BetRivers review

BetRivers has been in the gaming industry for over a decade and shine when it comes to their odds, making them a preferred destination for many bettors.

Some of the best odds in the business are available on BetRivers, especially on NHL which is usually a league that is neglected by sportsbooks, but hockey bettors will find plenty to enjoy here. Live streaming of world hockey, soccer, and basketball is also a major plus.

The BetRivers welcome bonus is unfortunately not very attractive compared to other legal US betting sites, with just $250 on offer, whilst the app suffers from constant freezing to a point that it is essentially useless.

Where is BetRivers Available in the US?

BetRivers is licensed in 11 states, which means they have to follow strict rules and regulation surrounding sports betting in those locations. They cannot operate in any state that does not grant them a license.

This ensures that the site is safe to use and provides you with legal avenues (such as contacting the sports betting regulator in your state) if necessary.

BetRivers Welcome Bonus

BetRivers offer a welcome bonus of just a $250 deposit bonus, and that is distinctly subpar when compared to other major legal sportsbooks in the US. The bonus is available in all states where they operate.

The amount they offer is less than other betting sites but it is still enough to appeal to new, more casual bettors. As well, the BetRivers welcome bonus doesn’t have complicated wagering requirements so all you have to do is spend your bonus once.

BetRivers welcome bonus info

Max bonus $250 Bonus percentage 100% Wagering requirements 1x Time to complete wagering requirements N/A	Expiry date None Minimum odds -200 Bonus code 250MATCH Sports restrictions None

This $250 deposit match bonus is available to everyone who signs up and uses the promo code when registering. You can wager any amount of the bonus at a time, rather than being constrained to a single free bet like some other sportsbooks.

So if you receive the full $250, you could put $150 of it on a +1500 bet and the remaining $100 on a +1000 line, for instance. Remember that bets made with bonus funds do not include the risk amount in the returns.

Although the bonus figure is not nearly as high as other betting sites like PointsBet, BetMGM and FanDuel Sportsbook, it’s still attractive if you’re not planning to bet thousands.

BetRivers Bonus T&Cs

The BetRivers welcome bonus has some important terms and conditions that ensures you are eligible for the promotion.

Most of the terms are standard and can be found at many sportsbooks, although you should pay particular attention to the fact that you can only place bonus funds on selections of -200 or longer

How to Claim BetRivers Sign-up Bonus

BetRivers have a smooth registration process but it is important you remember to include the bonus code as this is not automatically filled in.

Apart from including the BetRivers bonus code when you register, signing up is a simple and straightforward process.

1

Register

Sign up for an account at BetRivers.

2

Insert code

Type in the bonus code 250MATCH during registration to ensure you receive the bonus funds.

3

Deposit

Fund your account via any of the methods accepted by BetRivers.

4

Receive bonus

Get your deposit matched in bonus funds up to $250.

When you sign up for an account with BetRivers, you will need to supply the last four digits of your Social Security Number. This is so they can verify your identity and enable you to legally bet under KYC (Know Your Customer) rules.

Other Promotions

BetRivers run promotions on the big four sports leagues but they are restricted to specific days of the week depending on the sport.

The rewards are usually profit boosts on winning bets and there are also some that give you BetRivers free bets simply for placing real money bets. One such promotion is getting a $10 free bet for wagering $25 on an MLB single game parlay on a Saturday, regardless of whether your bet wins or loses.

BetRivers also offer promotions on tennis and motorsports, ensuring that there is likely to be something for everyone.

Payment Methods at BetRivers

BetRivers accepts deposits and withdrawals in a number of different ways and all are available in all states where BetRivers operates. However, there are some limitations compared to other US betting sites due to the lack of VISA and Mastercard options that restricts bettors.

They have a selection of online as well as in-person options, but there is a glaring miss with debit/credit cards not being accepted.

