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(InvestigateTV) — From sports betting to online casinos, millions of Americans are trying their luck virtually. According to a new study from the Better Business Bureau (BBB), that includes both online gambling – like sports betting and casino sites – and online gaming, such as apps or social casinos where players spend money on tokens or prizes. The BBB warned gamblers that alongside these legitimate options, scams are also on the rise. “So, in the last couple of years, we’ve received over 10,000 complaints from consumers about online gambling and gaming through the BBB complaint system,” BBB spokesperson Melanie McGovern said. She said the reports often involve theft, hidden terms and confusion that – for some consumers – has led to losses in the tens of thousands of dollars. “On the scam sites, people are coming to us because they can’t figure out how to get in touch with these companies. They can’t figure out why they can’t collect their money,” she noted. “With the regulated website, there’s a lot of customers service, there’s things that people can do. But when it comes to these grey markets, these illegal sites, that’s when people are like, ‘Oh my God, what am I supposed to do? I won $1,600 and I can’t collect it.” Part of the problem, McGovern explained, is that gambling and gaming laws vary by state and many consumers simply aren’t aware of the rules where they live. “Knowing the laws, knowing what sites are legal, what sites are legitimate, that’s huge before you put any kind of money, any kind of credit card information or personal information into any website,” she said. She shared several red flags of potential untrustworthy sites: Big promises of payouts Tempting ads with few details Companies based overseas Sweepstakes-style games Payment requests in cryptocurrency Simple typos or strange spellings in names. Even if a site is legitimate, McGovern urged players to ask questions and read the terms carefully. “There are moments where legitimate sites might freeze your winnings. So, you just have to remember to ask those questions,” she advised. “You know, ‘What is my recourse if why happens?’ You know, just asking a ton of questions is really important. If they’re evasive, if they’re not answering you, you might want to think about, you know, using a different site or, you know, reconsidering it.” Submit story tips to our Investigators Share errors or concerns with our Digital Editors Watch full episodes of InvestigateTV+ Subscribe to the InvestigateTV YouTube Channel
