- Joined
- Jun 29, 2023
- Location
- Chicago
It is astonishing to me how much unnecessary hassle online gamblers in the United States endure daily. In a country where you can legally smoke marijuana in 38 states, purchase Adderall online after a brief consultation with a web doctor, or access virtually any type of pornography, most Americans are still technically prohibited from placing an online blackjack bet for real money. I do not understand whom the legislators believe they are protecting by keeping online gaming illegal in all but seven states. If anything, it is an exercise in hypocrisy because these same states have no issue allowing their citizens to gamble on sports. And you know what? All these online sportsbooks are legitimate and don't mess around with their customers.
The same cannot be said for online casinos that cater to American players. These sites are operated by bad actors who run their businesses in bad faith and exploit their American customers. Why? The answer is simple: because they know that since their operations are technically illegal, these customers have no legal recourse. So, they take advantage.
Of course, one could argue that people aren't forced to spend money on these sites, but that's not the point. The point is that these sites advertise themselves as legitimate businesses offering a fair product, and that's simply not true.
Having been a customer on and off for the better part of 20 years, I would say that Bovada is one of the worst when it comes to mistreating their American players. They couldn't care less about their customers. A recent example of this is what I experienced today. They are advertising a promotion called the Mega Scratch Card. The rules and regulations clearly state that to qualify, one must:
Introduction & Eligibility
I could spend an hour describing all the instances in which Bovada has engaged in questionable behavior over the years. For example, last NFL season, I placed a sports bet that I won but had to argue with customer service for a day to get them to credit my account with the money I had clearly won.
Or how, a few months ago, I won money in their casino, and when I went to withdraw the funds, I accidentally entered the wrong code. Despite the fact that you're supposed to get three attempts, I was immediately locked out of my account after just one. And it wasn't even a real lockout—it was a partial lockout because I was only prevented from withdrawing funds for 24 hours, but I could still deposit funds or continue playing. Obviously, this was an attempt to slow-roll me, hoping that I would continue to gamble and ultimately lose the money back.
I could go on for another 10,000 words about the various scams, misrepresentations, and unethical practices that are part and parcel of the online gaming industry, but it only makes me angry, and it does no good until our representatives in the United States legislature pull their heads out of the sand and federally legalize online gaming so that citizens can stop getting screwed by offshore sites run by criminals in places like Malta, Cyprus, or Costa Rica.
The same cannot be said for online casinos that cater to American players. These sites are operated by bad actors who run their businesses in bad faith and exploit their American customers. Why? The answer is simple: because they know that since their operations are technically illegal, these customers have no legal recourse. So, they take advantage.
Of course, one could argue that people aren't forced to spend money on these sites, but that's not the point. The point is that these sites advertise themselves as legitimate businesses offering a fair product, and that's simply not true.
Having been a customer on and off for the better part of 20 years, I would say that Bovada is one of the worst when it comes to mistreating their American players. They couldn't care less about their customers. A recent example of this is what I experienced today. They are advertising a promotion called the Mega Scratch Card. The rules and regulations clearly state that to qualify, one must:
Introduction & Eligibility
- The BOVADA MEGA SCRATCH CARD Promotion is valid between 20/08/2024 - 20/08/2025.
- The BOVADA MEGA SCRATCH CARD promotion is available only to players who have met the requirements stated below. Winnings are confirmed via Messages / Inbox.
- To qualify, players must deposit a minimum of $150.00 in a single transaction and wager a total of $500 on any of our available Casino games within the next 7 days from the time the deposit has been made (provided the player's wagering does not drop below $500 in the week).
- After meeting eligibility requirements, the BOVADA MEGA SCRATCH CARD promotion will be unlocked within approximately 30 minutes for participating players.
- Eligible players can participate in the BOVADA MEGA SCRATCH CARD promotion once every 24 hours for 7 consecutive days after meeting the eligibility criteria (provided the player's wagering does not drop below $500 in the week).
- Once the BOVADA MEGA SCRATCH CARD turns grey, the entry for that day has been used. Players can return the following day to unlock random wins/Reward Points.
I could spend an hour describing all the instances in which Bovada has engaged in questionable behavior over the years. For example, last NFL season, I placed a sports bet that I won but had to argue with customer service for a day to get them to credit my account with the money I had clearly won.
Or how, a few months ago, I won money in their casino, and when I went to withdraw the funds, I accidentally entered the wrong code. Despite the fact that you're supposed to get three attempts, I was immediately locked out of my account after just one. And it wasn't even a real lockout—it was a partial lockout because I was only prevented from withdrawing funds for 24 hours, but I could still deposit funds or continue playing. Obviously, this was an attempt to slow-roll me, hoping that I would continue to gamble and ultimately lose the money back.
I could go on for another 10,000 words about the various scams, misrepresentations, and unethical practices that are part and parcel of the online gaming industry, but it only makes me angry, and it does no good until our representatives in the United States legislature pull their heads out of the sand and federally legalize online gaming so that citizens can stop getting screwed by offshore sites run by criminals in places like Malta, Cyprus, or Costa Rica.
