Archive for February, 2011

March Madness betting enthusiasts from around the globe tend to fluctuate to Bodog online sportsbook in the months leading up to the biggest tournament in college sports. Whether you started online betting on the March Madness tournament during the  sportsbook boom of the late 1990s to early 2000s or are just starting now, Bodog has always been the sportsbook to get an account with. Here is a review of one of the best sportsbooks this industry has had to offer.

Bodog has become legendary amongst the online sports gambling crowd because of its success during the boom at the beginning of the 2000s. Through an incredible marketing campaign, wide variety of betting options and quick payouts, Bodog went from a small sports betting website getting its feet wet in 1997 to a juggernaut in the industry by 2002. The sportsbook brought in so much money, that the owners were able to start their own MMA promotion of the same name.

However, in 2006 when the US Congress passed the anti gambling laws, Bodog was one of the many heavyweights of the industry that got taken down a notch. Due to having to pay fines, Bodog lost a lot of customers, since the money used to pay out their winnings, was going to fines for the government.

Yet, rather than collapse as many of their completion did, Bodog stuck around the industry through amazing customer service. Since 2007 when operations returned to normal, Bodog once again became a benchmark for success for many young shops. For instance, during the near collapse, Bodog put an emphasis on customer service. While payouts still take a bit of time to get to people, in that they take five days instead of two, the customers are still very loyal.

Furthermore, when it comes to betting options, you can vary from the big four North American sports, to MMA, boxing, college sports, particularly college basketball, and things such as the weather and awards shows.

PayPerHead.com, an online sportsbook service provider for local agents, today unveiled a new campaign featuring Vince Curatola, Johnny Sack of The Sopranos fame.

The campaign leads with Vince asking “Five bucks per head, that’s what I wanna pay…” and the website, featuring video and voice overs by Vince, walks you through the product, the process and the competition.

“Five bucks a head is really an industry first given our level of service,” a spokesman from PayPerHead.com explained. “And we very carefully and in great detail delineate on the website exactly what you get and at what price level at PayPerHead versus the other serious players, such as ABC Per Head.”

You get a great deal of sports betting services, including not only the traditional online sportsbook but an optional casino, live poker, in game live betting, mobile betting, tools for managing players and their funds, layoff and scalp accounts, even a “sharp check.” “We have the sharpest lines out there and one of the most experienced stages anywhere offshore,” the spokesman said, “so if we start seeing sharp action from one of your players, we can give you a heads up. What you want to do with him is up to you.”

The choice of Vince Curatola was an interesting one. “We always liked Vince’s character on The Sopranos, as John “Johnny Sack” Sacramoni,” the PayPerHead spokesman said. “He had a certain style, classy, but not over the top; there’s a calmness and authority about him that we really admire.  He brings that serious business demeanor to PayPerHead.com, the first sportsbook-service to EVER feature any kind of celebrity in its marketing.”

With post-up books like BetUS, Sportsbook.com and SportsInteraction stopping taking US players, Bodog and others struggling with “Ecom” processing problems, the street scene is heating up and players are posting daily in forums looking for a “local out.” Most players want the huge selection of markets, including live in-game betting, and the convenience of anytime betting online or via a mobile device, but more and more, we hear players say “they want to bet online but want to settle in cash on Monday.”

Many in the industry think this is the future of online sports betting – and it very well could be. And with firms like PayPerHead.com investing in marketing in an unprecedented way (celebs, who’d have thunk it?!) and in product (they also offer live poker, casino and in-game betting), expect to see this sector grow significantly this season.

For more information, see PayPerHead.com.