Is Betus Legal

Update (September 2020) – We are pleased to report that BetUS has undergone a total relaunch since we reported the issues outlined on this page.

• Is Betus Legal In Texas
• Is Betus Legal In Us
• Is Betus Legal In Maryland
• Is Betus Legal In New York

Is BetUS legal in the United States? It is perfectly legal for all United States players to register for a new member account and play at BetUS casino online. With more than 25 years in the market, it is one of the world’s most established gambling sites. BetUS Casino Review. Is BetUS Legal In The USA For USA Players? No, BetUS has since pulled out of the United States market. They used to accept Americans and still do, provided they have an account, however if you do not currently have an account you will not be able to get a new account.

The old team has been kicked to the curb, with new management and new investors in place to breathe new life into the brand. BetUS may have been established in 1994, but it’s most certainly a new beginning for the online sportsbook. Everyone involved is determined to build a new reputation. We aren’t quite sold on the bold claim of BetUS being “America’s Favorite Sportsbook”, but we are excited about the revised platform.

Read our BetUS review to discover why we now consider this sportsbook a premier destination for US bettors.

BetUS has a notorious history in the offshore industry and has taken players for hundreds of thousands of dollars at minimum since their inception in 1994. The book has a terrible reputation with US-based online sports bettors and has been one of the major offshore targets for their vitriol in the last decade plus.

In this article, we go over just some of the scams and tactics used by BetUS’s management over the years. There have been so many problems and complaints regarding this sportsbook that we could write three separate articles on their poor business practices and deception.

From reneging on bonus offers, changing terms and conditions on the fly and confiscating winnings from players with little explanation – this book is truly shameless.

Enticing Bonus and Website

We almost feel like a broken record when writing about these scam sportsbook articles, because we keep warning players about the same things over and again.

Like we’ve said about other scam sportsbooks in the past, appearances can be deceiving. BetUS has one of the nicest looking websites which offers a sleek and professional look^[1] Their betting engine is excellent, and they have a large array of betting options, including live betting and mobile wagering.

On top of all that, they offer a litany of different deposit bonuses based on the amount players wish to deposit. The bonuses could go as high as $5,000 depending on how much a player makes with his first deposit.

But, BetUS does not stop there. They offer frequent reloads and VIP membership rewards program, as well.

Wow, it sure sounds like we’re shilling out BetUS to sports bettors, but that could not be further from the truth. BetUS touts to their players that they have the “the biggest bonuses in the business” which may be true, at least on paper.

However, players that win will realize they will have a hard time collecting their money from BetUS. All these bonus amounts and promotions do not cost the book anything unless they actually have to pay. Something that BetUS seems to pride itself in not doing.

Avoid scams & view our selection of
The Best US Sportsbooks.

Last updated: February 2021

Even A Scam In The Heyday

Many online betting sites that were once industry leaders in the early to mid 2000s are now closed, and some have run off with player funds. Don’t get us wrong, there are still many active in the industry, but the UIGEA and the US DOJ’s crackdown on online sports betting seriously hurt the business.

Before the UIGEA passage in 2006, the online gambling world was growing at an exponential rate and online sportsbooks had been taking in hundreds of millions of bets each year. Oddsmakers who played it safe and understood the industry has a much better chance of being successful back then compared to today. That’s not to say that there were not still excellent options for US players now, but they were much better 10 years ago.

Even back then, circa 2004, BetUS was known as a scam sportsbook with a poor reputation. SBR first began reporting on BetUS in 2002 and had complaints of the book slow playing players. Even in this time of quick and simple payment processing for US players, (Neteller, other e-wallets) BetUS was regularly weeks or months late with withdrawal requests to players.

This news article on The RX details a situation where a player had $25,000 in funds in limbo with BetUS and had to settle for a deal for 2/3rds of his balance out of fear of losing the whole thing.^[2] It also goes into the history behind BetUS and the two brothers that were once a part of NASA Sports but now both ran separate sportsbooks. One went on to run BetUS and the other BetOnSports.

The article did not have much nice to say in regards to the two Rizzo brothers, Joey and Tommy.

An anonymous sportsbook owner stated, ‘In this business, your word is your bond, if you say you are going to do something, you do it. THESE guys did not honor their word with me. After that, I wanted nothing more to do with them. The last thing I wanted was to have someone accidentally affiliate myself or my company with them.’

Players were forced to forfeit some of their winnings due to supposed non-recreational play and winning too much from bonuses or free plays – even though there were no restrictions on how much they could win via their bonus. Management also accused players of syndicate play or non-leisure play, another charge that came with almost no evidence.

Bettors were forced to negotiate for their fairly won balance with BetUS – because if they did not – they risked getting stiffed for the amount, even their original deposits. Players settled for substantially fewer amounts than they were entitled to receive. One player reportedly settled for $40,000 despite being owed a small six figure sum.

