Betus Sports Betting
- BetUS is one of the best places to bet on sports. Start slow and increase your bets as you get used to the structure and layout. The sportsbook at BetUS started more than a quarter of a century ago and allows players to bet.
- BetUS Sportsbook is far from the best sports betting site we’ve gambled at. Its user interface is far too dated, and there just isn’t enough information on the website to make you feel comfortable about signing up. For example, it’s very unclear what the terms and conditions are for its welcome bonus. Also, the BetUS customer service is weak.
Update (September 2020) – We are pleased to report that BetUS has undergone a total relaunch since we reported the issues outlined on this page.
NFL betting has been the favorite form of wagering for decades in America. Yet, it is still growing in popularity. The NFL now even has a team in Las Vegas, and sportsbooks are starting to make deals with NFL teams. At BetUS, we have every conceivable way to bet on NFL right at your fingertips. BetOnline is great for sports gambling online in many ways, but especially with baseball. They constantly work to improve the online experience with their bonuses and other elements such as betting types.
The old team has been kicked to the curb, with new management and new investors in place to breathe new life into the brand. BetUS may have been established in 1994, but it’s most certainly a new beginning for the online sportsbook. Everyone involved is determined to build a new reputation. We aren’t quite sold on the bold claim of BetUS being “America’s Favorite Sportsbook”, but we are excited about the revised platform.
Read our BetUS review to discover why we now consider this sportsbook a premier destination for US bettors.
BetUS has a notorious history in the offshore industry and has taken players for hundreds of thousands of dollars at minimum since their inception in 1994. The book has a terrible reputation with US-based online sports bettors and has been one of the major offshore targets for their vitriol in the last decade plus.
In this article, we go over just some of the scams and tactics used by BetUS’s management over the years. There have been so many problems and complaints regarding this sportsbook that we could write three separate articles on their poor business practices and deception.
From reneging on bonus offers, changing terms and conditions on the fly and confiscating winnings from players with little explanation – this book is truly shameless.
Enticing Bonus and Website
We almost feel like a broken record when writing about these scam sportsbook articles, because we keep warning players about the same things over and again.
Like we’ve said about other scam sportsbooks in the past, appearances can be deceiving. BetUS has one of the nicest looking websites which offers a sleek and professional look[1] Their betting engine is excellent, and they have a large array of betting options, including live betting and mobile wagering.
On top of all that, they offer a litany of different deposit bonuses based on the amount players wish to deposit. The bonuses could go as high as $5,000 depending on how much a player makes with his first deposit.
But, BetUS does not stop there. They offer frequent reloads and VIP membership rewards program, as well.
Wow, it sure sounds like we’re shilling out BetUS to sports bettors, but that could not be further from the truth. BetUS touts to their players that they have the “the biggest bonuses in the business” which may be true, at least on paper.
However, players that win will realize they will have a hard time collecting their money from BetUS. All these bonus amounts and promotions do not cost the book anything unless they actually have to pay. Something that BetUS seems to pride itself in not doing.
Avoid scams & view our selection of
The Best US Sportsbooks.
Last updated: February 2021
Even A Scam In The Heyday
Many online betting sites that were once industry leaders in the early to mid 2000s are now closed, and some have run off with player funds. Don’t get us wrong, there are still many active in the industry, but the UIGEA and the US DOJ’s crackdown on online sports betting seriously hurt the business.
Before the UIGEA passage in 2006, the online gambling world was growing at an exponential rate and online sportsbooks had been taking in hundreds of millions of bets each year. Oddsmakers who played it safe and understood the industry has a much better chance of being successful back then compared to today. That’s not to say that there were not still excellent options for US players now, but they were much better 10 years ago.
Even back then, circa 2004, BetUS was known as a scam sportsbook with a poor reputation. SBR first began reporting on BetUS in 2002 and had complaints of the book slow playing players. Even in this time of quick and simple payment processing for US players, (Neteller, other e-wallets) BetUS was regularly weeks or months late with withdrawal requests to players.
This news article on The RX details a situation where a player had $25,000 in funds in limbo with BetUS and had to settle for a deal for 2/3rds of his balance out of fear of losing the whole thing.[2] It also goes into the history behind BetUS and the two brothers that were once a part of NASA Sports but now both ran separate sportsbooks. One went on to run BetUS and the other BetOnSports.
The article did not have much nice to say in regards to the two Rizzo brothers, Joey and Tommy.