Payment method						Pay With Cash (Vanilla)
Min/max deposit	$10/none	$10/none	$10/none	$10/none	$10/none	$10/none
Min/max withdrawal	$10/none	$10/none	$10/none	$10/none	$10/none	N/A
Fees	None	None	None	None	None	None
Payout time	1-5 days	Within 24 hours	2-5 days	Immediate	Immediate	N/A
Withdrawal method	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No

Adding the likes of VISA and MasterCard as direct deposit choices would make BetRivers appeal to people who prefer to pay using those methods.

Aside from not having those two methods, BetRivers is otherwise very strong in this department with VIP Preferred, PayPal, Play+, and bank transfer all popular ways to deposit

How to Withdraw at BetRivers

BetRivers provide bettors with five different ways to withdraw money from the sportsbook, all of which are popular methods that generally don’t take very long for the funds to hit your account.

The full list of withdrawal methods and the time it takes for withdrawals to be fully processed is below:

• VIP Preferred: 1-5 days
• PayPal: Within 24 hours
• Bank Transfer: 2-5 days
• Play+: Immediate
• Cash at Cage: Immediate

BetRivers Mobile App

BetRivers have mobile apps for both iOS and Android, so anyone with an iPhone or and Android device can download it.

Those with an Apple device can install it from the App Store whilst Android users can find it on Google Play.

A mobile app is supposed to make betting easier but BetRivers’ attempt is awful. The app constantly freezes and crashes, making it extremely difficult to place in-play bets.

As well, the app suffers from random geolocation errors. During our testing of it, we were informed multiple times that we had left the state – despite having not moved.

Geo-location with BetRivers

You must be physically located in one of the states where BetRivers has a license as they cannot accept bets from other places. Even if you registered or currently live in a legal state, you still cannot bet if you are in an unlicensed state.

BetRivers use Geocomply location software to determine your location and whether you are able to bet with them. This plugin detects which state you are in.

Your phone’s geo-location has to be turned on to bet from the app. If you are connecting via WiFi then your location will be detected automatically.

BetRivers Customer Support

BetRivers have both live chat and email support with knowledgable agents who are clearly comfortable with giving responses quickly, allowing you to get back to placing bets.

Live chat responses are usually immediate but the service is only available between 9:30am and 2am, unlike many other sportsbooks where the service is 24/7.

There’s also no phone number at BetRivers although the FAQ is very detailed and in most cases, can provide the answer you need.

BetRivers customer support

Live chat Open daily from 9:30am-2am Email Submit email queries via form in help section Phone number None FAQ Detailed

Betting with BetRivers Up Close

BetRivers offers a decent sports betting experience for both new and experienced punters, with an easily navigable website that offers a wide variety of sports.

The homepage can feel a little overwhelming because it is quite busy thanks to a ticker down the right-hand side that shows winning bettors. However, it’s simple to find where you want to go thanks to menus at the top and on the left.

A fun feature of BetRivers is that they have a “Hometown Favorites” match or event at the top of the homepage, which changes depending on your location. So if you’re in Illinois, the featured games will be Chicago teams such as the Cubs or the Blackhawks.

• Sports
• Odds comparison
• Blog and picks
• Bet slip
• Betting markets

Sports Available to Bet On

BetRivers have a decent range of sports for punters to bet on with all the major ‘big four’ sports available as well as other popular ones like soccer, tennis and golf.

The most impressive part of BetRivers’ sports selection is their strong futures section for each sport, with even niche sports having outright markets.

In total, BetRivers offer 19 sports – a number that will suit almost every potential bettor, even if it is less than some other betting sites such as BetMGM and their 27 options.

Other Sports

BetRivers certainly prioritize the more popular sports with their list of “all sports” first displaying the likes of football and basketball, followed by other sports in alphabetical order.

There are still plenty of other sports to get stuck into, all of which have a good number of leagues and markets for your wagering needs.

