The Look

Navigating via the sportsbook is relatively easy. Of course, what interested me most was the actual exchange. But I had to prepare. First, I put on my best Men's Wearhouse suit, sprayed on cologne and slicked my hair back Michael Douglas Wall Street style. Then, after practicing my snooty remarks in the mirror, I went to the Las Palmas exchange and was ready to rock. It's too bad I've written in this whole paragraph and the page hasn't even loaded. Apparently, this lavish betting exchange loads slower than a twenty year old Playstation. Seriously, it's still "loading."

Deposits/Withdrawals

You have the usual deposit and withdrawal options. The only difference is if you happen to deposit with a credit card, you're going to hit some snags withdrawing. You'll need a passport, phone bill and credit card statement just to get a person on the phone.

Wagering

BetLasPalmas.com 's big hook is the betting exchange. You can be the bookie baby! Sell, buy, do what you want! Sounds fantastic, right? Well, it isn't that simple. You might wonder how BetLasPalmas.com is making money off all this and the answer is via fees off wins. Therefore a -105 is really like a -110 line, as a user points out below. Furthermore, the confusion caused by using an exchange versus the actual line on sportsbook is usually so minuscule that it's not worth the effort. Thus, exchanges seem to be good for only the experienced exchange wagerer.

Bonuses and Extras

BetLasPalmas.com lists these items as their "bonuses:"

• 20% CASH Bonus
• NFL and College Football Specials
• Sides, Game Totals, Quarters, 1st half, 2nd half, Props, Moneylines and much more
• More betting options than any shop in the world
• Person to Person Betting Exchange, where you can be the bookie

Let's dissect this now, shall we? NFL and College football specials? Not really a bonus. Quarters, 1st half, props and moneylines? Uh, more bogus bonuses. More betting options than any shop in the world? Not a real bonus.

Customer Service

Adequate, considering the complexities of the betting exchange. They were able to explain the various nuances to a retard like myself. Not an easy thing.

Player Reviews/Forums

Player comments on the advantages of betting exchanges are not too favorable:

"Have used Tradesports.com but if you want to make any meaningful wager, you need to use the 'market makers' and there is no advantage. After their odds plus the 'book's' $0.80 per $10 wagered it is the same or worse than -110. Sometimes you can get a line at around -102 or +102 but it's not worth the hassle." user 0to10000 on Covers.com

"Something to watch out for - at least BetLasPalmas.com is like this - is you can't believe the lines because if you win, they take a fee. So if you see -105, it's really like -110. It's a deceptive practice and I'm glad I did a few small money tests before I placed any big bets." user Uncle-Mudcat on Covers.com

Verdict

Seeing that the lines never even came up when I tried the betting exchange, I can only go off what the users say. And the verdict? We have a slow page, a vastly overrated betting style and an average sportsbook. So we're dropping the Avril Lavigne award on them. Overrated, kind of annoying, but at times still a hottie. That's the way I feel about this whole website. The exchange is overrated, the speed of it is annoying, but at times you'll find a line that excites you. It's just a matter of finding one.