Not The Books
Not The Books · Legal

Terms of Service

Last updated: [EFFECTIVE DATE]

Welcome to Not The Books. These Terms of Service (“Terms”) explain the rules for using our website and services. Please read them carefully.

1. Who we are

Not The Books (the “Service,” “we,” “us,” or “our”) is operated by [ENTITY NAME, LLC], based in Sarasota, Florida. The Service is available at [notthebooks.com] and related pages (including our test site, not-the-books.lovable.app) and through any emails we send.

You can reach us at [CONTACT EMAIL].

2. Accepting these Terms

By visiting the site, signing up for our emails, or otherwise using the Service, you agree to these Terms and to our Privacy Policy. If you do not agree, please do not use the Service.

3. Who can use the Service

To use the Service, you must:

  • be at least 21 years old, and
  • be at least the legal age to place sports wagers where you live, if that age is higher than 21.

By using the Service, you confirm that you meet these requirements. We may ask you to confirm your age, and we may refuse or end access for anyone who does not meet them.

4. Where the Service is not offered

The Service is void where prohibited. We do not offer the Service to anyone located in a place where sports wagering, or content that promotes it, is illegal. For example, sports wagering is not legal in Utah, and the Service is not offered there.

You alone are responsible for knowing and following the laws that apply to you, including any laws about sports wagering, before you use the Service or act on anything you read here. Access to the Service does not mean that betting is legal where you are.

5. We are not a sportsbook

Not The Books is a sports analysis and opinion site. We:

  • do not accept, place, or broker wagers of any kind;
  • do not hold, manage, or transfer any money for betting;
  • do not pay out winnings; and
  • are not affiliated with, sponsored by, or paid by any sportsbook. [CONFIRM: no affiliate or sponsorship relationships before publishing.]

If you choose to place a bet, you do so on your own, with a third party, under that third party’s terms.

6. For information and entertainment only

Everything on the Service, including projections, “fair lines,” verdicts (such as We Like, Lean, Contrarian, Trap, and No Play), the Game of the Day, the Debate of the Day, and our track record, is provided for informational and entertainment purposes only.

  • It is our opinion, not advice. Nothing on the Service is financial, investment, legal, tax, or betting advice, and nothing is a recommendation that you place any particular wager.
  • No guarantees. Sports are unpredictable. No pick, projection, or verdict is a guarantee of any result. Labels such as “We Like” describe our level of confidence only; they do not mean an outcome is certain. [SEE REVIEWER NOTES: verdict label renamed from “Lock” to “We Like”.]
  • Past results do not predict future results. A good record in the past does not mean future picks will win.
  • Our methods include AI. We use artificial intelligence and our own models, along with human judgment. These tools can be wrong, incomplete, or out of date.

You are solely responsible for any decision you make based on the Service.

7. Responsible gambling

If you choose to gamble, please do so responsibly and only with money you can afford to lose. Never chase losses.

Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER. Free, confidential help is available 24/7.

If you feel your gambling is out of control, please stop using the Service and reach out for help. You can ask us to remove you from our email list at any time.

8. How we count our track record

We publish a public track record so you can judge our results for yourself. Here is how we count it:

  • Every graded pick counts. Each pick we publish is recorded as a win or a loss once the game is final.
  • We keep our losses. We do not delete, hide, or re-grade losing picks.
  • Pushes are excluded. A pick that ties the line (a “push”) is not counted as a win or a loss and is left out of the win percentage. [CONFIRM: also how voids, cancelled or postponed games, and “No Play” verdicts are treated.]
  • Lines used. Picks are graded against [the line shown at the time the pick was published / DESCRIBE LINE SOURCE AND TIMING]. The line you can get may be different.
  • Start date. The record begins on [RECORD START DATE].
  • Win percentage alone is not profit. A high win rate can still lose money, for example when many picks are heavy favorites. [IF ADDED: We also show results in units and return on investment (ROI) based on [STANDARD STAKE, e.g., 1 unit per pick].]

Our full methodology is described on our Method page. If we change how we count the record, we will say so on the record page.

9. Third-party data, including sportsbook lines

The Service shows information from third parties, such as sportsbook odds and lines, schedules, scores, and statistics. This information:

  • is provided “as is” and may be delayed, inaccurate, or incomplete;
  • may change at any time without notice, and the line available to you may differ from what we show; and
  • is not controlled or endorsed by us.

Always check the current line directly with any sportsbook before acting. Any links to third-party sites are for convenience only, and we are not responsible for their content or practices. Sportsbook names and marks belong to their owners and are used only to identify them. [CONFIRM: license or terms for the odds data source.]

10. Our content and your limited license

The Service and its content, including picks, projections, fair lines, verdicts, write-ups, data compilations, design, logos, and the name “Not The Books,” belong to [ENTITY NAME, LLC] or its licensors and are protected by copyright, trademark, and other laws.

We give you a limited, personal, non-exclusive, non-transferable, revocable license to view and use the Service for your own personal, non-commercial use.

