Wagering at Pinnacle as an American
I was thinking at some point it may be worth the effort to wager at books that don't allow Americans, particularly Pinnacle & BetFair. I decided to explore the ways to do this. Here is an e-mail from Pinnacle: (they responded in 12 minutes, btw)
Hi,
I know you aren't active in the American market, but are you able to accept American players that are residing outside of the United States? If so, what do I need to provide to open an account?
Thanks.
Dear Client,
After careful consideration, Pinnacle Sports made the decision to voluntarily exit the U.S. market 11 January 2007.
This means Pinnacle Sports does not accept clients who reside in the USA, nor should clients with residencies outside the USA initiate wagers from the USA.
This decision was given much thought by the Management of Pinnacle Sports and one we do not anticipate changing.
If you are an American residing outside the USA you can open an account from your new country of residence.
Kindly note that you may be required to submit a proof of ID which consist of the following documents:
1) A copy of your picture ID (passport /driver's license)
2) A copy of a utility bill with your name as proof of address (Bank statements are not accepted as proof of address)
We appreciate your interest in our site.
Kind regards,
Customer Service Department
Pinnacle Sports
So to clarify, Americans ARE allowed at Pinnacle. You just can't make bets from within the US. The biggest hurdle is you need a foreign address with a utility bill in your name. Here are the options I came up with:
1) Find someone you trust in a foreign country to place bets for you.
Pros:
-Simple solution
Cons:
-You'll have to give your buddy a cut of profits for their time.
-Your buddy could stiff you because accounts will be in their name.
-You have to contact them every time you want to place a bet. It will be very annoying when they're not available.
2) Find someone you trust in a foreign country. Put one of their utility bills in your name. Put a computer at their place & remote login from the US to place bets from the foreign IP. I'm guessing you can also mask your IP address and place bets from the US, but I'd prefer making bets from the actual foreign location.
Pros:
-Accounts are in your name, eliminates possibility of your buddy stiffing you.
Cons:
-You'll have to give your buddy a monthly fee for using their place.
3) In my office, you can rent one room for $200/month, so do this is in a foreign country and set up your remote login computer.
Pros:
-No one else is involved in your betting.
Cons:
-Have to pay a monthly rent.
-What's your utility bill going to be? You may not have one to put in your name, because utilities may be included in your rent. Would internet count? Or a phone?
4) Rent an apartment in a foreign country and set up your remote login computer.
Pros:
-Utility bill...check. Place to stay when you visit...check. No one else involved in your betting...check.
Cons:
-Price goes up. An apartment in a decent area could be $500-600/month.
If Neteller & Moneybookers require similar info as Pinnacle and you could use them, then that would be another bonus of setting up shop outside of the US. I'll explore that next and report back.
Did I miss anything? How many people out there are doing this?
