SPORTSBOOK REVIEW NEWSWIRES

Slow-paid Enterbet (SBR rating D) player receives $250; put on payment plan
The player tells SBR he was asked not to disclose the terms of the payment plan but states he is finally receiving favorable results and expects to paid in full by the beginning of the NFL season. Enterbet management has not responded directly to SBR's inquiry regarding this player. The account holder told SBR he was originally told that payouts were stalled because he was a "sharp player" and Enterbet was a book that aimed to service recreational bettors. The user is owed over $5,000. | Initial report

Player: The gentleman Palbo, is telling me that I had been label a wise guy player. And because of that, I will be slow paid. He tells me that I will not see another payout before the start of next NFL season. Along with that, he has reduce my online wagers from as much as $2k, to $50.

Two Lazerwager (SBR rating F) players confirm they have received partial payment. This is the first report of payment since SBR's visit to the troubled sportsbook in February.

10Bet (SBR C) unwilling to compensate player for canceled wagers
10Bet management states that because the player's wagers were canceled before the game, and he had time to rebet them, the decision is within the rights of the book's terms of service. 10Bet believes the player was working with other books to manipulate the market for the low volume soccer league. 10Bet concedes that the matter was not due to a "typing mistake." 10Bet has been lowered from B- to C after the second complaint of canceling pending wagers on odds that were not "obvious or gross errors." SBR suggested 10Bet pay the player for equity lost on the canceled wagers compared with less advantageous odds available when his wagers were canceled. 10Bet will remain under review. | Forum discussion

Sportsbook.com (SBR rating D-) yet to correct April 13th misgraded wagers
Players with losing wagers on Herzeliya vs. Beitar Jerusalem may contact SBR for help requesting a manual sportsbook account credit. The match was called before completion due to crowd violence. Sportsbook.com's rules state the match must be completed for the player to have action. SBR has already assisted one player correct his account however, the sportsbook has not applied credits to all deserving account holders. It is common for the Sportsbook.com Group to credit only the players who complain. Two players from Sportsbetting.com (SBR rating C-), which outsources its wagering and odds management to Sportsbook.com, are awaiting credits.

BetUS (SBR rating D+) informs player of $18,300 confiscation
The bettor made his first deposit of $1,000 in April which he lost. BetUs contacted him to give him a $100 bonus which he also lost. The player made a second deposit of $1,000 on April 18th. He then made winning parlay wagers that brought his account to $18,300. He was told by management that the BetUs credit card processor has informed them of a chargeback dispute with poker site, Ultimatebet, that it also services. The player claims BetUs told him in order to get a payout he would have to settle the dispute with Ultimatebet. The player sent Ultimatebet $2,000 which cleared the credit card dispute and reopened the account in good standing. After resolving the issue with Ultimatebet, BetUS told the player they are keeping his winnings.

Player: On 4/10 i made a deposit of 1000, on 4/18 i made a deposit of 1000. I made a 5 team parlay on 4/18 - mets,nationals,brewers, cardinals -1 1/2, and indians that paid off around 13k...on the same day i made a 2 team parlay, indians -1 1/2 and whitesox -1 1/2 that paid off around 3k...(a few smaller bets also but not significant) the next day i went to withdraw and they froze my account...when they unfroze it for an hour a week later when i cleared up everything i made a few bets and won another 1600 mostly on the laker-nuggets game 3...On April 29th I spoke to Dan and he told me he is "confiscating my account", "we dont want your business" and he will reverse the 2 charges that i made BETUS

LazerWager (SBR rating F) tells SBR that withdrawals have been processed
LazerWager: Hi Bill, As of today (Wednesday, May 7), every depositing player that had pending payouts has had their check processed and sent out up to $3,000 per customer. In fact, most of the customers have already received their payouts. Also, every player that is owed more than $3,000 will continue to be paid without delay.

To answer your question, I haven’t heard of any customers that haven’t been taken care of yet. If there are specific players that you know of that did not receive a payout or tracking number, then I would be more than happy to help them personally.

Players that have not already officially requested a payout are advised to do so immediately. Players who already have a pending payout are asked to contact SBR a week from today to report withdrawal status. SBR will continue to update and monitor payment status.

