[Pelly Adams]

I know this might come out stupid. I realize that but me and my friends have been thinking about sports betting on a professional level. yes I know i know...we'll probably bust and be in debt...but let's play the WHAT IF game...

what if we are good and win, make lots of money, and we do this constantly for a long time...

what happens if you win too much?

Would the sportsbook online and vegas ban us from playing?

Would "they" sent out hit men to "take care of us" or maybe just threaten us? I realize that's a stupid and funny question but I have to ask out of our own paranoia.

and are there real professionals out there who make tons of money and have years as a career of being a sports bettor?

again, i'm sorry if you think this a joke or a farce but we are serious...paranoid, obviously, but serious.

thank you.

[MarlinsFan2212]

Ive wondered the same thing. I would imagine if you were making big bucks off a sportsbook online they would limit the amount you could bet, thus limiting your profit. Not sure though.
However the only way to really find out is to make lots of money. A lot easier said then done.

[Ryangene]

I have only been kicked off from 1 book. No longer in business (WorldWager)... Made like 7K in a small amount of time from them. Most people didn't get paid from them as their "live lines" were foolish and easy to win on. They are just like a casino in vegas, if you win to much or they don't like the way you are playing they hold the right to not let you play at their books. Right now the other books that I've got can LIMIT your play. So instead of you having a $2,000 wager max on NBA they may put in their system that you can only wager $500. This too has happended to many people I know. Can you make a living off from Sports Gambling?? I'd guess yes if you were closer to vegas or somewhere that had a sportsbook that was legit and legal.

[Tomahawk]

I am "gambling" on sports for 1 year now and I made a 700 dollar bankroll from a starter 300 dollar bankroll using 1% really conservative units to wager.

I gamble on betting exchanges so the bookie is not my enemy, the bookie doesn't pay me, but other players pay my winnings. So the more I win the more I have to give to the exchange from my winnings, so they'll be more happy if I grow my bankroll and play with bigger and bigger money.

If you bet at a bookie they will limit your betting maximum as Ryangene said, but even if I would be at a bookie and even if I would be profitable, I'm only betting with a 1% unit wich is 7 dollar for me/bet, so they possibly won't care about me winning money from them.

[JustinBieber]

Each book is different. I know of people who have been cut off from several reputable online books for winning too much in terms of $10000+ or whatever figure it is for each sportsbook, or chasing steam and winning.

The problem is once you have made it and are successful the problem becomes getting a lot of money down on a particular side as some sites will have banned you/restricted your limits. Obviously this is a nice problem to have.

Tomahawk - Yes, the books most likely won't care about you until you're betting a lot more money with the winrate you already have.

[unusialsusp5]

you could get away with it if you did it discreetly in vegas for a while. but the overriding factor is that the human mind cannot continue to pick winners at the 55-60% rate that you would have to maintain in order to make a living. you could get lucky making disproportionate wagers but would have to win the big bets and once again pressing your bets when your down and not betting enough when you're hot will doom you in the long run.

[rm18]

you either get kicked out or limits cut

[Sawyer]

Limits cut.

However, you won't have this problem easily if you have A+ book.

Exchange is the way to go.. No limit problems..

[Slainte]

wish i knew

[suicidekings]

1) Spread your action out among quality books (Pinnacle, Matchbook & The Greek are top tier)
2) Don't try to take large sums out all at once from a book. Spread out the withdrawals.
3) Don't be stupid. Trying to circumvent betting limits, abusing bonuses, or doing anything that's not allowed in their rules is risking your money.

On a related note, the concept of going pro when you don't seem to have any experience operating with books implies that you have a LONG way to go. You're implying that if you fail you'll go into debt... If you can't provide capital for the endeavour yourself, you have no business gambling in the first place.

I hope that doesn't sound too harsh, but the percentage of bettors that have long term success is very small. Make sure you understand the industry before you step into it.

[Pelly Adams]

1) Spread your action out among quality books (Pinnacle, Matchbook & The Greek are top tier)
2) Don't try to take large sums out all at once from a book. Spread out the withdrawals.
3) Don't be stupid. Trying to circumvent betting limits, abusing bonuses, or doing anything that's not allowed in their rules is risking your money.

On a related note, the concept of going pro when you don't seem to have any experience operating with books implies that you have a LONG way to go. You're implying that if you fail you'll go into debt... If you can't provide capital for the endeavour yourself, you have no business gambling in the first place.

I hope that doesn't sound too harsh, but the percentage of bettors that have long term success is very small. Make sure you understand the industry before you step into it.

I just said that so people wouldn't lecture me on how it's impossible to win constantly at a high rate and just focus on the question of what happens in my what if scenario.

and no, your not harsh....thank you and everybody else for helping me out.

[ace2400]

If ur sure that u gonna win big, play at Exchanges Like Betfair, Betdaq or Matchbook(for US) .

[SportsbetTracker]

Another concern: if you are a felon, betting online becomes infinitely more difficult. My friend is a PO, and they have to check computer usage for violations. Betting online is a FEDERAL FELONY offense, if the federal prosecutor so chooses to file at that level, that not only busts their parole, but can be considered a "strike" that can send you away for a mandatory minimum once they transfer the case to federal. So far, my friend has violated four for this offense. Might as well get caught with a bunch of drugs than to paypal a $10 bet on the Lakers if you've seen prison time in your past.

For most people, though, betting online shouldn't be that much of a deal unless they start to make big money. Keep in mind that US citizens have no legal protection to obtain their money should a book refuse to pay unless they can prove they did not bet within the jurisdiction of the US. Going to Mexico, Canada, or International Waters may be easier to argue in court.