OT: CFB online betting

Submitted by bluewave720 on

Last year I enjoyed playing college fantasy football on DraftKings, but now they no longer offer college sports.  So, I've been thinking about betting on games, but was wondering if anyone has any good/bad experiences with online sports books. 

I was looking up some stuff earlier today and saw that Bovada is highly regarded.  Of course, my worry is that I can never cash out, or that my identity gets immediately stolen making my wife even angrier that she married a degenerate.  I figured I could use a gift card to protect my credit information, but not certain if that would work.  

How do the fellow Mgogamblers handle their weekend depravities?

MGoBoard
Football
Las Vegas; Odds; Degenerate

madtadder

September 27th, 2016 at 6:11 PM ^

Yeah, I use 5dimes. They payout methods truly suck (the only one that makes any sense for me personally is to be issued an Amazon credit), but the downside to Bovada is that they take FOREVER to publish lines, so sometimes you see a bet that you really want to get on, and they won't have it until it has adjusted.

Joined: 03/24/2009

MGoPoints: 3401

Bigku22

September 27th, 2016 at 6:50 PM ^

Is the only site you are going to get true "openers" where the oddsmaker there takes a position. Almost every other site including 5dimes on most games waits for a market adjustment before posting. 

Agreed on the payout methods, it's absurd now. I cannot wait until this is legalized here and we don't have to deal with this overseas shit anymore. 

Joined: 05/23/2013

MGoPoints: 3019

Martinsir

September 27th, 2016 at 6:13 PM ^

I use Brovada. I like it a lot. I was afraid to give my mothers maiden name but I called them about it and they said you could make up whatever and that its just to verify your account. So far my friends and I have liked the experience.

Joined: 08/28/2016

MGoPoints: 187

BeatOSU52

September 27th, 2016 at 6:13 PM ^

Have had no issues . Cashed out once last winter after the season and it takes a bit to call and verify things if customer services and then a couple weeks to get payment but eventually got it fine

Joined: 11/13/2011

MGoPoints: 14554

SwitchbladeSam

September 27th, 2016 at 6:18 PM ^

Gift card is not going to work for payouts. At least not the 3 different sites I have used. For payouts, they need pictures of front/back of credit card used to deposit and front/bank of driver's license.



Sent from MGoBlog HD for iPhone & iPad

Joined: 06/08/2015

MGoPoints: 16992

denardogasm

September 27th, 2016 at 6:20 PM ^

For those who are little bitches and/or broke as a joke like me I recently got back into a free betting/contest site that's based on ad-revenue called sportsplays.com.  They start you with 50 or 75 cents for muting a 30 second ad video and when you get above a certain threshold you can cash out for real money.  i'm up to 20 bucks after two weeks.

Joined: 09/11/2011

MGoPoints: 10688

Bigku22

September 27th, 2016 at 6:45 PM ^

I know more about this than its probably safe to admit online lol. If you're just betting "for fun" than don't be too picky about the site, just get a nice deposit bonus and go for it. If you're a serious sports gambler you will want acccounts at multiple books. I use 3 sportsbook.ag for square lines, Betonline for the openers, and 5dimes for sharp and lower level games/lines others don't offer (think Western Illinois vs Central Arkansas). 

Sportsbookreview.com is a great site to use, they have reviews and graded ratings of all online books. I have successfully received withdraws from all 3 sites I have mentioned above. Sportsbook.ag has a bad rep for really delayed payments, but honestly I have withdrawn a number of times with them and yes it takes a while but it has always came. 

A lot of these sites are really trying to get you to deposit with Bitcoin right now, I would not recommded that. Just use a credit card (don't use a bank account/wire transfer). 

Joined: 05/23/2013

MGoPoints: 3019

uferfan

September 27th, 2016 at 7:01 PM ^

A fantasy college site still exists! Fanpicks still has weekly fantasy college football. The site is not as crisp as Draftkings or Fanduel, but it's the exact same thing as those sites offered last season. I've been on a few weeks and it's been fun.



