High Risk Merchant Account Rates and Fees

When shopping around for a high risk merchant account don’t be surprised that you will need to pay a setup fee when a standard merchant account usually requires no or a very small setup fee. This is because the merchant account provider is in risk with your account and a high risk merchant account isn’t so easy to attain. You will be also paying relatively high rates for the credit cards you will be processing.

Difficulty Issues with High Risk Merchant Accounts

If you tried applying for a high risk merchant account and were declined for any reasons consider contacting a third party credit card processor. Some merchant account providers just won’t take the risk of predicted charge backs they estimate in your line of business. Don’t think that if your business is considered to be high risk you can’t get a merchant account just proper research has to be done.

For more related information visit our merchant account provider informational page.

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It really comes down to consistent implementation of 9 key strategies. If you can adopt the following strategies when betting on sports, you’ll go a long way to improving your results and your payouts.

1. Be patient

There’s no way around it: successful gambling requires patience. That means take your time and be willing to wait for the “near” perfect opportunities. They come around every single week.

That’s not to say you should ignore last-minute betting opportunities. Sometimes, it is important to act quickly. Just keep in mind that if something seems too good to be true, it often is.

If you take your time and deliberate carefully about every betting proposition, the odds are much greater you’ll finish higher on the day.

2. Research, research, research

This is what your 4th grade teacher would have called “doing your homework”. Be aware of the competitive environment, understand how you can both win and lose money, and most importantly, collect as much information as possible.

Important considerations will include field conditions, weather, player injuries, team statistics and game schedules. Scour the internet for online sources of sports information and other online sports betting resources.

If you want long term success betting on sports, it’s absolutely vital you do your homework on each and every match. Guesses and hunches typically result in losses in the long run.

3. Play what you know

Sports gambling offers a wide variety of options and betting types, and often takes into account a range of terminology including lines, odds, and spreads, just to name a few.

As a result, it’s important to start with sports and teams you are familiar with. This will help you come to grips with the “context” of sports betting.

4. Seek out expert advice

The fun thing about sports wagering is that there is no shortage of commentary and expert advice. The challenge is filtering through all the available information and making a responsible betting decision.

This is where your research and experience come in handy: compare your expectations with predictions from experts in the sports betting field. Often there will be consensus. When there’s not, consider carefully why, and pay attention to those who go against conventional wisdom.

Nevertheless, expert sport gambling picks can often make it a lot easier to win at sports betting. The best idea is to look at a variety of betting sites and bet picking sites online, to see what the experts are recommending.

5. Don’t be a sucker

A sucker is often an inexperienced gambler who spots a “sure-win” they can’t pass up. Just keep in mind, if something looks like a sucker bet, it often is.

If you want to enjoy betting on sports, it’s vital you learn to stay away from these “too-good-to-be-true” bets. Quite often odds makers put up lines just to make sure people take the points. Don’t fall for it.

6. Allocate Your Money Properly

You’ll significantly reduce your risk if you spread you bets across a number of sports and games. In the long run it’ll be far better to bet $25 on 10 games than to bet $250 on a single game. There’s no such thing as a “sure thing”, so don’t be greedy, and don’t chase losing or winning bets.

The road to success in sports betting is long, slow, and steady.

7. Know your history: keep good records

How much have you won? How much have you lost? If you can’t answer those questions you are risking catastrophe with your sports betting. Many inexperienced gamblers don’t even realize how much money they are putting through their online gambling accounts. You are not “breaking even” if you are constantly funding your account, but if you don’t keep adequate records, how will you really know if sports betting is really the best type of entertainment for you.

8. Keep Perspective

It’s impossible to be emotionless when it come to sports betting. After all, the emotional rush is part of why many people gamble (whether in casinos, or online casino, or even through the lottery).

But if you want to experience outstanding results, be aware of your emotions and how they influence your wagering decisions. The more calm you bring to you betting, the better results you will enjoy. Why is this important? If you don’t control your emotions, you will be much more likely to make poor decisions trying to make up for previous losses.

