Who has two thumbs, a Bluetooth headset and enough time to call every single Virginia sportsbook to test their phone support lines?
That’s right, this guy!
I recently spent my mid-morning and early afternoon dialing up VA sports betting customer support lines to see how long it takes to get help, and how helpful that help actually is.
Let’s dive in.
Sportsbook phone support: The lay of the land
Virginia sports betting began in January 2021, when FanDuel and DraftKings opened the first sportsbooks in the Commonwealth.
Virginia sportsbooks tend to fall into one of three categories when it comes to phone support:
- Sportsbooks that have phone support
- Sportsbooks that kind of have phone support
- Sportsbooks that have no phone support
The first and third categories are pretty self-explanatory. The middle one is obviously more complex. Some sportsbooks offer the option to leave a voicemail or request a callback. I’ll cover those in more detail below. First, though, let’s look at VA sports betting operators with phone support lines.
For each sportsbook, I asked a similar question: Do you offer wire transfer deposits and/or withdrawals and how can I request one? I wanted to keep things simple enough to keep the calls short but complex enough that it would give a good idea of the quality of each sportsbook’s support.
VA sportsbooks that offer phone support
Four sportsbooks in Virginia offer phone support lines that work as expected and allow you to speak to an agent. PointsBet, Sports Illustrated, Caesars and Unibet all allowed me to call and ask a question about payments.
Here are the details of each sportsbook’s phone support experience:
PointsBet
| Sportsbook | PointsBet |
|---|---|
| Phone Support Number | (312) 800-8716 |
| Time Called | 11:57 a.m. |
| Phone Support Hours | 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. MT |
| Time Waited To Speak To Agent | 1 minute |
| Bot required before agent? | No |
For my money, PointsBet VA has the best sportsbook phone support. From dialing the number to speaking with an agent, I had to wait a grand total of one minute. That minute was filled with great wait music, too. My notes literally say, “wait music is a bop.” Rest assured, that doesn’t make a difference in my rankings, but it felt like a fun thing to note.
The agent I spoke to was incredibly kind and knowledgeable. He seemed invested in answering my question. In fact, he had the answer ready immediately without the need to look up any further information. The entire interaction was fast and pleasant. The lack of a bot also made it seamless from start to finish.
Sports Illustrated
| Sportsbook | Sports Illustrated |
|---|---|
| Phone Support Number | (833) 451-8003 |
| Time Called | 12:04 p.m. |
| Phone Support Hours | 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. MT |
| Time Waited To Speak To Agent | A few seconds |
| Bot required before agent? | No |
As far as I could tell, there was only one hiccup with the site’s phone support. When I called the number, the initial automated message thanked me for calling Sports Illustrated Colorado.
However, the agent who answered seconds later answered my question about the Virginia sportsbook easily. That automated message could be confusing to callers, but otherwise the Sports Illustrated phone support line was easy to use.
Caesars
| Sportsbook | Caesars |
|---|---|
| Phone Support Number | (855) 474-0606 |
| Time Called | 11:37 a.m. |
| Phone Support Hours | None listed |
| Time Waited To Speak To Agent | 5 minutes |
| Bot required before agent? | Yes |
The first thing to note about Caesars’ phone support in Virginia is the tedious bot. The automated message lists eight sports betting markets in alphabetical order, each with its own corresponding number you can press to reach state-specific support.
Virginia starts with a “V,” putting it second-to-last on the list of markets where Caesars operate. I had to press “9” – the number that allows you to hear more markets – twice before Virginia became an option.
Once I finally reached Caesars VA, I waited about three additional minutes before an agent answered. The customer service rep was friendly and answered my question quickly.
Caesars is fairly easy to recommend in terms of phone support. However, the bot does present an annoying barrier to entry.
Unibet
| Sportsbook | Unibet |
|---|---|
| Phone Support Number | (855) 485-8882 |
| Time Called | 12:48 p.m. |
| Phone Support Hours | 8 a.m. to 12 a.m. |
| Time Waited To Speak To Agent | 1 minute |
| Bot required before agent? | No |
My apologies to the very confused lady who answered when I dialed the wrong number for Unibet support. I don’t know her name, but I do know she doesn’t accept wire transfer deposits.
