What Is a Beard in Betting?

A fake beard has been successfully used as a form of disguise for centuries. This led to the name of this betting style, although it is not anymore related to any type of beards worn by the bettors. Instead, people acting under a fake beard try to conceal their true identity when placing bets.

What Is a Beard in Sports Betting?

A beard in betting refers to a third-party bettor or a group of bettors.

A beard also helps connect bookmakers and gamblers. Many people avoid betting shops because they block entry or simply don’t want to register. In these cases, someone can give money to a beard who would then use that money on bets. A beard can earn a commission out of any profits made on games.

What Is a Beard in Vegas?

The beard is a popular slang term in Las Vegas. A beard in Vegas is typically has a negative reputation because of its implications. The Vegas beard is a colloquial term for someone who helps someone else place bets. Las Vegas is popular for its beard culture, as bettors can be found all over the city. Most Vegas beards are distinct from each other because of their additional purposes outside betting.

There can be numerous reasons why a bettor in Vegas wants to stay off the radar and go unnoticed by having a beard place their bets.

1. The most serious reason and one that is considered criminal activity is when the money that is intended for betting, comes from illegal activities. Therefore, the use of a reliable front or beard is needed by the bettor or crime syndicate to launder their money. This would ideally involve a beard that has a long-standing reputation in Vegas, that goes unnoticed and has passed all KYC checks.
2. Someone is banned at a certain sportsbook for various reasons and decides a beard is needed. One reason someone is not allowed to enter a Vegas betting shop is that the person has been flagged as having a gambling problem. Other behavioral reason could play a role as well, such as aggression towards staff for example.
3. A bettor has certain limits in play at a sportsbook, meaning that they cannot wager their bets at the highest stakes anymore. It could be the result of having won too much in a recent time that the sportsbook deems the bettor a business risk. A bettor could have also set wagering limits himself which cannot be undone, something he regrets and then decides to let a beard place his bets.
4. A person cannot register at the sportsbook or betting shop because they are a resident in a country or state where betting is not considered legal and therefore do not pass the necessary KYC check that is in place.
5. The person wanting to place a bet is involved with one of the professional sports leagues in the United States. For example, a coach or player in the NBA is not allowed to bet on their sports and risks lifetime bans when caught. Nevertheless, should they still want to place a bet, they will always use a beard. A situation like this, with is open to match fixing and other ways of influencing a game result directly, is considered a serious crime too.
6. A high net worth individual or celebrity will have a beard place bets because they just do not want to be associated with betting and gambling.
7. For all of the beforementioned reasons, a beard could also be used in online sports betting, although it is usually considered much more difficult than in some of the Vegas venues. Nevertheless, while most online sportsbooks are neatly regulated, just like the Las Vegas betting shops, there are always some that are not as compliant as they should be. The latter provide a good opportunity to be using a beard.