Tennis betting sites
Tennis is two players and no draw, which makes it look like the simplest bet on the board. The hard part is a rule most bettors never read: what happens to your ticket when a player quits halfway through. Tennis betting sites settle that differently, and it is the first thing I'd look up at any of them.
When a player retires
Players retire hurt in the middle of matches more often than in most sports, and every book has a rule for it. The rules come in a few shapes. Some books pay the player who advances as long as one set was finished. Some void every bet unless the match was played to the end. Some need only the first ball to have been struck. The same match can be a winner at one book and a refund at another.
Say you have $100 on a player at +150, and the opponent retires in the second set while your player is ahead.
| The book's rule | If the opponent retires | If your player retires |
|---|---|---|
| Advancing player wins, one set played | Up $150 | Down $100 |
| Void unless the match is completed | $100 back | $100 back |
Neither rule is a trick. But you should know which one you signed up for before you bet a player with a strapped knee. The same rule usually covers set betting, game handicaps and totals, and those are often voided even where the match bet stands. Read it before the first bet, not after the retirement. If a bet you thought had won comes back void, why a sportsbook voids a wager covers the usual reasons.
Markets beyond the match
The moneyline is the main bet, and a mismatch makes it a heavy price. Around it sit the set handicap, the game handicap, the total number of games, the correct score in sets, and the winner of each set. The game handicap is the useful one for a favorite: you are betting that she wins by a margin of games, not just that she wins.
Men's matches at the four majors are best of five sets, and most other matches are best of three. That changes the price. Over five sets the better player has more time to come through a bad patch, so the favorite's price is shorter.
Point by point
Tennis is made for live betting, and books know it. The line changes with every point, the market closes during each point and reopens between them, and the swings at a break of serve are large. The model knows the serve-hold numbers better than you do, the book's data comes in faster than any stream, and some people sit courtside and bet off what they see before the feed has it. I'd stay out of live tennis unless you are betting on something the model can't see: a player who is plainly hurt, or the conditions turning. Even then I'd wait for the changeover.
The general case is on the live betting page.
The small events
The tour has a long tail of smaller events below the main circuit, with players nobody has heard of. Some books cover them all, others only the main tour. Tennis has had match-fixing cases at that lower level, and books know it, so the limits there are small and some books leave those events off the board. I'd treat a soft-looking number on an obscure match as a warning rather than a gift.
The majors draw the public money, and it goes on the famous names. If you're betting the US Open, shop the price on the favorite at two books, and keep each bet to 1 or 2 percent of your bankroll. Tennis plays almost every week of the year, so there's always another match. That is a reason to pass on this one.
13 reviewed
Listed A to Z until our ratings are published.
betDSI.com
Maximum bet up to $20,000 online or by phone, with higher limits on request, says the FAQ. Live betting across the major sports, a long props list and phone wagering
50% sports bonus up to $500Read the review
BetNow
Bet limits published by sport and day, up to $10,000 on an NFL side on game day, says the site. Deposits from $20, with no fee on crypto deposits
100% cash bonus up to $2,000Read the review
BetPhoenix
Toll-free lines in English, Vietnamese and Chinese, plus a wagering line, with online wagering 24/7, says the site. Live betting with games streamed on the site, as stated
175% free play up to $1,750Read the review
BetPOP
Crypto payouts from $50 to $10,000, twice a week, free, processed the same afternoon if requested before noon Eastern, says the cashier page. NFL sides up to $10,000 on same-day lines, with higher limits on request
50% free play up to $250Read the review
BookMaker Sportsbook
Crypto withdrawals from $50 up to $25,000 on weekdays, seven a week, with no BookMaker fee, according to its help centre. Live betting on all major North American sports, with props on NFL prime-time games, says the site
Bovada
Published withdrawal limits by method, up to $9,500 a Bitcoin request and $90,000 a week. No fee on crypto withdrawals, says the help center
50% sports welcome bonus up to $250Read the reviewBUSR
265+ thoroughbred and harness tracks with a daily horse rebate, says the site. Crypto deposits with no fees, and free Bitcoin payouts, as stated
100% Free Play match up to $1,000 on each of the first three depositsRead the review
EveryGame
One account covers the sportsbook, two casinos and poker, says the site. Crypto deposits and withdrawals in Bitcoin, Bitcoin Cash and Litecoin, according to its About page
$1,500 welcome package: 100% up to $500, plus 10 x 50% crypto bonuses up to $100Read the review
JustBet
Maximum bet stated as $20,000 online and by phone, with higher limits on request. Crypto payouts with no fee from the book, according to its Bitcoin page
MyBookie
A 100% crypto first deposit bonus up to $1,000, with the rollover worked out on the bonus page. KYC-verified payouts processed within 48 hours, says the banking page
100% crypto first deposit bonus up to $1,000Read the review
WagerWeb
Bitcoin depositors can request payouts seven days a week, says the promotions page. Volume for rollover is the lower of risk and win, written out with examples
Progressive free play bonus, 10% rising to 50%, up to $500Read the reviewXbet
Bitcoin payouts typically sent within 12 to 24 hours, with a $25 minimum, says the help centre. Deposits by Visa, Mastercard, person-to-person and a dozen coins
100% crypto welcome bonus up to $200 in bonus betsRead the review
YouWager
A published limits table, from $10,000 on an NFL spread down to $300 in-game. MLB on a 10-cent line from -100 to -190
50% free play up to $250 on a first depositRead the review