[Chopsticks]

I have been using the ESPN site a lot lately and I am kind of astonished that they have lines up from the following bookies:

• SportsInteraction
• Sportsbetting.com
• Bodog.com
• SBGglobal.com

There are no direct links or banners as far as I can see, so there is no apparent affilliate deal where they get a commission from every client that signs up through the espn website. So either these books pay a fixed price, or ESPN doesn't charge and they are just using these bookies to display what odds are available as a service to their readers.

I don't consider any of these books to be scammers (Bodog is rather solid-ish. SBG is a bit shady but they do pay), but I would say that there is a slight risk to your funds, especially if you don't know what a correlated parlay is or if you take a bonus.

My point is -- isn't there a lot of bookies that ESPN should rather have odds for? Like BetJamaica, 5Dimes, Phoenix, Bookmaker/CRIS/DSI? Not only would these books have better odds most of the time, but I would say your money would be safer here and you would probably get your money out in a timely manner.

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/dailylines

[thespeculator]

I have been using the ESPN site a lot lately and I am kind of astonished that they have lines up from the following bookies:

• SportsInteraction
• Sportsbetting.com
• Bodog.com
• SBGglobal.com

There are no direct links or banners as far as I can see, so there is no apparent affilliate deal where they get a commission from every client that signs up through the espn website. So either these books pay a fixed price, or ESPN doesn't charge and they are just using these bookies to display what odds are available as a service to their readers.

I don't consider any of these books to be scammers (Bodog is rather solid-ish. SBG is a bit shady but they do pay), but I would say that there is a slight risk to your funds, especially if you don't know what a correlated parlay is or if you take a bonus.

My point is -- isn't there a lot of bookies that ESPN should rather have odds for? Like BetJamaica, 5Dimes, Phoenix, Bookmaker/CRIS/DSI? Not only would these books have better odds most of the time, but I would say your money would be safer here and you would probably get your money out in a timely manner.

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/dailylines

i am surprised they even want to be linked with offshore companies in any way, if these companies are considered illegal by the government then wouldn't a media giant like espn not mention them, it hard to figure, yahoo also lists offshore odds

[Chopsticks]

You are right

http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/odds

Yahoo lists odds for:

• Oddsmaker
• SBGglobal
• BetOnline
• Sportsbook.com
• Sportsbetting.com
• Bookmaker

Not the most sensible group of bookies to advertise (?) on your site if you are a big company like Yahoo. They list Bookmaker which is good. Betonline is A- rated, but not sure if they deserve that rating from reading here. But Oddsmaker

[thespeculator]

i think it is more like free advertising for the books, i don't think it is legal to receive advertising revenue from offshore books, i remember sportingnews was fined a few years ago

[Chopsticks]

I thought so too, but I don't know where ESPN and yahoo are based and the laws they are regulated by. But if it is free advertising we should tell them to use better books. I have already sent both of the companies e-mails, but that will probably have no effect. Maybe SBR could fire off an e-mail.

I know that people should think for themselves and be responsible for themselves when they are doing any financial transaction, but I can see how someone could get fooled in to believing the books above are great if they are on the ESPN and Yahoo site. At least if I go in to any of them I am aware of the risks.... others may not be so lucky and go in with a lot of money.

Anyway, this is something that has been bothering me for a while now.

Similarly I am kind of annoyed that BetLasPalmas is allowed to advertise on the moneybookers website when they are slowpaying like hell. Maybe they do pay to moneybookers, but any book that slowpays should not be allowed to advertise on a site like Moneybookers.

[JonLock]

the yahoo ones are nice