Scam Betting Sites

Scam betting sites are operators who use deceptive tactics to steal players’ money. This obviously doesn't come as a surprise to anyone, as we've all heard stories of bookies that, among others, refuse to pay out, offer unrealistic bonuses, operate under broken software, or close betting accounts for the slightest of reasons.

On this page, we will give you a full list of known fraudulent operators and show you all the tactics that fake betting websites use to scam you. How can you report an incident? What should you do in case you get scammed? Let’s find out.

List of Known Scam Betting Sites

Reporting a sports betting scam should always be at the top of your list. You need to alert other members of the community before something similar happens to them. One easy way to do so is by filling out the form below.

Add all the necessary information, such as the operator’s name and website, as well as your name or username. Choose the reason you want to report it and briefly explain your experience.

Have you been scammed by a bookie and wish to report it?
Submit a complaint here

If you are just looking for more information on fake betting sites, you can find them in the list below. Notice that we have divided them into three categories: scams (avoid at all costs), flagged (we recommend avoiding them), and closed (have ceased operations).

Scam

Bookmaker	Address	Owner
Place Of Bet	Cyprus	Undisclosed
Betwave	124 City Road, London, England, EC1V 2NX	Betwave Ltd
Zig Zag Sport	E-Commerce Park, Vredenberg, Curacao	Joc Solutions Ltd
Vulkanbet	78, Crossbow House, Bormla Road, Paola, Malta	Global Innovations Ltd
Betphoenix	G1, Haven Court, 5 Library Ramp, Gibraltar	Azure Ventures Ltd
Otobet	San Jose, Mata Redonda, Avenida 4 Calle 80 Casa 204	Repus Apud SA
Rivalo	Emancipatie Boulevard 29, Willemstad, Curaçao	247SportsInteractive B.V.
1bet	Groot Kwartierweg 12, Willemstad, Curaçao	Bellona N.V.
12bet	No. 435 Calle 36 San Jose, Costa Rica	Pacific Sea Invests, S.A.
Skybook	International Radical Investments SA	BetPhoenix Entertainment Group
Jojobet	Njegoseva br. 97 Cetinje, Montenegro	Undisclosed

Flagged

Bookmaker	Address	Owner
Tipbet	109 Sir William Reid Street, Level 0, Malta GZR1033	Tipbet Ltd
Betcart	Wilhelminalaan 13, 5261 AS Vught, Netherlands	Vivaro Ltd
Betolimp	Olimp Ltd 527, St Paul’s Street, St Paul’s Bay, SPB3418, Malta	Olimp Ltd
Bookmaker.eu	Sabana Sur, San Jose, San Jose, 10108, Costa Rica	Ron Sacco
Winning.io	Scharlooweg 39, Willemstad, Curaçao	Dama N.V.
TrueNorth	15-50 Generations Drive, Ohsweken,ON.N0A1M0, Canada	TrueNorth Companies LC
Spider Slots	Heelsumstraat 51 Unit B-03, E-Commerce Park	Diamond Marketing N.V.
PNXbet	9 Abraham de Veerstraat Curacao, P.O.Box 3421	Pnxtech N.V.
Optibet	The Strand, Unit 6, Triq ix-Xatt, GZIRA GZR1027, Malta	Bestbet Ltd
188bet	9 Barrack Road, Belize City, Belize	CyberArena Ltd

Closed

Bookmaker	Address	Owner
Lynxbet	St George's Court Myrtle Street, Douglas, Isle of Man	Genting Casinos
Blacktype	3 Queen Street, London. W1J 5PA. United Kingdom	BLACK TYPE LTD
Roy Richie	Europa Business Centre, Dun Karm Street, B'Kara, Malta	BTM Entertainment Group
Spin Sports	Villa Seminia, 8, Sir Temi Zammit Avenue, Ta XBiex XBX1011	Bayton Ltd
Unikrn Sports	Millenium House, Victoria Road, Douglas, Isle of Man	Unikrn Services Ltd
Beteast	3 Rotterdam Drive , e14 3ja, London, United Kingdom	Galaxy 88 Ltd
Luckybet	E-Commerce Park Vredenberg Curaçao	BPM Services B.V.
SportNation	Bahnhofstrasse 10, 6300 Zug, Switzerland	Argyll EEntertainment Company
Bibet	St George's Court Myrtle Street, Douglas, Isle of Man	Undisclosed
24Monaco	Heelsumstraat 51 Unit B-03, E-Commerce Park	Undisclosed

How Can an Operator Become a Fake Betting Website

There are dozens of reasons why a brand makes it into our list of scams. Below, we have analyzed each one individually based on the section it refers to. Some of the main issues that players face with scam betting sites are related to their accounts, more specifically, with verification, account closing, or inability to log in.

