Pros and Cons of Tipping Services
Many folks who are pressed for time are highly attracted to sports betting
tipping services. When life gets busy, it can be hard to find the time to locate
and analyze statistics to make sports wagers.
Another group of folks attracted to tipping services are those that would
like to bet but don’t feel as if they have the knowledge to do it correctly. In
this case, these individuals might have the time to investigate stats, but they
don’t have the know-how of what to do with those statistics.
If you’re looking for information relating to the pros and cons of tipping
services, you’ve come to the right place. In this in-depth guide, we’ll give you
the full low down about everything relating to the pros and cons of these sports
betting tipping services. In addition, we’ll also fill you in on what they are,
how they work, frequently asked questions, and more. By the time you finish
reviewing this guide, you’ll find yourself much more informed on the topic of
tipping services. Now, let’s jump into the good stuff!
Tipping Services: What are They?
For starters, let’s talk about what a tipping service actually is. At a high
level, a tipping service is a sports betting handicapper service. Their primary
goal is to sell their picks and insights to clients in exchange for a fee. In
short, tipping services are in the business of selling sports picks.
In most cases, tipping services are a more advanced form of handicappers.
Often, a tipping service is comprised of a staff of many different handicappers.
Compared to a standalone tout or tipster, tipping services tend to be a bit more
advanced in their marketing and communication since they have a team as opposed
to just one person.
How Tipping Services Work
Now, let’s discuss how tipping services work. 99.9% of tipping services out
there charge a fee for their services. Now and then, we’ll come across a tipping
service that offers a handful of free picks to new clients to have them try the
service out. However, this is very rare. For the most part, you should expect to
pay for all of your picks from a tipping service.
Most often, you’ll pay for your sports betting tips in one of two ways. You
can either pay on a per pick basis, or you can subscribe to a more extensive set
of picks. We’ll showcase more information on both of these options below so that
you can see which setup might be the best for your sports betting needs.
Up first, we’ll talk about using a tipping service on a pay per pick basis.
Under this setup, you literally will pay for each pick that you wish to buy from
the service. This is the best way to get things started as it gives you the
chance to test the waters without having to invest a ton of cash. If you don’t
love the quality of the picks you’re getting, you won’t be out too much cash if
you’ve used this payment method.
of those with the tipping service.
Another option is to move up to a more
significant season betting pass, which we’ll discuss next. However, if you don’t
like the picks that the service is providing you, you can move along and locate
another one to test out.
The other way to use a tipping service is to buy a broader package deal from
them. In many cases, you’ll purchase something like a season pass from them. By
doing this, you’ll get access to all of their picks for a particular sport for
that sport’s entire season. The best part of this plan arrangement is that you
end up getting more for your money in most cases. Instead of paying per pick,
you get unlimited access the whole season. This type of plan can be excellent
for those placing tons of wagers throughout a season.
It’s worth noting that some tipping services charge an additional fee if
their pick is correct. This is most common in pay per pick scenarios. If you’ve
already paid them for your pick, you might also owe them a percentage of what
you won using their pick. These percentages vary from service to service, so it
is best to shop around. Ideally, try to locate a tipping service that doesn’t
charge this additional winning fee.
Pros of Using Tipping Services
In this section, we’ll detail the top pros relating to the use of a tipping
service. While checking these out, don’t forget to also check out the section
below about the cons of tipping services. Before you make your decision, you’ll
want to make sure to understand the full picture of the good and the bad.
You Can Save Time
One of the main draws to tipping services is the ability to save time. If
you’re tight on time, using a tipping service might allow you to make some more
wagers than you otherwise would have been able to if you had to do your own
research. We definitely understand that nearly everyone has a busy life between
work, kids, and anything else that life throws at them. If this is you, then you
might enjoy the added benefit of using a tipping service.
You Can Make Better Picks
If you’re just not that good with sports betting, tipping services are also
something that can allow you access to picks from professional handicappers.
It’s understandable that you might not know how to go about making quality picks
with so much information out there on sports. One thing to keep in mind is that
this pro is only a pro if you’ve found yourself an excellent tipping service
that is good at what they do. Otherwise, your picks might not be any better than
had you just done them yourself.
Access to a Large Variety of Tips
With so many tipping services out there, it’s hard to find a sport that
doesn’t have a service offering tips on it. For this reason, it gives you tons
of opportunity to bet on a broader range of sports than you usually would have.
Using a tipping service, you might feel more comfortable placing wagers in
sports that you otherwise would not have ever bet on.
Cons of Using Tipping Services
On the flip side of the coin, it’s essential that we visit the cons of using
tipping services. While there are some great pros to the services, there are
some cons too. Below, we’ll cover the cons in more detail to help outline the
potential drawbacks of tipping services.
There Are Lots of Scammers
Unfortunately, there are a significant amount of scammers out there in the
tipping service world. For these scammers, they are just in it to rip folks off.
This is a big con as you have to work to locate the good ones in the overall
mix. While it does take some work on your part to investigate, it will be worth
your time so that you end up with a legit tipping service. Check out the next
section below to see our tips on how you can find an excellent tipping service.
