Gambling.com group? More like scumbags.com group.
Title of Blog is a work in progress.
Before we dive into this nonsense, I want to make a few things clear:
- I don't expect any of this to make an actual difference. If you go through life thinking there are going to be consequences for bad actors, I got some beachfront property to sell you in Topeka. If we've learned anything, it's that these scumbags will probably find a way to get rewarded for their scumbaggery.
- Please don't respond with "yeah no shit Ferris, of course the gambling.com group is terrible, what a waste of time." Do not tell me how to waste my time. Earlier this week, I spent 2.5 hours watching the movie Sinners. I will choose how I waste my time, thank you.
- I really do care about fellow sports bettors, especially those in Ohio. I'm super sarcastic. I don't take many things seriously. But the deck is already overwhelmingly stacked against sports bettors. Can we not do things to make the situation worse? Can the people/companies that say they exist to help bettors not be actively buttfucking bettors? I always wondered when I would become more cynical like some of these old timers, and the more I'm around sports betting, the faster it happens. It's so damn hard to have a real, meaningful conversation with anyone these days because they have 12 different ulterior motives. They open their mouth and all they can spew is disingenuous drivel, put into the universe only to advance whatever is best for them, personally. I'm not some Saint looking to clean up the space - I'm just hoping for a little fun, a fair playing field, and participants to approach sports betting with a shred of decency. But with all of this said (meme of guy standing up to say something controversial that like 40% of people use for very basic, reasonable takes): I still think it's cool to care about other people.
Without further ado, let's dive in.
The Culprits
The Gambling Group (shockingly, they're actually listed on the Nasdaq as GAMB) appears to be some sort of conglomerate that shoves betting content in your face from a range of sites. From their website: "Gambling.com Group publishes websites and apps which allow consumers and enterprises to succeed in online gambling."
Standard corporate bullshit - lots of words with little to no meaning behind any of it. Like those same statements would be written by Jonathan Bales on whatever grift he's working on now before he sits back with a smug look on his face and takes a hit of his weed pen that's actually filled with his own farts. To be expected, but still, gives you an idea of type of people you're dealing with. When you look at their portfolio of brands, you'll actually see a couple heavy hitters:
But after you scroll through those, you'll notice they own a bunch of state-dedicated betting websites.
Before I go any further, I would love if some of you reading this, that reside in those states, would take a quick look through your website. I guarantee you will find the same bullshit I found throughout the Ohio website.
Anyways, that's the primer on the Gambling Group. Why they matter - if you do any type of generic Google search for sports betting in your state, their SEO is super strong and they usually pop up as the first or second link in the results. If the first result isn't your state-dedicated website, it's one of the other brands listed above. This allows them to direct rec bettors to the site of their choice, which will come in handy shortly.
So we head over to the betohio.com website, and it's your typical affiliate site weighed down with more promo links and "exclusive" offers than you could imagine. However, a third grader could start poking holes in this sites' professionalism within 10 seconds. Here's the banner you see on the landing page:
"I've spent hours testing all 15 Ohio sportsbooks to provide you with the best Ohio sportsbook promos for the NFL, NBA, NHL and college basketball season." Are there 14 sportsbooks in Ohio? Or 15? Trick question, the answer is neither. We'll get there soon too. However, rest assured that the author of this article spent hours testing ALL the sportsbooks and is ready to give their professional, unbiased, and thorough reviews. Well isn't that nice of the author? Putting in those countless hours of work for the lowly Ohioan trying to figure out who will earn their first wager. Let's check who the author is...
I had never once seen a site list "Fact Checkers" so prominently before stumbling across BetOhio.com. It makes all this research just a touch funnier as I see incorrect article after incorrect article that was "fact checked" by a range of reviewers, some of whom I'm confident are fake and/or were not involved with anything in the article.
