Scam Sportsbook: Oddsmaker
We originally wrote up Oddsmaker and put them in our sportsbook review section. Since Oddsmaker was still operating and we were unsure if we would add a scam sportsbook section – we included them in the review section. Of course, we wrote nothing flattering about Oddsmaker and FutureBet in our review and warned players to steer clear of the Oddsmaker scam and scandal.
FutureBet and Oddsmaker – A Long-Time Scandal
FutureBet has been in the offshore betting industry since 1998, but do not have a good reputation. The company has had many aliases over the years, including iGaming Software (IGS), Steel Head Games, New Wave Marketing, JP Gateway, and Gametech Solutions.
Their connection with now scam sportsbook, TopBet.eu, was apparently just for software licensing, but it’s certainly not a shock to us that they’re now not playing players. We’ve also added a TopBet.eu page to our sportsbook scam list.
FutureBet has rebranded many times over their decade-plus in the business. Currently, they’re still active in the form of Oddsmaker.eu and BetOnUSA.ag, both online sportsbooks, and casinos. They have had hundreds of different domains and operations over the years, however.
How much has FutureBet and its properties taken from affiliates and players? Estimates are in the several million dollars, but no one knows for sure. The company has been around quite a while and has many victims, so it’s possible the amount is much more substantial.
The OnGame Scam
It’s always bad when you see betting sites of any kind, whether that be poker, casino, or sports betting that were scammers back at the turn of the century and in the years of the poker boom (2003-06). In those years, operating was much easier and most countries, online gambling was prevalent.
During this team, there was an online poker network, called OnGame. They were well-known for selling white label skins on their network. FutureBet decided to license their brand and charged those who wanted to start their own white label $30,000 and took 30-40% of the profits earned.
It seemed like a good deal if you wanted to start your own poker room and begin to recruit players. Except, FutureBet failed to pay their skin operators their portions of the profits. They also failed to process cash outs to players, which was another aspect of the deal.
Many skin owners went into their own pockets to pay their players because they thought it was the right thing to do. They also had FutureBet telling them that they would make them whole and the amounts sent to players due to backlogged payouts would be reimbursed. That never happened.
OddsMaker Still Going Even When Blacklisted
Sportsbook Review put Oddsmaker on their blacklist back in 2011. As far as what’s been documented at SBR – Oddsmaker has not paid players at least $250,000. As we said, the actual amount is likely much higher as not all players who were owed money have filed complaints.
Oddsmaker has taken player bankrolls for typical scam sportsbook reasons. Labelling some winning accounts as “syndicate bettors” or “professionals” is one way they justify theft. If a player beats them for a lot of money, well, they must have had some unfair advantage and couldn’t possibly be a recreational bettor. Yeah, right.
Oddsmaker does have a support staff, and their live chat operator is eager to help players with deposits. That’s the key word, “deposits.” When it comes to issues with withdrawing or receiving a payout, they are far less helpful.
OddsMaker and FutureBet still have an affiliate program, as well. It’s quite lucrative and offers 50% of profits to affiliates. It’s easy to pay affiliates 50% of revenue when you’re stealing from your customers.
Oddsmaker Warning: Steer Clear!
OddsMaker, FutureBet, and any of their associated sites are clear avoids for us. At this point, FutureBet cannot be trusted in any form, even if they would show signs of turning their act around.