10Bet (SBR rating B-) cancels two soccer wagers citing "typing mistake"
The player has followed the line closely and believes the book cancels wagers when the line has moved in the player's favor. Competing bookmakers have stated that the price was in range of the betting market and that their line was similar at the time of the wager. 10Bet has not responded to the player's request to discuss the matter.

Nordicbet: Hi,I can confirm that **** is correct. It is also correct that Nordicbet had several odds changes on those matches, active risk management, but no misprint!
Best Regards,
Nordic Gaming Group Ltd.

Player to 10Bet: This was no typing mistake, your cancellation is a blantant violation of your own rules.

The Vadmyra match:
Your odds opened at 2.89 and was later slashed to 2.57, which I played. You currently offer 2.13. Nordicbet opened at 3.10, then slashed to 2.85, 2.65 and now offer 2.15. Bwin opened at 2.85 then slashed to 2.55 and now offer 2.10. There has been market changes on the match - but misprint? No way.

The Lyngbø match:
Your odds opened at 3.88 and was later slashed to 3.02 which I played. You currently offer 2.34. Nordicbet opened at 4.40 then slashed to 3.80, 3.45, 3.15 and now offer 2.35 Bwin opened at 3.80 then slashed to 3,00 and currently offer 2.30.
Again - obvious that it's just ***** that this was a typing mistake. Please respond to this message and re-activate my bets before the matches start.

SBR has asked 10Bet's General Manager to review the player's complaint and provide evidence that there was indeed an obvious error. A different 10bet user submitted a similar complaint two months earlier. Management defended 10bet's decision to cancel that wager prior to the match, saying that the line was temporarily moved the wrong way, opposite the changing market. The player and the book dispute whether the player bet the line in a window of a 30 seconds before the erroneous odds change was reversed.

Enterbet (SBR rating D) player reports payouts stalled by accounting department
This is the second player to report being strung along in just over a month. The account holder who filed a complaint in April was paid in full shortly after SBR's report.

Player: I am asking your help with a very slow paying sportsbook, enterbet.com. I have a current balance of $5610, of which I have been trying to cash out since last year NBA season. I have received only two payments this year, amounting to only $500. The problem is, I have been trying to cash out all my funds.

The deposit-only operation closed its other scam sportsbook, AtlantisBets (SBR rating F-), last month. DunHill Casino (SBR rating F-), which closed sometime this past week, stole at least $20,100 in deposits since entering the SBR rating guide at F in March. It is likely a new sportsbook website without a tainted reputation is already online and soliciting deposits with the help of fake professional handicappers. Sources in Costa Rica are searching for more information about the con artists and their online scams.

BetSBI (SBR rating D+) fails to pay scammed players after repeated promises
A BetSBI (Sports Betting International) representative contacted multiple players setting them up with a line of wagering credit. Players won approximately $2,000 and filed a complaint with SBR when their contact was no longer answering his phone. The sportsbook's manager told SBR that the agent gave other players credit as well and those players lost over $15,000. Since those players refused to pay the agent he was unwilling to pay the unrelated winning account holders. The sportsbook's manager gave multiple dates for when it would step in and pay the players if the issue could not be resolved directly with the agent. After assuring both the players and SBR that the accounts would eventually be paid, SBI has gone back on its word. Players should be aware that BetSBI, which claims it no longer has post-up players, works with rogue agents and may be facilitating a scam.

BetChance (SBR rating D-) scam continues after scattered payouts
Many players who filed a complaint reported payment at the start of April. BetChance failed to pay players at the close of 2007 and beginning of this year. The sportsbook was upgraded from F to D- in April to reflect the possibility of payment. Players have since wrote to SBR strongly objecting to the sportsbook having a rating above F-. BetChance payouts have not continued while its marketing campaign has. BetChance is telling players they are only able to withdraw the amount they deposited. The result is new players depositing in an effort to win money the book will not pay.

Player to BetChance: I am still waiting on a response to my email from 31st January 2008 (10 weeks ago !!!). Furthermore there are 5 open withdrawals over 5000 Euro in total. Please let me know within 7 days when you will payout this amount. Please regard that sportsbookreview.com has changed your rating from F to D- on 7th April and I think that you won't be pleased if your rating will changed again to F.

SBRforum: May Baseball Handicapping Contest Open
Players will pick one underdog a day for a minimum of 20 days in May. Each player will also include a write-up on why he/she likes the play. The final day to enter the contest is May 12th. Review rules and prizes here.