Scam Copycat Site

BetUS once owned and operated a domain at “bestsportsbookreview.com” which was designed to be a Sportsbook Review knockoff site. The site, not so shockingly, heavily promoted BetUS and picked them as their top recommended bookmaker.

The site was run directly from the sportsbook themselves and had a fake affiliate or advertiser as a cover up to their true intentions. This is a disgusting way to do business and without a doubt misled thousands of players into depositing at BetUS.

More Problems and One Dastardly Scam

In the next several years, forums and watchdog sites were full of complaints from players who had funds suck at BetUS or felt the wrath of management. This included altering bets after the wagers had been settled, voiding bonuses and winnings from bonuses and much more.

However, there was one tactic pulled by BetUS that might be the worst display of behavior we’ve ever seen from a rogue online sportsbook.

This story broke via SBR, and there was a lengthy discussion at Covers Forum in regards to BetUS’ scam^[3][4]. A handicapper named John Morrison, the man behind the “John Morrison Chase Betting System” was working with BetUS.com to scam players. We assume the two had a lucrative affiliate type deal where Morrison received a large percentage of the players’ losses to BetUS.

Referring players to an online sportsbook for a percentage of the profits is perfectly respectable and how many webmasters make their living today. But, if that was all John Morrison and BetUS we would not be talking about them.

Things took a turn for the worse when players discovered that BetUS was offering alternate lines to John Morrison referred clients. For instance, if Morrison’s service pick was New York +7, BetUS would offer a line of +5 or +5.5 to those were referred by Morrison.

Is Betus Legal In Texas

SBR verified that the alternate lines were only on picks that were released by Morrison’s service and always hurt the players that followed and paid for the picks. Because of BetUS’s line movement in relation to this play, bettors were being charged an effective price of -140 for their wagers as they were at least 1.5 points off the market price.

This despicable scam is a massive breach of players’ trust and highway robbery for a criminal tout in John Morrison and criminal sportsbook, BetUS.

The Future for BetUS?

BetUS is still receiving loads of complaints from players from lack of payment to bait n’ switch bonus scams and everything in between. Thankfully, for players, complaints are becoming less and less common as BetUS has absolutely spoiled any shred of dignity they had in the offshore industry.

Avoid BetUS at all costs.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Betus Legal In Us

Is BetUS safe?

No and there are much better sportsbooks to use in the US. There are many examples of BetUS scamming their customers and we recommend visiting one of our top US Sportsbooks.

What is an alternative to BetUS?

We strongly recommend using proven betting providers with good reputation. At SBO.net our team prepared a list of the best sportsbooks for US users based on factors like licensing, reputation and bonus

Are US sportsbooks legal?

US sportsbooks are legal, but they are only permitted to take bets in certain states e.g Nevada. Many states across the US are currently reviewing their gambling laws so it’s becoming more common to bet legally.

Is Betus Legal In Maryland

What should I know before I start betting online?

Despite most sportsbooks being trustworthy, there are some that are an exception to the rule. We recommend you do a small background check before you start betting. The key things to look out for include licensing, reputation and customer service. These are all thing our team consider before recommending sites.

Refrences

[1] www.betus.com.pa – BetUS Homepage
[2] Angelciti / BetUS Saga More Insatiable Than… – The Rx Forum
[3] Sports Betting & Handicapper Scam: SBR investigates – SBR Newswire
[4] BetUS and John Morrison scam exposed – Covers Forum

US Department of Justice press release:

