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Established as part of the offshore casino and bookie boom in Costa Rica back in the late 1990s, SBG Global serves US customers through YouWager and lures customers with a rather big welcome bonus.
The failure to obtain a proper license for the US market and a somewhat outdated approach to the online gambling experiences makes it an illegal provider, and it's impossible for us to recommend playing at SBG Global. Still, we take a closer look at the salient features to better understand the dangers of playing here!
Interestingly, the promotions tab on the website is not really up to date and while it's obvious the bookie offers monthly promos to satisfy the existing members, there are still offers which expired months ago. Nevertheless, an SBG Global sportsbook bonus stands, and the offer is a 50% bonus on deposits of up to USD 1,000, with a 4x wagering requirement that feels attainable.
This means one can get up to USD 500 in bonus money to release through betting and increase the bankroll, which does seem OK. However, we'd still be very wary about depositing any sort of cash into your SBG sportsbook account until they can provide a legitimate US license.
The SBG Global app feels very outdated and it seems like the developers hardly did any work since its opening back in the 1990s.
On some occasions, we at Captain Gambling would promote a simple platform that is easy to use. However, on this particular occasion, the simplicity is overshadowed by underwhelming graphics and a lackluster environment for modern players - a real bore.
There are few options for deposits and withdrawals at SBG Global, where SBG Global deposit methods include credit cards, MoneyGram, and Western Union as well as Skrill (not available for US players) and hold few limits when it comes to minimum and maximum amounts.
However, the SBG Global payout methods can feel even more limiting, where only other options include Skrill, Cash at MG, and transfers to Poker balance. Not only are the payout options limited, but we have also seen reviews stating that withdrawals have been regularly declined, canceled, and funds wiped in their entirety!
With many educational articles across the website, it comes as a great surprise direct SBG Global contact is the only way to solve even minor issues.
However, despite a lack of FAQs, the channels are many and available through most parts of the day - unsurprising when witnessing just how many negative reviews SBG receives! Live agents can be reached through e-mail addresses, SBG Global phone numbers, and a Live Chat feature on the website. However, we would advise avoiding SBG entirely.
SBG Global was founded back in 1999 and holds a license in Costa Rica, and is still offering services to US players but mainly through loopholes and gray areas in the gambling industry – which makes the answer to the age-old question is SBG Global legit a difficult one to answer in a single sentence.
Indeed, the sportsbook has offered services for over two decades, and this suggests an ability to maintain stability in a volatile market. However, no US license means no regulation, and this is never good news, as the players get no real control over their experience.
The regulatory bodies in Costa Rica are not really renowned for helping players resolve issues with operators. This means that the bookie is the sole arbitrator in all cases or disputes with the players.
SBG Global reveals zero proof that they protect the users' personal data, from software developers to legal actions, which also adds to the failing factors of security and overall fair play guarantee. Again, there is no proper regulatory body to enforce and ensure these.
Lastly, the fact SBG Global has no license also means they could be closed or at least blacklisted in the United States at any given moment. This again points to the trouble players could have to get their money out when needed.
Overall, we at Captain Gambling are quick to suggest that SBG is not a legitimate sportsbook. We hope our readers avoid the site at all costs.
On initial viewing, it looks as though SBG Global's reward program is OK. This sees all of your real money wagering on sports, casino games and horse betting pay off in the form of loyalty points. You can then collect these loyalty points and trade them in for cash rewards. Just so you know, you need to collect 1,000 points before you can trade them in and this will get you $1 in cash.
As we said - all sounds good initially. However, this isn't taking into account the lack of trust and support you receive from the SBG site regarding withdrawals. Too many reviews suggest that SBG has blocked, canceled, or removed client bonus funds for the smallest of reasons. This, coupled with the plethora of reviews stating client account withdrawals have also been blocked, suggests the terms, conditions, and legitimacy of any bonus, promotion, or loyalty program associated with SBG are questionable at the very best.
The bookie claims European sports and International events galore but in reality, most of the betting will be done on US sports, as the bookie fails to bring a variety of markets and subsets to attract serious attention.
Sports bettors can place wagers on sports including baseball, football, basketball, and soccer, as well as the somewhat less popular tennis, golf, and boxing.
SBG Global offers significant margins on moneyline with a standard of just 1.5% margin, while the run line on baseball takes anywhere between 4% and 5%. Interestingly, three-way betting and Over/Under tips often hold a similar margin of 3% to 4%. The illegal sportsbook needs to entice new customers somehow, after all.
The SBG Global website says that it has live betting lines, but all we saw was prematch bets. This isn’t to say that SBG Global doesn’t have any live bets, just that the brand could definitely make them much easier to find. All of which suggests that you might want to head elsewhere if you are looking for some live sports betting odds.
The majority of online sportsbooks will impose some kind of limit on how much you can win. However, we found very little information about any of this no matter how carefully we looked through the SBG Global term of service page - just another sign that users should avoid the shady sportsbook at all costs.
SBG Global has been blacklisted by our experts at Captain Gambling. This is because playing there comes at a potentially huge cost. The fact that we couldn’t find any live bets was a bit strange, and the failure to provide information on maximum winnings and withdrawals had alarm bells ringing.
Offshore companies explore gray areas in the gambling industry, and it’s obvious that SBG Global holds no license to operate in the United States.
Not always. In any case, competitive odds are just the tip of the iceberg, given that the bookie is illegal in the USA.
As a US citizen, you are obligated to pay taxes on any gambling winnings and this is also true of winnings from illegal sites. Failure to do so could have serious repercussions.
Yes, even if operators offer younger players service, the actual age of majority in your state has to be respected and you are not allowed to gamble otherwise.
In some states, yes. However, the prosecution of individual players is unlikely as the government agencies mainly focus on businesses.
As already stated, SBG Global holds no license to operate in the United States and offering players services points towards a dangerous business practice of unlicensed offshore online casinos. This means potential troubles with the law and while there is little immediate danger of prosecution for the individual players, it surely points towards an insecure future with the provider.
Online gambling has been a matter of controversy and fierce debate in the United States for years and we have finally seen more lenient laws put into action, led by the states of Nevada and New Jersey. However, offshore bookies still continue to exploit loopholes and offer US players service with luring bonuses and odds.
SBG Global is just one of many offshore casinos home to many dangers surrounding fund and data safety, as well as fair play assurance. Here at Captain Gambling, we strongly oppose joining such companies and feel it is best to set up with licensed and regulated bookies.
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