WHAT HAPPENED TO THE EUROPEAN INVASION?
HOW THE PREDICTED EUROPEAN DOMINANCE OF THE OFFSHORE SPORTS
BETTING INDUSTRY WAS DERAILED BY POLITICS, PROFIT MARGINS, AND
A CULTURE CLASH.
For safe, effective play, the offshore bettor should
be familiar with the industry and how it got to where
it is today. If you’re even considering playing
offshore, you should know the following. These facts are
presented after longtime observation, study and research,
but we are not attorneys and can’t take any responsibility
for anything that is incorrect or has changed since the
posting of this page.
The first offshore bookies moved to the Dominican
Republic and other points south from New York and
elsewhere in the 1980’s. These were credit bookmakers
who were seeking to lessen their legal liability.
In the early 90’s Gary Bowman opened a British
sports book that catered to an American clientele.
As the only show in town, the book had reasonable
success despite being forced to pass stiff British
taxes on to their customers. Bowman’s remains
a safe place to play, but have lived off of their
reputation as the first in the business, they have
never really competed with later books in offering
player-friendly policies.
Popular locations for sports books include Costa
Rica, Curacao, and Antigua. Other solid books are
in Australia, Jamaica, and on Indian reservations
in Canada and these locales have potential for growth.
The legal standing of offshore sports betting is
still a gray area. Repeated attempts to outlaw them
in the US Congress have failed. Sports books that
don’t bank or otherwise operate in the United
States seem to have no trouble with US authorities,
as they are licensed to take bets in the sovereign
nations where they reside.
Although gambling is legal in some places and illegal
elsewhere, we are unaware of anyone who has ever had
any legal trouble as a result of betting with an offshore
sports book. If such an instance had ever occurred
we’re sure that the media would have been all
over it, and media database searches have turned up
no such happenings. In all likelihood it has never
happened.
Online wagering in some forms is legal if the bet
is placed in Nevada and processed by a Nevada casino
licensed by the state to do so. In practice this is
not yet widespread.
You might think that Vegas is in favor of online
wagering and would attempt to get a piece of the pie.
But Nevada casino interests have used the influence
that their campaign contributions buys to fight against
online wagering. Like all American casinos they see
it hurting their business and do not see Congress
allowing them to process wagers online any time soon,
with the exception of the action within Nevada as
noted above.
Las Vegas is no longer the epicenter of sports
wagering. Offshore wagering dwarfs that in Nevada
by a large multiple. Anyone who speaks of the Vegas
line, or asks how Vegas did on a game or weekend is
only showing their ignorance as to the real world
of sports wagering. For information on the top offshore
sports books click here.
In 2002 it appears that the US government wisely has
greater concerns than offshore wagering conducted legally
in govern nations. People always have wagered. They
always will wager. This reality and the new technologies
developed in recent years make it very likely that offshore
wagering will continue to become more accepted year
after year. Already turning a blind eye, authorities
will eventually have to concede that offshore wagering
is legal and is with us to stay. What they are conceding
through their inaction will eventually be confirmed.
It is all a matter of time.
The top-notch sports books that ConsumerBet recommends
are all legal and licensed by the governments where
they reside. Why do we recommend these sports books?
Click here to find out.
