Pinnacle: what US bettors should know

Updated Oct 10, 202623 sourcesFact-checked Oct 10, 2026

Not available to US customers

Pinnacle does not accept US customers and is not licensed in any US state. It stopped taking US bets on 11 January 2007, citing banking problems after the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act of 2006. Its licensing page says it does not take bets from anyone in the USA, resident or visitor.^[16][1][17]

That matters. No US state regulator oversees it and there is no state dispute process. Its terms list the USA among restricted countries and call using a VPN to get round a restriction a material breach.^[14][1]

vigged does not recommend that US readers use it. vigged uses Pinnacle's prices for another reason: its margins are low, about 2–2.5% on the closing lines vigged studied, so once the margin is removed they make a strong no-vig benchmark for comparing US prices.^[21]

Licensed options exist. Circa Sports, the closest US-licensed book in style, is live in Nevada, Colorado, Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky and Missouri, and its CEO stated a 3.1% hold for 2024. vigged reviews Circa, other state-licensed sportsbooks and the event-contract exchanges Kalshi and Polymarket US, which are exchanges, not sportsbooks, separately. 21+. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER.^[23][22]

At a glance

License / regulator: Malta Gaming Authority (MGA/CL2/1069/2015); Spelinspektionen, Sweden (18Li12898, PinBet (Sverige) Limited); AGCO, Ontario (registered 2022; renewal not confirmed); SPA/MF, Brazil (A2FBR LTDA, authorized 2024-12-30). The .com site: Curaçao (Ragnarok Corporation N.V.) on Pinnacle's licensing page and terms, a license reported as due to expire 2025-06-21; Anjouan (Comoros) on at least one newer Pinnacle page, a license held by Balder Media Ltd and reported valid to 2025-12-23. No current license for the .com site was confirmed.^{[1][5][8][13][2][4][3]}
Where available: Not in the US, the UK, France, the Netherlands, Spain, Germany or Singapore, among others, per its Malta-hosted terms. Separate regulated sites in Ontario (pinnacle.ca), Sweden (pinnacle.se) and Brazil (pinnacle.bet.br).^{[14][15][9][7][13]}
Owner: Private. Magnus Hedman, majority shareholder since 2015. CEO Paris Smith stepped down in May 2023; no successor was named in the sources found.^[18][19]
Launched: 1998, as Pinnacle Sports; renamed Pinnacle on 2016-06-01 after buying pinnacle.com.^[16][20]
Age: 18+ on the international service; 19+ in Ontario per its Ontario terms (the pinnacle.ca sign-up page says 18). The local legal age applies where it is higher.^[12][10][11]

Reviewed options regulated in the US

Which of these you can use depends on your state: where you can bet, state by state.

Pinnacle: common questions

Is Pinnacle legal in the US or in my state?

No. Pinnacle does not accept US customers, residents or visitors, and is not licensed in any US state. It stopped taking US bets in January 2007.

Is Pinnacle legit?

It has operated since 1998 and holds licenses in Malta, Sweden, Ontario and Brazil. None of those protect US readers, and no US state regulator oversees it.

Why does vigged show Pinnacle's prices?

As a benchmark. Its margins are low, about 2–2.5% on the closing lines vigged studied, so with the margin removed they give a strong no-vig price to compare US prices against. vigged does not recommend US readers use Pinnacle.

What US-regulated options are there?

State-licensed sportsbooks in states that allow them, including Circa Sports, live in Nevada, Colorado, Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky and Missouri, and the event-contract exchanges Kalshi and Polymarket US. vigged reviews each separately. vigged.com is for readers 21+.

Sources (23)

Each read Oct 9, 2026. Check the linked page before you rely on it.

Where Pinnacle Holds Licenses (pinnacle.com, not linked) · Pinnacle
Terms (Curaçao) (pinnacle.com, not linked) · Pinnacle
Gambling giant Pinnacle appears to be leaving Curaçao · Curaçao Chronicle
Pinnacle Mobile / lite-app landing (pinnacle.com, not linked) · Pinnacle
Pinnacle Sports delighted to announce award of MGA license · PR Newswire
Pinnacle relaunches in Sweden after two-year absence · iGaming Business
PinBet — beslut om anmärkning · Spelinspektionen
Pinnacle enters Ontario regulated market with new license · iGaming Business
Pinnacle Set To Launch Licensed Sportsbook In Ontario Next Week · Legal Sports Report
Terms (Ontario) (pinnacle.com, not linked) · Pinnacle
Pinnacle Ontario sign-up page (age stated) (signup.pinnacle.ca, not linked) · Pinnacle.ca
Account FAQs (pinnacle.com, not linked) · Pinnacle
Saiba quais são as bets licenciadas · Focus Gaming News
Terms and Conditions (Malta) (pinnacle.com, not linked) · Pinnacle
Am I allowed to sign up from my country? (support.pinnacle.com, not linked) · Pinnacle Support
Pinnacle Sports · Wikipedia
Does Pinnacle Ontario Sports Betting License Foreshadow US Plans? · Legal Sports Report
Pinnacle Sports confirms Magnus Hedman as majority shareholder · SBC News
Paris Smith Pinnacle CEO · SBC News
Pinnacle Sports acquires pinnacle.com domain · SBC News
vigged's de-vig study · vigged · read Oct 9, 2026
Prediction-market fee schedules · vigged · read Oct 9, 2026
vigged's Circa Sports review · vigged · read Oct 9, 2026

No affiliate links. Independent: vigged earns nothing from any book on this page, and no book can pay for a score or a placement. Scores follow the published rubric; facts carry their source and the date we read it.

21+ | Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER. Nothing here is betting advice, and no bet or strategy guarantees a profit. Sports betting is legal only in some US states; check the rules where you are. Responsible gambling.