Congratulations to Poster rjt721 who won 1st place in the April Big Unit Baseball Contest with +14 units. trytrytry took second with over 13 units. Oakas took third at +12.73. Poster Turnip managed to hold on to last place to win the $50 boobie prize! | Full standings

Sportsbetting.com (SBR rating C-) players submit complaints
The sportsbook has been behind in payments since it stopped using Sportsbook.com (SBR rating D-) accounting service in December of last year. Over 25 users have submitted payout complaints within the past month. The majority of these players are most alarmed by the lack of communication with the sportsbook, saying they are continually promised updates by email and phone that never arrive. SBR can verify that players have been paid five figures. Recent history suggest players who are waiting will be paid within two months.
Player waiting for $2,500: They literally have provided zero updates. The call center "pros" keep giving the same empty assurances and "we understand your frustration" pleasantries, but there has been exactly zero word from the actual withdrawal department about when they are going to re-issue a check. | Player discussion

Player vs. BetWay Resolution
Betway (SBR rating C) has credited the player for the full winnings as well as a bonus for the inconvenience. Betway apologized to the player and states that the software issue has been addressed.
BetWay: I have gone through your case with the relevant person and we chose to refund your winnings to your account. We truly apologize for the inconvenience. We have had some difficulties with the new site, but as everything new, it's hard to get things to run smoothly from the start. It seems now though, that we are close to be back on track again. And we are extremely exited with that. We hope you find this acceptable and wish you a great day. Warm Regards
original complaint | Betway discussion

SCAM ALERT: New online casino, FruitnLoot launched by ownership of closed sportsbook scam Apex Sports (SBR rating F-). Stolen Apex player funds were used to start these new casinos and sportsbooks such as Bet33 (SBR rating F).

BetSuperior enters the SBR rating guide at D+. BetSuperior is a new sportsbook from the Costa Rica-based operation that formerly ran BlueGrass Sports (BetBG.com). Superior is the only post-up sportsbook from the Bluegrass Group. BetSuperior is not to be confused with defunct Superiorbook which was bailed out by Bookmaker (SBR rating A+) in August of 2007. SBR will monitor BetSuperior and analyze all available player feedback.

BetWay tells player his wager was 150 euros above the limit and will not stand. The decision was made despite that Betway confirmed the wager, deducted the funds for the pending bet, and addressed the issue after his funds were already risked. Betway apologized to the player for what it calls a system malfunction, but refused to pay winnings in full. Players should be aware that recent software upgrades have caused the website to perform incorrectly and players may be held responsible for errors.

Bookmaker (SBR rating A+) testing new wagering interface
Current users can log in and view the platform in beta here. Bookmaker is encouraging customers to send feedback through the beta site's feedback form.

BetOnSportsbook enters the SBR Rating Guide with an F rating. BetOnSportsbook is part of the EZ Sports Group. The most recent EZ Sports complaint came from a player with sister book Vegas-Sportsbetting (SBR rating F) in February. The player won almost $5,000 on a Giants Super Bowl futures wager. Shortly after requesting his winnings he was locked out of his account. The group has stiffed big futures winners in the past. The scam allows the book to take continous action on multiple teams through out the season, eventually stiffing only the backers of the championship team. The majority of the EZ future bet bettors never realize they risked funds without a chance of winning.

BetCasinoAndSports, new Capilleira sportsbook, enters the SBR rating Guide at D-
Capilleira closed the majority of its post-up sportsbooks in March following the collapse of BigJuicyOdds (SBR rating F). Capilleira hosted the website and provided wagering and some payment processing for its webmaster client. The turnkey provider left only Ultimate-Odds (SBR rating D-) online. BetCasinoAndSports is now one of two active Capilleira books indexed in the SBR rating guide.

PitBossPlayer, second F rated Futurebet sportsbook to enter the rating guide this week. The new rating guide entry is the result of a player reading the warning for BetBig247 (SBR rating F), matching the customer service phone number, and inquiring with SBR. Players are urged to steer clear of any book they believe may be affiliated with Futurebet. One of the group's phone numbers often used is 800-809-9460. Email may use the domain @PlayerSupport.com.

