S
YouWager

Suspended Rating

country-not-accepted-icon Costa Rica CR Sports Bettors Not Accepted
country-not-accepted-icon Costa Rica CR Sports Bettors Not Accepted

YouWager Review

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by Bookmakers Review | Updated December 14, 2023
About YouWager

YouWager Sportsbook has been in business since 1994. YouWager’s rating is currently suspended by Bookmakers Review after numerous complaints were shared by winning bettors upset about an unfair and selectively enforced 2.5% withdrawal tax. Bookmakers Review is in the process of reevaluating YouWager and investigating its operating status and overall stability.

Rating: S

Our Verdict

A once well-regarded online betting site whose rating has been suspended following numerous complaints about a 2.5% withdrawal tax.

YouWager is an online sportsbook that has been operating from its base in San Jose, Costa Rica, since 1999. It held an A rating with BMR for many years after building up a reputation for providing quick, reliable payouts, competitive odds and a strong overall customer experience.

However, YouWager’s rating is currently suspended by Bookmakers Review after numerous complaints were shared by winning bettors upset about an unfair and selectively enforced 2.5% withdrawal tax. Bookmakers Review is in the process of re-evaluating YouWager and investigating its operating status and overall stability.

We will update this review when our investigation has concluded. In the meantime, you can read on to learn more about it, but bear in mind that its reputation is currently in the balance.

About our Ratings

BMR betting sites ratings are based on over 20 years worth of experience helping players resolve disputes with offshore sportsbooks. Sportsbooks are carefully vetted before being rated. Ratings are fluid and analyzed by BMR weekly. The industry’s best sportsbooks are rated 9.5 and up. | How We Rate

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country-not-accepted-icon Costa Rica CR Sports Bettors Not Accepted
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YouWager Sign-Up Process

As mentioned above, YouWager is an offshore betting site that has always been held in high esteem by online sports bettors, and we have not hesitated to recommend it. However, that reputation is now in question after we received a series of complaints from upset customers.

If you decide you would like to sign up for an account anyway, follow these steps to register with YouWager today:

  • Click through to the YouWager site from this BMR page.
  • Hit the orange “Join Now” tab at the top right of the homepage to bring up the registration form.
  • You will be asked for your gender, name, date of birth and email address.
  • Choose and confirm a password, enter your residential address and explain where you heard about YouWager.
  • Then click “Join Now” to complete the process.

Banking

Cryptocurrency is the best deposit and withdrawal method on offer at YouWager, but there are alternative options too. These are the payment methods available:

  • Credit Cards / Debit Cards | You can use a credit card or debit card to deposit anything from $50 to $500 into your account. Visa and Mastercard are both accepted. Remember that you need to deposit at least $100 to claim the welcome bonus.
  • Bitcoin | You can use the world’s leading cryptocurrency to deposit anything from $20 to $2,000 into your account. The funds should arrive within around 15 minutes.
  • Altcoins | Litecoin, Bitcoin Cash, Ripple, Dash, Ethereum, ETC, Paxos, Zero, Stellar, Tether, Qtum, RLC and Zcash are all available as banking options at YouWager. The deposit limits are $20 to $2,000 via altcoins, but you can contact a customer support agent to discuss making larger payments.
  • Money Transfer | You can send a money transfer to YouWager, but this can be a slow and laborious method. Western Union or MoneyGram are the preferred money transfer options. YouWager will cover fees on Western Union deposits of $300 or more and MoneyGram deposits of $100 or more. There is a minimum deposit of $500, and you can contact customer service to discuss wiring a large amount.

YouWager offers a narrower range of deposit methods than most online sports betting sites. Its limits are lower than some rivals too. Payouts are available via Bitcoin, with limits of $50 to $15,00 per transaction, and various altcoins. You can also request an e-check or a paper check in the mail, which carries a $55 fee.

This welcome bonus is subject to a 10x rollover requirement, meaning you would need to place $5,000 worth of wagers before you could make a withdrawal after claiming a $500 bonus. It is a free play bonus, so you do not get your risk amount back on winning bonus wagers. There is also a 30-day withhold to bear in mind.

Bonuses Codes and Promos at YouWager

YouWager offers a 50% free play bonus on your first deposit. The minimum deposit required to qualify is $100, and the maximum bonus you can receive is $500. You would therefore need to deposit $1,000 of your own money to unlock the full bonus amount.

This welcome bonus is subject to a 10x rollover requirement, meaning you would need to place $5,000 worth of wagers before you could make a withdrawal after claiming a $500 bonus. It is a free play bonus, so you do not get your risk amount back on winning bonus wagers. There is also a 30-day withhold to bear in mind.

There are some additional promos for existing customers too:

Reload Bonus

YouWager offers a 20% free play reload bonus on deposits from $100 to $2,000. That means you can receive a reload bonus of $20 to $400 each time you fund your account. This reload bonus has historically had a 4.5x rollover requirement attached.

Net Loss Bonus

The net loss rebate applies to sports betting, online casino and racebook wagers. If you make a deposit of $500 or more, and play at least 12 weeks of action during the cash back bonus period, you will receive a 15% net loss bonus. If you make a deposit of $1,000 or more while playing at Youwager, and have at least 12 weeks of action during the cash back period, you can receive a 25% net loss bonus. The net loss bonus is paid back twice a year in free play credits.

Bad Beat Special

If you lose two straight wagers by a half point within a 30-day period, you will qualify for this promotion. You can email the team at badbeat@youwager.lv with BAD BEAT as your subject to request a rebate. You will be paid the lesser amount of the two wagers as a free play, up to a maximum of $250. This promo is for NFL, NBA, NCAAF and NCAAB games.

