Don’t be fooled by Marcellus Wiley being a spokesman and BetUS boasting about being a licensed site, it’s not legit! This is a scammy offshore sportsbook that operates in the US illegally with a, wait for it, Comoros Union license. BetUS has been taking advantage of American players since 1994 with their horrific customer support and fake bonuses.
Is BetUS Legit?
To save your precious money and time and money, we have decided to expose BetUS, follow along for the ride!
Gamble USA strives to improve your online gambling experience. We aim to help you play safely, make informed decisions when gambling, and increase your betting knowledge through our guides.
We adhere to strict editorial integrity; our content may contain links to products from our licensed & legal US partners.
What Is BetUS?
BetUS is an infamous offshore sportsbook that illegally operates in the US. The online sportsbook first launched in 1994 and has been targeting the American market for years. They continued to take bets from US players even following the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) and have shown no intention of applying for a US license.
At BetUS site, you can place bets on all the major sports, including all NFL, MLB, and NBA games. They also have a wide selection of niche sports like lacrosse, surfing, volleyball, and handball. BetUS has live betting options for all major markets and all of your stand bet types like spread, total, money, and different props.
Despite being a shady offshore online sportsbook, BetUS actually has a professional site. They also offer lots of features you find at top betting sites, like parlay builder, odds boosts, early cashouts, and even live streams. BetUS is also famous for its massive bonuses, for example, currently, they have a 125% sign-up bonus up to $2,500 on your first deposit. However, these bonuses are often too good to be true, but more on that later!
BetUS History & Reputation Explained
Despite calling themselves “America’s Favorite Sportsbook,” BetUS is anything but! This sportsbook has been operating illegally in the US since 1994 and, over the years, has stolen literally millions of dollars from players. When you think of shady offshore sportsbooks scamming players, BetUS is the classic example.
BetUS pulls out all of the tricks to scam players and steal money, including making up terms and conditions so they can ban your account, reneging on bonus offers for no reason, and charging obscene fees for withdrawals. They will do everything they can to ensure you don’t win a dime!
BetUS is quite insidious because despite being a total scam sportsbook, from the outside, you can’t tell. They have a well-designed mobile-optimized site, odds for 30 + sports, live betting, and even a VIP program. These are all features you find at top-rated legit betting sites. So it’s no wonder that BetUS has been so successful at luring in unsuspecting players.
Another trick BetUS likes to employ is offering over-the-top bonuses, for example, they have a first deposit match offer up to $2,500 while the industry average is $1,000. This is a red flag to seasoned bettors but it has attracted lots of inexperienced players who get blinded by the huge amount of bonus cash on offer. BetUS makes it virtually impossible to cash out this bonus thanks to super high wagering requirements and their willingness to change the terms and conditions on the fly.
Back in the early 2000s, when the US sports betting was the Wild West, and there were scam artists everywhere, BetUS still had a shocking reputation. Back in 2002, BetUS was involved in a slow payment scandal. They would make players wait for weeks and even months to get their winnings. BetUS would also constantly come up with excuses for why the payment was not being processed. In many cases, they would simply keep players waiting so long until the players forgot about it and then simply cancel the withdrawal request.
One former BetUS player basically got extorted by the site. BetUS said they would only pay the player 66.66% of his $25,000 balance in a take-it-or-leave-it offer. The player who was concerned that he wouldn’t receive anything ended up taking the illegal deal.
Players being forced to beg for money they won fair and square was a frequent occurrence at BetUS. The site seemingly enjoyed giving players ultimatums and forcing them to take discounts. One player was owed well over $100,000, but BetUS made him settle for just $40,000 after they threatened to stiff him.
The original owners of BetUS, Joey and Tommy Rizzo (which isn’t even their real names), have a terrible reputation for stealing, lying, and cheating business partners. An anonymous sportsbook owner said, “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.”
BetUS was notorious for accusing normal players of being pros and abusing bonuses when they did nothing of the sort. Basically, BetUS would look for players who were winning too much money and come up with an excuse for why they were winning, and then they would simply refuse to pay them. This is straight-up illegal, and no licensed sportsbook would ever be able to get away with such behavior, now you know why BetUS site operates out of the Comoros Union!
Who Owns BetUS?
BetUS is owned and operated by Milvus Ltd. The company is licensed in the Comoros Union, and their registered office is located at Bonovo Road, Fomboni, Island of Moheli, Comoros Union.
BetUS was originally owned by two American brothers, Joey and Tommy Rizzo. They ran the sportsbook from Costa Rica but have apparently sold the company, and BetUS is now under new ownership.
Is BetUS Licensed in the US?
BetUS is not licensed in the US. Don’t let the name fool you, this offshore sportsbook has never held a US sports betting license in any state. They are currently licensed in Mwali, Comoros Union (bonus points if you can find that on the map), and previously held a Curacao license. You have to give it to BetUS they somehow manage to find a gaming authority shadier than Curacao.
By accepting American players, BetUS is in violation of US laws. Due to their shady history, which stretches back to 1994, it is unlikely they will ever qualify for a US license. BetUS has been involved in all kinds of scams, and the fact that they have continued to operate in America is not going to impress local US state gaming authorities, it’s not 2004 anymore!
Safety and Security
BetUS sportsbook gets a big F for safety and security. This sportsbook has stiffed thousands of players and affiliates over the years. They purposefully operate from shady offshore locations, so they are out of the reach of US law enforcement. BetUS then makes its own rules, for example, if you are winning too much, they will just shut down your account and create some lame excuse.
