Know what IESnare is? Looking for ways to block it? This post covers the lot…

In short, IESnare is a controversial tool used by bookmakers to monitor their customers. If you’re focused on trading, it may impact you less, assuming you’re okay with bookmakers tracking your every move.

However, if you’re reducing premium charges or topping up profits with the occasional Arb, or matched bet, read on. I’ll give the best explanation possible along with the proven remedy to keep their dirty tricks at bay.

What Is IESnare?

IESnare is an analytical tool developed by Iovation to counter fraud and abuse, such as money laundering between accounts. IESnare tracks user information, including time spent on-site, other sites visited, IP addresses, and any other personal information it can gather. You can read more about ‘fraud prevention’ on their site.

That’s a totally legitimate and useful thing to be doing, right?

Of course… unless a bookmaker is considering its use for matters other than preventing crime.

Note: one of the things it tracks is other websites you visit. Perfect if you want to look for a user potentially arbing prices between bookmaker and betting exchange. A little naughty maybe.

Why Do Bookies Use IESnare?

Bookmakers prefer losing customers, which is no surprise. Before the internet, they kept account closures and restrictions on winning customers like Patrick Vietch under wraps. Occasionally, a news article would surface, but it was rarely discussed.

Now it seems to be pretty mainstream. The rise in betting exchanges has made it far easier for anyone to make a quick buck, be it through matched betting, arbing or trading. Unfortunately, programs like IESnare have made it easier for the bookies to close them down just as fast…

I’ve yet to see a bookie talk openly about IESnare. If they did they’d probably just quote the ‘doing their bit for fraud’ line.

It’s just part of the industry I guess, it seems to be common knowledge. By recording your internet history the bookies can quite clearly see what kind of user you are, profiling you in the process. If they suspect you’re a bit shrewder than the average user they may impose betting restrictions.

It’s exactly what happened to me when Bet365 limited me for winning.

How Do You Know If You’ve Been ‘Snared’?

To check if IESnare is active on your machine, simply run a quick search for ‘mpsnare’.

If the machine you’re on has been infected, it’ll soon show up. To remove IESnare is really quite simple, preventing catching it again is slightly harder.

If you’re regularly using bookies websites it’s likely to be a reoccurring issue, we’ll show you how to block it in a sec…

How do you remove IESnare? Easy. Just delete all the files that appear following the above search and it’s gone, simple. See the process below for some simple steps.

But how do you stop it from coming back? the slightly harder part…

How To Block IESnare (5 Step Process)

The first point to note is that you cannot prevent IESnare from being installed on your machine. However, you can stop it from sending back any data it gathers, rendering it useless.

To do this though, you need to change a couple of things. So, in 5 quick steps…

(you can enlarge any of the following images by clicking)

Step 1: Locating IESnare files.

1. Locate notepad via your machines start menu (bottom left).
2. Right-click notepad.
3. Select Run as administrator
4. You’ll be asked for additional permissions, click Yes.

The notepad will then open. Now, select File > Open (make sure All Files is selected, bottom right).

For the file path, cut and paste the following line: C:\Windows\System32\Drivers\Etc and hit open.

If you’re unsure where to post this line, see the image on the next step. The red box at the top is where you need to paste or type this line.

Step 2: Editing IESnare host file.

Once locating the correct file path from the previous step you’ll see a selection of files. You want to:

1. Right-click and select Properties (seen above).
2. Uncheck the tick box that specifies Read-Only.
3. Hit Apply, followed by OK.

Now, when opening your host’s file you will be presented with something like this:

Step 3: Paste the following.

Now we need to add some lines to your host’s file to block IESnare.

The link below contains all the lines, in order that needs to be added below the line 127.0.0.1 localhost. To avoid confusion, just click the link below, copy and paste.

Click this link for the text you need to paste.

After, you’ll be left with something looking like the following:

The red box denotes the text that has been added (found on the link above the image).

Step 4: Save and finish.

Your host file has now been edited appropriately in order to block IESnare from working on your machine. You just need to Save the file (with the new lines inside) and reboot your machine!

But it’d be foolish not to check the edit has not worked…

Step 5: Check IESnare is blocked for good.

You can check the block has worked by going to:

1. Start Menu.
2. Command Prompt (shown above).
3. Once open, type: ping mpsnare.iesnare.com

The reply should come back from 127.0.0.1 and look like:

…that’s it. All done!

 

Removing IESnare on MAC

While I don’t have a Mac, these steps should work for removing IESnare on a Mac device…

How to remove IESnare from a MAC machine:

1. You need to Launch Terminal, found in /Applications/Utilities. You can also launch through Spotlight.
2. When prompted to backup hosts to your documents folder add this: sudo cp /private/etc/hosts ~/Documents/hosts-backup.
3. Then, when prompted to open the host’s file, input this: sudo nano /private/etc/hosts.
4. You’ll have to add your administrator password for verification (it won’t be able to see it as typed on-screen). Hit enter.
5. When the host’s file has loaded up, navigate to the bottom to add the lines of code in the text file below these steps. Linked below.
6. Once added, hit Control+O and then enter to save your changes. Finally, hit Control+X to exit from nano.

The lines you require for input (point 5):

Download the text file here.

I’m Unsure Of This – Should I Block IESnare?

The above may seem like a bit of an effort, but it is worth it. Do you want the bookmakers spying on you 24/7?

Think of it like this; would you allow a hacker to stay on your computer and do nothing about it? The same logic applies to this. If you have come across IESnare on your computer, you have to get rid of it!

It will definitely affect your betting in the future.

Final Thought For IE Snare

No matter how you look at it, IESnare might have been created with good intentions to catch fraudsters. However, over time, the use of IESnare by bookmakers has become questionable. It wouldn’t have ended up in the mainstream media if there wasn’t any truth to the claims. A nasty way to do business, but the way the industry seems to be headed.

For you and I, the best course is to block IESnare regardless. There just isn’t any potential upside for the user. Some have even reported being gubbed by a bookmaker before placing a bet, believing it was because of the program. Make sure you get in there first so that doesn’t happen!

The more that become aware of IESnare, and how to block it the better. Feel free to use this post as an explanation to your friends that don’t understand. Word of mouth seems to be the only way the masses are to find out. You don’t often see it discussed on the racing channels, that’s for sure.

Related Article: BOOKIE BEATEN – Account Closed In Just 1 Day!

Additional Questions About IESnare:

How do I know if IESnare is on my computer?

You can detect IESnare by searching for “mpsnare” on your computer. If installed, files related to IESnare will appear in the search results. Just make sure you check all drives, particularly if you have partitioned your machine.

Can I prevent IESnare from being reinstalled?

While you cannot stop IESnare from being installed, you can block it from sending data back to the bookmaker. This involves editing your host files to block communication with IESnare servers. Detailed steps are provided in this article above.

Is blocking IESnare worth the effort?

Yes, blocking IESnare is recommended to protect your privacy and betting strategies. Allowing bookmakers to track your online activity can lead to account restrictions and reduced profitability from betting. In some cases the bookies might see it as a red flag, but at least you don’t have to go through all the problems after you won.

Does IESnare affect mobile devices?

IESnare can affect any device that you use to access bookmakers’ websites. It’s important to check and block it on all devices you use for matched betting, arbitrage or taking value bets.

Are there any risks in blocking IESnare?

Blocking IESnare is a measure to protect your privacy. However, it’s important to follow the instructions carefully to avoid disrupting other functionalities on your computer.