Sent from MGoBlog HD for iPhone & iPad

Joined: 02/04/2015

MGoPoints: 24377

bigike

September 27th, 2016 at 7:44 PM ^

and have successfully cashed out dozens of times. If you're in for the season, find a good bonus offer and slow play it. If you're not certain, don't take the bonus as your initial deposit will be tied up until you bet 5x the bonus and the deposit. Im going to try and not sound like a know it all here but don't deposit with the idea that you are going to win. I have gambled on sports for 23 years and have a formula for success. I am in the vast minority. What you know about college football will not help you find winners. Sport betting has nothing to do with knowing about certain teams. You need to understand line value, line movement, angles, trends and public money vs sharp money. It has taken me a long time to figure out how to beat the bookmaker. I wish you luck but must caution you. For 90% or more, it's a losing proposition.

Joined: 12/01/2010

MGoPoints: 455

Bigku22

September 27th, 2016 at 8:03 PM ^

Agreed on most aspects including most people will lose. I wouldn't say sports betting has nothing to do with knowing teams, it's just one of many elements that should factor into a successful formula. 

An older sharp guy I know put it in simplistic terms, "if you're able to get the best line on games consistently you will win long term", plain and simple. Obviously a lot goes into understanding the market, how a line will move, etc..

 

Joined: 05/23/2013

MGoPoints: 3019

jblaze

September 27th, 2016 at 8:11 PM ^

Bigike. Just curious. Is the data you use free and if not public? I don't have the time or energy to learn, but was wondering. Mostly for when my friends say things like the "smart money is moving towards Michigan". I have no idea where they get that and really don't understand what it means.

Joined: 08/29/2008

MGoPoints: 19239

Bigku22

September 27th, 2016 at 8:39 PM ^

Here's a good place to start:

https://www.sportsinsights.com/free-odds/

That will tell you the betting percentages (number of bets on each side) for free. A basic indicator of sharp/smart money is if you see a line with a higher percent of bets heading in the opposite direction (called reverse line movement). For example lets say Michigan is -7 with 80% of the bets, but the line drops from -7 to -6. That's an indicator sharps are betting the opponent.  

To get money percentages and access to build models you have to pay but the free odds is enough get you started. Also if you're on twitter the Greek Sportsbook @BetTheGreek is a sportsbook that will post sharp plays right before games begin so you can see who the sharps bet. It's a common misconception sportsbooks try to get 50/50 action, they usually adjust lines via sharps (professionals)  and what they are betting. 

There's a lot more information out there if you invest the time but those are good places to start and begin to understand sharp movement. I personally handicap my own numbers and use a sharp network of people I know to determine my wagers, but understanding the market lets me know how/when to get the best number for my play or if there is value in a certain number. 

 

Joined: 05/23/2013

MGoPoints: 3019

Durham Blue

September 28th, 2016 at 2:36 PM ^

I made the mistake of not reading the fine print on the bonus at betonline.ag.  I deposited $300 and received a 100% bonus for a total of $600.  Sounds great, huh?  Not so fast.  The rollover was 12X meaning that I had bet a total of $7,200 in sports bets to be able to withdraw any money.  In other words, the funds are locked up with them until you meet the rollover total.  Casino does not count to rollover.  So yeah, if you only bet football, that's about 16 weeks of action and you need to average over $400 per week in through-put to get to the rollover.  It's extremely tough to do if you're only winning on 50 to 60% of your bets.  Be wary of the rollover multiplier with bonuses.  In fact, you should avoid them if they're greater than 5X, IMO.

Joined: 10/09/2008

MGoPoints: 30000

UNCWolverine

September 27th, 2016 at 9:42 PM ^

I've used bovada for both sportsbook and poker for over 10 years (used to be called bodog).

I've pulled out dozens of checks over the years, nearly all from my poker earnings as I'm not very good at betting sports. I've had the check bounce 2 or 3 times over the years. They send international checks, usually out of canada. every time it's happened they've sent another that worked. 

all that said might be good to hold off a bit on that site. They recently sold off their poker side and the last check that they sent bounced and it's taken a while to get that sorted out.