SCAM Alert: BetBig247 enters the SBR Rating Guide at F. BetBig247 is a new sportsbook from Futurebet, now calling itself IGaming Software. Futurebet is servicing multiple no-pay sportsbooks like SportsbookUSA (SBR rating F) and MonkeyBet (SBR rating F). MonkeyBet, which remains online as a deposit-only sportsbook website, is marketing 100% bonuses. The Futurebet Group is currently the largest sportsbook scam online.

No-Pay book, LazerWager (SBR rating F) continues to advertise while stalling owed players
LazerWager management told SBR during our office visit in February that the book was waiting for a refund from its credit card processor and if it was not apparent that the funds would be returned, ownership would provide money needed to pay users. LazerWager then told SBR that payment should be expected in early April. Over the last month the book has maintained that the funds are being transferred. During this time LW continued to advertise to players it cannot pay. It has become clear the book hopes to market its way out of this debt and stay out of its own pockets. LazerWager should be considered a scam company currently funded by player deposits. LazerWager staff has told SBR that the book is owned by GPS Global SA, also known as Evolution Sports Data Processing (evodp.com). | SBRforum Discussion

Online scam book Atlantisbets (SBR rating F-) disappears. The sports tout and sportsbook scam combination conned players into depositing at least $40,000 before closing with account balances. It is likely the thieves will close affiliated website DunHillCasino and has already started building new "sportsbooks" to target new victims.

Player vs. GamblersPalace (SBR rating C)
A GamblersPalace user is told that because he has requested a withdrawal he was ineligible for, due to rollover restrictions, he must redo his seven-time rollover (play-through of deposit + bonus) from the beginning. GamblersPalace does not list any rules about restarting the wagering requirement in its bonus terms. SBR does not have any other complaints filed against Gamblers Palace which was upgraded twice in 2007.

DimeLine Sports (SBR rating D) player tells SBR he is waiting for checks requested in November and January of this year and states that the book has failed to return his emails. A second player complains that he has waited for five weeks for a withdrawal. SBR to report on status of slow-pay complaints.

Player: First they tell me to roll over one more time which I did - then they say that I haven't re-submitted the withdrawal request so I did that - then they tell me that the check is in the post... 5 weeks later it hasn't arrived yet and they just ignore all my emails.

Bet1128 (SBR rating C-) Chilean League wager dispute update: Bet1128 credited players for winning wagers that were initially canceled. SBR has asked Bet1128 to review previous complaints of unjustly canceled wagers.

Bet1128 (SBR rating C-) voids wagers after lines change in players' favor
SBR received five complaints from Bet1128 players who had valid bets canceled in 2007. Bet1128 has claimed that linesmakers made "an obvious error" when they fail to move the line with the betting market.

Player on 3/13/08: Yesterday I was treated unfairly by bet1128 (bet1128.com - former Paradisebet). They voided my bets on Chilean League match Palestino vs Huachipato claiming there was a mistake in the odds. This however clearly was not the case. True that at the time I placed these bets their odd for away team was above market average. Their were among the last to keep it that high. But this was caused by general line movement on this game yesterday morning and surely not by oddsmaker's mistake. I placed two bets around 06:30 GMT and they voided them almost three hours later when these bets were indeed in quite a contrast with market average odd. I intervened by sending an e-mail and on live chat service but to no avail. I am not expecting you to waste your time to take up this case with them as I am fully aware they have a history of such practices and the chance to reverse the decision (one bet would be won) is minimal. My main point is that a wider public read this and know what they can expect from this sportsbook.

Player 2: The draw was available at 3.6-3.8 in a few places and Huachipato at 5.5-5.80 in a few places as well. What it happened is that there was a very big move on the odds in that match and they got caught as many other bookmakers.But instead of honour their odds as everyone does they just claim that their odds were wrong and they void all bets. I think this is totally unacceptable and I would like you to make public their decision in your website and review their rating accordingly.

BetJamaica (SBR rating A+) adds LiveChat customer service
Players can view SBR's full list of sportsbooks that offer LiveChat here.

BetChance (SBR rating D-) pays two more players a total of 6000 euros
The Malta-based sportsbook has been upgraded to D- due to possibility of payment. Users also report faster line movement keeping the book in line with the market's betting odds.
A player from closed sportsbook, Playbanks (SBR rating F) which is also located in Malta, reports receiving funds. Lotteries and Gaming Authority of Malta made the payment on behalf of PB International.