You may not:

  • copy, resell, republish, or redistribute our picks or other content, including posting them to social media, group chats, Discord or Telegram channels, forums, or other websites, or sharing them with people who do not have their own access [ALLOW: limited sharing of free content with a link back to us?];
  • share your account or login, if any, with anyone else;
  • use our content to build, train, or improve a competing product or service, or any AI or machine-learning model; or
  • remove any copyright, trademark, or other notices.

11. Acceptable use

When using the Service, you agree not to:

  • break any law or help anyone else break the law;
  • use the Service if you are not eligible under Sections 3 and 4, or use tools such as VPNs to get around location restrictions;
  • scrape, crawl, or use automated tools to collect content or data from the Service without our written permission;
  • interfere with, disrupt, or try to gain unauthorized access to the Service or its systems;
  • upload or send viruses, spam, or harmful code;
  • impersonate anyone or misrepresent your relationship with us; or
  • harass, threaten, or abuse others, including in any comment or community feature we may offer.

12. Your feedback and submissions

If you send us ideas, comments, or other feedback, you agree we may use it freely, without paying you or giving you credit. If we later offer comments or other community features, you are responsible for what you post, and you give us permission to display it on the Service.

13. Disclaimer of warranties

THE SERVICE AND ALL CONTENT ARE PROVIDED “AS IS” AND “AS AVAILABLE,” WITHOUT WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, WHETHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, ACCURACY, AND NON-INFRINGEMENT. WE DO NOT PROMISE THAT THE SERVICE WILL BE ACCURATE, UNINTERRUPTED, ERROR-FREE, OR SECURE, OR THAT ANY PICK WILL WIN.

Some jurisdictions do not allow certain warranty disclaimers, so some of the above may not apply to you.

14. No liability for betting losses; limitation of liability

We are not responsible for any money you lose betting, or for any other loss that comes from your decisions, whether or not you relied on the Service.

TO THE FULLEST EXTENT ALLOWED BY LAW, [ENTITY NAME, LLC] AND ITS OWNERS, MEMBERS, CONTRIBUTORS, AND SERVICE PROVIDERS WILL NOT BE LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES, OR FOR ANY LOSS OF PROFITS, WAGERS, WINNINGS, MONEY, DATA, OR GOODWILL, ARISING FROM OR RELATED TO THE SERVICE OR THESE TERMS.

OUR TOTAL LIABILITY FOR ANY CLAIM RELATED TO THE SERVICE OR THESE TERMS IS LIMITED TO THE GREATER OF (A) THE AMOUNT YOU PAID US FOR THE SERVICE IN THE 12 MONTHS BEFORE THE CLAIM, OR (B) [$100]. [COUNSEL: confirm cap amount.]

Some jurisdictions do not allow these limits, so some of them may not apply to you.

15. Indemnity

You agree to defend, indemnify, and hold harmless [ENTITY NAME, LLC] and its owners, members, contributors, and service providers from any claims, losses, and costs (including reasonable attorneys’ fees) arising from your use of the Service, your violation of these Terms, or your violation of any law or the rights of anyone else.

16. Changes to the Service and these Terms

We may change, pause, or stop any part of the Service at any time.

We may update these Terms from time to time. When we do, we will change the “Last updated” date above, and for important changes we will try to give notice, such as by email or a notice on the site. If you keep using the Service after the changes take effect, you accept the updated Terms. [IF PAID: changes to price or renewal terms follow the Paid Subscription Terms below.]

17. Ending your use

You can stop using the Service at any time and unsubscribe from our emails using the link in any email.

We may suspend or end your access at any time, with or without notice, if we believe you have broken these Terms, if required by law, or if we stop offering the Service. Sections that by their nature should survive (including Sections 6, 8 through 10, and 13 through 19) will continue after your access ends.

18. Governing law and venue

These Terms are governed by the laws of the State of Florida, without regard to its conflict-of-law rules. [COUNSEL: confirm governing law.]

Subject to Section 19, any lawsuit about the Service or these Terms must be brought in the state or federal courts located in [COUNTY] County, Florida, and you and we agree to the personal jurisdiction of those courts. [COUNSEL: confirm venue; Sarasota County is the likely choice.]

19. Resolving disputes

If you have a problem with the Service, please contact us first at [CONTACT EMAIL]. We will try in good faith to resolve it informally within 30 days before either of us starts a formal proceeding.

Either of us may bring a qualifying claim in small claims court.

[COUNSEL DECISION: whether to add binding individual arbitration and a class-action waiver here, and, if so, the arbitration provider, rules, opt-out window, and fee terms. Not included in this draft.]

20. General terms

  • Entire agreement. These Terms, together with our Privacy Policy [and the Paid Subscription Terms, once active], are the whole agreement between you and us about the Service.
  • Severability. If any part of these Terms is found unenforceable, the rest stays in effect.
  • No waiver. If we do not enforce a part of these Terms, that does not mean we give up the right to enforce it later.
  • Assignment. You may not transfer your rights under these Terms. We may transfer ours, for example as part of a sale or reorganization of the business.

Contact us

Questions about these Terms? Contact us at:

[ENTITY NAME, LLC]
[MAILING ADDRESS]
Sarasota, Florida
[CONTACT EMAIL]

For entertainment purposes only. 21+. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER.