BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — With March Madness and Major League Baseball games underway, scammers are using the tournaments as an opportunity to target sports fans.
While online sports betting is illegal in California, some people still participate. The Better Business Bureau has received hundreds of scam reports and thousands of business complaints involving gambling websites.
"Some reports involved outright theft, while complaints showed a pattern of unclear terms and consumer misunderstandings," Joe Ducey said.
In some cases, consumers lost tens of thousands of dollars.
Ducey referenced a man who won his bet but received no $218 payout six months later. Another bettor won, but instead of paying, the bookmaker closed the account and never refunded the $2,200 balance.
Before participating in online sports betting, the BBB recommends viewers take the following precautions:
- Know if it is legal in your state. It is not legal in California.
- Beware of big promises and payouts.
- Avoid no-name sites and paying with cryptocurrency.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
