LVSN Watchdog
BEFORE USING AN OFFSHORE SPORTSBOOK,
GO OVER IT WITH A FINE-TOOTH COMB
BY TOM SOMACH
LVSN WATCHDOG
Choosing an offshore sportsbook with which to
wager on football is a lot like choosing a wife:
If you pick the wrong one, it could end up
costing you a lot of money!
While the devastating financial effects of
divorce are well-known, not so obvious---
especially to the novice bettor---are the
monetary pitfalls that can accompany betting
with a sportsbook: you may not get paid if you
win!
Just as in any business, the offshore wagering
industry has its share of good guys and bad guys.
But for every honest offshore bookmaker in a
white hat, there are a dozen dishonest offshore
bookies in black hats, just salivating at the
thought of ripping off unsuspecting bettors---
and then doing it!
That's right, believe it or not, some offshore
sportsbooks are total scams.
These scam books are happy to accept your hard-
earned cash when you make a wager.
But when you win your bet and try to collect
your winnings, the scammers tell you they're not
paying you.
Sometimes when you win the scam books tell you
that you are a professional bettor, a wiseguy, a
member of a betting syndicate, and such betting
action is not welcome, so your bets have been
voided.
You must be a pro, you are told, because you won
and only pros win.
Sometimes when you win the scam books tell you
that you broke an obscure (or even non-existent)
rule pertaining to wagering and thus your
betting action has been voided, with warning.
You knowingly cheated, you are told, even when
most likely you haven't.
Sometimes when you win the scam books simply
give you a song and a dance about when your
winnings will be on the way.
Unfortunately, the song is out of tune and the
dance is out of step, as the book delays your
payment in hopes you'll keep betting and lose
the winnings before they can be sent to you.
Methods used for delay are giving you a phony
tracking number on a check supposedly
overnighted to you, telling you it's a "holiday"
in whatever country you're calling so the banks
are closed and no payments today, or simply
lying and saying "the check's in the mail" when
it isn't.
So how does someone distinguish the stellar
offshore wagering buisinesses who pay from the
tarnished offshore wagering businesses who don't?
Before you sign up with an offshore sportsbook,
ask it these questions:
@Ask if it is licensed by the country in which
it is located. If it is, ask it to fax or mail
you a copy of the license. If it refuses, or
says it isn't licensed, that's a bad sign.
@Ask if it is rated by a credible business-rating
service, such as Dun & Bradstreet. If it is, ask
for proof. If it refuses, or says it isn't rated,
that's a bad sign.
@Ask who owns the company, who runs it, and who
the other key people are. If the sportsbook is
legitimate and has nothing to hide, it will be
happy to tell you who its owner(s) and employees
are. If it is hesitant to do so, or outright
refuses, that's a bad sign.
@Ask how long the sportsbook has been in
business. If it hasn't been around very long, or
has but used to go by another name or had
different owners, that's not a sign of stability
and is therefore a bad sign.
@Ask any and all other questions you may have
about the sportsbook, such as the minimum amount
of money needed to open an account, the minimum
and maximum amounts allowed for wagers, the
methods used for transferring funds and who pays
the transfer fees, when you can request winnings
and how long it takes to get them. If you get
unsatisfactory or evasive answers to any
questions, that's a bad sign. If you can't
collect winnings whenever you want, that's a
bad sign. And, of course, if the people
answering your questions are in any way rude or
dismissive of you, that's a bad sign.
@After you speak to the sportsbooks, get
references. A sportsbook, even if legit,
probably won't give you the names of any of its
satisfied customers. Of couse, if you were one
of their customers, you probably wouldn't want
your name given out. So ask friends, neighbors,
acquaintances and co-workers who bet offshore
who they bet with and how their experiences
were. Also, the Internet is excellent for this:
there are gambling-related newsgroups and
websites that discuss offshore sportsbooks and
rate them. If you're on the 'Net, you can also
go to the Deja News website (www.dejanews.com)
and simply type in the name of any sportsbook.
