Sports bettors need to demand more from a static handicapping industry that delivers nothing but false promises, long-term losses and financial ruin for many sports fans. Sports handicapping services are a dime-a-dozen these days as the unqualified are holding themselves out to be experts in an industry that they know nothing about.
While there are several honest and reputable sports handicappers in the field, the vast majority are simply modern day snake oil salesman offering a get-rich-quick scheme to unsuspecting consumers. In order for the handicapping industry to be self-regulated and accountable, the betting public needs to demand the following:
Unconditional Transparency:
- The sports handicapper must publish all of his selections contemporaneously in order for the consumer to attest to his veracity. Sports bettors should summarily reject any handicapping service that fails to publish all of its selections on the homepage.
Proper Money Management Guidelines:
- The sports handicapper should be able to offer you advice relating to money management and the the appropriate allocation of your bankroll. Sports bettors should reject any money management system that risks more than 5% of their bankroll on any one game. Sports bettors should, further, walk away from a handicapping service that promotes outlandish pick ratings – 500,00 Locks, 2,000 Dime Games of the Year, etc.
Professional Customer Service & Support:
- Professional support and customer service are integral components to any successful enterprise, and the handicapping industry is not exempt from providing sports bettors with honest, reputable and reliable support. When I practiced law for seven years, the firm at which I worked required us to return phone calls and/or emails within 24 hours. Sports bettors need to demand similar promptness from the handicapping industry.
Client Confidentiality & Customer Respect:
- I receive phone calls weekly from handicappers looking to “trade leads” or who are interested in purchasing my customer database. Of course, I reject these offers because I respect and appreciate my member’s confidentiality, but the vast majority of handicapping services are engaged in an endless breach of privacy. These services will buy, sell and trade customer’s private information at a whim – no conscience, no regret and no accountability.
Independence from Off Shore Sports Books:
- Handicappers who litter their websites with affiliate links to off shore sportsbooks cannot be trusted as they are looking to profit from their player’s losses. This conflict of interest is reprehensible and needs to be addressed by sports bettors around the globe. If your handicapper has affiliate links and/or banners on his website, demand your money back and find a truly independent sports advisor who adheres to all of the business practices stated herein.
Sports bettors are a powerful consumer base and certainly have the leverage to demand more from the handicapping industry. Until sports bettors start demanding more, the handicapping industry will continue to be unregulated, unaccountable and static to the unscrupulous business practices from an era gone by.