Ever seen that movie “Lethal Weapon 2?” It’s the one where the bad guy goes around whacking everybody in sight and when finally confronted by Mel Gibson and Danny Glover, claims “diplomatic immunity” and gets off scot free. That’s kind of how offshore sportsbooks operate, going around, breaking U.S. laws and then claiming diplomatic immunity. Although most of these businesses are legitimately trying to provide a service to the world, without uniform regulation it’s really up to the individual countries to police the various gaming businesses. Thus, when choosing a sportsbook, it’s important to know where the darn thing is based and what safety measures are in place. Basically, a good rule of thumb is to break these nations down into three categories:
Safe and Reliable Countries for Sportsbooks
These are countries you’ve heard of at one point or another. They are usually big countries with a respectable, established government. You’ve at one point or another considered visiting one of these places, whether on business or simply as a vacation. Perhaps you might even play around with the idea of living there for a year or two, if just as a lark. The United Kingdom, Australia, places like that.
Average to Shaky Countries for Sportsbooks
You’ve heard of this country, but always in the same sentence as the words “third” and “world.” Most of these nation’s largest exports are either coffee or some form of narcotic and one out of every three Americans you meet there is an undercover FBI agent. You also can neither confirm nor deny whether the country is currently fighting a civil war.
Countries for Sportsbooks to Avoid at all Costs
Places that you have never heard of or tiny island countries that may or may not be owned by Mel Gibson. Most of these countries have trouble deciding how many goats to sacrifice this month and they certainly can’t be trusted to do something as elaborate as say, running an entire gaming commission. As a result, scam sportsbooks and con artists flock to these locations in order to escape laws and operate uninhibited.
As a side note, I wonder if you were a humble farmer and Mel Gibson bought your entire country, what would you make of it? Would you have to take down your national flag and replace it with a big “Lethal Weapon” poster? Would you have to change religions? If you had a young daughter, would you send her on a boat in fear she would be forced to become King Mel’s chamber maid? What if all celebrities got jealous and starting buying off islands one by one? Where would the rest of us live? Will Schwartzenegger try to one-up Gibson by crowning himself king of California and secede from the United States? So many questions, so few answers.
In any case, if you can follow these simple rules, you’ll know who to avoid. Good luck with your new life gambling and remember, what you’re doing is perfectly okay. After all, you have diplomatic immunity.