If anyone has made a newsgroup comment about
that sportsbook in the past few years---positive
or negative---you'll see it instantly.
@Finally, avoid the following offshore
sportsbooks, which for reasons explained are bad
news:
CARIBBEAN SPORTS, COSTA RICA---This sportsbook is
owned by Las Vegas mobster Frank Masterana, who
is so unsavory he is listed in Nevada's infamous
Black Book of people banned for life from all
Nevada casinos. But that's not the worst of it:
the sportsbook doesn't pay winners! Countless
Caribbean Sports customers who won and weren't
paid have told LVSN their tales of owe.
ST. KITTS HOTEL AND CASINO, ST. KITTS---This
sportsbook, run from a Caribbean island hotel,
refused to pay $5,000 in winnings to Hank
Buchanan, brother of TV star and former
Presidential candidate Pat Buchanan. Others have
been similarly stiffed.
BEST BET SPORTS, COSTA RICA---Bettors have
reported to LVSN that when they tried to collect
winnings, they were stiffed.
WAGER 2000, COSTA RICA---Bettors have reported
to LVSN that when they tried to collect
winnings, they were stiffed.
CARIBI SPORTS, COSTA RICA---Bettors have
reported to LVSN that when they tried to collect
winnings, they were stiffed.
DUNES SPORTS, COSTA RICA---Bettors have reported
to LVSN that when they tried to collect
winnings, they were stiffed.
INET SPORTS, COSTA RICA---Bettors have reported
to LVSN that when they tried to collect
winnings, they were stiffed.
PLAYERS SUPERBOOK, COSTA RICA---Bettors have
reported to LVSN that when they tried to collect
winnings, they were stiffed.
STERLING SPORTSBOOK, DOMINICAN REPUBLIC---
Bettors have reported to LVSN that when they
tried to collect winnings, they were stiffed.
KINGS BET, COSTA RICA---Bettors have reported to
LVSN that when they tried to collect winnings,
they were stiffed.
NASA SPORTS INTERNATIONAL, COSTA RICA---Owned by
New York con man Gary Kaplan, who uses the
ridiculous alias "Greg Champion," this
sportsbook has been involved in more monkey
business than King Kong. First Nasa implied that
it is run by the space agency of the same name
(it isn't). Then Nasa ran phony ads claiming it
is insured by Lloyd's of London (it isn't, and
Lloyd's sued). But worst of all, Nasa doesn't
pay you when you win big. Among the casualties
are a California man who won $30,000 and a
Nevada man who won $485,000: Neither one has
seen Dime One of his winnings!
WALL STREET SUPERBOOK, CURACAO---Has falsely
claimed in its advertising that Lloyd's of
London insures its betting accounts, which is a
lie because Lloyd's insures no offshore betting
operations. The best way to judge a sportsbook
is by its honesty and credibility, so when a
book lies it's likely to cheat and steal too.
LOOSE LINES, BELIZE---Has falsely claimed in its
advertising that Lloyd's of London insures its
betting accounts, which is a lie because Lloyd's
insures no offshore betting operations. The best
way to judge a sportsbook is by its honesty and
credibility, so when a book lies it's likely to
cheat and steal too.
CASABLANCA SPORTS, COSTA RICA---Has falsely
claimed in its advertising that Lloyd's of
London insures its betting accounts, which is a
lie because Lloyd's insures no offshore betting
operations. The best way to judge a sportsbook
is by its honesty and credibility, so when a
book lies it's likely to cheat and steal too.
FIRST FIDELITY, COSTA RICA---Has falsely claimed
in its advertising that Lloyd's of London
insures its betting accounts, which is a lie
because Lloyd's insures no offshore betting
operations. The best way to judge a sportsbook
is by its honesty and credibility, so when a
book lies it's likely to cheat and steal too.
