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Located in St. John's, Antigua, InterTops is an established name in the Sportsbetting industry. With PriceWaterhouse Coopers auditing their payout-ratios, InterTops is serious about guaranteed payouts and ensuring customer trust.
The InterTops website, while cluttered with banners and information, is comprehensive and seamlessly integrates the sports wagering section with the online casino. In the sportsbook, three major bet-types are allowed - Singles, Parlays and Events/Futures. The majority of visitors bet on the four major US sports and European Soccer.
An extensive array of events are offered. Professional and collegiate-level Football, Hockey, Basketball and Baseball are complemented with international favorites, such as Soccer, Boxing, Rugby, Cricket, Snooker and Motor Sports. To add a twist to conventional events, InterTops also offers lines covering various political, entertainment and financial market-related events.
Creating an account and depositing funds is a quick process, albeit one geared towards the Internet savvy. Telephone support is also available for account creation, although the hours are somewhat limited. To place a deposit, a customer may use their credit card, Cash Direct, Western Union, NETeller, FirePay, PrePaidATM, 900pay or a Bank Wire Transfer. The minimum deposit is $50.
Selecting lines and placing a bet is also quick and easy. A $1 minimum bet allows users to get a feel for the system without risking much and spreading one's money across a number of events. An extensive online help section provides details on each supported wager type and is replete with examples. Once an event's results have been confirmed, winnings are immediately credited to one's account.
Withdrawals can be made using many of the same options for placing deposits: Credit Card, Cash Direct, NETeller, FirePay, PrePaidATM and 900pay. For withdrawals above $1,000, InterTops will cover fees to have the funds sent directly via Private Courier. For smaller withdrawals, the user is asked to pay $15 for the service, with an additional $10 required for withdrawals of $49.95 or less.
Perhaps the biggest weakness of InterTops is their lack of a 24-hour support structure. Online gamblers can only speak with representatives between 9am-10pm (EST) Mon-Sat and 9am-9pm (EST) on Sundays. Toll free access numbers are provided for the US, UK, Germany, Austria and Switzerland and the quality of support is good. However, the limited access hours is a major obstacle - particularly when considering US sporting events often end past 10pm EST. For a site that targets so broad a global audience and services deposits, withdrawals and wagers around the clock, 24-hour support is a strict requirement.
Despite its weaknesses, InterTops remains a major player in the online gaming industry. With a strong back-end system and attractive minimums/wagers, InterTops attracts and retains a large portion of the users who visit. Extended support hours would go a long way in further strengthening InterTops's value proposition; however, as online gambling sites go, InterTops is truly...tops.
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