• Australian Rules
• Baseball
• Basketball
• Boxing
• Cricket
• Cycling
• Darts
• F1
• Football
• Golf
• Handball
• Hockey
• MMA
• Motorsports
• Rugby League
• Rugby Union
• Soccer
• Tennis
• Winter Olympics

Odds Comparison

BetRivers offer extremely competitive odds that rival other big sportsbooks, and consistently offers the best price on some moneyline markets in the major sports.

It would be absurd to expect any betting site to have the best odds on every single game, but BetRivers have enough to be considered one of the better sportsbooks for odds.

Using an NBA slate of 10 games, BetRivers had the best closing moneyline odds on seven selections (out of a total of 20). No other major betting site offered the best odds on more markets than seven.

The table above shows that whilst they did not have the best moneyline odds for this NFL game, BetRivers still offered good prices for the major markets.

BetRivers Blog and Betting Picks

BetRivers have a sports betting blog that is certainly one of the more useful ones out there as it has regular posts that are both interesting and informative.

The focus of the blog is mainly on podcasts, with BetRivers producing multiple episodes per week of ‘CityCast’ which are productions that focus on a particular city’s sports teams.

As of writing, there are individual CityCast podacsts for Chicago, Denver, Detroit, Los Angeles, New York, Philadelphia, and Pittsburgh.

Relevancy

Almost all of BetRivers’ blog posts are about upcoming games and their best bets for them.

Reliability

All picks on BetRivers’ blogs are backed up by reliable information that is up-to-date and about games that are happening soon after.

Update frequency

BetRivers release new podcast episodes almost every day, whilst their written posts usually come weekly.

US sports coverage

Almost all of BetRivers’ blog is about US sports, and specifically the big four leagues plus college.

Other sports coverage

There is some coverage about other sports such as golf and soccer, but it is not regular.

Media format

Most of BetRivers’ blog comes in the form of podcasts, but there is also a good chunk of written content.

BetRivers’ blog is one of the best out there because of the frequent posts and the relevant content, making it easy for bettors to digest.

Bet Slip

BetRivers boast a strong bet slip that is incredibly user-friendly as it pops up in the bottom-right corner of the screen when you make a selection, but it is not intrusive and can be minimized.

It also has distinct sections for parlays and round robins, making it easy to see how much your potential returns will be for those particular bets.

Betting Markets

BetRivers have a very impressive range of betting markets available on most sports, routinely providing punters with over 100 markets on the likes of NFL, NBA, NHL, MLB and key soccer games.

Markets are split into sections at the top of each game or event, although they are a bit specific. There are separate tabs for “player receiving” and “player rushing” when they could be combined into a single tab for “player props” to make it easier for punters who just want to see all props.

• Moneyline
• Spread
• Total
• Game Props
• Team Props
• Player Props
• Half Betting
• Quarter Betting
• Anytime Scorers

A search function would be a useful feature for BetRivers to add as it would improve user experience, whilst there could be more efficiency in how they display props as a lot of scrolling is involved.

NFL

BetRivers are one of the best sportsbooks for NFL betting thanks to a combination of good odds and vast market range.

They don’t break the mold in any way with innovative promotions or unique markets, but BetRivers do the fundamentals of sports wagering very well and will appeal to almost all bettors.

NFL

Margin 4.8% NFL betting markets 102 Odds Strong Min/max bet $0.01/variable Promotions None

Having such a wide choice of markets makes BetRivers a very appealing betting site, whilst their strong odds usually means there is little reason to shop around.

Football Promotions at BetRivers

Unfortunately, BetRivers do not have any football promotions which does bring them down a notch.

Even just a single NFL promotion would make them even more appealing, especially as many other legal US betting sites have at least one.

NBA

NBA betting is another strong suit of BetRivers, with consistent moneyline odds and plenty of markets for punters to get stuck into.

The only real problem is their margin on spreads is slightly higher than the industry norm of 4.8%, which theoretically means bettors will make less money in the long run.

NBA

Margin 5% NBA betting markets 109 Odds Competitive Min/max bet $0.01/variable Promotions 20% live NBA profit boost

The 5% margin isn’t all bad news because whilst it does mean less returns for you over time, BetRivers don’t price most of their spreads at -110 like many other betting sites.

