Is Mybookie A Scam
Due to the laws in the USA, there are only a handful of reputable bookmakers who will offer their services to residents of the country. MyBookie sportsbook is one of those brave firms who are based outside of the United States, but whose clientele base is largely made up from its citizens. MyBookie offer a full-service sportsbook, have generous bonuses and a dedicated customer service team who help to answer queries. The bones of the operation seem very impressive, but to give an overall opinion on a bookmaker it is imperative to delve deeper, to look at the markets on offer, the competitiveness of the odds and the staking limits amongst other things. In this review, we analyse all aspects of MyBookie’s service. Check it out.
On Sept 30, 2017 I requested my MyBookie $400 balance to be payed out via bitcoin. Auto response email 'Please send a copy of your drivers license and credit card before we can process your request'. No big deal, i make a quick scan to a pdf of the requested documents and submit them via email. MyBookie is a very well-known online sportsbook and casino although it is very new to the game. It’s history and background actually give it a bit of a black-eye right off the bat. For one, they work with BetSoft which may have good games, but they don’t have the best reputation. MyBookie Sportsbook Review. Legal NCAA betting at MyBookie is made easy with the amount of betting lines and options for bettors. From signing up to placing a wager, this MyBookie Sportsbook review will cover all of the details you need to know from getting started to cashing out.
Is Mybookie A Scam Alert
Website
The layout out MyBookie sportsbook’s website won’t be unfamiliar to seasoned bettors – the firm adopt the three-column layout that has proved so successful with betting sites around the world. Customers are able to locate the list of sports and markets on the left-hand side of the page, and once a sport has been selected, the odds appear in the centre of the screen. The bet slip is located on the right-hand corner of the screen. MyBookie utilise some flashy graphics to display upcoming events, promotions and bonuses and everything has been designed very well, with the page being intuitive to navigate around.
Bonuses
MyBookie offer one of the biggest sign-up bonuses to clients in the industry, providing new players with the option to claim a bonus of up to a maximum of $1,000 (Minimum deposit of $50 is required to qualify for the bonus). The bonus amount is based on 100% of the first deposit. With a bonus so big, there are undoubtedly terms and conditions. There is a 5-15 time rollover requirement (deposit + bonus) associated with the promotion depending on the deposit amount of the customer.
The funds must be used on the sportsbook and are not valid for use in the Racebook or the Casino. No withdrawals can be made within 30 days of the first deposit. In addition to the huge sign-up bonus, MyBookie also offer a number of concessions for existing customers, such as reload concessions, rebates on certain horse races and referral bonuses.
Sports Markets & Odds
As is common for the majority of North American facing sportsbooks, the emphasis is more on providing quality markets major sports than offering an extensive and varied list of sports from around the world. MyBookie offer basketball, ice hockey, American football, boxing, MMA, soccer, golf, tennis, motor sports, religion, e-sports and entertainment.
In the major sports such as basketball, the odds are competitive. For the spread (handicap to the European bettors), the total book percentage works out to around 104.7% (the closer the book is to 100%, the more competitive the odds), the Moneyline odds work to 103.9% and the Over/Under works out to 104.7%. These three markets are the staple of the American facing bookmakers, and the same offerings can be found on the other sports such as ice hockey, American football and soccer etc. On top of the main betting markets, MyBookie also offer a number of additional and prop bets. For example, in the NBA Finals, bettors can strike wagers on player specials, 1st half lines, team totals and more. A nice feature is when customers bet on the spread (handicap), then once their selection is in the bet slip, they have the option to change the line (the number of points on the handicap) and the odds will change accordingly.
On top of the main sportsbook, MyBookie also offer their clients a Racebook which has an extensive reach. Obviously the bread and butter is the American racing, but the firm also provide betting for UK action as well as Canadian, Australian, Irish, Hong Kong and South African betting. In addition to the win market, customers can bet on the exacta and trifecta.
The majority of resources focus on the popular betting sports, but MyBookie sportsbook like to try and satisfy all clients by having some niche and special bets. For instance, bettors can wager on the next Pope, can strike bets on who will die first in the next Star Wars, and much more.
Currency and Banking
MyBookie only accept deposits in US dollars. The sportsbook facilitates a variety of different payment methods for their clients:
- Visa – Min $45/Max $1000
- MasterCard – Min $45/ Max $1000
- ACH – Min $100/No maximum
- Bank wire – Min $2000/No Max
- Person2Person – Min $100/Max $690
- Bitcoin – Min $25/Max $10,000
- Phone Transfer – Min $45/Max $1000
Withdrawals can be made through the following methods:
- Wire transfer – Min $10/Max $2000
- Bitcoin – Min $50/Max $1000
- MoneyGram – Min $100/Max $375
- eCheck – Min $100/Max $500
There are fees which vary by withdrawal method and the amount being withdrawn. Customers can only make one withdrawal per withdrawal method per week.
Restricted Countries
MyBookie sportsbook has an extensive list of countries who are restricted from using their website. If you are unable to open an account, check our page for betting in your country.
