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Re:Bitbookie: Parimutuel Bitcoin Sports Betting by jessaustin on Wednesday June 04, 2014 @06:54PM (#7848960)
There's nothing to stop one from starting with small bets, and then ramping up as one grows more trusting. Since there would be no reason for a wager to move from an entry-specific address before the event finished, one could even verify that one's coins haven't been spent on something else before they should. Actually we can look at all events in history and confirm that payouts balance with bets, if we want.
Re:Bitbookie: Parimutuel Bitcoin Sports Betting by trevorcreech on Wednesday June 04, 2014 @07:12PM (#7849075)
The problem with this approach is that the scam sites start with proper payouts until they can build enough trust to run off with a large take.
Re:Bitbookie: Parimutuel Bitcoin Sports Betting by jessaustin on Wednesday June 04, 2014 @07:20PM (#7849111)
This could be a concern while the site has only operated for a short period. During that period, keep your wagers small. After the business is seen to be profitable, it becomes something of a golden goose, and this threat would be limited to rogue employees rather than the firm itself. Protecting against rogue employees could still be an interesting problem.

Admittedly, the concern we're discussing is one reason why I wouldn't mind if this firm charged a really small distribution percentage.