The Look

Rio International is very...purple. And if you look at the top, you have a goofy looking baseball player swinging the bat and making kissie faces at you. Next to him is a football player with sun in his eyes and a goofy looking basketball player taking a free throw. First of all, where do they find these actors? And who decided that putting pictures of losers playing sports would legitimize a sportsbook? It's all so very confusing.

Thankfully, once you log in, the purple mess is gone, but that doesn't mean the site is easy to navigate. It's not horrendous, but the fact that you have different screens for parlays and straight bets is a little troublesome.

Deposits/Withdrawals

NETeller, Person to Person, Credit Cards, Sportsbook transfers, personal check and bank wire. The deposit limits are different for each type, with credit at $500 and NETeller at $2,500.

Wagering

Rio International offers an average amount of wagering options, with their specialties being point buying and action reverses. Point buying is the standard .10 per half point and the payouts for action reverses are industry standard. By the way, in the example given for reverses, the example bettor takes the Cowboys -5 and the Dolphins -14. Call it wishful thinking for the house, but I think this example bettor is some kind of idiot.

Bonuses and Extras

According to the site, they do have deposit bonuses, but you have to call and inquire about them. Other promos include ties counting on two team teasers, provided the other game was a win.

Customer Service

In addition to online chat help, Rio International has a full staff of customer service reps 24 hours a day, seven days a week. #$#$&, I sound like an infomercial. The customer service is pretty good, but it's not like you should start doing backflips for being told what day your wire went out.

Player Reviews/Forums

The forums are blank, but the Rx rates it as one of the top 10 books on the net. Naturally, they do nothing to justify such a recommendation.

Verdict

Rio International comes up with the Julia Roberts longevity award, as it is consistently a little better than average for so long. Seriously, does anyone think Julia Roberts is anything more than above average? I don't get it. On the other hand, she is consistent. Which brings me to Rio International . They've been around a long time, so they must be doing something right. But for the life of me I can't figure out what. They seem so...average. And maybe, like Julia Roberts, that's what they have going for them, consistency.