Verification rejected for no reason

Many fraudulent websites will make it a mission to reject your requests for cashing out your hard-earned winnings. They will use all kinds of excuses, such as terms violation, bonus cheating, placing bets in the wrong odds, or claiming there was a problem with the payment method you have chosen.

Verification takes too long

Imagine that you signed up with a bookie, made a deposit, and won some money before completing the KYC. Fake betting sites will deliberately stall the process to make you bet and lose your winnings.

Additional verification required

Similar to the one above, there are many online sportsbooks that will request extra documents, usually tied to the payment method you are using, even after you have completed the KYC procedure. Again, the aim is to make you play with your winnings until they have the time to check them.

Suspended Account

Betting scams will close or suspend player accounts for minor or no reason whatsoever. After claiming that the terms have been breached, they will not allow you to play on the website anymore and will take away all your remaining balance and winnings.

Unable To Log In

You try to visit the website, and when you add your login information, a message states that it is wrong. When you contact the Customer Service team, they tell you that your account has been deleted.

Website terms violation

When you sign up with a new bookmaker, you have to agree with the terms and conditions to use it properly. Since most players will not use the time to read them all, scam betting sites will add obscure terms to use as a reason to reject paying you. This is why you need to go through all of them carefully before you open a betting account with a new site, especially one that you have little knowledge of.

Do Bookies Have Fake Licenses

There have been many instances in the past where bookies lost an operating license or reported a fake license. The license information is usually at the bottom of the official website.

License Revoked By Authority

After a series of breaches, the licensing authority has decided to revoke an operator’s license. This is a very serious offense, and it does not only happen to websites that hold a Tier 1 license. We have seen many brands lose a Curacao or Kawahnake Gaming license.

Fake License

The type of license a website runs under can usually be found at the bottom of the page, where you can see an icon with the type of license it holds. This icon should be clickable and should take you to the licensing authorities' official website. However, scamming betting sites will just put a fake icon to trick players. If you want to ensure that a brand holds a specific license, you must visit the authority directly.

Expired License

Operating licenses usually last for a few years. After that period expires, brands need to reapply and undergo a new set of evaluations to regain the license. However, betting scams will still keep the link to their old licenses, even if they have expired.

Breaching Licensing Terms

Any time a website fails to comply with the licensing authority's exclusive clauses or players report a series of complaints, it might be penalized. This is usually the stage where the licensing authority warns the brand before it revokes its license altogether.

Which Troubles Are Connected to Payments

This is one of the main reasons we categorize some brands as scam betting sites. From few available deposit methods to withdrawal refusals and fees on payments, fraudulent sites follow several practices.

Imposed Withdrawal Limits

Websites with very low withdrawal limits, less than €500 per day, should always be treated with caution. These amounts are way too low when there are thousands of players online; it usually means that the company does not have enough capital to pay everyone. Another common practice is for fake betting websites to impose limits specifically to some users, mainly those who win regularly.

Withdrawal Refusal

After winning a fair sum of money, it is only logical wanting to cash out on your winnings. So, you go to the cashier and request a withdrawal, only to see the operator reject it for no real reason.

Withdrawal Left Pending

After you request a withdrawal, most brands usually process it within the day, sometimes more if it is during the weekend and the load is high. However, sports betting scams will leave your withdrawal pending for days, in some instances 10+, just so they can make you revoke it and use that money to keep playing.

Deposit Not Credited

You might have tried to add money to your balance, and at first sight, it seemed to have gone smoothly. However, you do not see the money in your account, even after you have checked with your bank that the transaction was successful. This is a way for scam betting sites to claim that they never received the money and that the mistake was on your end.

Transaction Hidden Fees

Any fees regarding withdrawals are unacceptable. Signs of scams include having to pay fees for multiple withdrawals within the same month, fees for withdrawals over a certain amount (such as €1,000), or fees to just process the request.

Unfair Exchange Rates

When gambling online, there are some fees connected to exchange rates, especially for players whose currency is not available. While some brands set the exchange rates very low or even absorb the costs, scam ones will set them very high and make you pay 8-10% of your deposit.

What Should I Be Aware Of With Bonuses/Promotions

Many players face problems with fake betting websites regarding the available betting bonuses and promotions. These include an inability to clear the wagering conditions or having the funds inexplicably removed from their accounts.

Fake Rewards or Misleading Bonus Advertisement

The promotions page is filled with exciting bonuses and offers, but when you try to follow the steps to claim them, you receive nothing or a small fraction of the advertised amount in your account. This is very common with VIP Programs. Scamming betting sites will claim that once you reach a certain level, you will get several offers, such as cashbacks or free bets. However, once you do, you realize that this is not the case.

