SBR review: BetIslands

BetIslands to close with player funds

BetIslands Sportsbook is no longer solvent. The sportsbook has lost its financial backer. Contingency plans have proved to be nonexistent. Player balances are estimated to be in the amount of 1.5 million dollars.

Rating Change: BetIslands

BetIslands Sportsbook downgraded from C to F

BetIslands Sportsbook

BetIslands Sportsbook (SBR rating C) reported processor delays to players on Thursday. Players were told that payouts would go out today, Monday December 17th, but no reports of completed withdrawals were received. BetIslands has not yet offered an update to players or SBR. SBR will update this report as more information is available.

Rating Change: BetIslands

BetIslands Sportsbook downgraded from B to C

BetIslands Sportsbook website currently down

Update 12AM CST: BetIslands is back online.

Update 8PM CST: BetIslands tells SBR the server related outage should be resolved within two hours. The BetIslands Sportsbook (SBR rating B) website and its mirror are currently inaccessible. Players are able to call in for CS or to place wagers by dialing 1-877-314-6605. SBR will update this report as more information becomes available on the status of the website.

BetIslands Sportsbook temporarily offline

UPDATE 1:05PM CST: BetIslands is back online. The BetIslands Sportsbook (SBR rating B) homepage is currently down. Management tells SBR the site is expected to be back online momentarily. In the meantime, players can place bets as normal by calling in to 1-800-998-8632. SBR will update as the sportsbook comes back online.

BetIslands Sportsbook temporarily offline

The BetIslands Sportsbook (SBR rating B) homepage is currently down. Management tells SBR the site is expected to be back online momentarily. In the meantime, players can place bets as normal by calling in to 1-800-998-8632. SBR will update as the sportsbook comes back online.

BetIslands Sportsbook main website down

Update 9/28, 11:50am CST: BetIslands' main website is back online.

BetIslands Sportsbook (SBR rating B) asks players to access their website at www.betislands.mx for now. The BetIslands.ag domain is currently expired. BetIslands remains available to assist players with inquiries over telephone at 1-800-998-8740. BetIslands management has advised SBR that the regular website should be back online soon.

Vote for Top Sportsbooks: Forum poll closes Friday

The annual SBR Forum poster's poll for top sportsbooks closes end of day Friday, September 21st. Currently, the top five ranked sportsbooks as voted by users are 5Dimes (SBR rating A+), Pinnacle Sportsbook (SBR rating A+), Heritage Sportsbook (SBR rating A), Bookmaker/BetDSI (SBR rating A+), and BetIslands (SBR rating B). | Vote in poll

BetIslands Sportsbook website accessibility

Update 3:20PM CST: SBR spoke with BetIslands management to confirm the technical outage reported by some users. Normal access is expected to return soon; players are able to wager via telephone as normal.  BetIslands (SBR rating B+) users report difficulty logging into the website. SBR is following up with management for a technical update and advises those with questions to dial the sportsbook customer service directly at 1-800-998-8740. Alternatively, players may attempt to connect with BetIslands LiveChat.

BetIslands Sportsbook added to Reduced Juice List

BetIslands Sportsbook (SBR rating B) has been added to the reduced juice sportsbooks list. BetIslands rolled out this offering for the 2012-13 football season, though the reduced model extends across multiple sports. The sportsbook is also running a free half-point promotion, aiming to give bettors more value than a traditional shop. BetIslands completed its move into a larger wagering facility April 8th of this year.

View the full list of Reduced juice Sportsbooks.

BetIslands suffering from DDOS attacks

Update: BetIslands is online and can be accessed at www.betislands.mx. The sportsbook tells SBR that they have hired additional technical personnel and are changing internet providers as a result of the downtime.BetIslands (SBR rating B) has battled distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks off and on since May 8th. SBR reported that BetIslands management was bringing in a team of specialists to audit the network and make technical upgrades to protect against the attacks. The sportsbook is currently off-line again, but is continuing to accept player wagers via telephone at 1-800-998-8632. SBR will update as BetIslands comes back online.

BetIslands Sportsbook down

UPDATE 5/11 9:30 CST: BetIslands is back up. The sportsbook tells SBR that they have battle distributed denial of service (DDOS) attacks and will be bringing in a team of specialists to help the book improve  its DDOS defense.

UPDATE 5/11 6:30 CST: BetIslands is currently off-line again.

UPDATE: BetIslands is back online. BetIslands Sportsbook is currently down. SBR is following up with management to confirm the details of the technical outage. On May 8th, SBR reported that BetIslands website was offline for an extended period of time.