An anonymous sportsbook owner stated, ‘In this business, your word is your bond, if you say you are going to do something, you do it. THESE guys did not honor their word with me. After that, I wanted nothing more to do with them. The last thing I wanted was to have someone accidentally affiliate myself or my company with them.’
Players were forced to forfeit some of their winnings due to supposed non-recreational play and winning too much from bonuses or free plays – even though there were no restrictions on how much they could win via their bonus. Management also accused players of syndicate play or non-leisure play, another charge that came with almost no evidence.
Bettors were forced to negotiate for their fairly won balance with BetUS – because if they did not – they risked getting stiffed for the amount, even their original deposits. Players settled for substantially fewer amounts than they were entitled to receive. One player reportedly settled for $40,000 despite being owed a small six figure sum.
Scam Copycat Site
BetUS once owned and operated a domain at “bestsportsbookreview.com” which was designed to be a Sportsbook Review knockoff site. The site, not so shockingly, heavily promoted BetUS and picked them as their top recommended bookmaker.
The site was run directly from the sportsbook themselves and had a fake affiliate or advertiser as a cover up to their true intentions. This is a disgusting way to do business and without a doubt misled thousands of players into depositing at BetUS.
More Problems and One Dastardly Scam
Betus Sports Betting Mobile
In the next several years, forums and watchdog sites were full of complaints from players who had funds suck at BetUS or felt the wrath of management. This included altering bets after the wagers had been settled, voiding bonuses and winnings from bonuses and much more.
However, there was one tactic pulled by BetUS that might be the worst display of behavior we’ve ever seen from a rogue online sportsbook.
This story broke via SBR, and there was a lengthy discussion at Covers Forum in regards to BetUS’ scam[3][4]. A handicapper named John Morrison, the man behind the “John Morrison Chase Betting System” was working with BetUS.com to scam players. We assume the two had a lucrative affiliate type deal where Morrison received a large percentage of the players’ losses to BetUS.
Referring players to an online sportsbook for a percentage of the profits is perfectly respectable and how many webmasters make their living today. But, if that was all John Morrison and BetUS we would not be talking about them.
Things took a turn for the worse when players discovered that BetUS was offering alternate lines to John Morrison referred clients. For instance, if Morrison’s service pick was New York +7, BetUS would offer a line of +5 or +5.5 to those were referred by Morrison.
SBR verified that the alternate lines were only on picks that were released by Morrison’s service and always hurt the players that followed and paid for the picks. Because of BetUS’s line movement in relation to this play, bettors were being charged an effective price of -140 for their wagers as they were at least 1.5 points off the market price.
This despicable scam is a massive breach of players’ trust and highway robbery for a criminal tout in John Morrison and criminal sportsbook, BetUS.
The Future for BetUS?
BetUS is still receiving loads of complaints from players from lack of payment to bait n’ switch bonus scams and everything in between. Thankfully, for players, complaints are becoming less and less common as BetUS has absolutely spoiled any shred of dignity they had in the offshore industry.
Avoid BetUS at all costs.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is BetUS safe?
No and there are much better sportsbooks to use in the US. There are many examples of BetUS scamming their customers and we recommend visiting one of our top US Sportsbooks.
What is an alternative to BetUS?
We strongly recommend using proven betting providers with good reputation. At SBO.net our team prepared a list of the best sportsbooks for US users based on factors like licensing, reputation and bonus
Are US sportsbooks legal?
US sportsbooks are legal, but they are only permitted to take bets in certain states e.g Nevada. Many states across the US are currently reviewing their gambling laws so it’s becoming more common to bet legally.
What should I know before I start betting online?
Despite most sportsbooks being trustworthy, there are some that are an exception to the rule. We recommend you do a small background check before you start betting. The key things to look out for include licensing, reputation and customer service. These are all thing our team consider before recommending sites.
Refrences
Betus Sports Betting Bet
[1] www.betus.com.pa – BetUS Homepage
[2] Angelciti / BetUS Saga More Insatiable Than… – The Rx Forum
[3] Sports Betting & Handicapper Scam: SBR investigates – SBR Newswire
[4] BetUS and John Morrison scam exposed – Covers Forum
Betus Sports Betting Reviews
Overview
Founded: 1994, Costa Rica
Website: https://www.betus.com.pa
Email: custhelp@betus.com.pa
Countries Served: BetUS caters to United States and Mexico residents, but is available to players worldwide (except Canada, France, Germany, Philippines, Panama, Netherlands and Costa Rica)
Telephone: 1-800-792-3887
Bonuses and Promotions
BetUS is aggressively trying to rebuild its stature and reputation among United States sports bettors. Years ago, there were customers who were paid slowly (or not at all). I was hesitant to include BetUS on this list, but Mike Foreman has assured me that BetUS’s payment issues are a thing of the past. He asked me to allow them to “prove it” by putting them at my site for a probationary period. And he even told me he would give my customers an exceptionally high sign-up bonus. To that end, BetUS currently offers BigAl.com readers an exclusive 125% sign-up bonus, in the form of a free play (with a 10x rollover). To get this 125% bonus — with a maximum limit of $2500 — use the code “BigAl” when you sign-up. After you’ve become an active player, BetUS will continue to reward you with re-load bonuses, and loyalty points. For example, BetUS has a standard 50% re-deposit bonus, but will boost it to 75% if you deposit with cryptocurrency.