A federal grand jury in Salt Lake City returned a 34-count indictment Wednesday afternoon charging seven individuals and four companies with conspiring to violate laws prohibiting Internet gambling, U.S. Attorney Brett L. Tolman for the District of Utah, and Special Agent in Charge Wes Eddy of the IRS Criminal Investigation Division's Las Vegas Field Office.
The indictment, unsealed on May 10, 2007, alleges the defendants operated a business that helped Internet gambling websites to disguise credit card charges for gambling as charges for
something else, thereby deceiving credit card issuers who otherwise would not have authorized the transactions. The indictment also alleges the defendants' businesses also assisted Internet gambling websites by arranging fund transfers between bettors in the United States and various Internet gambling websites using Western Union wire transfers. One Internet gambling website, BetUS, is also charged with conspiring with the individuals named in the indictment. According to BetUS's website, BetUS provides internet based sports and casino gambling.
During the course of their conspiracy, the indictment alleges that the defendants facilitated the payment of more than $150 million to illegal Internet gambling websites.
Charged in the indictment are Baron Lombardo, 46, of Las Vegas; Richard Carson-Selman, 51, of Las Vegas; Henry G. Bankey, 49, of Las Vegas; Francisco Lombardo a.k.a. Frank Lombardo, 52, of Las Vegas; Count C. Lombardo, 43, of Las Vegas; Tina I. Hill, 32, of Sandy, Utah and Las Vegas; Kimberlie Lombardo a.k.a. Kittie Lombardo, 43, of Las Vegas; CurrenC, Ltd., also known as CurrenC WorldWide, LTD., of Road Town, Tortola, British Virgin Islands; Gateway Technologies, LLC., of Draper, Utah; Hill Financial Services, Inc., of Draper, Utah, and Las Vegas; and BetUS of Kanawahke, Canada.
'Virtually all Internet gambling is illegal. Individuals and businesses that facilitate illegal Internet gambling are violating numerous federal and state laws,' U.S. Attorney Brett L. Tolman said. 'Payment processors who attempt to hide the true nature of the transactions they are conducting and the Internet gambling websites that use these payment processors will be prosecuted and brought to justice.'
'Internet gambling, along with other types of 'illegal e-commerce,' are areas of interest to IRS Criminal Investigation,' IRS Special Agent in Charge Eddy said. 'Laundering money from illegal activity such as illegal internet gambling is a crime. Regardless of how the money changes hands-via cash, check, wire transfers or credit cards-and regardless of where the money is stored-in a United States financial institution or an off shore bank-we will trace the funds and seize them. IRS Criminal Investigation will vigorously investigate and prosecute the owners and operators of these illegal enterprises to the fullest extent possible.'
The defendants are charged with RICO conspiracy, bank fraud, violations of the wire-wager act, and money laundering. In addition to the criminal charges, the indictment also contains a forfeiture provision seeking forfeiture of $150 million as well as real estate, vehicles, and funds in numerous bank accounts.
The indictment alleges the individual defendants and three related businesses, CurrenC, LTD, also known as CurrenC Worldwide LTD; Gateway Technologies, LLC; Hill Financial Services, as well as BetUS, conspired to promote illegal Internet gambling in the United States. The indictment alleges the defendants operated a payment processing business that catered to illegal Internet gambling businesses. As a part of their payment processing services, the indictment alleges that the defendants purposefully misclassified credit card transactions to fool banks into processing Internet gambling charges; collected monies transferred from bettors in the United States via credit card transactions; and transferred the collected funds to various Internet gambling web site operators. The indictment further alleges that the purpose of the defendants' business was to help gambling websites have their transactions approved by Visa and MasterCard issuing banks, which would not knowingly authorize Internet gambling transactions.
The indictment alleges that the defendants also conspired to offer their illegal Internet gambling websites another payment processing option through Western Union wire transfers. According to the indictment, the defendants caused the illegal Internet gambling website's customers to wire funds through Western Union to people in the Philippines who were associated with the defendants. The defendants then caused these associates in the Philippines to transfer funds to accounts controlled by the defendants.
In order to operate their illegal payment processing business, the indictment alleges the defendants created a website they called 'the Gateway.' The Gateway was an automated collector and processor of illegal Internet gambling funding transactions. The indictment alleges that the defendants caused the Gateway to misclassify the transactions to Visa and MasterCard, representing that the transactions were for something other than gambling. In this manner, the defendants assisted illegal Internet gambling websites in having their gambling transactions authorized by Visa and MasterCard issuing banks.
The indictment further alleges that the defendants used offshore accounts to receive the proceeds of their payment processing business. The defendants then caused this money to be transferred to their client websites. For their services, the defendants collected per-transaction fees from their clients. The defendants allegedly transferred their proceeds to businesses in the United States that they owned and controlled, including Gateway Technologies and Hill Financial. According to the indictment, the defendants also used trusts, including Bablcom Domestic Non Grantor Insurance Trust, Landbaron Ultra Trust, Behnke Domestic Non Grantor Insurance Trust, Lime Light Domestic Non Grantor Insurance Trust and Red Dogg Ultra Trust, to conceal their profits from their illegal payment processing business. The defendants then used the funds transferred to trust bank accounts to make investments and to buy real property, cars, and other personal property.
None of the defendants are in custody at this time. Richard Carson-Selman was arrested on May 10, 2007, in Las Vegas. He had an initial appearance in Las Vegas yesterday and was released on conditions under the supervision of pre-trial services. Baron Lombardo will self-surrender in Las Vegas today and will have an initial appearance. All of the defendants are scheduled to be arraigned in U.S. District Court in Salt Lake City on Wednesday, May 30, at 10 a.m. before U.S. Magistrate Judge Paul Warner.
The potential maximum penalties for the counts in the indictment include 20 years for racketeering conspiracy; 30 years for bank fraud; two years for transmission of wagers/wagering information; and 20 years for money laundering.
Defendants charged in indictments are presumed innocent unless or until proven guilty in court.
The case is being investigated by the IRS Criminal Investigation Division and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney D. Loren Washburn of the District of Utah and trial attorney Marty Woelfle of the Criminal Division's Organized Crime and Racketeering Section.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice

05/11/2007

Is Betus Legal In New York

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