From 2022 to mid-2025, Better Business Bureau® received nearly 200 scam reports and over 10,000 complaints related to online gambling and gaming. Some scam reports involved outright theft, while complaints showed a pattern of unclear terms and consumer misunderstandings. In some cases, people lost tens of thousands of dollars.
With billions of dollars flowing through this global industry, a risky underbelly of pseudo-gambling, illegal gambling and scams has developed. Laws and regulations in the gaming industry vary between states and provinces and can be confusing to navigate. Furthermore, impostors, bad actors, and scammers use sophisticated tactics, making it hard for people to tell the difference between a legitimate company and those seeking to deceive them.
In “Grey markets and illegal gambling: BBB study finds consumers confused and upset, amid hundreds of unlicensed and unverified online casinos and sportsbooks,” BBB’s International Investigations Initiative examines patterns of complaints and reports, reviews the amount of money lost and shares stories to avoid common issues.
Comments