In situations like this, there is nothing you can do because what are you going to complain to the gambling authority in the Comoros Union? They will just thank you for notifying them and continue cashing checks from BetUS.
Does BetUS Pay?
BetUS does pay in most cases, however, there have been numerous complaints about this shady sportsbook refusing to pay certain players for apparently violating their terms and conditions. BetUS is notorious for targeting players who are using their bonuses and have been known to stiff big winners.
BetUS has also been in a long-standing feud with affiliates who accuse the illegal betting site of not paying out commissions. It seems like if BetUS can find an angle or come up with some rule to not pay out someone, they will exploit it. This sportsbook is beyond shady, and there is a serious risk that BetUS will stiff you.
BetUS primarily pays out via crypto. They claim they process crypto payments within 24 hours, and you can withdraw between $50 and $5,000 per day. You can’t withdraw via debit, credit card, or e-wallet. BetUS can process withdrawals via bank transfer, but they charge obscene fees and will make you wait weeks to receive your winnings.
BetUS also has a system where they claim they will drop cash to you in the US, but you need to negotiate payment with your account manager. This seems illegal and very unsafe.
BetUS Copycats
If you think BetUS couldn’t get any more scummy, they actually set up an anonymous sports betting affiliate site called bestsportsbookreview.com. At every turn, this claimed impartial review site was touting BetUS as the world’s greatest sportsbook. They failed to mention any relationships between bestsportsbookreview.com and BetUS.
Thousands of players believed those fake reviews, signed up to BetUS, and then lost thousands of dollars. It is unlikely these players would have trusted these reviews if BetUS revealed that they owned the affiliate site.
Additional Issues with BetUS
BetUS online sports betting service is purposefully using bait and switch tactics to lure in players with their bonuses. They are then making up terms and conditions, adding difficult-to-understand clauses to their offers. So don’t get blinded by the huge deposit match bonuses, BetUS will do everything they can to stop you from cashing out.
Another issue with BetUS is a number of players have accused this sportsbook of accepting wagers but refusing to settle won wagers. In numerous cases, BetUS turned around and said the bet was voided due to some made-up reason, and despite players complaining over and over again, nothing was done. There is a real risk that if you place a winning bet at BetUS, they will worm their way out of paying.
BetUS can keep making up new rules because it is not licensed in the US. You are virtually powerless because they operate outside of America, and law enforcement is unwilling to go after them unless you have lost serious sums of money. Even then, they will shut down and just pop up in a new location under a new name.
BetUS also offers poor lines, especially for parlays, and you can’t make player props. They are also slow when it comes to payouts. For non-crypto payouts, you can be sitting around for 2 weeks or more just to get your winnings, and the fees they charge for non-crypto payouts are egregious.
Ratings & Reports
There is forum post after forum post about BetUS’ shady antics. A common tactic they use is placing huge wagering requirements. One player lost a $25 bonus bet years ago and then, using his own money, managed to build up a $1,200 bankroll, only for BetUS to deny his withdrawal request, claiming he had to turnover an additional $2,000.
Players have also complained about getting hit with nasty withdrawal fees, especially when they opted for the bank transfer option. One player said that BetUS sportsbook wanted to charge him $45 for a bank wire transfer, which is straight-up theft!
Offering bonuses with scammy terms and conditions and charging high fees for withdrawals is actually mild, considering some of the other stuff BetUS has been up to. This illegal sportsbook is known for stiffing players. They have flat-out refused to pay everyone from big winners who are owed 6 figures to average bettors who are fighting tooth and nail just to cash out $100.
BetUS is known for having terrible customer service. Their agents always try to argue that the player is in the wrong. They never try to find a mediated solution and often are openly hostile. With so many players having a negative experience at BetUS, the chances are you will, too!
BetUS Sportsbook was also involved in a scam with handicapper John Morrison. Morrison would reveal his paid picks to subscribers to his John Morrison Chase Betting System. He would then send them BetUS to place the bet. However, BetUS would purposefully offer all of the players who John Morrison referred to the site significantly worse than market odds. No doubt that these two slimeballs worked out a deal to scam players with these terrible lines and then split the player losses.
The Future of Offshore Sportsbooks like BetUS
The future of offshore sportsbooks like BetUS.com.pa in the US is not looking good. The vast majority of American sports bettors have said goodbye to offshore sportsbooks and switched to legal US-licensed sites as sports betting has been legalized in 30 + states. Legal US sportsbooks offer all of the same sports and markets as BetUS.com.pa, but players don’t have to be worried about being scammed.
It seems inevitable that online sports betting will be legal across the United States in under 5 years. So offshore sportsbooks like BetUS have only a few years to attract players from states where sports betting is still prohibited.
Due to the competitiveness of the sports betting industry, offshore sportsbooks like BetUS.com.pa can’t really offer enough incentives to prize players away from legal betting sites. If they start offering too big bonuses or too soft odds, they will quickly go out of business.
The only group of US players offshore sports betting sites can really appeal to are those with something to hide. Offshore sportsbooks, especially crypto betting sites, allow you to bet anonymously and don’t require ID verification. Players betting with their ill-gotten gains will still seek out shady betting sites. For example, BetUS states on their site that when cashing out via crypto currency, you don’t need to upload your documents.
If offshore sportsbooks are going to survive, they will need to pivot their attention to markets where legal gambling doesn’t exist. In recent years, offshore sites have turned their attention to India, which could be a potential gold mine as their economy surges and hundreds of millions of people enter the middle class.
But in the US, you should skip BetUS and select any of the legal sites we’ve listed instead.