There Are Plenty of Bad Handicappers
Also in the mix of tipping services are ones that utilize bad handicappers.
In this case, the organization isn’t set up like a scammer. Here, they are
trying to run a legitimate operation. However, the problem is they have not
hired quality handicappers. Therefore, the quality of the picks overall most
likely isn’t going to be really great. You’ll want to work to find a tipping
service that has excellent handicappers on staff so that you’re getting better
tips overall.
There is an Associated Cost
If you’re paying a tipping service for your picks, just remember that there
is an associated cost for using these services. For some folks, this is a con.
This is especially true if you don’t have a massive bankroll.
In some ways, using a tipping service can help you increase your overall
profitability if they are feeding you enough winning picks. However, you’d have
to carefully analyze what you are spending for the picks versus the profit you
would have otherwise made just betting yourself. If you’re not already using
some sort of Excel file to help you track your betting profitability, it’s a
good idea regardless if you decide to use a tipping service or not.
Fun Factor
For some folks, using a tipping service might take away the fun of sports
betting. If you enjoy sorting through statistics to make your sports wagers,
then having the picks given to you might take away some of that fun. In the
grand scheme of things, this is a minor con. However, we wanted to be sure to
mention it so that you were aware of the potential drawback.
What You Should Look For in a Good Tipping Service
If you’ve decided that you’re going to employ a tipping service to aid you in
making your sports wagers, take a moment to check out this section. Here, we’ll
give you the details on the top things that you should look for in an excellent
tipping service. Be sure to keep these things in mind as you investigate
potential picking services.
Low Cost
Up first, you should aim to find a tipping service that is low cost. The
reason for this is twofold. For one, you don’t want to bet the farm until you
know that the picks you’re receiving are good.
If you go with a
tipping service that only offers a season subscription for big bucks, you’re out
of money if their picks end up being terrible. Instead, look for a service that
lets you start with a lower cost by selecting only a game or two at a time.
Secondly, you don’t want to have paid in a large sum of money if it turns out
that the service you settled on is a scam. Often, we see folks paying a large
sum of money to join a tipping service thinking that they have to be legit due
to the high cost. However, sometimes, their substantial investment is gone
forever thanks to the scammers. Unfortunately, there are a ton of scam tipping
services out there, so it is best if you limit your starting cash until they
prove themselves to you.
Verifiable Historical Statistics
Most importantly, look for a sports betting tipping service that has valid
historical statistics. It’s easy for anyone out there to claim that they have a
stellar pick record on a flashy website or mailer. However, many of them don’t
have the data to support their claims.
If a tipping service is a scam, they often will use fantastic marketing
materials to tell you all about their outstanding win percentage. This is how
they bait in victims as their claimed winning percentage just seems like a
no-brainer to folks that haven’t done any research. However, it is crucial for
you to remember that if it looks like it’s too good to be true, then it probably
is.
When a tipping service actually has a reasonable percentage winning rate,
there isn’t a good reason for them not to want to share that supporting data
with their clients. In theory, they’ll convert more potential clients if they
can prove their claims are accurate and authentic. If you don’t find supporting
statistics quickly on their website or marketing materials, you can go about
trying to get them a couple of different ways. The best method is just to reach
out via phone or email to request supporting documentation of their claims.
We’d always suggest that you don’t spend any money with a tipping service
until they have shown you some proof of their success rate. If you’ve asked for
them to provide this to you and they dodge the question or don’t reply, continue
to look for another tipping service. Remember, a legit tipping service has no
reason to hide their results.
How to Stay Safe
If you decide that you’d like to pursue a tipping service, you’ll want to
make sure that you stay safe. Ultimately, your goal should be to find a
legitimate service that isn’t a scam. Below, we’ve highlighted some of the best
ways that you can help protect yourself when it comes to tipping services.
Start Small
Our first tip for you to stay safe when utilizing tipping services is for you
to start small. Instead of risking the whole farm early on, we’d suggest that
you take things in baby steps. Until you gain some comfort in working with the
tipping service, you really should only dip your toe in the water.
accidentally end up working with a scam service. You’d rather lose $10 than
$100.
Our suggestion would be for you to first pay for a few single game picks
instead of signing up for an entire season of picks at a much higher price tag.
Once you see how the first few single game picks go, then you can decide on
your next steps. If you feel comfortable with the service, you can then consider
expanding and doing more. However, if you don’t feel comfortable or the quality
of the picks wasn’t that great, then you can explore another potential tip
service. Ultimately, just make sure that you don’t go too nuts with your
investment in the service until you’re somewhat comfortable with the fact that
they are not a scam operation.
Trust your Instincts
This next one is pretty simple and straightforward. Always trust your gut. If
something just doesn’t feel right to you about a potential tipping service, walk
away. There are many options out there for you to explore, so you should not
feel like you’re stuck with just one. Do some homework on another service and
then test things out with them instead.
Consult the Fine Print
If you’ve located a tipping service that you’d like to try out, we’d highly
recommend that you read the fine print before kicking things off. This is
especially true if you’re entering into a season pick pass that involves a
higher investment on your part. As with any significant expense, you should make
sure that there isn’t anything wild in the fine print.