When I dialed the correct number for Unibet phone support, I encountered a nice agent who swiftly answered my question. The whole call took only a minute, and the agent was friendly throughout. I had some issues hearing her at first, and the call quality was shaky, but Unibet still got the job done.
VA sportsbooks that “kind of” offer phone support
A handful of Virginia sportsbooks have a pseudo-solution for phone support. Each case is unique, so I’ll detail them separately.
Betfred
Number: (757) 505-7137
Betfred lists a phone support number, but when I called, it directed me to leave a voicemail for a callback. It didn’t sound like talking to an agent directly was an option.
BetRivers
Number: (800) 613-1564
BetRivers also lists a phone number, but when called, it leaves an automated message. That message first directs the caller to try BetRivers live chat for a solution, seemingly discouraging phone support. The message concludes with the option to leave a voicemail and request a callback.
FanDuel
FanDuel Virginia lists a “request callback” option on its website, but it’s not what it seems. I submitted a request, and the page told me it would be more than 48 hours before I received a callback. The form asked for a brief summary of my issue and question as well.
Fifteen minutes later, I received an email from FanDuel. The message said callback requests are only available in New Jersey. The agent writing the email did answer my question, though, rather than simply directing me to Virginia-specific support channels. That was nice.
DraftKings
Like its longtime rival FanDuel, DraftKings has the option to request a callback. I requested one at 11:32 a.m., and a DraftKings representative called me back at 3:30. I was unavailable for the callback, but the representative left a nice voicemail explaining how I could get help if I still needed it.
Barstool
Barstool Sportsbook Virginia has a button that lets users request a callback. I tried clicking the button, but it didn’t take me anywhere. This could be an issue on my end, and your experience may differ. As of now, I won’t level any judgment one way or the other. Instead, I recommend you try Barstool’s callback request for yourself.
bet365
bet365 VA goes so far as to list a support number. When I called it, though, I received a canned message. It said the sportsbook doesn’t offer phone support, then directed me to try email or live chat.
WynnBET
I couldn’t find evidence of a phone number at WynnBET, so I took a roundabout path. I started a live chat to ask if they have phone support. The representative said I could request a callback, but when I asked how to go about that, they just told me to continue live chatting or send an email. I imagine complex or difficult issues with WynnBET could warrant a phone call, but it didn’t seem worth the trouble in my case.
Sportsbooks in Virginia without phone support
After a few hours of digging, I couldn’t find any phone support for BetMGM VA, Hard Rock or Betway VA.
BallyBet is currently down and expected to relaunch in the coming months, so there are no support options available at this time.
When is phone support worth a try?
Customer service via phone is quickly becoming a thing of the past. Still, the reality is there are some scenarios in which it can be the most helpful method.
I recommend trying phone lines when you have a very specific issue that doesn’t seem like it’d be covered by FAQs or general help pages. That’s when an agent can be most helpful in understanding and directing your support request.
Do sportsbooks even want you to call?
In general, VA sportsbooks discourage users from calling support lines. This isn’t so much a direct ask (except in the case of WynnBET and bet365) as it is a subtle nudge. I had to do some significant digging just to find the phone numbers for most of the sportsbooks that offer phone support. Live chat and email are almost always prominently listed, while phone numbers – if they’re even available – are hidden behind many obscure pages, requiring countless clicks or searches before you can find them.
A tad irritating? Yeah, sure. But can I blame the sportsbooks for this? No, not really. Live chat and email can solve the vast majority of issues a sportsbook bettor might encounter. Plus, FAQ pages and forums have detailed solutions to common problems.
As a sports bettor myself, I am inclined to use phone support only as a last resort. It feels like sportsbooks have the same attitude.
Keep in mind that my experiences with phone support at VA sportsbooks were very short and surface-level. Your wait times and overall support quality can and will differ depending on your specific issue, the time of your request and various other factors.
