As football season ramps up, you may start noticing more advertising for sports betting sites but be careful not to fall for a scam.
As football season ramps up, you may start noticing more advertising for sports betting sites but be careful not to fall for a scam.
“These scams, they take several forms, and they often begin with a professional-looking website, app or maybe a social media post that you find,” Cameron Nakashima of the Better Business Bureau (BBB) said.
Nakashima said a sports betting scam can look real, accept deposits and even show supposed winnings.
"But when the customer goes to withdraw those funds, the site may require additional payments be put in, or sometimes they'll just freeze the account all together, so you can't withdraw any of the money you put in,” he said.
In fact, the BBB pulled reports from 2022 to 2025, and in that three-year period, Nakashima said the bb identified more than 10,000 complaints and nearly 200 scam reports.
So, why is it becoming so difficult to spot these scams?
"It's really becoming convoluted,” Nakashima said. “Sports betting rules are different from state to state, so that's one piece of it."
In Washington, the only sportsbooks that are available legally are offered on specific tribal casinos.
"But there's a lot of nuance to that too,” Nakashima said. “And a lot of people who are outside of those areas where those sports books are available are seeing similar style of messaging and a lot of businesses, especially the ones you find online, are going to be willing to take your money anyway, even if it's not permitted in that area."
Nakashima said before placing a bet, research the company, know who you are giving your money to, and watch out for “guaranteed winnings” or demands for additional payments.
If you do realize money is lost, tally up all your records then report to the BBB, your bank or credit card and the Federal Trade Commission.