WORLD SPORTS EXCHANGE (WSEX), ANTIGUA---This
sportsbook was busted by the FBI in 1998 and co-
owners Jay Cohen and Steve Schillinger and gofer
Haden Ware were charged with felonies. Cohen
turned himself in, went on trial, was convicted
and sentenced to prison and awaits an Appeal
Court ruling on his case. Schillinger and Ware
remain fugitives in Antigua at WSEX. The U.S.
govermment is trying to shut this unstable
sportsbook down, and when it does, don't expect
WSEX customers to ever see their monies.
Report this post to a moderator | IP: Logged
05-07-2003 07:08 PM
AR182
Senior Member
Registered: Nov 2000
Location: Scottsdale,AZ
Posts: 1326
continuation:
WORLDWIDE TELE-SPORTS (WWTS), ANTIGUA---This
sportsbook was busted by the FBI in 1998 and
owner Bill Scott and assistant Jessica Davis
were charged with felonies. The pair remain
fugitives in Antigua at WWTS. The U.S.
government is trying to shut this unstable
sportsbook down, and when it does, don't
expect WWTS customers to ever see their monies.
WWTS has also falsely claimed in its advertising
that Lloyd's of London insures its betting
accounts, which is a lie because Lloyd's insures
no offshore betting operations.
BOWMAN INTERNATIONAL, MAURITIUS---This
sportsbook calls itself a "British" sportsbook
but that is a flat-out lie. The book is located
in Mauritius, which is in Africa. The best way
to judge a sportsbook is by its honesty and
credibility, so when a book lies it's likely to
cheat and steal too.
RIO INTERNATIONAL SPORTSBOOK, COSTA RICA---This
sportsbook was sued earlier this year by the Rio
Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas for hijacking the
trademarked name "Rio." The unexpected legal
fees have been a financial burden to the
sportsbook. Plus, only an operation of dubious
character would steal another company's name.
SPORTS OFFSHORE (SOS), ANTIGUA---The boss of
this sportsbook, Bob Eremian, was deported back
to the U.S. last year by the Antiguan
government, to face criminal charges in Boston.
The sportsbook has beenin chaos ever since.
BEFORE USING AN OFFSHORE SPORTSBOOK,
GO OVER IT WITH A FINE-TOOTH COMB
BY TOM SOMACH
LVSN WATCHDOG
Choosing an offshore sportsbook with which to
wager on football is a lot like choosing a wife:
If you pick the wrong one, it could end up
costing you a lot of money!
While the devastating financial effects of
divorce are well-known, not so obvious---
especially to the novice bettor---are the
monetary pitfalls that can accompany betting
with a sportsbook: you may not get paid if you
win!
Just as in any business, the offshore wagering
industry has its share of good guys and bad guys.
But for every honest offshore bookmaker in a
white hat, there are a dozen dishonest offshore
bookies in black hats, just salivating at the
thought of ripping off unsuspecting bettors---
and then doing it!
That's right, believe it or not, some offshore
sportsbooks are total scams.
These scam books are happy to accept your hard-
earned cash when you make a wager.
But when you win your bet and try to collect
your winnings, the scammers tell you they're not
paying you.
Sometimes when you win the scam books tell you
that you are a professional bettor, a wiseguy, a
member of a betting syndicate, and such betting
action is not welcome, so your bets have been
voided.
You must be a pro, you are told, because you won
and only pros win.
Sometimes when you win the scam books tell you
that you broke an obscure (or even non-existent)
rule pertaining to wagering and thus your
betting action has been voided, with warning.
You knowingly cheated, you are told, even when
most likely you haven't.
Sometimes when you win the scam books simply
give you a song and a dance about when your
winnings will be on the way.
Unfortunately, the song is out of tune and the
dance is out of step, as the book delays your
payment in hopes you'll keep betting and lose
the winnings before they can be sent to you.
Methods used for delay are giving you a phony
tracking number on a check supposedly
overnighted to you, telling you it's a "holiday"
in whatever country you're calling so the banks
are closed and no payments today, or simply
lying and saying "the check's in the mail" when
it isn't.