Contests

This online betting site runs a variety of contests throughout the year, such as the annual March Madness bracket challenge.

Referral Bonus

You will also earn up to 20% on each friend you send to YouWager as part of its Buddy Referral promotion.

YouWager’s User Experience

YouWager has historically offered a simple online sportsbook for novice bettors. The site is very clean, uncluttered and orderly. The text is large and bold. Odds are displayed in big, clear boxes. Navigation is very easy. Pages load reasonably quickly, and the overall design is pretty clean and attractive. There are no pop-ups to distract you.

For all of those reasons, we have always recommended YouWager to beginners and any busy sports fans that want to place wagers quickly and efficiently. Additional features include an NFL schedule and a college football schedule. It does not provide much in the way of educational material, but the customer service team can provide assistance.

Unfortunately, we cannot recommend that novice players sign up with YouWager right now, as the prospect of an unfair and selectively enforced 2.5% withdrawal tax may put you off using online sportsbooks forever. If this issue is resolved, we will update our review.

YouWager’s Mobile Experience

The YouWager development team has ensured that betting via its mobile site is just as simple and hassle-free as the desktop site.

Customers can simply visit the site via a mobile browser – there is no need to download an app or worry about upgrades – and bettors will then enjoy a condensed, mobile-optimized version of the desktop platform.

We tested it out on a number of different devices, and it worked well. It is easy to navigate through the various different pages, and we could place bets with just a few taps of the finger. The offshore betting site is responsive to the touch, the odds are marked clearly and the mobile bet slip is simple, so you should find the whole online wagering process pretty effortless if you decide to sign up.

Betting Options at YouWager

YouWager has a pretty simple offshore betting site aimed at American bettors. It focuses on the major North American sports leagues – NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL, NCAAF and NCAAB – but you will also be able to bet on big boxing and UFC bouts, and tennis and golf tournaments, with a narrow selection of betting options.

Depth of Sports Coverage at YouWager

On most sporting events, you will be presented with three clear wagering options: spread, money line and totals. You will occasionally find some extra betting markets, like first five innings betting and alternate run lines on baseball, and first-half betting on football and soccer, but there are no exotic game props and player props to choose from.

YouWager clearly does not like to overwhelm casual sports fans with too much choice, so it is popular among anyone interested in a stripped-back experience. If you want more prop bets to choose from, an alternative offshore betting site such as Bovada have you covered.

Betting Markets Offered by YouWager

On most sporting events, you will be presented with the three clear betting options: spread, money line and totals. You will occasionally find some extra betting markets, like first five innings betting and alternate run lines on baseball, and first half betting on football and soccer, but there are no exotic game props and player props to choose from.

YouWager clearly does not like to overwhelm casual sports fans with too much choice, so it is popular among anyone interested in a stripped-back experience. If you want more prop bets to choose from, alternative sportsbooks such as Bovada have you covered.

Live Betting at YouWager

There is a live betting section at YouWager, but it features a limited selection of events. Most YouWager customers stick to pre-game wagers on the key bet types – moneylines, spreads and totals – but they are also available in-play on big sporting events, with regularly updated in-play odds.

The live betting section at YouWager is well-designed, which makes it easy to place quick bets before the lines change.

Wagering Limits at YouWager

The minimum bet at YouWager sportsbook is $1 or $2, depending on the event, so it should appeal to all casual sports fans.

The maximum wager is generally $5,000, but you can wager up to $10,000 on NFL side bets at YouWager. The maximum bet on college football, NBA and college basketball sides is $5,000 and for NHL and MLB it drops to $3,000.

The Quality of Odds at YouWager

The odds on offer at YouWager are broadly in line with the best online sportsbooks in the business. It offers standard juice -110 lines on sides and totals on NFL and NBA games, and reasonably strong on moneyline odds across the board. This sportsbook has occasionally offered reduced juice -105 lines on NFL sides via certain promos too.

YouWager’s Customer Reviews

YouWager has historically received strong user reviews from its loyal community of sports bettors. However, those reviews have recently turned negative amid complaints of unannounced 2.5% withdrawal fees, so customers are currently frustrated.

YouWager’s Customer Service

YouWager offers 24/7 customer service through three different channels: live chat, phone and email. You can find the details for reaching their customer service team in the “Contact Us” section of the sportsbook site. We tested out the customer service department and our requests were dealt with quickly.

Other Betting Options Offered by YouWager

YouWager isn’t just known for sports bets. It has a modest online casino with a tight range of popular table games, video poker games and classic video slots. There is a separate section of the YouWager site for live dealer casino games, and another for poker games.

FAQs – YouWager

How long has YouWager Sportsbook been in business?

YouWager can trace its roots back to 1994, and it has been taking online wagers since 1998.

Does YouWager Sportsbook offer in-play betting options?

You can place in-play wagers at YouWager, but it is worth noting that we have currently suspended our rating of this online sportsbook pending an investigation into 2.5% withdrawal taxes.

Does YouWager Sportsbook have mobile betting capabilities?

You can access YouWager from the browser on your iPhone or Android. It does not have an app, so you need to visit the mobile site.

How can I deposit funds into my YouWager Sportsbook account?

Bitcoin, altcoins, credit cards, debit cards and money transfers via Western Union or MoneyGram are accepted at YouWager Sportsbook.

What are the minimum deposit requirements for YouWager Sportsbook?

The minimum deposit at YouWager is $50, but you must make an initial deposit of $100 if you would like to redeem the welcome bonus.