No Legitimate Gambling Licence
Let’s face it; it’s hard for any serious gambler to trust an online bookmaker without a licence. As a matter of fact, the lack of a licence is the biggest sign of a scam betting site. A licence is a clear indication that the bookie is regulated by an authority. So, you know there’s someone to report to if something goes wrong. Double-check before placing bets to make sure that the licence comes from a trusted regulatory body for your own good.
Top betting sites hold licences from the UK Gambling Commission, the Malta Gaming Authority, Curacao, and other well-known issuers. So, you can gamble on the internet safely without worrying about anything. We’ll also let you know if we come across any unlicensed gambling websites known for scams.
Unrealistic Betting Bonuses and Promotions
Unreasonable sportsbook offers can be another sign of a scam netting site. Of course, nobody wants to join an online bookie that does not have sports betting promos for new players these days. We all love bonuses and will mostly be attracted to the most lucrative promotions. Having a huge bonus is a great thing, but a big deal can sometimes be too good to be true.
Bettors should be careful if an online bookmaker is offering extravagant bonuses. We are used to sportsbooks with 100% match bonuses with a sensible maximum bonus amount of a few hundred or thousand pounds. But you should be worried to see a site with a 900% bonus of up to £50,000. You must examine the offer and every other aspect of the bookie to ensure it’s not a fraud before you place bets.
An Unprofessional Website Design
An intriguing website design has always been a selling point for any business seeking to attract customers on the internet. The same applies to sports betting sites that want to entice players. They must exhibit professionalism in the way they design the gambling website. The company logo, menus, links, colours and other features must be done professionally.
If the website looks shoddy, that could be a sign of a hidden problem. For a scammer, a simple betting site with basic features is good enough to steal money from punters. This is also true when it comes to the mobile site or betting app. A fair share of online bookmakers are designed with the sole purpose of scamming people, so they don’t need to invest in a good app or site. You should take your time to investigate before you risk your hard-earned money.
Unsolicited Phone Call or E-mail Messages
Some of the biggest scams in the history of the internet entail unsolicited phone calls and e-mail messages. Millions of people have experienced scams orchestrated through these methods. Remember that new players are usually asked to provide their contact information during registration. Some new sports betting sites with bad intentions simply want to obtain your private information in the process. This includes gaining access to the phone number or e-mail address you provide while signing up for an online betting account.
Unsuspecting customers may receive unwanted calls or e-mails immediately or a few days after signing up. If you’ve ever received a call from a stranger, you’ve probably wondered where they got your number from. Chances are you were tricked into sharing your contact details online without knowing it was a scam website.
Take the highest level of caution, especially when the conversations involve money. The scam betting site operator might ask you to deposit. You should only deposit money when you want and after confirming that the online bookie is safe.
Frequent Changes in Ownership
You can easily know the company that operates an online bookmaker site by looking in the footer area. Something might happen due to some business issues and force the owner to sell the website. There’s nothing wrong with changes in ownership, but punters should think twice if this happens countless times.
You’ll definitely have difficulty trusting an operator if the company name keeps changing. It means you must confirm the licence once more and even scrutinise the new business owner to avoid betting scams.
Winnings Not Awarded
It’s not a good sign to win money at an online gambling site only to lose your winning bets mysteriously. Transparency is key when it comes to real money sports bets. You must know how much you stand to win based on the betting odds offered by a bookmaker. On top of that, your winnings must be traceable and readily available once the bets are settled.
Let’s say you’ve joined a betting site and placed a single bet of £50 on a horse racing event. If the odds are set at 3.0, then you expect to win £150. And this is the amount you need to see in your betting account besides any balance you might have. What if you spend a week after winning and there’s nothing to see? You’d certainly be worried and probably never want to come back to that sportsbook.
Withdrawal Delays at Betting Sites
In many cases, betting scams are designed to steal your money. This can happen when you deposit or after winning. As we have seen, some scam bookmakers will just lose their customers’ winnings in a way you can’t comprehend. Others will simply let you win, award your winnings but cause undesirable delays during withdrawals.
Please note that non all withdrawal delays are caused by scams. They can happen even at some legitimate gambling sites, but there must be a good reason. Rogue bookmakers will give excuses hoping to keep your money or run away with it in the long run. Thus, you should stay away from any sportsbook associated with unexplained payout delays.
Ridiculous Terms and Conditions
All legit bookmaker sites in the online betting industry have different types of terms and conditions. These include general terms, bonus T&Cs and privacy policy. Some betting scams involve messing with these terms to make it difficult for bettors to walk home with some money. And scam bookmakers will change the terms from time to time to avoid awarding bonuses or winnings to bettors.
Let’s use bonus wagering requirements as an example to help you understand how this works. A wagering requirement specifies that you must wager your bonus several times before you can cash out. If you get bonus funds worth £20 and the playthrough requirement is 10x, you must wager £200.
Now, imagine a situation where the wagering requirement is 70x the bonus amount plus the deposit. If you deposit £30 and earn a bonus of £20, then you need to wager £50 x 70. So, you must spend £3,500 to withdraw your winnings. Basically, that would be a ridiculous requirement for such a small bonus.
Betting Site Under Maintenance Frequently
The best online bookmakers will do maintenance only when it’s necessary and even let you know in advance. But regular maintenance could also be one of the warning signs of imminent betting scams.
You wouldn’t like it if a betting site is always down when you want to withdraw your money. Even though this is not a clear sign, a scam sportsbook might be under maintenance most of the time. This allows the operator to limit suspicion and close shop with your money inside.
No Contact Information or Customer Support
Top-rated online bookmaker sites will always provide their customers with contact details. For example, punters who need help can contact the customer support team via live chat, calls or e-mail.
Well and good if the selected betting site offers any of these communication channels. However, the support agents must always be available to respond to your questions. They must also do it professionally and provide relevant solutions at all times.
Betting sites designed for scams will have no contact details posted on their websites. This makes it extremely hard to air your grievances.
It’s obviously a bad sign if there’s no one to talk to if you can’t withdraw your winnings. The solution is to avoid any online bookmaker that does not allow bettors to contact the support team.