Non-transparent Bonus Terms

When you go through the terms and conditions of the bonus, you find some contradictory rules engulfing the offer. This could range from minimum odds required, the number of times you need to play through the funds, or the payments you can use to unlock it.

Bonus Not Awarded

Even though you followed all the procedures correctly, i.e., made a minimum deposit, contacted the CS team, and rolled over the initial deposit at the correct odds, the additional funds still did not make it to your balance.

Bonus Revoked

While rolling over the bonus or promotion on the website, you made a mistake and placed a wager that is excluded. This resulted in having your initial deposit, the remaining bonus, and your winnings so far all removed from your account.

Are There Issues Regarding the Software

Worrisome signs of scam betting sites include problems with the software, such as pages not loading, game glitches, or software that just resembles the real thing.

Software Problems/Glitches

If you navigate an online website and it continuously crashes, it means that the software is below par. Trusted operators will fix any bugs or glitches immediately. In addition, they will close down the casino and sportsbook for maintenance regularly to ensure that no players face any issues in real-time.

Fake Software

Some fake betting websites use illegal software to make some games, usually casino ones, look like the originals. They also advertise very high payouts, but in reality, these games are rigged to steal players' money.

Unsecured/Non Encrypted Connections

There is always some level of insecurity any time you perform transactions online. Most brands will use encryption softwares, such as SSL, and become certified to show that all payments will be secure. On the other hand, the absence of an encrypted connection is one you should avoid.

Fake Mirror Sites

Similar to fake games and odds, scamming betting sites have made the whole interface look like one of the top brands, like Bet365. Many amateur players have followed these links and found themselves playing on the websites.

What Are Some Signs That the Sportsbook Is a Scam

While betting on the website, you can come across several indications as to why some bookmakers must be avoided at all costs.

Applied Betting Limits

This scam practice is two-fold. On the one hand, websites will pre-set very low limits for pre-match and live bets. These limits will also shorten once you add more selections to your bet slip. On the other hand, the limits will be imposed on your account after you start winning. After that, you will only be able to place bets worth €5 or less.

Unsettled Bets

This is when a bookie still has a series of wagers pending even hours or days after an event has finished. You should note that operators must settle all bets at most minutes after your final leg has concluded. Otherwise, you should avoid them at all costs.

Void Winning Bets

You manage to win a bet, and initially, you see that the money has been credited to your balance. However, when you check after a few hours, you see that your winnings have been removed from your account with no explanation.

Odds Manipulation

Scam betting sites have the power to influence markets or events by deliberately changing the odds or handicap lines to make players bet on a specific outcome only. This practice can mainly be observed in the events with the highest betting volume.

Selective Market Availability

When betting online, you want to have as many options at your disposal as possible. What betting scams do is limit the availability or even remove it completely from markets where players are mostly profitable, such as corners or cards.

Live Betting Violation

Here, operators will claim that the winning wagers you have made on the wrong odds since the prices were not updated in time. Another claim is that the odds should have been frozen at the time of the wager, but there was a glitch with the software.

What Are Some Other Reasons for Scam Betting Sites

While all the reasons above can easily be categorized, there are still some other ways in which brands can be proven as frauds. The most common ones include the following.

Misleading Customer Service

There have been many incidents where players were given wrong information on purpose when they inquired about bonuses or payments. This results in bonuses and winnings being removed from accounts due to terms violations or withdrawal rejections.

No Customer Support

Any time you come across a brand when there is no Customer Support, the chances are high that it is a sports betting scam. The reason is simple: by offering no channels to contact the operator, you do not have a way to resolve an issue or make a formal inquiry. The bookmaker is free to take any action it wants with no chance of fighting back.

Lack Of Responsible Gambling

Player protection has lately become one of the most intricate parts of online gambling. Having the ability to recognize you have a problem and elect to stay away is critical. However, scam betting sites will offer no option to self-exclude. Instead, they will flood you with offers to entice you to keep playing.

Bad Treatment Of Partners

Players are not the only ones that face problems with betting sites. We communicate with hundreds of them daily and we can easily tell which ones are not trustworthy. Trying not to pay or failing to reply within an appropriate amount of time are all signs that make us worry.

Why Do We Flag Certain Bookmakers

Flagged and scam betting sites are not the exact same thing. We categorize a website as a scam if it has proven itself to follow one or more practices you saw above. Then, we encourage our readers to avoid them altogether. On the other hand, we flag certain operators because we are not yet 100% sure which direction they will elect to follow.

We also recommend avoiding flagged bookmakers, but you can register and see for yourself. These sites might have undergone an ownership or platform change, and we await the results. In addition, we might have seen that a number of players have encountered a series of issues, and we are waiting for solid evidence to add them to the scams list.

