On social media, BabylioPronos follows a very particular daily routine. Every day, he posts stories on his Instagram account flaunting bundles of cash, ranging from €50 to €200, spread out across a desk. The aim: to persuade his 146,000 followers to buy VIP access to his services.
BabylioPronos, who regularly appears at lavish parties in Bali and Dubai or behind the wheel of luxury cars, is what is known as a “tipster”: a specialist selling sports betting advice to other gamblers. Some of these so-called experts share their opinions on upcoming sporting events for free, but many sell monthly subscriptions, dangling the promise of huge profits for those who follow their tips.
Navigating this galaxy of influencers and specialized sites proves difficult. The best known are listed by online comparison platforms, with some attempting to play the transparency card by displaying, for example, their prediction error rate and amounts won or lost. Others, however, use much more aggressive marketing, flooding their followers with ads urging them to pay: “Champions League day, payday,” “How I make €200-500 a day watching football,” “Join the VIP club, we cash in every day.”
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