Internet1x2 (SBR rating D+) resolves reported slow-pay issues but new complaints received in March
Players complain that the bookmaker seldom replies to emails and when it does, it serves canned check-is-in-the-mail responses. Slow-paid players are urged to contact SBR so we may continue to monitor Internet1x2 withdrawal delays.

Player: I have requested a withdrawal Neteller is 5000 USD, 2007/12/16 and a second withdrawal is 3500 USD at 2008/3/11, The total I requested is 8500 USD. Both withdrawals are still pending. Write to them not long reply, later said:
"We are sorry for the delay. Your details were forward to our account department and your payout will proccess soon."(at 2/11/2008)

another..

"Your details were allready forward to our account department. Your payout will proccess soon, we will update you."(at 3/11/2008) Can you please help me in getting my funds?

BookYourBet (SBR rating F) player requesting payment for one month
BookYourBet is the last Atlantic West Gaming sportsbook online. Players who had a balance with sister books that have disappeared will likely find their balance by logging in. All AWG books were connected to the same database. This player found his $5,000 previously held with AWG's DublinDownSports. BookYourBet, today downgraded to F, has not answered phones or emails.

New BetOnUSA (SBR rating D-) player comes forward with claim for $29,000
BetOnUSA stiffed multiple players for at least $200,000 when moving its websites from the Sportsbook.com Group (Jazette Enterprises Ltd) to already slow-paying operation, Futurebet. This latest claim is for just over $29,000. BetOnUSA has told winners that these large debts belong to the Sportsbook.com Group. In late 2007 BetOnUSA forced a player to settle for slightly more than half of his six-figure casino jackpot, claiming that Sportsbook.com, who was providing hosting and software to BetOnUSA at the time, was responsible for those funds.

Player: In summary, when Betonusa.com went down last year, my account balance was $21,723 and the sum of 3 pending checks I did not receive amounted to $7381. Once the plug was pulled at BETONUSA I never did gain access to my account again, so the above figure represents my best estimate of the balance based on a diary of my wagering activities. The figure for the 3 checks is accurate and I will be more than willing to provide withdrawal receipts if requested. When the site came back up, I could not log into my acount and my balance disappeared.

Enterbet (SBR rating D) slow-pays player $2,000. The bettor has been waiting since March 4th for his funds. Despite repeatedly being told he would be paid for each of the last four weeks, the funds have not been debited from his account balance. This is Enterbet's first withdrawal complaint since August of last year.

Update: Player receives full payment

Hollywood Sportsbook (SBR rating D-) cancels player's $2000 winning wager
A Hollywood player accidently placed a wager on the wrong team. He asked customer service if he could cancel the wager, was told that it was not possible, and was advised to wager on the other side of the match to eliminate the risk and "only lose the juice." The player waited until minutes before the game's start time and made a would-be losing wager on the other team. Hollywood canceled the winning wager during the game. Despite wagering logs showing the book did unjustly cancel the bet after start time it denied the player's request to review the phone logs confirming the bet would stand. Hollywood initially told the player it would investigate the matter in February but is no longer responding. SBR has added the claim to the list of pending issues filed by the Sportsbook.com Group's players. Hollywood was acquired by Sportsbook.com in May of 2006.

SportFanatik (SBR rating D-) player accepts $10 free-bets; book confiscates $820
Sportfanatik shares the same ownership and management as Sportsbook.com (SBR rating D-). The Sportsbook.com Group regularly refers to these $10 free-bet offers as a reason the bettor is not entitled to his/her balance, claiming the user violated the bonus rules or "the spirit of the promotion." The scam is always used on winning players who are often debited for more than they have received in bonuses over the life of the account. Even long-time Sportsbook.com account holders should use caution. The book has proven it will attempt to increase profit margins by stealing funds from players with positive balances who are no longer perceived to be profitbale. Other recent scams include voiding winnings on parlays and stealing five and six figure balances from winners who used different sportsbooks within the Sportsbook.com family.

