If you are seriously ill, you wouldn’t want to treat yourself; you would consult a doctor. Ditto with sports betting. If you seriously want to increase your winning percentage in betting, you would consult a professional sports handicapper. Well, the adjective “professional” says it all. The sports handicapper follows your favorite sport – be it NFL, NBA, MLB, NCAA, NHL or whatever other sport – more ardently than you do. The truly professional sports handicappers take their pursuit as a full-time job or even their passion. They study the sport and latest developments at least 40 hours in a week. The result is that the good ones have a good data base of information about the sport of their choice. From this data base, they can come up with calculated and educated forecast.
Now, just like with doctors (and other professionals), sports handicappers come in different levels of competence and expertise. In other words, not all sports handicappers are created equal. Some are better than the others. In fact, there are a few really good ones. Then there are many mediocre handicappers. And there are the – on no! – rip-offs. It’s just like with doctors, isn’t it? There are the star doctors who have a lucrative practice. Then there are so-so health care providers. And there are the quacks.
Sports handicappers also have their version of quacks. They are known as scam handicappers. Or, in the lingo of the trade, “scamdicappers.”
If you are dead serious about making good money in sports betting, you have to look for the top-notch handicappers and avoid the scamdicapper. The most important reason or this is of course monetary: You can be enjoying more winning with a professional handicapper. And you can be set back thousands or even millions of dollars when you are ripped off by a scam. These article focuses on helping you detect the scammers from the real cappers.
5 Tell-Tale Signs that You are Dealing with a Scammer
The main reason why many sports bettors fall for scammers is the lure of easy money. So, when you are scouting for a handicapper, be more level-headed when it comes to their claims. The signs below should alert you to potential scammers. Take a look at these statements and see if it applies to a handicapper or sportsbook that you are dealing with. Check each statement whether they are “TRUE” or “FALSE”.
Every “TRUE” answer indicates a warning sign that the handicapper may be a scam. If you answered “TRUE” to all the statements, the handicapper is definitely a scam.
1. The claims seem to be too good to be true.
Even with all the information that he has gathered, a top-notch handicapper will have a winning percentage in the area of 60%. In other words, a good handicapper will call it right 60% of the time and wrong the other 40%. So, beware of a handicapper who claims that he has called it right 80 or 90% of the time. Or one who would claim a winning record in successive Super Bowl games. Better yet, keep a jaded eye on winning claims. Approach most claims with the standard admonition to consumers: Caveat emptor. (Let the buyer beware.)
2. The site is not being monitored by independent monitoring agencies.
One way to check on the record is to see if the website is being monitored by an independent monitoring group. The independent site keeps tracks of a handicapper’s record of calling plays precisely to make the claims of the handicapper’s more transparent. Key US cities maintain an independent monitoring group.
3. You cannot talk to the handicapper personally.
Getting to talk to the handicapper is an important step that you have to take for you to find out if he or she is good at it. When you don’t get to talk to the handicapper himself, but instead you are passed on to a sales person, that is a sure sign, you are dealing with a scam. Most likely, the so-named handicapper does not exist.
4. The person on the phone uses high-pressure tactics and usually asks for the amount of your bet.
This is a logical continuation of statement number 3. You don’t get to talk to the handicapper. Instead, you are passed on to a salesperson and the salesperson pressures you into ordering a service. Any hint of hard-selling should throw you off. And a usual question of scammers is “How much do you usually bet?” Scammers ask this because they usually charge a higher service fee to bettors who bet high. Legitimate handicappers find the question irrelevant because they charge the same service fee regardless of the amount of bet.
5. They pressure clients to immediately upgrade their package.
If in spite of the first four statements above you still purchased a package, you may get a phone call from their sales person promoting a better or upgraded package fir a “mere additional amount”. You may hear of great-sounding names like “Sure Picks 100” or “Megabucks Circle”. Don’t fall for these packages.
More Warning Signs
The five signs above should alert you of a scam. Here are two more tell-tale signs that should warn you that the person or group is a scammer:
There are 2 otter signs which may be found (or not found) in the scamdicapper’s “Contact Us” and “Order Form”. First, many scam companies usually provide incomplete or vague contact details. If the handicapper does not provide a landline office number, then that should raise warning flags. Second, many scam companies do not have a payment facility that accepts credit card. A company that accepts credit card payments should give you assurances of consumer protection. In cases where the customer feels scammed, he may file a complaint with the credit card company. Then, if the credit card company finds merit in the complaint, it will refund the payment to the customer. The credit card company will then run after the erring merchant. Scammers do not like having to make a refund.
The popularity of sports betting has led to the proliferation of sports handicappers – the good ones, the useless ones and the scams. Trying to find out the kind of handicapper you are dealing with involves some investigation and research on your part. As for the scamdicappers, look for the tell-tale signs mentioned above. You would have saved yourself a lot of grief – not to mention a lot of money – if you did your sleuthing homework.