How to Spot Shady Online Sports Betting Sites, Apps, and Practices

31.4 million Americans are expected to bet on the Super Bowl this Sunday. Sports betting is legal in some form in 30 states. The Better Business Bureau advises people to be careful when betting on sports online.

Gambling laws vary from state to state. G/O Media may get a commission if you place bets online. In some states, it's illegal to bet on sports.

Go with state-approved bookies only. Ignore gambling-related pop-up ads, email spams and random texts. If you're in a state where sports gambling is legal, you can try to avoid illegitimate and criminal betting scams by evaluating betting sites and apps individually.

Before you lay your money down with any sports book, check the reputation of the company.

New York attorney-general Letitia James warns about shady online sports betting sites and apps. She advises people to read the fine print on bonus offers and other incentives carefully. She also warns against penalizing gamblers for taking advantage of offers. The website offers $1,000 for $25, but you have to gamble some amount of money to access the bonus funds.

Some sites penalize gamblers for taking advantage of offers and promotions. Some sites offer $1,000 that can only be received after playing through $25,00 of your own money.

Some users of gambling sites report being penalized for having an unfair advantage or irregular playing patterns. Some users have their winnings frozen by gambling websites. Sites reserve the right to restrict users’ activity without warning.