BetIslands website downtime

Update: BetIslands is back online. BetIslands (SBR rating B) website is currently experiencing server issues. Management confirmed the issue is being worked on by the IT department. Players are able to place a wager via telephone whilst the server issues are sorted. SBR will update this report as more information becomes available.

BetIslands website maintenance at 10PM ET

BetIslands (SBR rating B) website will be unavailable at approximately 10PM ET for software maintenance. On April 8th, SBR reported that the sportsbook was completing its move to a new wagering facility, and would be switching to proprietary sports and casino software. Due to user feedback regarding the sports platform, BetIslands made the decision to go back to using DGS for its book and casino offerings. Management tells SBR they will still add to the betting offerings using the old software and are simply responding to player feedback.  Players will not be able to wager by phone during the software maintenance, which is expected to run a couple hours.

iGaming Industry News - financial markets, Bwin, and BetIslands

SBR news correspondent Natalie Rydstrom reports on the latest in the iGaming industry. Natalie is joined by dispute analyst and legal mind "Justin7" to discuss highlights from his sportsbook dispute caseload. | Discuss sportsbook news video

BetIslands moving into new wagering facility

BetIslands (SBR rating B) management has informed SBR that the sportsbook is moving into their own wagering facility tonight. The sportsbook previously outsourced support in the Jazz Sports building. BetIslands tells SBR that its new, stand-alone facility is larger and will accommodate more employees.In addition to changing locations and server hosts, BetIslands tells SBR players more wagering options to choose from as well as new casino and sportsbook software. The sportsbook has used DGS software since its inception early 2011. At approximately 11PM ET, players will first notice downtime as the domain begins to point to the new web server. BetIslands focus will first be to import all player information. The BI mobile platform will be temporarily unavailable as the book develops a new version for its new software.

BetIslands updates web domain

BetIslands (SBR rating B) is the latest sportsbook to update their web domain. The Costa Rica based sportsbook can now be accessed at www.BetIslands.ag. The switch avoids legal headaches that have been associated recently with ".com" domains. BetIslands management tells SBR that website log-ins, features, and all customizations remain exactly as is. BetIslands offers live support, email and telephone assistance.

BetIslands was upgraded to the mark of B on November 3rd, 2011, after placing fifth in the SBR users poll of best sportsbooks. Player feedback has been positive on the sportsbook's customer service, payment times and bonus programs. Users that wish to share their experiences may write to SBR or post in the SBR Industry forum.

BetIslands maintenance notice

The BetIslands (SBR rating B) website will be unavailable shortly today for planned maintenance. Management tells SBR that the site is expected to be back online this afternoon. Players can make wagers by telephone by dialing 1-800-998-8740 during the off-line time.

Rating Change: BetIslands

BetIslands upgraded from B- to B

BetIslands Sportsbook receives rating upgrade

BetIslands (SBR rating B) players have continued to report positive experiences with the sportsbook. Much of the positive feedback surrounds General Manager "Jon Kreta", who prides himself on attention to detail and VIP service of player accounts. BetIslands is the youngest sportsbook to occupy a top five-slot in the SBR posters sportsbook poll. The biggest hurdle has been website uptime - in June of 2011 the sportsbook experienced downtime due to technical outages within their building. Since that time, BetIslands infrastructure and website performance has improved.

As a result of their efficiency, BetIslands Sportsbook has received another sportsbook rating upgrade. The last upgrade made on August 5th was posted after SBR verified that the operation is backed by established industry bookmakers. SBR will continue to evaluate customer service and payout feedback as the sportsbook grows. BetIslands players with feedback are asked to write to help@sportsbookreview.com; alternatively players may voice their feedback within the SBR Sportsbook & Industry forum.

BetIslands adds mobile betting platform

BetIslands Sportsbook (SBR rating B-) has rolled out a mobile betting platform. The comprehensive platform allows a full slate of wagering and is said to be compatible with all of the latest smartphones, as well as phones which can process online data. BetIslands management tells SBR that this is one of many new features that players can expect from the brand going forward. BetIslands was upgraded to B- on August 5th 2011 after consistent feedback from users on payout time, customer service and bonuses. SBR confirmed during the rating evaluation process that BetIslands is backed by established bookmakers.

    

Log into sportsbook       Select a Sport         Select a line          Enter wager           Wager confirmation
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Free football handicapping contests registering!

SBRforum's "Beat The Prick" football handicapping contest is back! Contestants will square off each week in an attempt to defeat "The Prick", the unkempt forum mascot known for his signature southern charm and pithy one-liners. "The Prick" makes four football picks at the start of each week, taking those picks off the board while forum contestants choose from that weekend's NFL and NCAAF slate of sides and totals. Those who outscore "The Prick" with a positive units record receive a weighted share of 50,000 SBR points per week. Standings are kept each week and at the conclusion of the contest the top eight finishers receive part of a whopping $10,000 prize. Contestants are mathematically eligible to claim the grand prize if they join the football handicapping contest prior to week four. The cash is paid to the winners with no strings attached after the 15th NFL week.