Customer Support
Customer support at MyBookie is very strong. Support is available 24/7 and customers can contact representatives at the company via an online contact form, live chat, or via telephone:
General Inquiries- 859-823-5139
Customer Service Toll Free: 844-866-BETS (2387)
Wagering Toll Free: 844-877-BETS (2387)
Once a player signs up for an account, they receive an introductory welcome call from one of the MyBookie staff, which is a nice touch. There is an extensive rules and regulations section as well as sportsbook FAQ’s for each of the major sports. Overall, customer services are very strong.
Betting On The Move
Customers are increasingly using their mobile devices to bet on the move. What do they want out of a mobile website? Something that is easy to navigate around, a site that loads quickly and all the functionality of the desktop site is retained. MyBookie excel with their mobile optimised website. Players can access the menu in the upper left-hand corner of the page, which gives links to the Sportsbook, Racebook, Casino etc. The pages load exceptionally quickly and finding bets does not take long at all. The only thing lacking on the mobile website is the ability for bettors to access live chat.
SBO Summary
MyBookie sportsbook has great fundamentals, providing competitive odds, and a decent number of markets. They are the go to for US bettors and come highly recommended.
It’s not often that offshore online sportsbooks — where tens of billions of dollars are wagered by Americans every year — get much in the way of bad press. In fact, they’re often really good at getting good press mentions in the US.
That’s why it captivated the sports betting world and some of the mainstream media when Barstool Sports — and its leader, Dave Portnoy — suddenly took aim at one offshore book, called MyBookie.
We won’t detail the feud, but here’s a pretty good summation of what happened from Portnoy (warning, not at all suitable for work):
Only idiots would gamble with @betmybookiepic.twitter.com/4QqoMnbKF5
— Dave Portnoy (@stoolpresidente) April 9, 2019
Anyway, we’re not here to recount the blow by blow of the simmering feud. What we are here to tell you is what you should know about offshore sportsbooks, if you’re familiar with them or not:
Offshore sportsbooks like MyBookie operate illegally
Offshore sportsbooks are not sort of illegal or kind of illegal. They are operating illegally if they are taking wagers from bettors in the US. Full stop.
Is Mybookie A Scam
MyBookie is hardly the only sportsbook site or app that does this. There are dozens, if not more, although there are a handful of truly major players offshore.
Offshore sportsbooks violate at a minimum:
- The federal Wire Act
- Likely some other federal laws
- A variety of state laws that prohibit unregulated sports betting, or just ban it altogether.
The fact that some offshore books have a license to operate in Costa Rica or some Caribbean nation is great and all, and it makes them legal in that jurisdiction. People might cite an ongoing World Trade Organization dispute between the US and Antigua, but that is not a magic elixir for legality, either.
I’ll preface this next part as saying I am not a lawyer, and don’t take this as legal advice. But individual bettors at offshore sportsbook don’t seem to be under any kind of legal threat.
Is Mybookie A Scam
That doesn’t mean it’s entirely safe to do so, or that your money is under no threat if US law enforcement suddenly decided to start enforcing existing laws.
Anyway, the takeaway is that MyBookie (and other books) are illegally operating, like Portnoy says. Lots of people think, erroneously, that the US Supreme Court just legalized sports betting everywhere last year, which is not at all the case.
Legal US sportsbooks have an inherent disadvantage vs. offshore books
Other than the fact that you are trying to evade US authorities and likely have difficulties with payment processing, offshore books have a decided advantage over legal ones in the US.
First off, there aren’t many of the legal variety. There are legal mobile apps only in New Jersey and Nevada. There will be later this year in Pennsylvania and West Virginiaand possibly Rhode Island.
If you’re in any other state — and this is important — you’re not betting on a legal app. That’s one of just several advantages that offshore books have that legal books don’t have to contend with. Offshore books:
- Operate in just about any state they choose to serve. Legal sportsbooks must operate only in the states in which they are authorized.
- The regulatory regime for offshore sportsbooks is basically non-existent, while legal books have to deal with more strict regulation, and different regulations in every state. This takes money and manpower to deal with.
- Offshore sportsbooks don’t have to pay the same kinds of fees and taxes that regulated books do, especially a .25 percent tax on all wagers that the US government levies.
MyBookie going away doesn’t solve much for legal sports betting
Portnoy’s rant against an illegal bookmaker is certainly welcome news for proponents of legal betting. But let’s not make it out to be more than it is, which is a pissing match between a media outlet that thrives on such things and exactly one (1) illegal sportsbook.
It does shine a light on something that doesn’t get much play in the US — the fact that a sportsbook is taking wagers illegally. Far too often I see media outlets citing offshore books for quotes or odds, with no mention of their status in the US.
But Portnoy wasn’t ranting against ALL illegal sports betting. Portnoy got mad at one of them on Twitter, and he is trying to shut them down.
That’s great. But if MyBookie gets shut down, all of that action just moves to another offshore sportsbook. Nothing is really solved.
There are plenty of believers and supporters of the offshore books, and I don’t take any issue with people who have no other options for legal betting.
But in order to have a legal sports betting market truly succeed, you can’t just let these sportsbooks exist in the status quo. Normalizing them alongside the legal bookmakers just reinforces their inherent advantages, as they ride the wave of popularity and increased search traffic around sports betting.
So it starts with MyBookie. But it doesn’t end there.