If there’s one recommendation I would make over and over again, it is this: stay calm emotionally.

9. Find an Online Sportsbook

Internet sports wagers are far more convenient than the offline versions. Not only that, internet sportsbooks have no line-ups, meaning that while a live bookmarker might only be able to process 20-30 clients at a time, internet sportsbooks can process thousands simultaneously.

Another plus is that internet sportsbooks enjoy a significantly lower cost per wager, and these savings are passed on to gamblers on in the form of deposit bonuses or reduced juice to bettors.

So that, in a nutshell, are the 9 steps you must follow to make money betting on sports. The better you are at these tips, the more often you will win.

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Straight Answers On the Legality of Sports Betting

When considering betting sports on the internet, it’s not uncommon for a person to wonder whether they’re breaking a local or state law. After all, most states, and even the federal government, have legislation about whether and how it’s legal or not to gamble.

Who Regulates Sports Betting?

Until recently, the regulation of gambling in the US was left entirely to the discretion of the individual States. But the advent of online gambling created confusion about jurisdiction. After all, who runs the laws in cyberspace? Most current laws meant to apply to gambling in general were created long before the internet existed, and thus the application of those laws to online gambling is open to broad interpretation.

US Regulation of Sports Betting

“The most important question being asked about online gambling is: ‘Is it legal to run a sports betting operation offshore and take action from clients in the United States?’ The US government will argue it is not legal.

However, no bills have been passed to prevent such activity; and in recent years attempts to pass bills of this nature have failed,” explains Chris Costigan, sports gambling analyst and president of Gambling911.com, the industry’s premier sportsbook watchdog site.

Costigan continues on, “The Federal government has placed much of the responsibility of gambling legislation in the hands of individual states, some of which have considered legalizing online gambling (North Dakota voted on legalizing online poker within the state, but that bill failed to pass). Some states, like Illinois, have added legislation that strictly prohibits the advertising of online casinos. Only three states – California, Louisiana, and Nevada – strictly prohibit its citizens from betting beyond state borders. However, such laws are historically loosely enforced. Most states consider gambling violations misdemeanors with the vast majority focusing specifically on operators as opposed to the actual gamblers themselves.”

To avoid breaking US law, most internet sportsbooks are located offshore in foreign countries and also house their computer servers there. (Click here to learn more about the Advantages of Online Sportsbooks)

To be clear, the US government has been attempting to pass legislation to deal specifically with the regulation of online gambling. However, because there are so many grey areas regarding who has authority over activities in cyberspace, these attempts have not been successful in passing and it’s becoming clear that the US will not be able to effectively legislate online gambling. As Costigan and Gambling911.com point out, “2005 will be the first time in five years we will not see any proposed anti-gambling bills emerge in Washington.”

Legal Issues: The Summary

The Wire Wager Act

The Wire Wager Act, in its most basic sense, prohibits the use of a wire transmission to foster a gambling pursuit. What does this mean? Your guess is as good as mine, and as good as the people who wrote the legislation. Some lawyers argue that what this act means is that any interstate use of the internet that is related to placing or receiving bets is illegal. However, other lawyers believe that this cannot be applied to internet betting due to both the extensive use of wireless internet services and also, due to some vagary in the language, the act may only apply to sports event betting and not other types of betting. Most importantly, the specific language of the Wire Wager Act says that it applies only to those participating in the business of betting or wagering. That limits its impact to only sportsbooks and casinos and means that it can in no way be used against the actual bettor.

April 2005: Two important rulings are handed down regarding online sports betting. Chris Costigan, sums them up as follows:

“Firstly, the World Trade Organization upheld its decision in favor of Antigua, a tiny island nation that claimed the United States stymied its lucrative online gambling industry. Antigua contended that many online gambling operators left its jurisdiction as a direct result of the United States crackdown on operators and advertising venues.

