significant competition. Ten teams will compete over the course of one month to reach the coveted first prize of $6,000. Second place will receive $3,000, and the third rank-holders will win a consolation prize of $1,000.

Customer Service Is Impeccable

Although a phone number isn’t listed, you can quickly get in touch with the staff of Pinnacle eSports betting through the live chat function. If a punter would like to place a lengthier inquiry, they can do so via the provided email form as well. What is interesting about the live chat function (and not present in most sportsbooks) is that it can be activated even if a person isn’t registered yet. This is done so with the idea of helping anyone with their Pinnacle account registration process. The waiting time for a customer support agent is practically non-existent, and there isn’t any noticeable lag in the chat process as well. Bear in mind that if you’re unregistered, the only way you can access the live chat function is if you click on the “open account” button – don’t worry, you won’t be required to put in any personal information.

Countries Allowed or Restricted

While the list of countries that are prohibited from accessing and using the services of Pinnacle eSports isn’t that long, there are quite a few highly populated areas in it. 20 countries in total are listed as being prohibited: the USA, France, the UK, Netherlands, Spain, Germany, Singapore, Korea, Denmark, Philippines, Syria, Turkey, Poland, Ireland, Czech Republic, Sudan, Australia, Italy, Iran, and Slovenia. There are no other jurisdictions mentioned in the general Terms and Conditions section of Pinnacle; however, it is said that many countries in which gambling is illegal won’t be able to access the website.

Advantages and Disadvantages

Pinnacle at a glance
  • Mobile Compatibility
  • Huge number of markets
  • Great customer support
  • Available Bonuses
  • Quality odds

The Pinnacle eSports betting platform shines so much in some respects that it comes off as almost strange that it has some drawbacks. For example, the number of markets, wager types, quality of odds, platform availability, location accessibility, functional customer service, as well as compatibility with mobile technologies, is way above than the industry’s average standards! Stating the “nothing-short-than-impressive” summary, we still wonder how could this sportsbook still not have any single promotion? The same would apply for the lack of live streaming – other than that, the Pinnacle eSports betting platform continues to be a top choice among punters.

Review Conclusion

Pinnacle eSports Betting is preferred not only for its satisfying selection of markets but for its best value odds as well. Another reason is that this eSports bookie boasts its high bet limits and the fact that they welcome winners and not shun them away. There are probably only a few sportsbooks in the entire industry that accept Arbitrage betting, and Pinnacle clearly states that they are one of them. Numerous client reviews testify to the legitimacy of all positive sides of the sportsbook, and this is why today it continues to be one of the most preferred bookies for CS:GO betting online!

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