Joined: 10/06/2008

MGoPoints: 23133

rwilb

September 28th, 2016 at 8:05 AM ^

Should there be any concerns for these sites suffering the same fate as online poker sites?

I'm also curious what the legal issues are here? Does anybody have insights?

Joined: 10/03/2015

MGoPoints: 1205

Bigku22

September 28th, 2016 at 9:38 AM ^

I mean it's a concern, you are dealing with an overseas company with little to no regulation. I would never bet large amounts ($1000/game) or feel a high account balance is safe. Obviously some sites have a better reputation but it's never 100%. For me I bet around $50/game and never let me balance get over $1000 without a withdraw so if it was shut down I wouldn't be too upset. From a legal standpoint, well it's technically illegal but similar to downloading music or video content for free with no copyright, so many people do it, it would be impossible to prosecute. I've never known any average person that was in trouble for online gambling, only people that are betting large amounts then trying to launder the money back to the states.

Joined: 05/23/2013

MGoPoints: 3019

Durham Blue

September 28th, 2016 at 11:32 AM ^

I play on bovada.lv and betonline.ag.  And I have had shitty experiences with sportsbook.ag...more below.

 

Bovada is generally considered the best.  They have some of the lowest bonus rollover multipliers (currently at 5X).  And most importantly they pay out within about 10 days of requesting withdrawal.

 

Betonline pays out pretty quickly too but their bonus rollover multipliers are horrendous.  Last I experienced it was 12X!

 

DO NOT, I REPEAT, DO NOT PUT ANY OF YOUR MONEY INTO SPORTSBOOK.AG.  I have been waiting almost 8 weeks for them to process my $2,350 payout.  I've heard about people waiting up to 6 months.  I've also heard stories about sportsbook negating payouts claiming the bettors won money on parlays that broke their rules.  I have no earthly idea what the hell that means.  Bottom line is they're SHADY and it's best to stay away.

Joined: 10/09/2008

MGoPoints: 30000

Bigku22

September 28th, 2016 at 11:47 AM ^

Yea I've had payouts take 8-12 weeks from sportsbook and have heard a few stories, it doesn't have the most sterling reputation. However, I've always received the payout eventually and it comes via check i can deposit not some stupid ass gift card. I guess for me the payout wait isn't a big deal, my gambling money is all discretionary income so if I have to wait a few months for it not a big deal. Also, the sites has really square lines, a great software, and solid bonus offerings. I think you're being a touch harsh.

Joined: 05/23/2013

MGoPoints: 3019

Durham Blue

September 28th, 2016 at 12:00 PM ^

About the only positive thing I can say about sportsbook is the website is nicely architected.  Navigating is quick and easy.  I also use fluff money for my betting because I certainly can't make a living doing this stuff.  But I absolutely hate waiting to get paid.  It's hard enough to win at betting and then I feel like it's salt on the wound when you have to wait months for your money.  They make the "cancel withdrawal" button huge making it easy to mistakenly press it.  And once you hit it you're screwed...the clock resets.  Why don't they give you a pop-up that asks "are you sure"?  And when I ask why it takes so long to process they give the same story they've been giving for a couple years now about issues with their payment provider.   Something to that effect.

 

I don't know, man.  I think they'e shady and smart people should heed this advice.  I wish I knew this before I gave them my money.

Joined: 10/09/2008

MGoPoints: 30000

Guy Fawkes

September 28th, 2016 at 1:19 PM ^

I've played through Bodog (now Bovada), SBG Global, TopBet, Bookmaker and BetOnline with BetOnline.ag being the best. As mentioned previously they are one of if not the first to release the lines and O/U's. Have lower dime rates and I like the mobile interface. Dave Mason is the main guy and you can follow him on Twitter. Never had any issues and pay outs are quick and painless.

Joined: 09/28/2016

MGoPoints: 1716

rice4114

September 28th, 2016 at 5:25 PM ^

I use betdsi and it works well. Please please please never ever bet any casino games. Im sure I dont have to tell you they are rigged. if you just try a little black jack for fun you will lose all your hard earned cash quickly.



Sent from MGoBlog HD for iPhone & iPad

Joined: 08/26/2010

MGoPoints: 47162