So how does someone distinguish the stellar
offshore wagering buisinesses who pay from the
tarnished offshore wagering businesses who don't?
Before you sign up with an offshore sportsbook,
ask it these questions:
@Ask if it is licensed by the country in which
it is located. If it is, ask it to fax or mail
you a copy of the license. If it refuses, or
says it isn't licensed, that's a bad sign.
@Ask if it is rated by a credible business-rating
service, such as Dun & Bradstreet. If it is, ask
for proof. If it refuses, or says it isn't rated,
that's a bad sign.
@Ask who owns the company, who runs it, and who
the other key people are. If the sportsbook is
legitimate and has nothing to hide, it will be
happy to tell you who its owner(s) and employees
are. If it is hesitant to do so, or outright
refuses, that's a bad sign.
@Ask how long the sportsbook has been in
business. If it hasn't been around very long, or
has but used to go by another name or had
different owners, that's not a sign of stability
and is therefore a bad sign.
@Ask any and all other questions you may have
about the sportsbook, such as the minimum amount
of money needed to open an account, the minimum
and maximum amounts allowed for wagers, the
methods used for transferring funds and who pays
the transfer fees, when you can request winnings
and how long it takes to get them. If you get
unsatisfactory or evasive answers to any
questions, that's a bad sign. If you can't
collect winnings whenever you want, that's a
bad sign. And, of course, if the people
answering your questions are in any way rude or
dismissive of you, that's a bad sign.
@After you speak to the sportsbooks, get
references. A sportsbook, even if legit,
probably won't give you the names of any of its
satisfied customers. Of couse, if you were one
of their customers, you probably wouldn't want
your name given out. So ask friends, neighbors,
acquaintances and co-workers who bet offshore
who they bet with and how their experiences
were. Also, the Internet is excellent for this:
there are gambling-related newsgroups and
websites that discuss offshore sportsbooks and
rate them. If you're on the 'Net, you can also
go to the Deja News website (www.dejanews.com)
and simply type in the name of any sportsbook.
If anyone has made a newsgroup comment about
that sportsbook in the past few years---positive
or negative---you'll see it instantly.
@Finally, avoid the following offshore
sportsbooks, which for reasons explained are bad
news:
CARIBBEAN SPORTS, COSTA RICA---This sportsbook is
owned by Las Vegas mobster Frank Masterana, who
is so unsavory he is listed in Nevada's infamous
Black Book of people banned for life from all
Nevada casinos. But that's not the worst of it:
the sportsbook doesn't pay winners! Countless
Caribbean Sports customers who won and weren't
paid have told LVSN their tales of owe.
ST. KITTS HOTEL AND CASINO, ST. KITTS---This
sportsbook, run from a Caribbean island hotel,
refused to pay $5,000 in winnings to Hank
Buchanan, brother of TV star and former
Presidential candidate Pat Buchanan. Others have
been similarly stiffed.
BEST BET SPORTS, COSTA RICA---Bettors have
reported to LVSN that when they tried to collect
winnings, they were stiffed.
WAGER 2000, COSTA RICA---Bettors have reported
to LVSN that when they tried to collect
winnings, they were stiffed.
CARIBI SPORTS, COSTA RICA---Bettors have
reported to LVSN that when they tried to collect
winnings, they were stiffed.
DUNES SPORTS, COSTA RICA---Bettors have reported
to LVSN that when they tried to collect
winnings, they were stiffed.
INET SPORTS, COSTA RICA---Bettors have reported
to LVSN that when they tried to collect
winnings, they were stiffed.
PLAYERS SUPERBOOK, COSTA RICA---Bettors have
reported to LVSN that when they tried to collect
winnings, they were stiffed.
STERLING SPORTSBOOK, DOMINICAN REPUBLIC---
Bettors have reported to LVSN that when they
tried to collect winnings, they were stiffed.
KINGS BET, COSTA RICA---Bettors have reported to
LVSN that when they tried to collect winnings,
they were stiffed.
