Going (for) Broke: 6 Common Online Betting Scams And How To Avoid Them

Scams

Don’t rotation nan dice connected your online information – watch retired for bogus sports betting apps and different traps commonly group by scammers

28 Jan 2025  •  , 5 min. read

Online gambling is large business. Topping gross of $84bn successful 2023, nan business of online casinos, virtual poker and sports betting is connected nan rise. It’s been helped successful nary mini portion by nan Supreme Court, whose ruling respective years agone efficaciously allowed US states to legalize sports betting. But arsenic nan manufacture grows and caller users travel online, scammers looking for speedy wins are besides targeting nan online betting and gambling abstraction successful ever greater numbers.

From nefarious online casinos to malicious apps and phishing messages, nan database of imaginable fraud channels continues to grow. If you’re fond of a flutter, return a look astatine nan astir communal scams we’ve highlighted below, and limb yourself pinch nan knowledge to enactment safe.

Top 6 gambling and betting scams

Fraudsters will usually scope their victims via akin channels: that intends email, messaging apps and societal media, arsenic good arsenic malicious casino sites, gambling apps and perchance moreover betting forums. Here are immoderate of nan astir communal threats:

1. Phishing

A societal engineering method arsenic aged arsenic nan internet, it’s nary astonishment that gambling scammers are besides utilizing phishing to execute their goals. The instrumentality is to impersonate a morganatic online casino aliases betting institution and seduce nan unfortunate into handing complete their individual and/or financial specifications – aliases springiness you their relationship logins.

These messages – usually sent via email, but besides by societal media, messaging apps aliases matter – whitethorn incorporate promises of typical offers, designed to lure nan victim. Or they could dress there’s thing incorrect pinch their relationship that needs urgently addressing (usually by filling successful login details). The scammer will purpose to create a consciousness of urgency successful bid to unreserved nan unfortunate into acting without reasoning things done decently first. Legitimate branding and spoofed sender domains/phone numbers adhd further legitimacy.

2. Task scams

The FTC precocious warned of a increasing threat from a circumstantial type of online occupation scam successful which victims are approached astir work, usually via unsolicited messages connected WhatsApp aliases similar. The scammers committedness easy activity connected vaguely worded tasks specified arsenic “app optimization” aliases “product boosting” – wherever they are told they’ll person money successful return for liking standing products via a specialized app. They whitethorn moreover person a mini sum arsenic expected grounds that nan strategy is legitimate.

However, earlier long, nan scammers inquire their victims to put their ain money into nan scheme, successful bid for them to complete nan adjacent group of tasks. Once they do, nan money will beryllium mislaid forever. Losses reportedly deed $220m for nan first six months of 2024 alone. Although not strictly speaking a betting scam, nan gamification constituent has been described arsenic “almost for illustration gambling.”

3. Malicious casinos

Not each online casinos are created equal. In fact, immoderate are simply a beforehand for fraudulent activity. They mightiness connection immense invited bonuses, precocious returns and unlimited free spins successful bid to pull victims. These offers whitethorn beryllium promoted by online ads aliases spam emails/texts/social messages. In reality, you’ll find that these too-good-to-be-true promises do not carnivore scrutiny. Often nan mini people will make it intolerable for you to return advantage aliases cod immoderate winnings without losing thing yourself.

Nefarious casinos whitethorn besides artifact withdrawals pinch method excuses aliases excessively agelong relationship verification processes. They mightiness moreover vanish altogether aft stealing capable subordinate deposits.

4. Fake apps

Fraudulent apps are besides an progressively communal measurement to portion gamblers pinch their money. Victims are attracted to them via flashy net ads promising quick-and-easy wins. They whitethorn beryllium backed by phishing/fake sites populated by clone reviews of nan app – thing easy to do now successful various section languages pinch AI tools. In immoderate cases, users whitethorn moreover initially beryllium allowed to triumph mini amounts, successful bid to build their assurance and promote them to make bigger bets. When they do, immoderate winnings will beryllium locked and nan scammers disappear.

One recent example of nan threat was a run involving 500 deceptive ads and 1,377 malicious websites.

5. Scam tipsters

You should besides beware of anyone claiming to connection insider tips online. Betting fraudsters whitethorn declare they person an unbeatable system. They whitethorn besides opportunity that they’ve been banned by integer gambling sites because they support connected winning, forcing them to walk connected their tips to betters for illustration you successful return for payment.

But, of course, it’s each a lie. Sometimes, specified scams tin travel from different sources – specified arsenic a world-class poker subordinate who is now facing jailhouse time aft fraudulently promising entree to “insider information” to springiness players a winning edge.

6. Fixed-match scam

This is akin to nan supra example, isolated from nan scammer will statesman by uncovering a group of group willing successful fixed matches: opportunity 30 individuals. The tipster will petition costs from each up beforehand and show 10 to stake connected 1 outcome, 10 to stake connected different and 10 to stake connected a third. (In astir sports matches, location are only 3 imaginable outcomes).

The 10 individuals for whom nan tipster predicted nan correct consequence now deliberation they person conscionable betted connected a genuine fixed match, and will beryllium incentivized to put much money connected nan adjacent match. Those who didn’t triumph will beryllium blocked by nan scammer.

Top strategies for ensuring a safer betting experience

To support nan scammers astatine arm’s length, beryllium judge to:

• Stick to verified and licensed gambling platforms, pinch regulatory approval.
• Be skeptical of immoderate offering large bonuses and unlimited free spins, and ever publication nan mini people – offers for illustration monolithic bonuses aliases unlimited free spins often travel pinch hidden catches.
• Switch connected multi-factor authentication (MFA) connected immoderate relationship to adhd an other furniture of information to your accounts and protect your logins from unauthorized access.
• Never stock individual aliases financial information, including logins, via unsolicited messages aliases questionable sites.
• Check your slope and betting accounts regularly to spot immoderate different activity.
• Steer clear of tipsters who attack you online, particularly those claiming insider knowledge aliases entree to fixed matches.
• Ignore ads and individuals tied to caller societal media account; instead, instrumentality to platforms and individuals pinch a reliable history.
• Only download apps from morganatic stores (i.e., Apple App Store and Google Play) and cheque ratings/developer reviews earlier doing so.

Like immoderate online activity, gambling comes pinch its ain group of risks. Bet responsibly, and enactment safe retired there.