Get the $$$ - Join BetUS
Deposits and Withdrawals
BetUS accepts a variety of deposit methods, including credit card ($50 min; $2,499 max), MoneyGram ($100 min; $500 max), Bitcoin, Bitcoin Cash, Litecoin and Ethereum. BetUS does not charge any fees on cryptocurrency deposits, and accepts crypto deposits that range from $10 to $50,000. When you want to withdraw your money, you can choose among Bitcoin, Litecoin, Bitcoin Cash, cashier’s check, bank wire, and MoneyGram. Cryptocurrency withdrawals are limited to one daily transaction ($5,000 max), while bank wire and cashier’s check methods are limited to one transaction every 72 hours ($3,000 max). BetUS’s withdrawal process is easy and straightforward.
Odds
BetUS is one of the best sportsbooks for a gambler to have an account at for the purpose of shopping lines. And, as faithful readers of BigAl.com understand, having multiple sportsbook accounts, and getting the best number is what separates sharps from squares. But it’s not just enough to have several sportsbooks in your arsenal. You also need to have the right sportsbooks. That is, if you have four books, but they all tend to have the same numbers, it won’t confer a great benefit to you. Instead, you need to join sportsbooks that publish unique odds, and don’t just copy the numbers of the industry leaders. BetUS does have unique odds, and will often be a full-point different than other books on a football game. And, while some books with unique odds will be better for underdog players, or better for chalk players, the odds at BetUS don’t lean one way or the other.
User Interface and Mobile Betting
I am a big fan of BetUS’s website and user interface. It is very well-laid out, with its main menu bar running horizontally across the top. Once you’re at its sportsbook, it locates the various leagues vertically on its left sidebar. Everything is intuitive, which is much appreciated. My lone complaint is that it unnecessarily has promotional banners for its contests and promotions running down its right sidebar. Those only serve to distract; I prefer an uncluttered sportsbook page. Still, BetUS wins me over by including one of my favorite time-saving features which (astonishingly) is not at many books. And that’s a simple search bar for you to enter a team’s name (e.g., Stanford) to quickly bring up the desired game. (Bovada and MyBookie also have this feature.) BetUS’s site is mobile-optimized and compatible with iOS and Android.
Betting Limits
BetUS accepts wagers as large as $5,000 on the major sports, and $1,000 for live betting, though management will increase those at its discretion, upon request of the customer.
Live Sports Betting
BetUS provides live betting options on all major sports, and even major eSports leagues. It’s easy to access the live events menu — just click on Live Betting on the top menu bar, or the Live link on the sportsbook’s left sidebar. Either of those two options takes you to the live bets landing page, where you are shown the current in-play wagers, organized by league.
Additional and/or Unique Offerings
BetUS offers downloadable rotation schedules, and also publishes trends and other data for each match-up. DIY handicappers will especially find those useful. Additionally, BetUS has a full range of futures wagers and prop bets. You can even bet on non-sports events like the Emmy Awards or Presidential elections. One of my favorite offerings is BetUS’s “Gambler’s Insurance.” With this program, you can get a bonus in the amount of 10% of your net losses on deposits made over a six-month period, so long as you place at least two wagers per week.
BetUS’s racebook accepts bets from all the major tracks, but does not offer bonus payouts on winnings at major tracks, or any rebates on losing tickets. Its wagering limit is $10,000 for horse racing, and it also has max payouts per race. BetUS also has an online casino with table games, video poker, slots and more.
Customer Service
Most sportsbooks have terrific customer service, but BetUS puts an emphasis on it, and takes it to another level. Case in point: at BetUS, each customer is assigned his own personal account manager. Live chat is available 24/7, and you can also reach a BetUS team member via email at custhelp@betus.com.pa or telephone (1-800-792-3887) when you have a question.