Use the betohio.com website yourself and scroll through this page that came straight outta 2003. You'll start to notice what they're really there for as you see this, over and over and over:
"Wow, Ferris, great job uncovering another affiliate website." I don't disagree, this isn't anything out of the ordinary. But keep in mind, we've already discussed their super strong SEO and their ability to funnel recs to shitty sportsbooks. Plus, we're caring about people in 2026 SO SHUT UP. Additionally, you will find this statement, and statements just like it, all over the website:
"BetOhio.com is an independent sports betting comparison website with affiliate links. What that means is if you click on one of our links that directs to an operator and make a deposit, we’ll receive a commission at no extra cost to you. Our sportsbook reviews are impartial as our editorial standards are commercially independent and follow a professional methodology."
Their reviews are "impartial and their editorial standards are commercially independent and follow professional methodology." Guys...we can't just say things. Now, I understand in 2026 it's easier than ever to say whatever you want and make it true. It's a real problem, and the Gambling Group is a frequent perpetrator. Let's keep scrolling.
I know the banner on the landing page was probably enough, but I had to throw it in here at least one more time to really showcase their inability to have any type of grasp on the Ohio betting scene. Are there 14 sportsbooks or 15? Is this the new 6-7 joke? As a teacher, if I hear another 6-7 joke, am I going to throw an iPad through a window? Maybe. But the point remains - these contributors (my dudes Justin and Blake) have absolutely zero clue what's going on with Ohio betting and hide behind "commercially independent editorial standards." Oh, but if you're curious about Julian Sayin Heisman odds, an award that was given to someone else on December 13, 2025, we have you covered buddy.
Not a chance in hell those odds were published accurately.
Now, notice the row at the bottom of the "What to Know" table. Information was last verified on January 16, 2026. Hey, that's today! Or yesterday. Or just some point in the past when you're reading this months from now because of how popular it got and all the change it created.
Joking aside, I think this is one of the more fucked things this Gambling Group website does. It gives the reader the impression the sportsbooks' information was just verified because it auto-populates the current date in that field, every single time. Here's an example of a screenshot I took back in January of 2025:
Spoiler: the website was NOT changed on Monday. It didn't end up being changed (to other incorrect information provided by a random Twitter user [me]) until over a year later.
Not only is it bullshit to populate that field with the current date to mislead the reader, but you'll notice in that last screenshot, they go from the ranking of #12 to #14. I grabbed that as they were trying to edit the site on the fly when I pointed out that betPARX had shutdown in Ohio a year earlier. betPARX was #13 in Brandon's very legitimate, very thorough sportsbook review rankings. Commercially independent editorial standards have changed, man. Back in my day the commercially independent editorial standards meant something!
And I might as well just jump to this now as I teased it earlier, but Betr also ceased operations in Ohio back in October of 2025. It was announced well before then. So no, there are not 14 or 15 sportsbooks in Ohio, there are 13. Grand scheme of things this doesn't matter, other than to continue to prove that people like Brandon Justice and Blake Weishaar are completing fake reviews on sportsbooks and passing them off to potential users, all behind the "professionalism" of The Gambling Group. It also makes this part in the Betr review just a little funnier:
"but it is definitely legit." Would you say it was too legit to quit? Because they definitely quit. Legitimately quit. I figured when they got called out for the severely outdated betPARX information they might do a clean sweep of the site, but that was giving those 2, and anyone else involved, far too much credit. Like way too much credit. Let's continue scrolling.
Some other things you might catch if you were doing actual reviews of sportsbooks:
ESPN is not theScore. OK, fair mistake, maybe they covered this in the 'News & Updates' section:
The switch seems noteworthy, but Joe Flacco was also traded from the Browns to the Bengals, so it's understandable this was lost in the shuffle.
I want to keep scrolling, but roughly every 10 seconds, I get a pop up like this:
An exclusive offer from the #1 commercially editorially ranked sportsbook in Ohio? Holy shit, sign me up! I mean, that #1 ranking means something. Bet365 must have earned that with a great user interface, easy bet processing, quick payouts, and amazing customer service. On the random chance that a casual is reading this terrible blog, please note that Bet365 is one of the scummiest sportsbooks to ever exist. If you even look at a line the wrong way while checking their prices, they will limit you, your wife, your friends, and anyone on your street that has heard of sports. Well, even with that as a possibility, I cannot overlook their #1 ranking. But just to be safe, I'm gonna keep checking in on Brandon and Blake's reviews...
