Now that the NFL season has ended and the Super Bowl parade is over, the next thing that happens every February is small, new sportsbooks close up shop, stiff players and disappear. Even some outfits that have been in business for a couple of years and struggled, find it easy to walk away after a losing NFL season.

Today BetJaco, who we identified many months ago as a scam operation, has run off with players funds. The URL betjaco.ag is gone and there is not much that anybody can do - except maybe learn from this!

Every year sportsbooks open in the summer months, either with the prospect of a huge football season or the ability to scam the unwitting public and disappear down the information superhighway never to be heard from again. Some new books do have the funding and the wherewithal to withstand what has become a very tough business, but for the most part, opening a new sportsbook, with the problems of taking action from players in the U.S. and paying them, is a losing proposition.

Opening a new sportsbook has become so difficult that we will not recommend playing at a sportsbook until it has made it through at least one football and baseball season.

With all that said, let's review some of the other new books that opened in the past 18 months. Which ones will not survive after the next big sporting event, March Madness?

AllSports247.net

This book stiffed a larger player and in an email to him mentioned that he could go play at BetJaco!! This place was most likely started by a guy with a list of players who figured he would win every game and thus never have to pay winners. AllSports247 should be the next to disappear.

LiveSports

Livesports.ag appeared to start with good intentions. They got licensed in Curacao and have a decent customer base. In addition, they did make it through one football and baseball season, but have had repeated slow pay complaints. Eventually players do collect, but it has been a struggle for many players to get paid. If they survive, it is because players are patient!

USWager365

This place has had several complaints, but does appear to have an actual bookmaker running the place. The bad news is that he is the most rude and unprofessional manager we have ever dealt with. The guy really has a disdain for players and thinks that everyone is either a loser or a scammer, including OSGA! The old adage 'nobody wins here' seems to be the mantra at this place.

BookieBarn

This place was started by two people that have worked at other sportsbooks in Costa Rica. They grabbed some lists and started several skins for players. After months of cold calling and blind emailing it appears they have found enough players to survive and did make it through the football season without any major complaints. The two principles are also behind WagerLodge and MGM Wager. MGMWager's site is no longer active.

It is unfortunate that places that are flat-out scams manage to get players and hoodwink them into sending money. The best thing that players can do to avoid being scammed is stay with only the most reputable sportsbooks, casinos and poker rooms. The sportsbooks that we rate as Elite are the cream of the crop and many have been in business for approaching two decades. If you do choose to play online, take look at our Top Sportsbook List for the true Cadillacs in the industry.