A more critical ruling involved the United Kingdom, which now allows gambling companies to take bets online from the UK. While England’s stance on bookmaking is quite opposite of the United States, internet sports betting shops and online casinos were forced to operate offshore on nearby islands such as Gibraltar and the Isle of Man. The United Kingdom decision is viewed as a nod of approval by an industrial nation paving the way for internet gambling to thrive in a fully regulated environment, and the U.S. is most likely to recognize and respect its position.”

So, Can an American Bet Sports Legally?

The simple answer is there is an explicit law against online betting in only three states – Nevada, California, and Louisiana. Even so, NO American citizen has ever been arrested for betting on the internet.

Pregame.com provides sports betting rules, basics, advice, systems, and strategy, online for free, covering NFL Football, NCAA college basketball, NBA, pro MLB baseball wagering from gambling experts.

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A pro football betting online player will also notice numbers to the immediate right of the two teams posted on the football betting board. The smaller of those numbers is the football betting spread. That number is posted to the immediate right of the team that is favored in the matchup. The larger number that is posted to the immediate right of the team name of the underdog is the over/under or total. The over/under is the total combined score between the two teams in a game that players can wager on either going over or under that posted number.

There is yet another number listed on the online football betting rotation, usually to the immediate right of both the pointspread number and over/ under number and that is the moneyline which may also be referred to as M/L. The money line is posted on the board for players that prefer to bet on a team to win a football game straight up rather than against the football betting spread. The difference with these football betting picks is that the player will lay money instead of points. A typical money line would read something like Kansas City -180, Oakland +160. This means that a pro football betting online player wanting Kansas City would lay out $180 to win $100 plus his $180 back. A player that wanted Oakland would lay out $100 to win $160 plus his $100 back. Unlike the pointspread, the player is simply making football picks based on his team winning the game straight up, regardless of the points that they win or lose by.

As you look to make football betting picks this season you must understand the odds. You can bet on football online without knowing much football betting strategy but it probably is not a good idea. The more you know about football the better your chances of success will be. Just throwing darts is not a good enough football betting strategy. You must look at matchups, pointspread value, line movement, motivation, etc. as you come up with your football betting picks. The NFL and college football seasons begin in August and stretch out until early February. That is plenty of time to show patience and discipline and find winners. There is no rush to play the first game on the football betting board. Take your time and find the best plays each week. The best gamblers in the world don’t play every game on the board. They try and locate a few select games where they believeball Betting Board they have an edge. You can do the same thing this year with your own online football betting. Look at the matchups and do the research required. Narrow your selections down to just a few games and only bet those. That is a good way to keep your bankroll safe and still have a chance to make money.

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WEST VIRGINIA(-23) OVER Western Michigan:

On the small list of championship contenders, the West Virginia Mountaineers open the season at home in front of their raucous fans to face the Western Michigan Broncos. With two potential Heisman trophy contenders in QB Patrick White and RB Steve Slaton, the high powered offense of coach Rich Rodriguez should put up plenty of points to begin what could be a special 2007 season. Looking at it in historical terms, teams that come into the season with legit championship hopes more often than not blitz their opening game opponent, especially if they are at home. The -23 spread is quite large since Western Michigan is not horrible. The MAC has a history of playing teams from the big conferences tough and the Broncos do have the ability to run the football. West Virginia’s defense is loaded however and this will nullify the main strength that Western Michigan has. This is a bad matchup all around for Western Michigan based on the matchups and I anticipate a blowout to help jumpstart the championship march West Virginia hopes to make.

NEBRASKA(-19.5) OVER Nevada:

This looks like a make or break year for head coach Bill Callahan and the Cornhuskers look talented enough to save his job. Transfer QB Sam Keller has been groomed to run the West Coast offense and he also has much to prove as as his stay with Arizona was nothing but a struggle, both personally and athletically. Keller is immensely talented and he has what it takes to take this team to great heights. The offense is loaded all around him and if everything clicks, could be one of the top units in college football. Add to the fact that they are playing at home, and this game should be a blowout on a large scale. Using the “EMOTION ADVANTAGE” angle we have been championing for years(check out our website for more on this money winning angle) and this game serves as our first Strong Play of the year(a free BEST BET pick for Week 1 only).