BetMGM is the clear best online sportsbook in Ohio? But I've been having ads shoved down my throat every 10 seconds for Bet365, the #1 ranked betting site in Ohio? Oh, it turns out if you don't pay the pop-up ad affiliate dollars, you lose your stranglehold on the #1 ranking. Sorry BetMGM, maybe if you bump your prices a little more in 2026 you can afford earn that #1 ranking back.
We keep moving along down the website ranks and it's more of the same. All the information verified January 16, 2026. Then we get to the section on Prime Sportsbook:
Ok, I know we've reached a subjective section, but I had to do a double-take here. Go back and read that last sentence. "It accomplishes this via a world-class app focused on ease of use and speed."
World-class app? Have you ever opened that thing? If not, turn on Semi-Charmed Life and fire it up to start getting a feel for how a sportsbook would have developed a betting app in 1997. The ghost of Prime, Joe Brennan, even wants somethin' else. This ranking makes me so mad I'm half-tempted to attend a conference, steal the microphone, and verbally assault a room full of middle-aged men.
Maybe you're thinking that I just don't know what their ranking process looks like and I'm being unfair. Buddy, I put on the Big J journalist hat before starting up the blog machine.
Remember, these writers and fact checkers are looking for the same deals as us. We're on the same team! It's just that one party is paid for fake reviews and the other side is being tricked into thinking there was some objectivity involved in the process.
Let's check in on some of these writers and fact checkers. Maybe I really am being unfair and with a little digging, I can clear all this up as a big misunderstanding. Betohio.com makes it super easy as they have a section titled "Authors & Contributors." Good start, good start. Let's first check in with my new buddies Blake Weishaar and Brandon Justice.
First of all, the profile is fantastic, but it leaves the reader wanting just a liiiiitttttllle bit more. Well, do I have good news for you...The Gambling Group only gave him like 100 words. Luckily, Rotowire, another site where he spews pointless nonsense, really let Blake loose.
- "Blake is a Senior Sports Betting Expert at RotoWire" - how do you get to Senior Sports Betting Expert? I have a Masters, but that type of credential has to be what real empowerment feels like.
- He specializes in the "regulatory, legislative and nuts-and-bolts side." - of course he does. And I hate how everyone just talks about the regulatory and legislative side of things, but never discusses the nuts-and-bolts side.
- "Blake has been at the forefront of the gambling industry on the editorial and consulting side" - Ok so fact checking fake reviews allows you to a part of the "editorial" side of things. Noted.
- "In his own time (not there is much), Blake roots..." - uh, he's at the gym or the golf course or fact checking. He never said he's in the classroom, dork.
I don't even think there's a need to go much further. Blake is the one I thought might take a reasonable stance when I first pointed out the issues with the Betohio.com website. I mean, his current focus is on ensuring readers have the most up-to-date and correct information about Ohio sports betting news, regulations, and data. The error I found seems right in his wheelhouse, no? But when presenting my findings to the Blake, I came away disappointed:
There was such an easy win there. Just an incredibly easy, low effort win. Instead, he doubles down on his shit job and now I'm stuck writing thousands of words about a topic maybe 4 people care about.
Next up - Brandon Justice.
I want to start with this: over the last few weeks, I've been trying to bet less and predict more. Predicting is in. Everyone is predicting. To refine my skills, I've tried to originate a few different props that apply to any writer that has ever included "wrote for The Action Network" on their resume or online profile.
- 90% they don't still work with The Action Network
- 65% they also wrote for Rivals.com
- 75% they also wrote for Deadspin
- 95% they're shilling a DFS/fantasy sport/betting picks resource
- 99% they don't currently have a writing job
He's a "Strategist" for the Gambling Group (Bales picks up the scent and leans forward in his chair). He's all about Detroit sports and the Michigan Wolverines - what an absolutely perfect fit for sports betting in Ohio.
