gambling

Bettor Safe...
Than Sorry

ONLINE BETTING: WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW Learn More

Learn About Bettor Safe

When you place a bet on an illegal website, you risk losing it all.
Bettor Safe is committed to educating consumers about the risks associated with betting on illegal websites. The campaign empowers individuals to identify unregulated sites and helps them to understand the benefits of legal and regulated online gaming options if they choose to wager.

Learn About The Campaign

Bettor Safe Pennsylvania

Learn More

Click Here

Bettor Safe New Jersey

Learn More

Click Here
What’s At Stake

Legal operators will:

Pay out your winnings.

Protect your identity.

Promote responsible gaming.

Be accountable to regulators.

Ensure fair play through tested and regulated software.

Support state economies.

Illegal operators can:

Rob you of your winnings.

Steal your identity.

Fuel problem gambling.

Offer zero accountability to consumers and regulators.

Stack the deck against consumers.

Deprive states of needed revenue.

Legal operators will:

BET

Pay out your winnings.

Protect your identity.

SECURE

Promote responsible gaming.

GOVERMENT BUILDING

Be accountable to regulators.

ONLINE CASINO

Ensure fair play through tested and regulated software.

Support state economies.

Illegal operators can:

CORRUPTION

Rob you of your winnings.

STEALING DATA

Steal your identity.

CARD GAME

Fuel problem gambling.

zero accountabilityAsset 2

Offer zero accountability to consumers and regulators.

CARD BACKWARD

Stack the deck against consumers.

infrastructure Asset 2

Deprive states of needed revenue.

What to ask
Illegal online betting websites will stop at nothing to attract players. Don’t fall for their tricks!

Ask yourself these questions before placing your bet:

01

Is online betting legal in the state? Bet Safe, Bet Local

Feature Box Image
Dozens of states now offer some form of legal, online betting including sports betting, iGaming and poker. If you are placing a bet online outside of these states, you are playing on an illegal site.
02

Is enough being asked in the registration process?

Feature Box Image
Signing up for anything these days means filling out forms, answering questions and sharing personal information. The same holds true for legal online betting. The questions asked and the information required to set up an account is being done for your security. If the registration process isn’t comprehensive, you’re likely signing up to an illegal site.
03

Is the site approved by the state regulator?

Feature Box Image
Scroll through your favorite site to see if it carries the name or logo of the state’s gaming regulatory body. Not seeing anything? Don’t bet! Keep in mind that unregulated sites will claim to be legal but if the site isn’t approved by the state you are standing in, then it’s illegal.
04

Is there a Responsible Gaming program?

Feature Box Image
Legal online betting sites take responsible gaming seriously. The state regulator also requires a variety of tools be available to consumers including deposit limits, time limits, “cooling off” periods and self-exclusion options. If the site you are visiting doesn’t provide you with tools to responsibly manage your betting, then you’ve found yourself on an unregulated website.
05

Can you use cryptocurrency to place your bet?

Feature Box Image
Cryptocurrency (crypto) is not currently available as a form of payment on legal betting sites. If crypto is an option for your wagers, you can be sure using an illegal site.

What Others Are Saying

Frequently Asked Questions

The Bettor Safe campaign is designed to raise awareness so that consumers can more easily differentiate legal from illegal betting sites and make the safe and secure choice if they choose to bet online. The campaign was launched in association with GeoComply, which is committed to strengthening consumer protections.

Consumers betting on illegal sites have no legal protection safeguarding their wager, their identity and their financial information. By entering personal details and payment information on an illegal site, you are handing this information to an unregulated entity that is not subject to government oversight or legal recourse. This means that there is no guarantee that funds deposited into account are protected. It also means that there is no way of knowing whether the game you are playing has fair odds, or whether the odds have been stacked against you. In addition, by choosing to support unregulated operators, your wagers may be supporting illegal activity including money laundering.

If you choose to bet, doing so on a legal site protects your wager and also safeguards your identity and financial information from fraud. Unlike illegal sites that lack regulations and safeguards, legal sites are regulated by state agencies, ensuring winnings are paid out, the odds are fair and that responsible gaming measures are available.

By using a legal site, you are supporting local services and communities rather than funding illegal activity. In states that allow legal online betting, the taxes generated from betting revenue help to fund education, improve infrastructure, support first responders and provide other essential services. In most cases, online betting is done in partnership with the land-based gaming industry or state lottery meaning that when you bet legally online, you are supporting a local industry and local jobs.

RESOURCES
Check out these other resources that empower consumers to learn more or take action.

American Gaming Association (AGA)

The American Gaming Association launched HAVE A GAME PLAN to help consumers bet safely and responsibly.

FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3)

Have you been a victim of illegal online gambling? You can file a complaint with the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center.
geocomply-logo

GeoComply

GeoComply creates safer online environments by strengthening age and identity verification and protecting consumers from fraudulent activity.
SVG drawingThis was produced by version 4.1 of GNU libplot, a free library for exporting 2-D vector graphics.

Federal Trade Commission (FTC)

The federal government’s website where you can report fraud, scams and bad business practices.

National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG)

If you are concerned about a potential gambling problem, visit the National Council on Problem Gambling website, or call the 24-hour confidential hotline: 1-800-522-4700.

eConsumer.gov

eConsumer.gov is where you can report international scams and learn about other steps you can take to combat fraud.

iDevelopment and Economic Association (iDEA)

iDEA’s Growth’s “Responsible Gaming Pillars” show how the regulated industry makes protecting online bettors a priority.

Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER for help.

Media and Industry Resources