What to Do in Case You Face a Sports Betting Scam

First of all, you should realize that it's not the end of the world. There are a few ways you can get your money back. Our first advice is always to be polite when dealing with an agent and know your rights.

Before you hit the live chat to vent out, take a moment to read what the terms and conditions state regarding your problem, as this is undoubtedly bound to help you. Even fake betting websites will have them written somewhere.

Speak with the CS team

Always try to reach out to the CS through any available channels. This applies to minor issues, like being unable to place a bet and more serious ones, like seeing a string of withdrawals rejected. It's entirely possible that an agent can solve a problem immediately, especially if there has been a technical issue.

Of course, this is rarely the case with scam betting sites, but you can always try. Remember to document every answer by keeping a transcript, taking screenshots, or saving the emails you have received.

Notify the Licensing Authority

If you reside in a country where gambling is fully regulated, you can solve practically every problem by bringing your case to your local licensing authority. If you live in a country where no clear laws are in effect, you should find out which regulatory authority has issued the gaming license to the fake betting site.

You can view this at the bottom of the homepage (footer section) of a bookie in the form of a clickable logo. Unfortunately, not all regulatory authorities will show the same care for upholding the players' needs. Still, you can expect complete transparency from betting sites regulated by the UKGC and the MGA. For more info, follow our guides below.

1. UK Licensed Bookmakers
2. MGA Betting Sites
3. Gambling Commission Gibraltar
4. Curacao Bookmakers
5. Isle of Man Gambling Betting Companies

Use a Consumer Protection Agency

This is usually the last resort when dealing with fraud. Like the UKGC-backed Independent Betting Adjudication Service, consumer protection agencies will look into any complaints and mediate on your behalf to reclaim any stolen funds or settle any wrongdoings with scam betting sites.

If your case is legitimate and the betting site refuses to reimburse you, the licensing authority will take steps to fine the operator and award you your money. The most well-known consumer protection agencies include the IBAS, the Resolver, the Advertising Standards Authority and the Online Dispute Resolution of the EU.

Contact Bookmakers.bet

If you encounter a fake betting site, you can contact our dedicated support department. We are bound to offer a solution, either by advising how to file a complaint or by acting as the middleman. You can submit a complaint using our form or by sending us an email. Please describe your problem in detail, and remember to attach any transcripts or screenshots you have.

If you have signed up through our website, please contact us by stating your player ID and we will do everything within our power to help you. This procedure must be completed this way to comply with the General Data Protection Regulations. We also welcome reviews about scam betting sites we do not have on our lists since we want to update the information as much as possible.

Can a Bookmaker Improve its Status?

Yes. Having a slow start does not mean that a bookmaker will always be labelled a scam. There are certain actions an operator can take to enhance its reputation. Some of the most notable ones include:

✅ Change of ownership: When a new owner buys the website, there is usually a change in a wide range of sections, such as platforms, betting markets and odds, bonuses, and payments. Of course, this is not enough by itself. We need to see that the new ownership has a mission to thoroughly upgrade the sportsbook.

✅ License Acquisition: By obtaining a Tier 1 license, like from the UKGC or the MGA, a website has proven that it can withstand rigorous tests that prove it is no longer a scam.

✅ Upgraded payments: To boost the rank of a bookie, we need to see a wide range of transaction options, including cards, e-wallets, and cryptos, if possible. In addition, any fees on payments must be removed.

✅ Improved betting offering: Bookmakers must offer a balanced sportsbook in terms of odds and markets to avoid being labeled scam betting sites. The disparity between pre-match and live betting should also not be too high.

✅ Better bonuses and promotions: The key thing here is for online bookmakers to provide bonuses and promotions with realistic terms. In addition, if players make a mistake during the rollover period, they shouldn’t lose the bonus and any winnings they have had so far.

✅ Complaint resolve programs: Introducing a new program where users can file formal complaints and resolve all the problems internally is key. However, the bookie must be ready to accept blame and reimburse players if necessary.

✅ Transparent terms and conditions: Not having contradictory terms and conditions shows that a brand is serious about all the rules and regulations of the website. All terms regarding payments, limits, bonuses, and more must be read clearly by all.

✅ Software upgrade: For an operator to elevate its standing, it is critical to fix all the glitches and bugs and improve the website's performance. A software update also improves data protection and ensures transparency regarding payments.

As it is evident, there are plenty of reasons to avoid online bookmakers, and reviewing them all can be a nuisance. This is where we step in and do all the legwork for you. Underneath, you can find a complete list of sportsbooks that can be trusted, as our team of experts has checked them multiple times.