There is no tougher place to play in almost all of college football than Lincoln, Nebraska. 90,000 will be on hand to usher in the new year and with Callahan and Keller both having a tremendous emotional investment in this season, I expect the Cornhuskers to come out flying on both offense and defense. Nevada is an up and down team from the WAC who don’t have anywhere near the offensive prowess that Nebaska has and their smallish, inexperienced defensive backfield will open up large passing lanes for Keller to throw to. Bet the house on Nebraska as you combine the emotional AND strategic advantage that they have over Nevada.

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The art of handicapping sporting events is one that can be very frustrating to the amateur. Sure thing bets and locks end up flaming out and many are left wondering, “What went wrong?” The fact of the matter is that there is no such thing as a “lock.” We use the term “Strong Play” or BEST BET. We don’t try and make ourselves bigger than we are by going around saying “this is a lock” because any bettor will tell you there is no such thing.

The reason being is that the betting lines are designed to even out the sides in any type of contest. No matter how good a team is, the art of overcoming a point spread is one that knows no discrimination when it comes to efficiency. Year in and year out we see losing teams post winning records with the point spread which goes to show you just how unpredictable this venture is. As we stated before, our professional handicappers attack the point spread with years of experience behind them and with knowledge of what angles work and what doesn’t. A perfect example is the home underdog scenario that we have touted for years and only recently have seen word published on this. Home underdogs in the NFL have covered at a 60 percent clip over the last five years which is right in line with our success rate. This is just one of dozens of scenarios that we rely on to continually post winning year after winning year.

On top of our handicapping prowess, we have delved into the world of fantasy sports by hiring expert analysts who know the games inside and out. Our experts have each played in the Las Vegas Fantasy Baseball/Football Invitational and thus their in-depth information is something that can’t be missed. Each week our experts write daily articles on hot/cold players via the FANTASY STOCK WATCH. This will update you on key players and their fantasy value throughout the weeks of the year. We also review each game from a fantasy perspective and examine break out players to determine who is a find and who is a fluke. On Fridays, we send out our weekly Fantasy Football Game Analysis which delves into each game and examines the fantasy prospects of each key player in the respective contest. We tell you who to play and who not to play so that you have the best chance to win your matchup.

Good luck!

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The Gators are stacked at the wide receiver position, have two extremely talented tight ends and loads of experience along the offensive line. Florida will spread the ball around to receivers Percy Harvin, Louis Murphy and Riley Cooper as well as a deep corps of running backs who compliment each other very well. Sophomore tailback Chris Rainey, who will also line up at receiver, was the star of the spring game.

Florida led the SEC in offense last season and they have much of that unit returning. I do not expect the Gators to have much trouble moving the ball or scoring points in bunches.

The Gators defense appeared to be improving as the season progressed. But Michigan thoroughly humiliated them with 524 yards of offense in the Capital One Bowl. Coach Urban Meyer responded by bringing in two new defensive coaches. He also brought in a ton of talent from his recruiting class in order to upgrade the defensive side of the ball. Meyer also put an emphasis on changing some defensive strategies. This season, Meyer plans on playing more off-man coverage.

All-SEC linebacker Brandon Spikes is the cornerstone of the Florida defense. The Gators will need help from some of their freshmen if their defense is to improve. These freshmen include cornerback Janoris Jenkins, safety Will Hill and defensive tackle Omar Hunter.

On special teams, Florida will have a new kicker and it will most likely be true freshman Jacob Sturgis. Sturgis wowed coaches in the spring game by booting a 60-yard field goal. Sophomore Chas Henry is back as the team’s punter. Henry’s booming punts were very difficult for opponents to return last season.

Last season was a rebuilding year for Florida. The Gators lost a lot of talent from their 2006 National Championship team. They lost four games and failed to repeat as SEC champions. In my humble opinion, the pieces are in place for Florida to make another national title run this season. However, it won’t be an easy task.

