SBR review: Rio

MooreGames off-line with players funds

MooreGames (unrated) is off-line. Six players have reported being owed over $5,000. Prior to going off-line, MooreGames had been slow-paying its players. The sportsbook claimed to be sub-licensed in Curacao, though its web server point to the United Kingdom. The location of the company's sportsbook servers are unknown. SBR is investigating.  | Read more

Legends Sports player balances to be assumed

Legends Sports (SBR rating A+) gaming license has been revoked in Panama. As a result, Legends has ceased accepting wagers and is in the process of implementing their contingency plan having player funds assumed by an A rated sportsbook. Players will be contacted within 48 hours with new account information. A minimal 2X play-through will be required prior to any cashout. This balance takeover is for players that held deposited funds with Legends; not users that had private arrangements.  | Read more

ESPN tells story of Pro NBA bettor

Every sports gambler believes he has an edge. From thinking their ability to assess stats in the local newspaper is superior to the next man, or that their spreadsheets with game scores and spread history will be a key to predicting future matches: There are a million systems and even more dreams dashed from gamblers who almost struck it big. Well, a guy named Bob Voulgaris did.  | Read more

NJ lawmakers pass iGaming bill, ball in Gov.'s court

NJ lawmakers have passed internet gambling bill A2578. The legislation has now moved to Governor Chris Christie's desk. Christie could decide to sign the bill today. Christie originally conditionally vetoed the bill and asked for a number of changes, which were unanimously agreed upon, including raising the tax on casino winnings from 10 to 15%, a 10-year trial period for the legislation and more.  | Read more

Pinnacle Sportsbook maintenance

Update 12:30PM ET: Full online access has been restored to the Pinnacle Sportsbook website. Players are free to log-in and place wagers as normal. Pinnacle Sportsbook (SBR rating A+) is currently performing maintenance. Players are unable to log-in during this period. SBR will update this report as the maintenance is complete.

PlatinumSB domain shut off by Canadian authorities

The PlatinumSB.com (SBR rating D+) website has been shut down following the approval of a court order issued by the Attorney General's office of Ontario, Canada. The website PlatinumSB.com was reportedly controlled by several individuals operating from the Thornhill area. A search warrant was executed at a gambling event held at Le Perc Banquet Hall, where several arrests were made.  | Read more

BetPhoenix payout feedback wanted

A BetPhoenix (SBR rating C) player reports that after more than two years, his $129,000 balance has nearly been withdrawn in full. The player tells SBR that the payment plan was at times slow-moving, with each payout request being accompanied by a $100 fee. A second BetPhoenix player reported publicly on a $100,000 balance being paid by BetPhoenix over a period of seventeen months. SBR notes that the two players were deemed non-recreational by the sportsbook. SBR encourages users who bet both big and small to submit payout feedback from BetPhoenix Sportsbook.

Intrade to leave US market

Intrade, the popular online trading exchange, will no longer serve the US market. In a letter explaining the decision to account holders, Intrade cited mounting legal and regulatory pressure. US customers have been instructed to close all open predictions and withdraw their balances prior to December 31st.  | Read more

BetRevolution addresses NFL betting dispute

Earlier today, SBR reported on a BetRevolution (SBR rating D+) NFL betting dispute. A punter had his wager voided rather than settled, with a generic e-mail note indicating that such cancellations are normally attributable to pricing mistakes. SBR verified that the bet was in-line with the market prior to closing, and approximately 20¢ behind at kick-off.  | Read more

TitanBet Sportsbook live betting dispute

A TitanBet Sportsbook (SBR rating C-) player submits a live betting dispute. The player claims that he placed a wager on Sweden-England on 11/14/2012 on the Over 4.5 goals at 2-2, prior to a free kick was awarded where the odds shifted from 2.88 to 3. The player claims that after the event was finished, TitanBet voided his wager. SBR is following up on this dispute.