Instead, they tend to offer -109 on one side and -112 on the other, so there is potential value in the -109 selections.

Basketball Promotions at BetRivers

BetRivers offer one NBA promotion that will be appealing to most bettors, but particularly those who like to wager whilst they watch the game.

This is a good promotion by BetRivers as it is easy to use and understand, although it can only be used in-play which some punters may not like doing.

NHL

NHL bettors tend to get left behind by sportsbooks but that’s not the case with BetRivers, who offer plenty of markets and good odds within those.

It is worth noting that they rarely have the best closing prices for hockey and so it is worth betting early with BetRivers, where they do provide excellent odds on hockey.

NHL

Margins 4.8% NHL betting markets 68 Odds Competitive Min/max bet $0.01/variable Promotions 20% NHL profit boost

BetRivers’ margin for the puck line (spread) is the standard 4.8% but the market is not displayed amongst the other main ones.

Bettors have to navigate to the ‘Game – Regular Time’ section of the game to find it on BetRivers, whilst other sportsbooks usually show it with the moneyline and total goals markets.

Ice Hockey Promotions at BetRivers

BetRivers have one NHL promotion to get stuck into. It is certainly not groundbreaking but will appeal to all hockey bettors as it offers extra winnings on.

The boost being limited to only one day per week is obviously not ideal but otherwise this is a solid promo that should attract all manner of punters.

MLB

MLB was not in season when this review was carried out and so there are no markets available except for futures.

MLB

Margin N/A MLB betting markets N/A Odds N/A Min/max bet $0.01/variable Promotions N/A

Baseball Promotions at BetRivers

There are currently no MLB promotions available at BetRivers, due to the league being in the off-season.

It would be ideal if BetRivers had at least one for when the season begins as many other US betting sites will likely do the same.

NCAA

BetRivers have a comprehensive NCAA betting section, offering every division 1 game in both basketball and football.

Like all sites, they are restricted by regulations that vary by state, with some having no limitations on markets whilst others do not allow player props.

NCAA

Margins 4.8% NCAA betting markets 16 Odds Competitive Min/max bet $0.01/variable Promotions 20% NCAAB profit boost

BetRivers NCAA betting is on par with other major legal sportsbooks like BetMGM and FanDuel, offering a handful of markets where possible with odds that rival.

NCAA Betting Promotions at BetRivers

BetRivers have one college basketball promotion available which allows bettors to gain extra profit on winning bets on Thursdays.

The lack of markets available on NCAA basketball does make this promotion more restricting than others, however.

BetRivers Betting Features

BetRivers have a decent array of betting features that can be utilized by customers, giving you more control over your wagering.

The diverse range of sports leagues available for live streaming on BetRivers does elevate it above many other sportsbooks and makes it an appealing betting site

• 

  Early cashout

  Early cashout allows you to settle wagers early in exchange for a pre-determined value. This value may be higher or lower than your initial stake, depending on how likely the bet is to be successful.

  BetRivers call this function ‘Buy Out’ but do not display which markets are eligible.

• 

  Live streaming

  BetRivers offer live streaming of NHL, soccer, tennis, non-NBA basketball, and world hockey.

  Bettors must be logged in to view the stream and the game can be watched on either mobile or desktop, making it easy to watch and bet at the same time.

• 

  Bet builder/same game parlay

  Same game parlay has become industry standard in recent times and allows bettors to add multiple selections from the same game into a single bet.

  BetRivers also offer ‘pre-packs’ which are same game parlays that they have already built, which saves you the hassle.

• 

  Easy parlay

  BetRivers do not have an easy parlay option available.

• 

  Edit bet

  There is no edit bet function available at BetRivers.

Having early cashout and same game parlay options is expected of any legal sportsbook trying to compete in the market, but live streaming does set them apart somewhat.