Another free, big prize handicapping contest is also registering for months one and two of the football year. The free SBRforum football contest is a picks pool that all users with valid SBRforum accounts are eligible to play, the unique contest offers prizes like a 55'' LG TV for first place (valued at more than $1,500), stereo equipment, laptops and more. All users must do is register for the free football contest here.
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BetIslands upgraded to B-

BetIslands was added to the SBR Rating Guide in March of this year. Since, SBR has had the opportunity to test the sportsbook, collect user feedback, and speak with majority owners. The veteran ownership group is respected within the industry. BetIslands has excelled with customer support and timely withdrawals. SBR will continue to monitor and evaluate the sportsbook as volume rises with popularity. Players' biggest complaint for the newly launched BetIslands site thus far has been website uptime, with two instances of hosting downtime during this baseball season. BetIslands management assures SBR that network upgrades have addressed this concern. BetIslands users are encourage to submit feedback to SportsbookReview.

Rating Change: BetIslands

BetIslands upgraded from C+ to B-

BetIslands & ABC Islands experiencing website difficulties

UPDATE — All sites are back online.

The Jazz Sports building, which hosts a number of sportsbooks including BetIslands (SBR rating C+), ABC Islands (SBR rating C-), and Jazz Sports (SBR rating C-) is again experiencing technical difficulties. On June 14th, 2011, SBR reported that the building suffered a power outage and all sportsbooks were temporarily off-line. Today, sportsbook players are redirected to backup sites when attempting to access each sportsbook homepage.

SBR will update this report.

Rating Change: BetIslands

BetIslands upgraded from C to C+

BetIslands sportsbook feedback

BetIslands sportsbook (SBR rating C+) players have submitted positive feedback in forum topic, 'BetIslands Sportsbook'. Players have commented that the Costa-Rica based sportsbook has extended good customer service and prompt payouts since coming under new ownership, and being assessed with a sportsbook rating earlier this year.

BetIslands is run by Jon Kreta— the former manager of WagerChief (SBR rating B-)—and is stationed in the Jazz Sports Group facility. Jazz provides BetIslands with hosting, wagering and IT support. BetIslands processing is run independentantly -- SBR has confirmed that BetIslands is backed by established bookmakers. BetIslands rating has been increased to C+.
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Jazz building, which hosts BetIslands & ABC Sportsbook, experiencing technical issues

UPDATE — The Jazz Sports Group websites are back online.

The Jazz Sports Group facility currently has a power outage, and backup power equipment has also not been functioning properly. SBR spoke with BetIslands (SBR rating C) management, who asked SBR to pass on their apologies to players. Management also tells SBR they are working with a local power company to resolve the issue, but currently do not have a time-line for when the three websites—BetIslands, JazzSports, ABC Islands—will be back online.
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Rating Change: BetIslands

BetIslands upgraded from C- to C

Insolvent QuickSilver Sportsbook now a Jazz turnkey book

Quicksilver Sports (SBR rating D-) has moved its operations from Jamaica to San Jose, Costa Rica, and is part of Jazz' DPT Sports Group platform.

The DPT Sports Group fully powers Jazz Sports, Looselines, and ABC Islands. DPT acts as a turnkey for QuickSilver Sports and BetIslands. Quicksilver is allegedly provided with customer service and wagering support. Jazz Sports (SBR rating C-) claims that Quicksilver is responsible for its own player processing. Quicksilver has failed to pay a player in six months, and has more than €20,000 in delinquent withdrawals since the fall of 2010. | DPT Sports Group history
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Rating Change: BetIslands

BetIslands - SBR initiates rating coverage at C-

BetIslands added to SBR sportsbook ratings guide

BetIslands.com has been added to the SBR sportsbook ratings guide at C-. BetIslands is managed by Jon Kreta, who founded WagerChief (SBR rating B-) in December of 2008. WagerChief was acquired by BetPhoenix (SBR rating B-) in July of 2009. In January of 2011, Jon officially left WagerChief to take over the BetIslands brand.

BetIslands is a turnkey on the DPT Sports Group platform, which also powers Jazz Sports (SBR rating C-), ABC Islands (SBR rating C-), and LooseLines (SBR rating C-).

DPT provides BetIslands with hosting, wagering and IT support. BetIslands performs its own processing, and does not accept players outside of the US and Canada. | BetIslands SBRforum statement