Revealed that Online Gambling Watchdog Websites are not as Objective as they Claim

Many people are understandably concerned about sending money to overseas Internet casinos, and this is an ever-expanding online gambling trend.  This is especially true of those that are operating from regions with minimal regulations.  Examples would be countries such as Costa Rica, Aruba, and Belize.  Several watchdog websites have appeared in response to this.  These are scattered throughout several places within the Internet.  They make the claim that they are objectively reviewing online gambling sites.  It is their function to report on those sites to stay away from and those that are offering fair play. 

In the case of most of these sites reviews of online sportsbooks and poker sites are being published in addition to a list of recommended online casinos.  The problem is that in fact many of these same watchdog sites are actually receiving payments for advertising the very same sites that they are reviewing or for sending customers to the sites.  Regrettably, online gamblers are probably not aware of this intrinsic conflict of interest and are blindly trusting the gambling sites reviews.  In the case of MajorWager.com, the site even owns one of the sportsbooks it recommends.

This has created a situation where those online gambling sites that have business relationships or advertising or with the watchdog website are getting very positive reviews while other sites, those that don’t have such a relationship, are receiving bad reviews.

The chief executive of Leisure and Gaming PLC, which operates gambling sites such as VIPpoker.com. and VIPsports.com, a company that is publicly traded on the  London stock exchange, Alistair Assheton, has accused some rating sites of basically saying that if they are not paid off they will not write positive reviews. Assheton revealed that his company has been receiving offers by ratings sites that are offering positive reviews but only in return for payment.  The companies went unnamed. Assheton says that he is very flattered to be on the list but not if it costs his company $10,000.

The research firm of Christiansen Capital Advisors LLC, reports that revenues from Internet gambling should actually approach twelve billion dollars throughout the world, this year.  It is interesting that approximately half of that is expected to come from Americans.  This is in spite of the fact that online gambling has been clearly banned in several states.  In addition, the U.S. government has affirmed that online gambling is illegal.

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