Youwager

Youwager Sportsbook Review

“People die”… That was the main reason Youwager started marketing.

It was 2002. Youwager was called First Fidelity, and the sportsbook already had reached critical mass servicing thousands of players every week. Back then the majority of players called the wagering line to put in their bets so you needed a phone line and a wagering clerk for every so many players betting right before game time. Sportsbooks weren’t yet considering 100,000 customers by scaling operations via the internet. First Fidelity’s phone-in sportsbook had built its client base through word of mouth and professional service starting in the early 90s. Many of their players were established, wealthy, older gentleman. Word would spread at the golf course about how easy it was getting paid big amounts. First Fidelity’s then marketing manager told me they didn’t need to market and their phone-in middle aged client base was growing faster than ever. I asked, then why advertise online? He said their “customers are loyal but people eventually retire and even pass away. People die.” It was honest and forward thinking. 15 years later Youwager still has many silver-haired VIPs but is considered cool by the younger connected generation. Maybe Buick needs to hire Youwager’s team?

Today Youwager still uses some of the same methods that grew its business 20 years ago. Youwager remains one of the best sportsbooks for call-in bettors. Every year before football you will see people in betting forums amazed that their sportsbook sent them physical mail including betting guide magazines and promotions. The most popular and anticipated of which is the Youwager Scratch-off card. It’s similar to a scratch-off lottery ticket you might buy at the corner store but you actually win cash which they put in your betting account. YouWager competes well with the leading online sportsbooks in the categories of bonuses, prop betting markets as well as speed and cost of payouts. Youwager’s bitcoin player base has grown exponentially over the past few years.

Youwager Sportsbook was one of the true originals and first to have an MLB dime line.

Youwager wasn’t one of the sportsbooks that tossed up a website 5 years before they did any marketing, or took a bet from anyone who they didn’t go to high school with. The sportsbook had a legitimate book… of business in the 90s. The Sportsbook went online partly out of convenience to their established client base.

Most betting sites that have been online 10 years, never mind 20, have had more prior owners than a Volkswagen with 200,000 miles. Youwager’s original ownership still owns and manages the sportsbook today.

Sign-up Bonus – Good, but know the terms

Scrutinizing free money from a legitimate bookmaker may seem silly. It kind of is. However, there are a lot of recreational gamblers and new bettors who simply don’t understand what taking this free money entails.

50% free-play up to $500:
Keep in mind that a free-play is worth roughly half of a cash bonus. NOTE: Deposits over $1,000 get 30% after the first $1,000. 

10x rollover: Its on the high side.
A player on a 10x rollover who wins at about a 50% clip would come out roughly even by the time the rollover was complete. At 15x, the sportsbook is well ahead. So, why accept the bonus? Most players are going to be betting for the season anyway. Most players don’t intend to lose their bankroll by winning only half of their bets. Most players aren’t playing at their book solely for the bonus. If you’re a player who is going to bet for a season or even a month, taking free money is a no-brainer. The winners win more and the losers see their bankroll last a little longer.

30 day hold: 
If you go to the club and find out there is a 3 drink minimum, most people don’t mind because thats why they came. If you aren’t drinking, you likely go elsewhere. That’s how Youwager handles their bonus terms.

A one month hold basically means that even if you rapid fired for a week and completed the 10x play-through… you should stay seated. Some sportsbooks feel this is needed to keep out bonus hunters who turn their money over in a day or two. The 30 day hold takes that bonus hunter bulls-eye off the bookie’s back. It’s also usually the biggest turn-off for new players looking for a bonus but aren’t sure just how invested they want to get in the venture. Usually only sportsbooks with superb reputations have this stipulation. They know players will be less nervous about going steady for the month and are more likely to trust them. Youwager is one of those betting sites. There aren’t any bonus disputes.

Reduced Juice & Unique Lines

We recommend having a reduced juice book at your disposal. It means that when all books have the Patriots at -4, you get it at half price. If you have a book charging -110 and they are always exactly in line with what other books have, that may be good reason to find a 2nd sportsbook.

However a -110 sportsbook can be of similar value to a reduced juice book if they can offer spreads that are a bit different from what everyone else offers. Sometimes sportsbooks move lines differently and that means you may see the Cleveland Cavs +1 (-105) at a reduced-juice sportsbook while also finding Bulls +1 (-105) at Youwager because the team the Cavs are playing, the Bulls, happen to be favored by 1 at -115. To Summarize, different lines can bring more value in the right situations. Youwager sometimes has these unique lines

We also typically like to point out to our new readers that a bonus over the course of its rollover is equivalent to reduced juice. In this case Youwager is giving about -106 during the 15x play-through.

Youwager offers -105 pricing got NFL on Friday nights.

Bitcoin – All Sportsbooks Now Offer It

Youwager will payout $1,000 in bitcoin every three days making their monthly limit cap at $12,000. That’s not going to suit the big bitcoin bettor or the big dog parlay bettors. But for 80% of bettors they will be fine with these free payouts. For the bitcoin sluggers, they would be best served to look at other books with more of an emphasis on alt coins, or they would have to look at other withdrawal methods like check and wires where $90,000 can be sent in a month.

Youwager is also on the high side for bitcoin deposit wait time at 1 hour. It’s the second longest to Intertops of all Predictem’s Bitcoin Sportsbooks.

Youwager Cons:

Youwager has a few negatives depending on the type of bettor you are.

1) They aren’t the go-to sportsbook for huge bitcoin bettors or huge bettors in general. For most of us, $12,000 in bitcoin or getting $60,000 to $90,000 total in a calendar month will suffice. Bitcoin payouts can take a full 24 hours which is middle of the road.

2) The bonus, while valuable, has the 30 day hold rule. We wonder if this keeps some newbie players from finding out how great of a sportsbook Youwager is.

The reality is that all sportsbook business models can be different meaning their bettor profiles will also vary. Pinnacle and Youwager are focused on very different customers.

Youwager Pros:

Youwager is simply a fun sportsbook. Everything from the colorful eye-popping website to the unique  wagers aims to make the experience less business and more fun. Youwager has everything to keep the typical sports bettor very happy. Those main features are 1) A Good Bonus Plan 2) A good prop bet and live betting menu 3) Fun Promotions like Friday Reduced Juice and 4) Free Payouts.