Please read the following message from Covers.com:
It is opinion of Covers.com that online sports gambling is an activity that should be legalized and regulated in America as it is in most progressive first-world countries. Regulation would provide a path for Americans to safely wager online without being in contact with members of the criminal underworld. Revenues generated from licensing and regulation could be used for any number of positive social uses from paying down the deficit, to fighting poverty, to fighting addiction, to providing additional health care for the many former athletes who are suffering from debilitating health issues stemming from their careers.
It is our strong belief that sports gambling is an activity that will continue to thrive regardless of the laws imposed by any short-sighted politicians, as it has for decades. Countless studies have shown that Americans bet billions of dollars each year on sports, and the numbers continue to increase. In short, Americans are going to bet on sports, they are going to continue betting on sports, and the total amounts bet by Americans is going to continue growing.
The American government needs to decide whether it wants the dual benefit of collecting revenues while allowing honest American citizens to practice their hobby safely online with licensed and regulated companies, or whether it wants to instead force those citizens to begin dealing with unlicensed individuals who might also be associated with organized crime.
Currently, it appears the American government has made its choice and that is to side with the criminals.
Recent actions by the American government have made it exceedingly difficult for honest Americans to safely practice their hobby of sports betting online with licensed companies operating legally in regulated foreign jurisdictions. Therefore, many honest American citizens have been forced into the underground economy in order to simply continue practicing the otherwise harmless activity of wagering a few dollars on a sporting event.
And one of the results is a large increase in the number of posts we see in this forum with people requesting contact with local bookies.
It is a sad state of affairs. Instead of safely placing money into a prepaid account with a licensed and regulated operation, American sports bettors must now seek out a local bookmaker and will likely also begin wagering on credit, which can easily start a pathway towards being a victim of extortion and loan-sharking.
Covers.com now finds itself between a rock and a hard place. Simple reality tells us that people are going to bet on sports and therefore need bookies. On the other hand, we certainly do not want any of our users finding themselves in any kind of danger that might arise from being in contact with criminals.
Therefore, we are going to be frequently encouraging our users to read the following information before posting any forum threads requesting contact with local bookies:
Bookmaking is an activity that is considered illegal by the American government, and therefore anybody seeking contact with a local bookmaker will almost certainly end up in contact with somebody who is breaking American laws.
Covers.com does not recommend that any of our users participate in any illegal activity or maintain any contact with any individuals who operate or participate in any illegal activity. As a sports bettor, that's a surefire way to get yourself betting on credit, which can end up really badly for you if you get in over your head and find yourself owing money to a criminal organization.
We do not wish to see or hear any stories of our honest users getting entangled with organized crime and possibly ending up in any kind of trouble, legal or otherwise.
Likewise, we wouldn't recommend that any bookmakers reply to any requests for contact by any users of this forum. How do you know that these guys are not undercover cops? Sooner or later you will get entrapped by one of these guys and you'll end up going down and bringing a lot of your friends and associates with you. Is that a smart choice? Do you really need the business that bad?
Therefore, Covers.com does not condone or recommend the use of this forum to facilitate the practice of initiating contact between our users and any bookmakers or agents operating illegally in the United States. Any posts requesting direct contact between users and local bookmakers will be locked and/or edited immediately, if not deleted outright.
Instead, we strongly encourage you to browse our Where To Play list, and investigate the companies listed that are still willing to do business with Americans. That being said, we understand that the American government is actively trying to limit your ability to gamble safely online and you might be feeling as if you have no alternative other than finding a local bookie. We just don't recommend it.
Sincerely,
Covers.com
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