NASA SPORTS INTERNATIONAL, COSTA RICA---Owned by
New York con man Gary Kaplan, who uses the
ridiculous alias "Greg Champion," this
sportsbook has been involved in more monkey
business than King Kong. First Nasa implied that
it is run by the space agency of the same name
(it isn't). Then Nasa ran phony ads claiming it
is insured by Lloyd's of London (it isn't, and
Lloyd's sued). But worst of all, Nasa doesn't
pay you when you win big. Among the casualties
are a California man who won $30,000 and a
Nevada man who won $485,000: Neither one has
seen Dime One of his winnings!
WALL STREET SUPERBOOK, CURACAO---Has falsely
claimed in its advertising that Lloyd's of
London insures its betting accounts, which is a
lie because Lloyd's insures no offshore betting
operations. The best way to judge a sportsbook
is by its honesty and credibility, so when a
book lies it's likely to cheat and steal too.
LOOSE LINES, BELIZE---Has falsely claimed in its
advertising that Lloyd's of London insures its
betting accounts, which is a lie because Lloyd's
insures no offshore betting operations. The best
way to judge a sportsbook is by its honesty and
credibility, so when a book lies it's likely to
cheat and steal too.
CASABLANCA SPORTS, COSTA RICA---Has falsely
claimed in its advertising that Lloyd's of
London insures its betting accounts, which is a
lie because Lloyd's insures no offshore betting
operations. The best way to judge a sportsbook
is by its honesty and credibility, so when a
book lies it's likely to cheat and steal too.
FIRST FIDELITY, COSTA RICA---Has falsely claimed
in its advertising that Lloyd's of London
insures its betting accounts, which is a lie
because Lloyd's insures no offshore betting
operations. The best way to judge a sportsbook
is by its honesty and credibility, so when a
book lies it's likely to cheat and steal too.
WORLD SPORTS EXCHANGE (WSEX), ANTIGUA---This
sportsbook was busted by the FBI in 1998 and co-
owners Jay Cohen and Steve Schillinger and gofer
Haden Ware were charged with felonies. Cohen
turned himself in, went on trial, was convicted
and sentenced to prison and awaits an Appeal
Court ruling on his case. Schillinger and Ware
remain fugitives in Antigua at WSEX. The U.S.
govermment is trying to shut this unstable
sportsbook down, and when it does, don't expect
WSEX customers to ever see their monies.
Report this post to a moderator | IP: Logged
05-07-2003 07:08 PM
AR182
Senior Member
Registered: Nov 2000
Location: Scottsdale,AZ
Posts: 1326
continuation:
WORLDWIDE TELE-SPORTS (WWTS), ANTIGUA---This
sportsbook was busted by the FBI in 1998 and
owner Bill Scott and assistant Jessica Davis
were charged with felonies. The pair remain
fugitives in Antigua at WWTS. The U.S.
government is trying to shut this unstable
sportsbook down, and when it does, don't
expect WWTS customers to ever see their monies.
WWTS has also falsely claimed in its advertising
that Lloyd's of London insures its betting
accounts, which is a lie because Lloyd's insures
no offshore betting operations.
BOWMAN INTERNATIONAL, MAURITIUS---This
sportsbook calls itself a "British" sportsbook
but that is a flat-out lie. The book is located
in Mauritius, which is in Africa. The best way
to judge a sportsbook is by its honesty and
credibility, so when a book lies it's likely to
cheat and steal too.
RIO INTERNATIONAL SPORTSBOOK, COSTA RICA---This
sportsbook was sued earlier this year by the Rio
Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas for hijacking the
trademarked name "Rio." The unexpected legal
fees have been a financial burden to the
sportsbook. Plus, only an operation of dubious
character would steal another company's name.
SPORTS OFFSHORE (SOS), ANTIGUA---The boss of
this sportsbook, Bob Eremian, was deported back
to the U.S. last year by the Antiguan
government, to face criminal charges in Boston.
The sportsbook has beenin chaos ever since.
