Choosing your top betting sites shouldn’t be as difficult as it is. So, we’ve put together a comprehensive review of two of the top betting sites, TopBet and 5Dimes, breaking down everything you care about so that you can find your sportsbook home.
Of course, if you want our full breakdown of each, you can also check out our individual TopBet.eu review and 5Dimes.eu review.
Which Online Sports Betting Sites to Trust?
In general, when you want to bet on sports online, it’s best to go with trusted sites which have been around for a while. Sure, joeyssportsbetting.com may be dirt cheap, but you have no idea who Joey is and whether you can trust him with your hard earned cash.
So, looking at Top Bet and 5Dimes, how long have these two sites been around?
5Dimes was first created in 2000, meaning it’s still getting through high school at the moment (if you want to think about things in those terms).
TopBet is about the same age – well, sort of. The site was founded in 2001, but after allegations of bad behavior, it shut down. It reemerged under new management in 2012. So it’s also in high school, but after a few years of reform school, it’s now back and seems to be a responsible adult.
Both sites are middle of the road age-wise: they’re not from the early ’90s like BetOnline, but they’ve certainly been around for long enough to have established a reputation.
More About When TopBet Disappeared for a While
In all fairness, it wasn’t really TopBet itself that faced problems leading to the site going dark for a while. It was actually FutureBet, a site that provided the base software and payment processing for TopBet. The story here is another reminder why it’s wise to only use the best online sports betting sites.
FutureBet’s business model seemed to be the following: offer software, email marketing, customer service, and payment processing to third-party sports betting websites. Then, the company simply didn’t pay back a portion of the winnings. Classy stuff.
The good news is that TopBet no longer uses FutureBet for its payment processing. Confusingly, it does still use software provided by FutureBet, but at the very least that shady company won’t be touching your winnings.
The Ever-Important Welcome Bonus
So let’s get down to the first thing you’ll probably learn about either of these sites: what do their signup bonuses look like?
5Dimes is pretty generous here. It offers a 50% welcome bonus on your first deposit. That offer is good on up to $520, so you could be looking at starting off with an extra $260 right from the start. Not bad at all.
TopBet is almost the same. It offers a 50% welcome bonus on that same first deposit. The difference is that its offer is valid up to $500, so the size of your bonus is capped at $250.
Ah, but there’s more. TopBet also has a special offer on your primary wager. If you lose it, TopBet will offer you a free play of the same value (up to $100).
On the other hand, 5Dimes has some interesting lotto features, allowing you to pick 3 or 4 numbers at once.
Overall, these welcome bonuses are pretty similar, but TopBet’s offer on your primary wager makes its welcome package a bit more compelling. But depending on your betting interests, in the long run, 5Dimes’ lotto feature may be more important to you.
User Experience
The raw numbers are important, but the best betting websites also have to create a great user experience. After all, you’re going to have to actually navigate the site, so it should be a relatively simple, straightforward, and hopefully pleasant experience. How do TopBet and 5Dimes do here?
The Interface
5Dimes’ interface isn’t going to blow you away, but that’s not what you’re looking for when you bet on sports online. You want a simple, intuitive interface that works, one that doesn’t get in your way. Still, with every passing year, this website feels a bit more dated.
TopBet is about the same: We don’t have any real complaints about the overall feel of the interface. But, you could say it suffers from the same creeping obsolescence that 5Dimes faces. When you get to the site for the first time, it quickly directs you towards a straightforward signup process and you’re off to the races.
Depositing and Withdrawing
This is critical: way too many good sports book sites are ruined by frustratingly slow ways of depositing and withdrawing your money. 5Dimes, for its part, does a great job of providing you a variety of digital currency options, from Bitcoin to eWallets, in addition to all the traditional cards you’d expect.
TopBet, on the other hand, has fewer options: these are Visa, Mastercard, Western Union, or if you’re really feeling old-fashioned, they can mail you a check. Sadly, it’s not so up to date with digital currencies, so be aware that you’re not going to have the full range of options. The overall system of withdrawal is certainly frustrating for some.
Customer Support
Here’s another area where 5Dimes is a bit ahead of the curve, relative to TopBet. Both offer a toll-free number and email support, but 5Dimes also includes live chat. That might not sound like such a big deal, but trust us, the convenience of being able to quickly get an answer to your question without making a phone call or sending an email is a huge plus.
Betting on Sports Meets the Mobile Revolution
Both 5Dimes and TopBet have mobile sites instead of dedicated apps, and both function relatively well. Because they’re web based, they work on any mobile device, and allow you to perform all of the basic functions you can do on the full version of the site. Still, as with the overall site design, neither can be considered innovative in this field.
US vs. International Support
5Dimes is definitely focusing on the US market, but being based in Puerto Rico means they also have a full Spanish language version of the site. Ultimately the two languages, plus their support of digital currencies, means that anyone around the world should have no problem using the site. Also, the previously mentioned live chat feature is particularly helpful for anyone living outside the US.
TopBet also welcomes US customers and doesn’t do anything in particular to woo international customers, but some of its other features (or lack of features) are important here. The lack of support for digital currencies in particular makes it that much harder to use TopBet if you’re living outside the US. Add the lack of live chat support, and TopBet just isn’t as good of an option for non-Americans.
Are 5Dimes or TopBet Among the Best Sports Gambling Sites?
I suppose that depends on how you see the “top.” Both sites are solid and, despite TopBet’s shady track record in the past, reliable. Frankly, although there are some downsides to each site – for example, 5Dimes can be pretty slow when it comes to posting lines – none of them are really dealbreakers.
So how should we evaluate 5Dimes and TopBet?
5Dimes Advantages
- Extremely generous welcome bonus
- Casino, as well as sports
- Exclusive lotto options
- Accepts virtual currency
- Intuitive interface
- Exceptional range of events to choose from
- Live chat
- English and Spanish languages
- Loyalty scheme
- Offers niche sports and events
- Mobile friendly
5Dimes Disadvantages
- Not the fastest at posting lines
- Slightly dated site design
TopBet Advantages
- Extremely generous welcome bonus
- Mobile friendly
- Straightforward design
- Regular paid promotional bonuses
- Easy-to-use interface
TopBet Disadvantages
- No online poker
- No live chat
- No online currency support
Thinking about the overall sportsbook review here, I’d say 5Dimes is the better bet, but both sites have their merits and are certainly worth checking out.
Still surveying your best options? Be sure to check out our other reviews:
