The Buckeye State’s sports betting industry is barely nine months old. As a result, many bettors in the state are still new to the industry. Thus, the customer service of Ohio’s online sportsbooks is of utmost importance.
Those teams undoubtedly had to deal with a horde of novice bettors seeking assistance setting up their accounts. It’s likely that even experienced bettors reached out at some point too.
How good are those teams? PlayOhio decided to find out. We took a deep dive into the customer service teams of the top four options among the Ohio sports betting apps.
We contacted DraftKings, FanDuel, Bet365 and BetMGM simply to see how good their customer service really is. After asking speaking to their email, chat and phone reps, we rated the experience.
Here’s how the rankings shook out:
- Bet365
- DraftKings
- BetMGM
- FanDuel
Rating customer service experience on promptness, effectiveness
For PlayOhio‘s customer service survey, we used the same queries for each Ohio sportsbook we contacted.
As a potential new user, we inquired about banking options. We wanted to know what the easiest way to deposit money was. And how long it would take to receive a withdrawal after it was requested.
Afterward, we rated the experience based on the promptness, politeness, knowledgeability and effectiveness of the customer service representatives. We rated each experience with a score ranging from 1-10 in each category.
Admittedly, these are simple questions. The answers are easy to find on your own elsewhere on the sportsbooks’ sites. But we’re trying to gauge how customer service reps respond to their users, regardless of how obvious the question is.
DraftKings customer service rating
- Promptness: 8
- Politeness: 7
- Knowledgeable representative: 6
- Overall effectiveness of assistance: 6
- Total score: 27
DraftKings’ contact info not easy to find
If you have a question about DraftKings Ohio, the sportsbook’s website has a static question mark icon for FAQs. There is also a “Get Help” link buried among several other links.
A green “Support” button on the DraftKings website takes you to the customer support live chat function. The chat was initially a bot, and when we asked, “What is the easiest way to deposit money into a new account?” it offered several links that didn’t directly answer the question. It linked us to an answer about buying NFTs.
Within the live chat feature, after answering with the FAQ links, DraftKings offers the ability to “Get in touch.” This option connects you to an internal messaging system that responds via email.
We asked if we could chat with a live person, but the chatbot offered more useless links. Yes, that includes another NFT-related link. Apparently, there’s no real-human live chat available through DraftKings.
DraftKings’ emailed customer service response helpful but scripted
We used the internal messaging and was immediately emailed that our query had been received, along with a link to the Help Center.
About 45 minutes later, we received an email saying they couldn’t find an account registered to the email we included as our contact info. A “DraftKings Player Advocate” responded politely, but much of the response seemed cut and pasted from a script.
“I understand the importance of this matter; it can be worrisome not knowing: I would feel the same way!” read part of his response.
We followed up to say that we weren’t yet a customer yet. About 90 minutes later, we received a message from a different rep who used some of the same language (“I would feel the same way!”). But this rep at least sent a list of payment options. Additionally, there were details about how we had to be located in a state that legalized sports betting and where DraftKings was available.
Our second question, about how long it takes to receive a withdrawal, went unanswered.
If you dig around on DraftKings’ site, you can find an additional “Contact Support” link. It allows you to send an internal message, this one with pull-down menus to choose the topics to which your question relates.
We selected “sportsbook,” “withdrawals,” and “general withdrawal questions” as our topics and just asked how quickly withdrawals are processed.
From that message, we received a response in less than 30 minutes. The message was somewhat robotic, but it was incredibly thorough. It ran through how the withdrawal process works and explained each withdrawal option and how long it could take to get the money using each.
Phone help is limited through DraftKings
There is no direct customer service phone number for DraftKings. Requesting a callback is possible, but it’s only available for customers with an existing account. Thus, new users with pre-signup questions are out of luck.
There is a number to leave a voicemail, but there was an extensive message about the many other ways to contact support. Then, you are informed that you also need to have an account and that the customer service rep will email you.
Bet365 customer service rating
- Promptness: 9
- Politeness: 8
- Knowledgeable representative: 8
- Overall effectiveness of assistance: 8
- Total score: 33
Bet365 customer service info easy to locate
Bet365 Ohio is the baby of the bunch compared to the other operators in this survey. The U.K.-based sports betting operator launched in the US in 2019 in New Jersey. Then, it entered the Colorado market in 2022.
Since the start of 2023, Bet365 has expanded into a small handful of other states. That included Ohio, where it has been incredibly competitive, thanks in large part to its bonuses that stand out among all Ohio sportsbook promos.
With its relative newness and smaller operating footprint, we were curious if Bet365 would have a little bit more of a personal touch to its customer service. Especially compared to a behemoth like DraftKings.
Like DraftKings, there was a substantial FAQ section. But Bet365’s contact info was easier to find and all in one place. It was accessible through the “Contact Us” link on the front page of the website and app.
There, you’ll find a link to the sportsbook’s live chat, a direct email link, and a toll-free phone number.
Bet365 help chat is direct, helpful
We were first greeted by a chatbot for the live chat. But we said we had a question not covered by the introductory prompts and were transferred to a live operator in about five minutes.
The responses to our questions to Bet365 in the live chat were answered promptly and directly. One part of the chat directed us to payment info on the homepage. But overall, the interaction felt more genuinely conversational. Not scripted.
