Online bookmakers use sophisticated software to help create a secure environment for the players to play in. Along with the player's security, the bookmakers are obviously concerned with their own security too and are always looking out for potential hacking attempts. However, along with looking out for hackers, do bookmakers check IP addresses?
Read on to find out.
Do bookmakers check IP addresses?
The short answer to this question is, yes, bookmakers do check your IP address. IP address, for the uninitiated, is the short form for Internet Protocol address, which is a unique number assigned to each device using the internet. Tracking the IP address helps bookmakers identify you, and your location, every time you log in to your betting account. There are a number of reasons why bookmakers check your IP address.
One legal reason for tracking your IP address is to know your location. Betting websites are illegal in certain countries. So if you try to log in to the site from such countries, they can deny access to you.
Another important reason for doing that is to track your activities on their site, and your spending habits. Bookmakers are more interested in players who lose money, rather than who wins, for obvious reasons.
If you are earning a lot of money from betting on one particular sport, the bookmaker might decide to cap your maximum stake, in order to limit their losses.
Also, bookmakers track your IP address to detect if you are into matched betting or arbitrage. These types of bet, though legal, can bleed bookmaker's money. So tracking IP addresses of such players can help track and block them.
Tracking your IP address also helps bookmakers detect if you are abusing or misusing their promotions. Most promotions are available only once per user. Some players try to create multiple accounts to take advantage of promotional offers. If they detect multiple accounts from a single address, they can be blocked immediately.
Conclusion
Do bookmakers check IP addresses? Rather than worrying about the bookmakers tracking your IP address, you should always try to bet within the rules of the site and bet with moderation, in order to avoid ringing alarm bells.
