CENTRAL ILLINOIS (25News Now) - As the NFL and college football seasons approach, leaders with the consumer protection agency Better Business Bureau are saying sports gamblers “bettor beware.”
Nationwide, from 2022 to mid 2025, the BBB received 200 scam reports and more than 10,000 business complaints related to online gambling and gaming.
BBB Central Illinois CEO Jessica Tharp said many users are losing thousands of dollars because with some overseas platforms, there are not a lot of specific regulations. She also said many bettors are left without a resolution, because many websites use cryptocurrency.
She mentioned some red flags to look out for, including sweepstake-style games, overseas business locations, and tempting ads without details.
“Some of the common things we see deceptive online betting platforms are big promises indicating there’s little to no risk or some kind of guarantee about your bet,” said Tharp. “Those are totally false, because gambling is a huge risk.”
She also advises people to use the scam-tracker resource to identify a legitimate business.
The organization also tells participants to read the fine print to make sure scamming “businesses” aren’t violating rules.
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