The rep wasn’t overly polite but was respectfully direct. We asked the rep what the “easiest way to deposit” was.
“I would say some of our popular choices tend to be debit card and online banking,” responded the customer service representative.
Bet365 toll-free helpline very effective
We were put on hold for about three minutes when we called the toll-free helpline and navigated some menu options. The representative was very natural and helpful when we asked about deposit options. He ran through the basics in a friendly and conversational manner.
When we asked how long it would take to process a withdrawal, the rep seemed knowledgeable. However, he said it was basically up to the banking institution or payment processor.
Although these were easy questions to solve on our own, the rep never made us feel like they were annoyed or we were wasting their time.
The biggest downside for Bet365’s customer service was their email response. Maybe more accurately, the lack of one. As of this writing, it has been 17 hours since we sent an email query, and the company has yet to reply.
BetMGM customer service rating
- Promptness: 8
- Politeness: 7
- Knowledgeable representative: 5
- Overall effectiveness of assistance: 5
- Total score: 25
BetMGM warns upfront of potentially long wait times
BetMGM Ohio has the third-highest handle and revenue in Ohio since January. Despite the popularity, they also make it easy for users to find links for customer service assistance.
It’s near the bottom of the front page of both the website and the app. You’ll find a link to BetMGM’s “Help & Customer Care” page under the “Support” section.
On that page, you are immediately greeted by a banner that warns that the sportsbook is “experiencing a high volume of incoming contacts, which may cause extended waiting time.” The page includes a menu of popular help articles and an impressive array of FAQ sections.
At the bottom of the page is a link for if you “need to speak to someone?” That page includes both a live chat and a “send us an email” link. But, like DraftKings, there is no phone number.
BetMGM email response prompt but robotic
After sending a message through the site’s internal messaging system, a box appeared saying we’d get an email response within 24-48 hours. We promptly received an email stating we’d receive a response within 24 hours.
But we then received an emailed response in under 15 minutes. The message said they appreciated our “effort in bringing this matter to our attention,” which didn’t align with what we asked.
In the very short message, the representative told us the deposit options BetMGM offered. The response completely ignored our second question about how long withdrawals take.
BetMGM live chat offers bare minimum
For BetMGM’s live chat, which declares itself available “24/7,” a bare-bones chat box pops up with only a field that says “type your message here.”
When we sent our message, a chatbot named Chip responded. The bot asked for our first and last name, and the email our BetMGM account was registered under. When we tried to explain that we didn’t have an account yet, it told us to wait while we were transferred to one of their agents.
About 30 minutes later, we were finally connected to a representative. After an enthusiastic greeting, the rep asked how they could help us. After saying we were interested in signing up from Ohio and wanting to know the easiest deposit method, the rep asked for our name, birthdate and email address (presumably the one associated with our BetMGM account).
Once we told the rep that we didn’t have an account yet, the responses turned slightly curt. They told us the full slate of deposit options. But for some reason, didn’t use any capitalization for options like Visa, Apple Pay, Paypal and Venmo.
When we followed up with our question about how long withdrawals take, the rep said they “may be instant. However, we have a time frame for withdrawals as well.” They then sent a link to the website’s general information section about withdrawals.
Overall, the answers from BetMGM customer service were vague at best, and the initial friendliness seemed cut-and-pasted.
FanDuel customer service rating
- Promptness: 3
- Politeness: 8
- Knowledgeable representative: 7
- Overall effectiveness of assistance: 6
- Total score: 24
FanDuel also lacks customer support phone helpline
FanDuel Ohio was the last stop on our customer service assessment journey.
By this point, we weren’t surprised to find that FanDuel had no phone number available for customer service assistance. We get that most consumers probably prefer online communication, especially those under a certain age.
But certainly, there is some segment of the population that would rather speak to a live human being for assistance, especially if it’s something urgent. When Ohio’s problem gambling hotline saw a large spike in calls following the sports betting launch, officials said that many were people looking for technical help with their sportsbook issues.
Customer service links are found at the “Support” link found in the small print at the bottom of FanDuel’s homepage. On the app, the support link is accessible through the user’s account page.
FanDuel chat feature failed to respond for three hours
Once you’ve navigated to the support page, you are prompted to visit the FAQ section or click the blue tab on the bottom right side of the screen. The tab says either “FanDuel Coach” or “Chat with an expert.” The site claims agents are standing by to help 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
After clicking the chat button, you are prompted to enter your name, email, state and message. We entered our query and the chat went into “waiting to chat” mode, as three blue dots pulsated. We waited for three hours with no response before closing out of the chat.
FanDuel email customer service vague but sufficient
You have to dig a little deeper for an email contact page. At the bottom of the main FAQ page, there’s a link to “Email Support.” When we visited on a mid-week evening, the email page said that the “current wait time for a first response is 12 hours” and suggested trying the chat instead.
Six and a half hours later, after we sent our queries through FanDuel’s internal messaging system, we received a short response. In the message’s subject line, we said we were a potential new customer, so the response thanked us for our interest and said they looked forward to us joining them. That showed that at least they’d fully read and understood the context of our message.
After the pleasantries, the rep gave us a list of FanDuel’s deposit methods and a link to the site’s overview page about withdrawals. We’d appreciate a cut-and-paste of the info from the website rather than just being sent a link, which felt slightly dismissive.
