Pay Per Head Privacy Tools

Warning! This article isn’t meant to promote an illegal activity. But, if you are a bookie in a place where being one is against the law then you must protect your privacy. Here are three privacy tools every bookie working with a pay per head must know about.  

Why you should take your privacy matters into your own hands

Let’s be frank, your private information is out there. Google has it, Facebook has it and perhaps even your government has it (or at least the Russians do).

If you’re a bookie, a buck gets ten this will keep you up at night because, you know, people keep betting no matter what their governments tell them. And, since you’re probably not going to stop what you’re doing it’s probably wise you take your privacy matters into your own hands.

Before reading on though, before taking the first step answer the following question.

Are you using a pay per head?

Let’s forgo the idea that you’re going to open an offshore sportsbook and invest hundreds of thousands of dollars to do so. Because by using a PPH sportsbook, these costs are essentially eliminated.

What’s more, when you use a pay per head, you’ll get access to services such as online bookie software, lines, sports, and casino betting that you probably cannot offer yourself, which means you can get more players into your book.

While having more players is a good thing, you do have to realize it could draw more heat on your back (a bad thing).

This is another of the advantages of using a price per head sportsbook to run your business because practically everything is done online which means you don’t have to meet with clients and send and receive payouts using alternative ways which we’ll get to in a minute.

Onward to our first tool…

Tor

Now, how anonymous do you think you are when you’re browsing the web?

The answer is, not very much. Unless you start using something like Tor which prevents someone watching your Internet connection from finding out what sites you visit and your physical location.

What is Tor and should you use it?

Prying eyes are everywhere. Your activity on the Internet is probably being watched as you read this. All sorts of government agencies are able to track what you do online.

Does this make your stomach t? Your remedy is The Onion Browser (TOR), a program developed by the U.S Navy with the sole purpose of browsing the Internet anonymously.

The nuts and bolts of it is that it disguises your identity by moving your browsing activity across worldwide servers and encrypting things so they’re not traced back to you.

If you want to become anonymous- say, if you’re an online bookie that wants to keep Big Brother’s eyes off of you-Tor is one of the fastest ways to keep yourself private.

It’s also free.

(Here’s a diagram of how it works, if you want a more in-depth view, check out this post from Gizmodo).

How To Get Tor

Yes, Tor is free to use. All you need do is download and install the browser.

If you’re looking for anonymous mobile browsing, there’s an Android app called Orbotyou can use.

Take mind, however, that while the Tor browser is configured to do what it claims, there’s nothing anything can do about careless Internet usage which can still give away your anonymity.

If you really want Tor to work for keeping yourself private, then follow the instructions given on the download website. Here they are in the condensed version:

First, you’ll need to change some of your habits, because some things won't work exactly as you are used to.

Use Tor Browser

Tor is configured to protect your privacy and anonymity as is, so as long as you’re browsing the Internet with the Tor browser, you should be fine.

Don't Torrent over Tor

If you use torrent file-sharing applications, know they might make direct connections to the Internet and send out your real IP address. Yes, this means they’ll know where you do your business.

Don't enable or install browser plugins

Tor Browser will block most browser plugins that can be manipulated into revealing your IP address. Don’t install additional add-ons or plugins into Tor Browser.

Use HTTPS versions of websites

Tor will encrypt your traffic to and within the Tor network, but the encryption of your traffic to the final destination website depends upon on that website. Make sure that websites you provide information to display a blue or green URL bar button, include https:// in the URL, and display the right expected name for the website.

Don't open documents downloaded through Tor while online

You should be very careful when downloading documents via Tor (especially DOC and PDF files) as they can contain Internet resources that will be downloaded that will reveal your non-Tor IP address.

A final note

Tor tries to prevent people from learning what destination websites you connect to. However, by default, it does not prevent somebody watching your Internet traffic from learning that you're using Tor.

Because we know that on the rare occasion you might have to call one of your players, this next tool will keep your conversations private.

Telegram

What is Telegram? Remember those spy movies, where a message would self-destruct as soon as it was read? Yes, Telegrams does that.

You can also send and encrypt documents of any type.

It was built by the Durov brothers of Russia as a way of communicating that can’t be accessed by their government’s security agencies.

If all the scandals in the USA's election tell you the Russian government seems to know something about gaining access to your private information then you should seriously consider getting Telegram. Keep your friends close, keep your enemies even closer.

However, there’s a hitch to using Telegram. In order to take advantage of the app’s encryption, you have to use one of its additional features.

Secret chats are the only ones that use end-to-end encryption, leave no trace on their servers, support the self-destruct feature and don’t allow forwarding.

Make sure to read Telegram’s FAQs if you want to learn how to keep your conversations as private as a hermit in a cave.

We’re down to the last tool you should know if you’re a bookie and it may be the most important one.

Bitcoin

Maybe you already know about some of the advantages of using Bitcoin for betting, but if you’re not taking Bitcoin you’re leaving the door open for people to look at your dealings.

You’re probably also leaving a ton of money on the table.

But, let’s step back for a bit. Because one of the reasons why local bookies even exist is that it’s hard to impossible for banks not to block or otherwise get in the way of people trying to fund their online betting account from places where betting is illegal.

It’s also the reason why major online sportsbooks like BetPhoenix, Pinnacle, and Bovada are in love with Bitcoin.

Online sportsbooks everywhere do the dance of trying to prevent transactions from being blocked or flagged as an offshore gambling entity violating the provisions of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) of 2006.

Bookies don’t necessarily have that problem because their businesses are usually local, but you have to ask yourself why would you not do something that keeps unfriendly eyes off you and your players?

Also, the way Bitcoin is set up makes it extremely cheap to use because there are little to no transactions fees. All in all, most Bitcoin transactions average a “fee” of around $0.04.

How’s that price for keeping yourself anonymous?

Just so you know, there’s nothing stopping you from either buying or selling Bitcoin. The next step of taking bitcoin from your clients and paying them out the same way should be a shoe-in.

You can still keep your credit business if that’s what suits you, but Bitcoin opens up a fast, safe, and private way of managing monies.

There’s a caveat though, bitcoin is pretty new and it’s not very stable. Its price is constantly moving, sometimes in a big way, and that’s scary for a lot of people.

There’s also the fact that because bitcoin is so new, it’s going to take a lot of time for people to get accustomed to betting with bitcoin because the initial process of setting things up can be a pain.

But, these days if you want to stay ahead of the curb then you’re probably going to have to start accepting bitcoin payments anyway.

There are many ways you can start taking bitcoins, but if you want to avoid all of the technicalities Pay Per Head Agents includes the option of setting things up for you.

Let’s keep going.

Is Bitcoin really anonymous and private?

There’s a difference between anonymity and privacy; Bitcoin in a way isn’t private because every transaction that takes place within the Bitcoin universe is visible on a public ledger known as the blockchain.

Though identities aren’t recorded in the blockchain, you should realize that if you’re buying and storing bitcoin through most popular online wallets and exchange services then your personal identity may be compromised because you’re usually linking your bank account to those services.

If you want to really take advantage of bitcoin’s anonymity then you have to acquire bitcoin in a private transaction. Every transaction you do with that privately acquired bitcoin would be for the most part anonymous.

The point is that while bitcoin is less anonymous than cash it certainly helps in keeping you clear from anyone’s radar.

In conclusion

If you’re a bookie who wants to keep anonymous and private then you should consider using

  • A pay per head for managing your sportsbook
  • The Tor Browser for browsing online
  • Telegram for communicating with your players
  • Bitcoin for accepting and paying out bets.