Are you taking more risk than you should with online gambling?

Winnipeg

It’s pervasive. Forget subliminal messaging, these messages are front and centre and everywhere. Online betting has taken over commercial breaks, in-arena signage, and game broadcasts. We all have either taken part or know someone who is very serious about placing bets from their phones or computers. The explosion of the online gambling market in the past several years is unrivaled. It’s expected to top $15 billion in Canada this year.

Online betting, unlike gambling in provincially regulated casinos or VLT areas, is the wild west. Some companies operate within the various rules of each province and state and aim to cultivate upstanding reputations. Others are massive money-munching machines that have little care for the rules or their customers.

But the difference between these types of companies is nearly impossible to decipher. Both of them blare their commercials and place their logos in your favourite broadcasts.

That’s what often tricks consumers into thinking what they’re doing is safe or regulated. If their favourite sports anchor is drinking out of a Bodog mug, Bodog must be a straight shooter, right?

Wrong. A recent study by the Better Business Bureau shows the company as operating within online gambling’s grey area. A woman in Texas lost $25,000 to the site, alleging she experienced a malfunction with their slots game, which caused her bet amount to increase without her permission. When she contacted the company, she says they closed and banned her account without replying. And despite its pervasive advertising, the company’s ownership group is not licensed in the U.S., leaving her with little recourse.

Bodog’s practices got so bad, the province of Manitoba banned them from operating within its borders. A court ruling says the organization promotes its unlawful gambling offerings to Manitoba through a variety of false and misleading statements.

This is one case in a slew of complaints against online gaming companies, making it all the more important for Manitobans to look closely at the site they’re using to bet their hard-earned money.

Because these online platforms deal with the give and take of money, when they appear to email or reach out about a credit on your account, that may seem perfectly normal. This is where scammers come in, trying to capitalize off the popularity of the industry.

The BBB study found many attempts of phishing using both reputable gambling sites or made-up ones, with the same call to action: click this link to receive your credit for your next bet. But all they’re doing is looking to gain access to your payment apps to steal your money and leave you with nothing. For someone who already gambles with the site the phisher is imitating, this can be a dangerous scam.

So how can you protect yourself? The BBB recommends avoiding sites with big promises, like large payoffs. Tempting ads, overseas business locations and sweepstakes-style games are all red flags. Payment done in cryptocurrency and typos in names should also alert you to potential fraud. Take the time to look up the gambling company on a third-party website like bbb.org or ScamTracker and don’t just take their word for it.

Online betting is fun until it isn’t. Make it less risky by doing your research before falling prey to flashy ads and attractive offers.