Most major betting sites offer tennis and some soccer but for BetRivers to show live NHL makes them extremely desirable for hockey fans, with the feature offering a way for bettors to circumvent blackout rules.

BetRivers Live Sports Betting

Live betting gives you the option to place wagers whilst a game is going on, expanding your wagering potential with new markets that aren’t available pre-game, such as next touchdown scorer in NFL.

BetRivers offer in-play betting on almost every event, including the major sports, with plenty of markets available even on less popular sports leagues like low-level tennis and European soccer.

BetRivers’ live betting is easy to navigate to from either the top of the screen or the left menu, and the list of markets is shown next to the in-game stats and live stream (if applicable).

BetRivers live sports betting

Range of markets Advanced Live stats Advanced Ease of use Easy Live streaming options Advanced

Is BetRivers Legit?

BetRivers is a legit and safe online sportsbook that has operated online since 2019.

They are licensed to legally operate in 12 states, making them one of the widest-reaching betting sites in the US.

BetRivers is part of the Rivers Casino brand, who have physical casinos in Illinois, Pennsylvania and New York, and is managed by Chicago-based company Rush Street Interactive.

BetRivers company info

US licenses AZ, CO, CT, IA, IN, IL, MI, NJ, NY, PA, VA, WV Other products None Non-US licenses None Responsible gambling measures Deposit limits, spending limits, time limits, wagering limits, self-suspension, self-exclusion	Year founded 2019 Owner Rush Street Interactive/Churchill Downs Incorporated CEO Richard Schwartz Publicly traded NYSE

History of BetRivers

BetRivers are relatively new to the world of gaming, with the first land-based Rivers Casino having only opened in 2009.

Rivers Casino Pittsburgh opens

After buying the controlling interest in another casino company who had begun the project, Neil Bluhm opens the first Rivers Casino in Pittsburgh.

Second Rivers Casino location opens

Bluhm is granted Illinois’ 10^th casino license and opens Rivers Casino in Des Plaines, a suburb of Chicago

Rivers Casino expands to New York

Rush Street Gaming are granted a license in New York and open a Rivers Casino in Schenectady, near Albany.

BetRivers launches online

Rivers Casino move into online sports gambling and launch BetRivers in Indiana and Pennsylvania.

More states grant BetRivers licenses

In a big year for BetRivers, the sportsbook is awarded licenses for online sports wagering in Iowa, Michigan, Virginia and Arizona.

Alternatives to BetRivers

If BetRivers doesn’t take your fancy, there are a wealth of other legal US sportsbooks that are available for you to bet with.

BetMGM boast a range of amazing betting features such as auto cashout that allows you to set a value and the bet will automatically be cashed out if it reaches that amount.

If you prefer promotions, PointsBet provide plenty of excellent ones that give you rewards such as free bets and lower margins.

BetMGM

Huge welcome bonus

Great range of promotions

Poor app

BetMGM review

PointsBet

Innovative promotions

Excellent welcome bonus

Fewer sports than other sites

PointsBet review

FanDuel Sportsbook

Great app

$100 bonus when you refer friends

Poor blog

FanDuel Sportsbook

Conclusion

BetRivers is one of the leading sportsbooks in the US, offering extremely competitive odds on the major sports and providing punters with plenty of markets to choose from.

Those wanting to bet on NFL and NHL will probably get the most out of BetRivers, although restrictive promotions that are only active on specific days of the week is extremely frustrating.

The range of states that BetRivers is licensed in guarantees its legitimacy and makes it a convenient betting site for those who travel to different locations in the US.

Here are some of the most notable aspects of BetRivers, both positive and negative:

• BetRivers excels at NHL betting with very competitive opening odds and wide market breadth.
• 11 states have granted licenses to BetRivers with more likely to do so in the future.
• A $250 welcome bonus at BetRivers is very unattractive compared to many other legal US sportsbooks.
• The BetRivers mobile app is one of the worst out there thanks to constant freezes and crashes.

FAQs