The Gators are in the same division with Georgia, another preseason favorite. Florida also has a very difficult schedule that consists of non-conference games against Miami, Florida State and Hawaii, road games at Tennessee and Arkansas, a home game against LSU, the defending national champions.

While it won’t be easy, Florida certainly has the talent to be considered among the preseason favorites in the chase for the 2008 national championship.

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This season, the quarterbacking duties will be handled by junior Mark Sanchez. Sanchez won the job in spring over Arkansas transfer Mitch Mustain. Sanchez has started just three games coming into this season. The former National Prep Player of the Year threw seven touchdown passes and five interceptions in limited duty last season.

USC possesses a deep corps of talented running backs, including Stafon Johnson, experienced junior C.J. Gable and super sophomore Joe McKnight. Johnson ran for 673 yards on just 98 carries last season for a 6.9-yard average. He also tallied five touchdowns. Fullback Stanley Havili, a solid receiver and blocker, should also help the USC rushing attack.

Vidal Hazleton and Patrick Turner return as the starting wide receivers. This unit needs to improve from last season’s performance. They should get help from Damian Williams, another Arkansas transfer, and Ronald Johnson. All-America tight end Fred Davis has gone to the NFL, leaving junior Anthony McCoy to try to fill the huge void left by Davis’ departure.

Only one starter returns from last year’s offensive line and that is left guard Jeff Byers. The good news is many of the new starters in this group saw extensive playing time last season due to injuries to last year’s starters. Center Kristofer O’Dowd played extremely well last season filling in for the injured Matt Spanos. Charles Brown, Zack Heberer and Butch Lewis also received plenty of playing time due to starters’ injuries.

Head coach Pete Carroll’s specialty is defense. I mentioned some of USC’s 2007 defensive accomplishments earlier. This year’s group has speed and athleticism at every level and should also put up some impressive numbers.

All-America candidate Rey Maualuga returns at middle linebacker and former Rose Bowl MVP Brian Cushing returns at strong-side linebacker. Kaluka Maiava should be the new starter at weak-side linebacker for a unit that should be among the best in the country.

It gets even better. Coach Carroll believes this year’s secondary could be the best he has ever coached. It all starts with 6’4″ 225-pound free safety Taylor Mays. Strong safety Kevin Ellison, an All-PAC 10 pick last season, combines with Mays to form what might be the best safety tandem in the nation.

The biggest loss for this defense is the departure of PAC-10 Defensive Player of the Year Sedrick Ellis. Ellis, a nose tackle last season, is off to the NFL. Christian Tupou and Averell Spicer have some big shoes to fill in trying to replace Ellis. The rest of the defensive line consists of Fili Moala at the other tackle spot and freshman All-American Everson Griffin and Kyle Moore at the ends.

Both kickers, placekicker David Buehler and punter Greg Woidneck, return after solid 2007 campaigns. Southern Cal should get excellent kick returns from the trio of McKnight, Gable and Ronald Johnson.

In 2008, the Trojans will be trying to win 11 games and make it to a BCS bowl game for the seventh straight season. QB Sanchez will have a lot to do with whether or not USC achieves that goal. USC does have an easier schedule than they had last season. Most of the tough games are at home, including Ohio State, Oregon and Arizona State. I expect USC to once again challenge for a spot in the BCS National Championship Game.

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Sooners quarterback Sam Bradford had one of the best freshman seasons in college football history. Bradford threw for 3,121 yards and 36 touchdowns with just eight interceptions. He led the nation in passing efficiency and his 36 touchdown passes stand as the NCAA freshman record. With a talented and experienced offensive line in front of him and an army of weapons at his disposal, Bradford should continue to improve in his sophomore season.

The Oklahoma offensive line is led by future NFL players Duke Robinson and Phil Loadholt. In fact, all five starters are back this season for an offensive line that ranks as one of the top units in the country.

The Sooners also welcome back wide receivers Juaquin Iglesias and Manuel Johnson. Iglesias led the team last season with 68 catches for 907 yards and five touchdowns. Junior Jermaine Gresham steps into the starting spot at tight end and appears to be someone to watch.