Player: I have a problem with sportfanatik in that my account has been disabled ,there was a small balance of $20 and a pending bet of 800/1000 San Antonio for NBA champs ,reason being they are accusing me of playing both sides in the weekly free $10 bet . I have an acc with Hollywood as well but I didn’t realise they were connected , I thought it strange that they would offer the same proposition but I did take the free bets most weeks ,as I had no opinion of the propositions I mainly ticked the boxes at random and obviously at times they would differ . For at least a year I have only been taking the free bet with sportfanatik and one is only allowed 1 free bet per week so it is strange that this complaint should surface now . I fail to understand how they can adopt such stringent measures and if they are legally entitled to cancel my bet and confiscate my funds. Hoping that you can assist in this matter

SBR confirms DunHillCasino is part of scam sportsbook operation AtlantisBets (SBR rating F-)
SBR has already published a press release on the AtlantisBets scam. DunHillCasino was added to the Sportsbook Review rating guide at F- today.

SBRforum's baseball analyst, Willie Bee previews the 2008 MLB Baseball Season
Read about team offenses, pitching and key players as well as Willie's opinion on how teams stack up against the bookmaker’s season win total line. Willie Bee took a look at each club's chances going into the mlb season. Today's preview: Seattle Mariners, Anxious in Seatle

More MLB Team Previews: Arizona Diamondbacks - Atlanta Braves - Baltimore Orioles - Boston Red Sox - Chicago Cubs - Chicago White Sox - Cincinnati Reds - Cleveland Indians - Colorado Rockies - Detroit Tigers - Florida Marlins - Houston Astros - Kansas City Royals - Los Angeles Angels - Los Angeles Dodgers - Milwaukee Brewers - Minnesota Twins - New York Mets - New York Yankees - Oakland Athletics - Philadelphia Phillies - Pittsburgh Pirates - St. Louis Cardinals - San Diego Padres - San Francisco Giants - Seattle Mariners

BetOnline (SBR rating A-) also battling website attack. Management tells SBR they are working diligently to resolve the matter and expect to have a solution in place shortly. Players may call 1-800-841-9751 for customer service, or 1-888-238-5808 for wagering or use the BetOnline LiveChat.

Player will likely find other sportsbooks are fighting attacks from extortionists this weekend. The Denial of Service attacks are caused by excessive requests to a website's server which in turn leaves little or no resources for legitimate user traffic. The sportsbook's information and databases are not "hacked" or compromised. Bettors can find a list of all LiveChat links here as well as all sportsbook phone numbers here. SBR readers can report website downtime here.

SkyBook (SBR rating B) website under Denial of Service attack. Players can contact the book by calling 888-759-2665 or 800-809-3246 or through LiveChat here. Players can track the book's progress against the attack: Skybook Website Monitor

SCAM ALERT: SBR investigating new sportsbook, DunHillCasino. Sources suggest the book is owned by scam operation AtlantisBets (SBR rating F).

BetWay (SBR rating C) credits both players with winning wagers.

BetWay (SBR rating C) cancels winning wager 90 minutes after match
Player: The match ended 2-1, so my bet was won. A few minutes after the match had ended, I had a look at may account history and the bet was still declared as "pending".

Tonight I had another look at my account and now the bet was declared "void". At 19.15 h (about 90 minutes after the finale whistle!!) betway had decided to void my bet and refund my stake without any winnings. This was without any obvious reason, there were definitely no problems with this match (no fixed game etc.) and betway´s odd was similiar to the odds of other bookmakers. I wrote an email to betway and asked them about this and they told me (unfortunately in German) that there was an "unexpected problem" with this bet and so they had to cancel it: | The complaint mirrors one reported in February discussed here: Player vs. BetWay

SBRforum: April Baseball Handicapping Contest
SBRforum posters win cash in their 5Dimes (SBR rating A) account for finishing in the top 10 as well as for coming in last. Players with a poor start have the option to play to lose. | Join and view rules here

Corrected Report 3/25/2008 5:22:13 PM: Fiestabet enters the SBR rating guide at C. The sportsbook's website is in Spanish and is a turnkey sportsbook hosted by BetEd (SBR rating B-), located in Costa Rica. The operation uses BetEd's proprietary software called ThrillX. BetEd and ThrillX Systems do not stand for FiestaBet player funds. | Original FiestaBet Report

EZ Sports Group takes MTL Sports (SBR rating F) off-line; accounts merged with BetOnSportsOnline (SBR rating F). MTL was identified as an EZ brand in November of last year.