Despite being the smallest Canadian province, Prince Edward Island is facing a sharp growth in sports betting popularity. Sports have been popular in the area for a long time, but now the trend has been aimed towards sportsbooks. Today we will review all the aspects of playing at sportsbooks available in PEI, including bonuses, security, betting markets, odds and others. We will also give some tips on how to find a decent company that will perfectly suit your needs, so stay tuned.
General Market Overview
But before moving on to the aspects themselves, it would be logical to explain the necessity of learning them. You need to know everything about the sportsbooks as the choice is wide in PEI. Knowing the aspects will help you make an informed decision while selecting a bookmaker for yourself. There are dozens of companies that are happy to accept players from Prince Edward Island and each of them has strong and weak points, benefits and drawbacks, exclusive features and special offers. Today we won’t be presenting a list of suggested places as it is much better to perform the research yourself and choose the sportsbook based on the features you want it to have.
Betting Options
The first logical aspect that comes into mind is the range of betting options available. Obviously, different sportsbooks offer different conditions, so we will cover the aspects in general. At most companies, you will be able to select from dozens of sports, each having different leagues and championships, where lots of matches will be available for betting. The best betting platforms have thousands of games covered, allowing you to find almost any event in the world.
But that is not the only factor affecting the total quantity of betting options available. For each game, there might be lots of odds to choose from, including victories, handicaps, totals, props and others. At some sportsbooks, you may have dozens of options for only one match.
Lastly, there are different types of bets you can make. Of course, there are single bets, where you choose one specific outcome, but there is much more to discover. There are the parlay bets, which allow you to select several outcomes of different events and have their odds combined, in case every prediction is right, but lose the bet if at least one of them is wrong. Some companies also offer various combined bets with different systems, but it is mostly individual for each sportsbook. The last general thing about the betting options we would like to mention is the in-play betting feature. Apart from making bets before the match begins, you can do it right in the process with the odds that change in real-time.
Security
Despite available markets being the first thing you typically think of, it is not the first thing to look at. Of course, you should prioritize assessing the security of a sportsbook you’re considering. Unlike with neighbouring provinces, there are no government-regulated bookmakers in PEI, so you cannot simply rely on any given site. Decent sportsbooks operate under high-security standards, including data encryption, the latest SSL protocols and trusted transaction processing platforms.
Bonuses
An important aspect of any company is the amount of free value you may get. There are not so many types of bonuses that may be available at different sites, but the offers vary dramatically. The most popular type of promotion is the welcome bonus, which is typically a simple increase of the amount you deposit with your first transaction. There could also be the so-called “free bets”, which allow you to make a prediction for a certain sum, without actually betting it. In case you guess correctly, you typically get only the winnings without the sum of the free bet.
The generosity of different platforms varies a lot, so you should compare them attentively. Note that the promotions with multiple activations are always more beneficial in the long-term than the large one-time bonuses. Also do not forget to attentively read the terms and conditions before activating any promotions, paying special attention to the wagering requirements.
Betting Odds
We have already covered the markets available for betting, but you should also take into account the odds. They vary between different sites, so the value you get from making a correct prediction will differ. Sometimes it is more profitable to choose a place with lower odds but better bonuses, though you will still have to perform the analysis. Thankfully, there are many sites that aggregate the odds at different sportsbooks, making it super easy to compare them.
Banking
Another aspect you should not forget about is banking. As an individual, you should be fine by simply checking whether the place has your favourite method on the list. Typically, international sportsbooks accept the following options for deposits and/or withdrawals:
- credit and debit cards;
- e-wallets;
- prepaid cards;
- cryptocurrencies;
- bank transfers.
Mobile Optimization
In contrast, the terms for transactions are very similar between different sites. There are usually no fees for deposits and withdrawals, the cash-ins are processed instantly, while the cash-out processing time depends on the payment method selected. For example, e-wallet withdrawals rarely require more than 24 hours to be finished, while with bank transfers it may take up to 7 banking days.
There are two options you can enjoy sportsbooks with on mobile. The first and the most popular one is the browser version. Lots of companies offer the same features as on desktops, but with an optimized interface that is comfortable to use on smartphones. The second option is to have a downloadable app. The apps are much better as they provide comfortable navigation, better controls over the interface and support notifications, which may be important with in-play betting.
Customer Support
Though you won’t find a local department to visit in PEI, you can always contact the support team online. Decent bookmakers have several options available, including phone calls, emails, live chats and contact forms. They also usually have FAQ sections with most popular issues resolved. The best place would have a help center, where you will find dozens of issues properly categorized.
How to Choose a Bookmaker in PEI?
Summing up the aspects we have described above, we can say that the choice is very individual and depends on your personal priorities. In case you just want to try betting for the first time, you should probably consider a sportsbook with simplified registration procedure, a generous welcome bonus and a good support team. If you’re an experienced bettor aiming for long-term, you should put more focus into comparing the odds, the markets available and the recurring promotions.