Sports Interaction Review
Sports Interaction Summary
Sports Interaction is one of the oldest operators in the online sports betting industry having been taking bets on its website since 1997. It markets itself as the first online bookmaker licensed and regulated in North America where the Kanhawake Gaming Commission in Canada oversees its operations and enforces Las Vegas-type rules.
The bookmaker is a member of the Sports Interaction Affiliates group that is based in Montreal. Unsurprisingly given it’s base, Canadians are its primary target audience, although it does allow punters to open accounts in a dozen international currencies so it does appeal to gambling fans outside its home country.
- US Players: No
- Site founded: 1997
- License: Kahnawake
- Bonus: 10% up to $100
- Bonus Rollover: 4x
- Last Updated: 03/11/2015
- Mobile Compatible: Yes
- Payment Methods: Mastercard, Visa, Money Order, Cheque, E-check, Bank Wire, Bank Transfer
Sports Interaction
- Perfect option for Canadian residents
- Excellent coverage of North American sports
- Very fast deposits and withdrawals
Sports Interaction Pros
- Great understanding of North American sports
- Has an excellent reputation and is licensed in Canada
- One easy wallet for playing sports, casino and poker
Sports Interaction Cons
- Fails for anything other than North American sports
- Sites seems slow to load and needs an update
Makeover Required
If one is into bells and whistles, then one will not be into Sports Interaction because its website would have to be one of the most vanilla out there. Only the company will know if it is part of its marketing strategy but its website looks as though it was designed in the early 2000s and not updated since then. The typography on the website is unattractive and the main navigation menus are jumpy, presumably because of the technology powering them.
It does not have an app but it does have a mobile-friendly version of its website, which is a fair bit more appealing than its big-screen brother. Clearly, the website designers have not been on leave for the past 10 years because the company’s mobile-friendly websites is a lot easier on the eye. Both websites work fine, it is just that they are not real eye catchers.
One of the strangest things about this book is that its website does not feature any bonuses or promotions on its front page. As far as one could ascertain at the time of this review, it did not have any offers for prospective new clients. Bonuses and promotions should not be the only reasons why one opens an online account but they are part of the decision-making process. And it is not as if the product is so stellar that it can do without offering early incentives.
Now we will look at the bookmaker’s wagering options, its bonuses, its security and licensing, how it treats professional and recreational punters and its banking practices, before providing an executive summary.
Betting Options
Sports Interaction covers the four pastimes that are really popular in North America – American football, basketball, baseball and ice hockey – as well as any online bookmaker, plus it goes to town on Canadian football given its focus on the Canadian market.
But its product offering falls off a cliff after that, which will be an issue for anyone who wants to bet on a wide range of events with one online bookmaker exclusively. Unless one bets pretty much only on American football, Canadian football, basketball, baseball and ice hockey, this book is likely to disappoint.
Live betting is a key component of every online bookmaker’s service these days and this is another area in which the website does not come up to scratch. The in-play interface is unattractive and, of much greater significance, it has a tendency to be unresponsive. Nothing annoys one more when gambling live than a system that does not load quickly, update quickly and respond quickly.
Bonuses
There is nothing on the website to suggest that it offers bonuses, which is remarkable given the highly competitive online bookmaking industry.
However, there are bonuses available to Canadian bettors so be sure to check the site for details. Bonuses should not be the one and only reason why one opens an account with an online bookmaker, however, it makes sense to mop up whatever is out there.
Security and Licensing
Canada’s Kanhawake Gaming Commission licenses and regulates the bookmaker. Kahnawake was one of the world’s first jurisdictions to recognise the huge opportunities that the online wagering and gaming industry offers and, since 1999, its Gaming Commission has been continuously licensing and regulating a range of online wagering and gaming operators.
Kanhawake Gaming Commission licence holders must host their operations at Mohawk Internet Technologies, a data centre that is located within the Mohawk Territory of Kahnawake.
Professional Versus Recreational Punters
The relatively low limits mean that this is an online bookmaker for recreational punters rather than professional punters. Unfortunately, most recreational punters prefer online bookmakers with deep product offerings, which this book most certainly does not boast.
Banking Practices
The site allows punters to open accounts in one of 13 popular currencies – American dollars, Argentinian pesos, Australian dollars, British pounds, Canadian dollars, Danish kroner, euros, Hong Kong dollars, Japanese yen, Singapore dollars, South African rand, Swedish kronor and Swiss francs – but it does not accept bets from residents of Bulgaria, Cyprus, Estonia, Hong Kong, Israel, the United States of America and the Kahnawake Mohawk Territory in Canada.
Like most online bookmakers, it is fairly easy to deposit and withdraw money from your account, with it offering a wide range of depositing and withdrawing methods.
Final Thoughts
Sports Interaction would be near the top of one’s list of online bookmakers if one lives in Canada and likes betting on North America’s favourite events, particularly Canadian football. But it would be well down one’s list if one lives in another part of the world, likes sign-up bonuses and enjoys gambling on games popular outside North America.