Are Bookies Legally Obliged to Pay Out?

A bookie is someone that accepts wagers on various sporting events. If a player wins the wager then the bookie is responsible for paying that player the full amount won on the wager. If the player loses that wager then the player is responsible for paying the bookie the full amount risked on the wager.

Depending on where a bookie is located will determine if it is even legal to be a bookie. There are many places around the world where it is legal to be a bookie. In addition in the United States, each State has the right to determine if gambling is legal in that specific state. With each passing year, more and more states are deciding to legalize gambling, and in the next 10 years, it will probably be legal in almost every state in the USA. 15 Facts About Sports Betting That’ll Surprise You.

To determine if it is specifically legal to be a bookie in your location, it is a good idea to ask your local attorney, to make sure you are doing everything you need to do to ensure that you are booking action according to the law. Then if you are able to be a legal bookie it is very important to take it seriously and professionally.

When players win it is important that bookies pay the players. Whether or not it is legally binding to pay out players, is once again determined where the bookie is located, and is important to ask your local attorney. If you are not legally obligated to pay out winnings, a professional bookie should still always pay out their players’ winnings.

If you don’t pay out winnings, you will immediately get a very bad reputation as someone who can’t be trusted, and playing with a local bookie is all about trust. If a player can’t trust his bookie to pay him when he wins, then he will just bet with another bookie or a more reputable sportsbook. A bookie who doesn’t pay players is one that will go out of business shortly because they will never get referrals or be able to grow their book. What Are Bookies? A Complete Guide.

Instead paying players promptly and in full whenever they win, is actually the best way to build your reputation and build your business thru referrals. Players that get paid fast and in full, are always satisfied customers, and in this business, they will recommend you to all their other friends who bet. 

The best way to run your bookie business is by getting set up with a pay-per-head company. These companies provide a turnkey solution sportsbook website where they post hundreds of thousands of betting options each day. They update all the odds up to the second and grade all games as soon as they complete. 

The average price is around $10 per active player per week, which makes it extremely affordable for anyone to become a local sports betting agent. Then it is up to the local bookie to use word of mouth to reach out to all friends, family, coworkers, schoolmates, and social media friends to get players that want to bet on the site.

Whatever the players win or lose is handled directly by the bookie and they keep 100% of the profits. Even if players win in the short term, all players lose over the long term, and it is important to always pay out winners.