Senior running back Allen Patrick is gone, but the cupboard is anything but bare. The tandem of DeMarco Murray and Chris Brown combined for 1,375 yards and 22 touchdowns last season. Murray is just a sophomore, but he possesses great speed and elusiveness. He could very well have a huge season.

The defense only returns six starters, but three of them are along the defensive line. Oklahoma will have to rely on the front four to control the line of scrimmage; at least until the back seven get settled. The front four were equally successful at stopping the run and the pass in 2007.

The linebacker corps returns only one starter, Ryan Reynolds, who has a history of injury problems. The success of this unit could depend on the development of redshirt freshmen Travis Lewis and Austin Box, as well as junior college transfers J.R. Bryant and Mike Balogun.

The secondary returns both safeties from last season, Nic Harris and Lendy Holmes. Both have all-star potential and they’ll need to show it because the team will have two new starting cornerbacks this season. The likely starters are junior Brian Jackson and sophomore Dominique Franks. Both played well in the spring, but it remains to be seen how that translates into the season.

Receivers Iglesias and Murray return for the top kickoff return unit in the nation last season. Mike Knall returns as one of the Big 12′s best punters, but Oklahoma needs someone to step up and win the kicker job.

The schedule is favorable for the Sooners to make a run at the national title. The one possible roadblock is October 11th when Oklahoma travels to Dallas to face Texas. Bradford should continue to impress with talent all around him. If the defense can hide its inexperience, the Sooners should prevail as Big 12 South champions and make a play for their eighth national championship.

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Junior running back Chris “Beanie” Wells is coming off a season in which he ran for over 1,600 yards and 15 touchdowns. Included in that yardage total is a 222-yard performance against rival Michigan. It stands as the best rushing performance ever for a Buckeye against Michigan. Wells also tallied 146 yards in the BCS National Championship Game against LSU.

Quarterback Todd Boeckman returns for his senior season. With Wells in the backfield and a veteran offensive line protecting him, Boeckman should have little trouble getting the ball to his favorite targets, wide receivers Brian Robiskie and Brian Hartline. Robiskie led the team last season with 55 catches for 935 yards and 11 touchdowns. Hartline wasn’t too far behind Robiskie with 52 receptions of his own. Robiskie and Hartline must stay healthy because Ohio State has no clear third receiving threat at this time.

Defensively, the Buckeyes were nearly invincible last season. Ohio State ranked first nationally in points allowed per game (12.8), passing yards allowed per game (150.2) and total yards per game (233). They were also third nationally in rushing yards allowed per game (82.9).

Ohio State plays a 4-3 defense that gets regular pressure on passing downs and reroutes running plays to the middle where linebacker James Laurinaitis resides. Laurinaitis, a Butkus Award winner, has size, speed and all the intangibles. Outside linebacker Marcus Freeman has been second on the team in tackles (behind Laurinaitis) each of the last two seasons and I can easily see that happening again this season.

Ohio State is deep along the defensive line, which will allow them to keep fresh bodies on the field at all times. The secondary is also very talented with all four starters returning, including Thorpe Award candidate Malcolm Jenkins. Jenkins, a senior cornerback, will be joined in the secondary by fellow cornerback Donald Washington and safeties Kurt Coleman and Anderson Russell.

Ohio State should see improvement in their kick return coverage this season with the return of Aaron Pettrey, who was injured for a majority of last season. Punter A.J. Trapasso also returns. Trapasso is very skilled at placing kicks inside the opponent’s 20-yard line. Ryan Pretorius, an accurate kicker, is also back for his senior season.

I wouldn’t be the least bit surprised to see this team back in the national title game for the third straight year. They have nine starters returning on both sides of the ball, including some All-American candidates. They also have head coach Jim Tressel, who has already won a Division I-A national title.

The defense should be fierce once again, even without Vernon Gholston. If the offense can sustain drives and limit turnovers (Boeckman threw 14 interceptions last season and Wells has a history of fumbling), then I can see Ohio State right back in the national title game in January 2009.

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