If you are entering into the world of online sports betting, then you must keep in mind that there are quite a few black sheep that exist among the sportsbooks having poor solvency or delayed payouts issues and some of them can be intentional fraudsters.
So, unless you do enough research about the betting site, there is every possibility that you may stand to lose much more than your bad bet. However, that does not mean that you can’t sign up for betting or deposit money with confidence. There are plenty of licensed and regulated online betting sites too.
This guide and together with the Safest Betting Sites website that offers reviews about most of the sportsbooks will be quite helpful to avoid such dishonest sportsbook sites. Following are a few tips to identify such a sportsbook that you must avoid.
1. Check their license
Sportsbook licenses are the prerequisite for making sure that their books have been properly opened to legal and 3rd-party audits and also they have subsequently passed all these examinations about their finances.
2. Be suspicious if it sounds too good to believe
If you notice any lines written with the possible outcome that is wildly different from the market then either a sportsbook has insufficient betting volume or betting on its own.
3. You notice an unrealistic amount of bonuses
A few scammy sportsbooks often use a common trick to lure bettors by offering a massive amount of bonuses with such terms and conditions that are difficult to believe.
4. If the sportsbook stops suddenly book-to-book transfers
It is a bad sign if suddenly your sportsbook restricts this feature. Probably, other sportsbooks do not want to associate with them, due to their fraudulent behavior or they are bankrupt.
5. Haphazard and shoddy web site design
If you want to click around at different pages of the sportsbook site and quite a few pages found to be not functioning or responding then better quit. This may be a second-rate sportsbook.
6. No answers if you call them
The response time from customer service is a sure way to assess the reliability and accountability of the sportsbook. If you find this department unresponsive then better get alerted.
7. Suspicious verification process
Often fraudulent sportsbooks use this common trick to delay paying their clients by claiming that they have not successfully received the necessary verification information.
8. Delay in making payouts or account is audited frequently
If your sportsbooks start making a variety of excuses for avoiding to make payout winnings then probably you cannot trust such sportsbooks.
9. Your sportsbooks may invoke retroactive terms
Quite often a few fraudulent sportsbooks may try to justify not paying their bettors the money that they are rightfully owed, and they will point to certain retroactive changes incorporated in their terms and conditions.
10. Your Sportsbook tries to Use certain odd technicalities against you
Another tactic used by sportsbooks by pointing to their specific terms and conditions to justify voiding your bets. As such, they will claim that you are not entitled to your winnings.