I need all companies to hear this, no matter your industry, product, region, etc: you do not have to hire the first person you find who shows the slightest capability of doing a job. Brandon is the poster child for my PSA. Also, Breaking News: Brandon blocked me already, but I can still see his banger tweets. I have to live in a world where I can't respond, repost, or like this tweet. This is my hell.
Alright, let's move on to some of the other contributors for The Gambling Group and the BetOhio website:
I've yet to mention how much I love the stats they put in these profiles. "1 Articles Written, 2 Fact Checked." We need to make this an industry norm. Imagine someone in journalism having their Kobe 81 point game over a weekend?
"Holy shit, did you see Chad wrote 17 articles and fact checked another 24? People said it couldn't be done."
Matt Asher is the current Editor and Fact Checker Editor for BetOhio.com. So the Fact Checkers get their own editor? Does he fact check their fact checking? I don't understand this process (sadly removes Big J hat). Matt seems normal, let's take a look at his profile.
1,600 followers on the nose and follows 0 people. Totally, completely normal for a person in his position. Inactive on Twitter since mid-2024. Totally real person.
Next up is Nathan Beighle. Hey, it says he's from Cincinnati and loves talking betting/Buckeyes. This is my kinda guy!
Hmmm, his last activity was a Charlie Kirk retweet on 9/11. Now that I think about it, maybe we do a wellness check on him?
Here's Christopher Boan.
Damn, that's a shit ton of written articles, but no fact checking. Gotta level up that fact checking. Let's take a look at what he has to offer.
Now, I know what you're thinking. This guy lives in England and really only tweets about Chelsea FC; he has to be the perfect fit for sports betting in Ohio. Well, I completely agree and have nothing to add.
Here's the aforementioned article that definitely qualifies as my favorite on the site. Written just last week, it details how betPARX is no longer up and running in Ohio. "But Ferris, they shuttered operations in November of 2024, why does it say February of 2025?" To that, I say great question. Some random moron on Twitter made up a date to see what would happen.
But it was fact checked by Nate Hamilton (@DomiNateFF), how could any of the information still be wrong.
Well, this is awkward.
One more contributor, just for good measure:
Guys, they're doing it in plain sight. Big time James Trickington garden party vibes.
Summary
I started off writing this blog saying that I don't think anything will happen, and that is absolutely the case. There's no call to action, nothing that needs to be done from here. Although if Brandon and Blake are seen for what they really are and lose credibility and/or their ability to mislead Ohio bettors, you will not see me shed any tears.
I think The Gambling Group knows exactly what they're doing - shepherding as many clueless, rec bettors as possible into the open arms of sportsbooks. Specifically, the sportsbooks that are willing to pay them the most money for better rankings and pop-up affiliate deals. To further prove this, even a little, I tried reaching out to multiple Gambling Group emails and tried calling their offices. You get disconnected phone numbers and zero response emails. You saw above what to expect if you try to connect with any of their authors or contributors.
Little corporate cum stains like Brandon and Blake also know what they're doing. They're "editing" some articles for clicks, hoping the people above them don't find out. Or maybe the people know and agree with the practice, who knows. They've clearly crossed some lines as they're writing fake reviews that could have a negative impact on Ohioans - and worse, are attributing these stories and "fact checking" processes to people who aren't even aware of their names being used. It takes some special kind of scumbags to do something like that, then block others for inquiring about it.
I'm experienced enough to not expect much from these companies in the sports betting space, but can we at least agree to not actively fuck over unknowing customers with fake reviews and out of date information? Especially the companies that state, over and over, they're doing everything with the sports bettor in mind. That they're on the same side as the guy trying to find the best place to make his first $50 deposit. The Gambling Group, and people like Brandon Justice and Blake Weishaar, have a smile on their face and their hand in your pocket, just as much as the sportsbooks do.
Until next time.
Ferris
@FerrisB_86