While scanning the terms and conditions of the tipping service, there are a
handful of things to keep a lookout for. Up first, check the cancellation terms.
You’ll want to have a firm understanding of how, if, and when you can cancel.
Secondly, see if they offer any sort of money back guarantee for a select
period. Using this, you can test drive things with a much lower exposure to loss
if their picks stink or if the operation is a scam. Finally, just make sure that
nothing else in the fine print comes across as odd or worrisome to you. At the
end of the day, the fine print is a contract between you and the tipping
service, which means that you’ll want to be comfortable with everything
contained within it.
Avoid Services Touting Sky-High Success Rates
Up next, you’ll want to avoid using a tipping service that touts sky high
success rates. In most cases, this should be a huge red flag for you.
Unfortunately, we see this all too often. What’s worse is that many folks fall
for these sky-high rates and end up getting scammed.
In general, you should be cautious with any tipping service that is
advertising a success rate of 70% or higher. When we look at the success rates
from professional sports bettors, most of them only have a success rate in the
50-60% range. Therefore, if the pros are in that neck of the woods, we don’t
have any reason to believe that a pick service is going to perform much better
than that.
Some of the worst offenders out there will claim that they have a success
rate higher than 80%. If you come across one of these, be sure to keep looking
elsewhere as that tipping service is most likely a scam. While you want a
tipping service that is successful, you also want one that is realistically
successful.
Referrals from Friends
One of the best things that you can do to help protect yourself is to use
references from your friends. If your circle of friends includes folks that
utilize tipping services, be sure to get their opinion. Find out who they are
using and if they are happy with the quality of the picks or not.
Just make sure that you trust the friend giving you this information. If it’s
more of an acquaintance that you don’t really know that well, you probably want
to take his advice with a grain of salt. However, if one of your most trusted
friends tells you that they use and like a particular tipping service, then you
should have a reasonable comfort level to check it out thanks to his
recommendation.
Consult the Internet
Another option to help you find an excellent tipping service is to use the
internet. By doing simple Google searches on services that you are considering,
you can often find a variety of feedback out there from multiple sources. In
general, as with anything on the internet, take it all with a grain of salt.
What you’ll want to look for are trends. If you search a tipping service, and
every result is about how much of a scam they are, then that’s probably a good
sign for you to avoid it. However, if the vast majority of the results are
positive, and you only find a single negative complaint or review, then you’re
probably in better hands there. Using the internet for your research is a great
way to help you gain a better understanding of the services that you are
considering.
Do Your Own Handicapping
The most sure-fire way to prevent yourself from getting scammed is just not
to use a tipping service. By doing your own handicapping, you’ll avoid that
likelihood altogether. While this guide is about tipping services, it’s worth
pointing out that you don’t need to use one at all.
Unfortunately, a significant amount of the tipping services out there are
scams that are a complete waste of money. We definitely understand the allure of
using a tipping service due to time constraints and feelings of not being able
to interpret stats. However, by investing in yourself and researching things,
you can work to help improve your own handicapping skills. Don’t forget that the
internet is packed with tons of free guides and information about how to become
a better sports bettor. If you’ve got some available time, you can always work
to become a better bettor.
Frequently Asked Questions
Before we wrap things up, we wanted to include some questions that we often
hear relating to tipping services. If you still find yourself with some
questions after reading our guide above, hopefully, these questions will assist
you.
Do I need to use a tipping service to be successful with my sports betting?
Absolutely not. Often, people think that they need to use a tipping service
to be successful. However, it is critical to keep in mind that you have access
to much of the same stats and data that they do thanks to the wonders of the
internet.
If you’re short on time, it can be attractive to want to toss money into a
picking service. Since most folks don’t have a ton of spare time, we get why
some people feel this way. Don’t get us wrong; finding data, analyzing it, and
then making an informed betting decision isn’t a super-fast process. However,
going this route is free, and it doesn’t cost you anything more than your time.
Are all tipping services a scam?
All tipping services are not a scam. That being said, many of them are scams,
unfortunately. This is why you’ll want to do your research to find a legit
tipping service that isn’t going to scam you out of your hard-earned cash. Using
our guidance above on how to locate an excellent tipping service, you should be
able to sort the good ones from the bad ones.
If I am a victim of a tipping service scam, what should I do?
If you find yourself scammed by a tipping service, your best bet is to
contact your local authorities. Depending on the situation and the location of
the tip service used, your local authorities will aid you in finding the right
direction to pursue the scammer. If you’ve been scammed, take a few moments to
get your supporting proof in order before contacting the authorities. You’ll
want to compile any emails, texts, contracts, and transactions associated with
the tipping service. By gathering these in advance of calling for help, the
authorities will be able to speed up their investigation of your issue.
Summary
There are some significant advantages to using a tipping service if you’re
able to locate a legitimate one. That being said, as we discussed above, there
are also some significant cons associated with them. In general, as long as
you’re able to locate a legitimate tipping service and you don’t mind spending
some money for their picks, it might work for you. Ultimately, you’ll need to
decide for yourself if paying for a tipping service is worth your hard-earned
dollars.
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