Bookmaker Black-List

Be careful of bookmakers and their sites listed on this page! These are companies that are stick with bad reputation. Thanks to being informed you can avoid a lot of trouble maybe even avoid having your money stolen. That's why BookmakerWatch.com has searched the well known betting forums and sites for any information of such problems with bookmakers. Some of these rogue bookies players have directly reported to BW. Bellow Black List you fill also find advice how to recognize by yourself bookmakers with characteristics that can be seen as warnings of risky business.

The Bookmakers Black List

Player complaints directly to BookmakerWatch.com:

Reported bookmakers are divided in three categories or levels of threat to players, yellow, orange and red, depending on severeness of their offences.

Red listed companies present severe threat to all players and should be avoided completely! Their offences include closing their sites or operations and disappearing with players funds, companies that are established by known crooks (companies or individuals), companies or sites not operating legally or without valid licenses, sites that are a "sister" or "clone" of other red listed sites, deposit only sites established only to steal money with no payout's at all to players after winning, bookies that close players accounts and keep their winnings without valid grounds, etc..

• none

High treat to players. Companies that are usually balancing on the thin line of becoming illegal. Some of the examples for being reported are: multiple slow payout's, extremely slow payout's (more months delay) or payout's in installments, that indicates a company in financial problems, voiding valid player bets, etc...

• Fiestabet.com, reported on 02/02/2009 for closing player account and confiscating funds, later payout was agreed in installments, tricky T&C

• Internet1X2, alias Yahoops, reported on 13/02/2006 for extremely slow payout (month and a half delay)

Elevated risk to players. Reasons for listing: tricky Terms & Conditions unfair to player, unethical marketing practices usually relating to promo and bonus offers with hidden tricky clauses to avoid paying bonus after players deposit, unresponsive customer support, slow payments, etc...

• BetBull.com, reported on 21/12/2008 for slow payout and non-existent customer support

Blacklisted from internet resources:

Bookies bellow have been listed from various resources while searching the net, betting forums and betting sites for player complaints. All bellow listed bookies have been complained at for some of various reasons mentioned already above. BookmakerWatch.com will constantly update it's black-list, usually every month to provide players with latest information about rogue bookies.

Last update: March, 2009.

How to recognize high-risk bookmakers?

All of these high-risk bookmaking companies have some common traits. We will try to warn you of some most common and if you see a combination of these, move on! Don't risk it, there are plenty of good and reputable bookmaking companies to do your business with.

How to avoid risky business with rogue bookies?

• Don't bet with bookmakers that don't have valid operating licenses and are not regulated, read carefully every "About us" page and try to find out where is bookmaker situated and licensed. At the moment due to US laws bookmakers can not have their web sites hosted in USA but at some offshore location. ( Dutch Antilles - Curacao and Antigua/Barbuda are most popular and secure offshore locations)
• Check out bookmaker web site security certificates, like VeriSign, Thawte, TRUSTe... These certificates verify web site security and are not easy to obtain. They also point out bookie professional approach. Click here for explanation of these certificates.
• Check out bookie contact information, if web site doesn't provide it's company full address and telephone number it can be a sign of trying to hide from angry customers.
• Check out bookie customer support before registering. If they are slow to answer, be careful that's not very professional, or if they are not answering at all don't make deposits with them.
• Be careful of unrealistic high bonuses for deposits or cash backs and unrealistic promotional offers. Every bonus over 25% should be carefully taken in consideration, especialy if the bonus offer requires a high minimum deposit amount.
• Read reviews from sites like BookmakerWatch.com and use internet to search for comments of other punters on internet forums, newsgroups...

That's it in short. To avoid risky bookmakers do you business with only the best, reliable most trusted BookmakerWatch.com recommended bookies.