Dangers of Offshore Online Gambling Found in the Dark Patterns

The term “dark pattern” is used to describe manipulative or outright deceptive customer acquisition and retention practices. It is common to a number of online platforms that want to hook customers quickly, and keep them spending with greater frequency and volume. Contentious marketing messaging and web + application design are used to influence visitor (and eventual customer) decision making when arriving at, navigating, and using the platform. The difference from standard marketing tactics is that they are designed with the goal of selling a visitor/customer significantly more than they visited the platform for in the first place. It may also manipulate a customer to give up more information that they ever expected to, and require that they stick around longer than anticipated in order to obtain promised benefits. Over time, customers may become habitual users, and when predisposed to compulsive behavior, a problematic relationship with the digital platform may ensue.

While evident in a number of industries, researchers indicate dark patterns have found their place quite prominently within the realm of online sports betting. Given that the country is in the throughs of a problem gambling crisis, Americans need to know how sports betting platform design can inflate the known dangers of online gambling. Dark pattern gambling operator tactics detailed below are most prominent in the unregulated offshore market.

10 Dark Patterns to Watch Out for in Offshore Online Sports Betting Apps and Websites that Target the U.S. Population


1. Quick and Friction-Free Signup Process

It’s as easy to register with an online gambling app as it is to set up an Etsy profile, despite the former being connected to financial ruin, divorce, criminality, and suicidality among vulnerable persons.

While a new registrant will need to upload significantly more personal information afterwards (name, address, phone number, bank wire or credit card details, et cetera) the seamless registration process gets a visitor’s email into the system. Once this occurs, they are targeted with follow-up customer activation solicitations.

Of critical note, is the fact that there are little to no age-verification barriers. Even the most mainstream offshore operators refuse to intercept new visitors with an age verification interstitial. Instead, reference to age restriction is tucked into the fine-print in the footer of the signup space, at best.

Dangers of Online Gambling Dark Pattern

Example of a popular offshore operator in the U.S.

2. Promises of Free Play

The front page interfaces of sports betting apps and websites that also offer casino and/or fantasy sport products indicate FREE PLAY (or free spin, etc.) opportunities to entice registration. Once registered, new members quickly find that to either access free play or proceed beyond a rudimentary level they must enter payment information and make a deposit to proceed.

3. Higher Deposit / Wager Defaults

One of the most evident dark pattern gambling tactics is found with respect to deposits and wagers. In the screenshot below we find the deposit page for a popular offshore sportsbook that targets U.S. players. While the smaller print at the top indicates that one may wager just $20, the easy to click/tap tabs only show $100-and-up deposit options, and autofills a larger than required amount to make it easy for a player to proceed with the deposit. There is essentially nothing for the customer to deliberate further on. This tactic is also used to complete betting tickets.

Dark Pattern Gambling Dangers

4. Confusing or Hidden Rollover Requirements

Rollover (aka play-through) requirements are the amounts or number of times a player must wager or play using funds before they can withdraw them. While touted as an anti-money laundering (AML) policy, rollover requirements often extend beyond what’s reasonable for AML protections. What they do, is effectively keep players gambling on the platform for longer than they desire. Further, operators with high rollovers (10x and greater) hide them in the Terms & Conditions and rarely, if ever, provide players with updates how close they are to reaching their cash-out limits.

5. Maximum Withdrawal Limits

Many sports betting customers who desire to leave a platform, be it for dissatisfaction or recognizing problem gambling behavior, may attempt to quit and withdraw their account balances only to find that there are maximum withdrawal limits per transaction and waiting periods (commonly 24-48 hours) required between transactions. This keeps someone on the platform longer, and may lead to them making wagers they may not otherwise have if they had been allowed to empty their balance.

6. Prompts to Parlay and/or Place Other Bets

A player may login to place a wager on a game/matchup they’re particularly excited about. There’s no harm in this for the majority of the sports betting population. However, as soon as that singular wager is made, platforms are known to instantly deliver a prompt that encourages the player to turn their singular bet into a parlay which requires a larger deposit. Or, if not a parlay, prompts will direct a player to make bets on other events, or to try out the casino while waiting for the initial game to begin. The latter leads to the next dark pattern tactic.

7. Prompts to Participate in Live Betting

A player who has placed their wager on a game may be content to close the app and head home or to the bar to enjoy the game on TV. However, online sportsbooks offer live in-game betting, which they prompt players to partake in via push notifications as kick-off approaches and during the game itself.

8. Hard to Find Unsubscribe and Close Account Functions

Even if account balances are completely withdrawn, players generally have a hard time find full-account closure functions. And those who are able to close accounts typically remain on email/SMS lists. Those who do, continue to receive solicitations to re-up their accounts with enticing “Welcome Back” bonuses. Meanwhile, the unsubscribe feature on these emails and push notifications are buried in small print.

9. Immortal Accounts

Account empty and closed? Unsubscribed? It doesn’t matter, as a large proportion of players remain in operator email databases in perpetuity. A few months or even years later, gambling operators attempt to reactivate old accounts. They have added incentive to do so if they initially acquired a player through a revenue-sharing affiliate (i.e. a sports prediction news site, etc.). This is because their affiliate referral relationship will have expired with a player’s account closure. If the operator can reactivate the player, 100% of the revenue from player losses will go to them.

YouTube video

10. Player Protections / Self-Exclusions Hidden in Fine Print

Self-exclusion tools and prompts to get help from problem gambling support providers are hidden in 6pt font text on platform interfaces. If a player wants to take a break and get help, it is very challenging for them to identify how to do so on the platform.


We encourage players to be mindful of all ten tactics laid out above. This mindfulness may help them catch themselves doing something that they initially did not want to do, be it a parlay, or to keep playing when they know they should take a break. If you are struggling with problematic gambling behavior, reach out to Kindbridge right away to speak with a counselor.

Escape Gambling’s Dark Pattern Grip on Your Life

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Dark Pattern Gambling Dangers