Sportsbook scam alert on WagerMadness

WagerMadness (SBR rating F) has been added to the sportsbook blacklist. WagerMadness is run on the same platform as notorious no-pay scam sportsbook BetCascade (SBR rating F). SBR urges players to avoid the sportsbook and take note of the SBR ratings guide. BetCascade Sportsbook owes players millions of dollars.  | Read more

Heritage Sports to add poker room

Heritage Sports (SBR rating A-) is set to launch its poker room for members later this week. Heritage will be using the popular BetCRIS poker network. Heritage users will be able to play in various cash game tables, small and large MTT's including weekly guaranteed cash events.  | Read more

PokerStars acquires Full Tilt Poker

Online poker giant PokerStars reached a settlement today with the US Department of Justice. As part of the settlement agreement, PokerStars will fully acquire former poker rival Full Tilt Poker for a reported $731 million. PokerStars will pay $547 million to the US Government over a three-year period.  | Read more

Legends server maintenance

Legends (SBR rating A+) will perform server maintenance from 2:00AM to 3:30AM ET. Management tells SBR that during this period the website will be unavailable. Legends apologizes for the temporary inconvenience and asks players with questions to contact them via Live Help, telephone, or email with any questions.

Professor I. Nelson Rose interview on US gambling, Pt 2

In part two of the SBR interview with US gaming law expert Professor I. Nelson Rose, the US online gambling landscape is discussed, as well as states that may be sleepers to introduce various forms of online gambling down the line. Professor Rose also speaks at length about news out of New Jersey and Gov. Chris Christie's bold claims.  | Read more

DoxxBet dispute update

A DoxxBet (SBR rating C+) manager has publicly addressed a payment dispute reported by SBR on June 6th. In this dispute, a player detailed being owed €2,140 through Moneybookers for a period of six days. The player noted that the DoxxBet website stated funds would be received in 36 hours from the time of the payment request.  | Read more

Betway sportsbook bonus scam: £7,244 confiscated

Betway (SBR rating D-) has confiscated £730 in player winnings. Betway is enforcing an unethical "gotcha" rule to strip players of their winnings. The Malta-licenced organisation has fleeced players out of £7,244 to date. The Lotteries and Gaming Authority (LGA) of Malta has notoriously stood back whilst operators conned players. Betway is on SBR's sportsbook blacklist.  | Read more

BetBoo players receiving poor service

BetBoo (SBR rating D) players submit various complaints. The player complaints range from wrongly settled markets, deposit issues, payout problems, and poor customer support. SBR has been unable to reach a BetBoo representative to discuss the cases. Players are advised to avoid doing business with the sportsbook until its current cases are sorted.  | Read more

Oddsmaker settles with player in $45K dispute

On February 22nd, 2012, SBR reported that Oddsmaker (SBR rating F) confiscated $45,000 from a winning bettor. The player wagered with Oddsmaker for approximately three years, having been a net loser (-$5,000) prior to the start of 2012. After going on the run of his life, Oddsmaker confiscated his winnings alleging that he was a professional gambler.  | Read more

Cashpoint dispute update

Cashpoint (SBR rating C-) has addressed the account dispute reported by SBR on May 13th. A player wrote SBR stating that his €877 balance was zeroed. He claimed to have played with Cashpoint off and on for a few years with no issues. He told SBR that after reading about a payment complaint reported a week prior, he decided to ask for his funds and noticed he had no money in his account.  | Read more

BetUS bonus dispute

A BetUS (SBR rating D+) submits a bonus complaint. The player tells SBR that he signed up, deposited $2,000 and took a starter bonus. He claims that after a period of successful play, BetUS closed his account and informed him that he was considered a non-recreational bettor. The player claims that the amount the sportsbook agreed to pay him was approximately $1,500 less than what he expected. The player does not know exactly how much left in bonus rollover he has as he is shut off from his account. SBR is following up on this complaint.

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.

Betsson acquires Nordic Gaming Group

Betsson (SBR rating C+) has agreed to acquire the Nordic Gaming Group. The Swedish operator's acquisition of the Maltese company includes brands NordicBet, TrioBet and ToBet. The move bolsters Betsson's market share in what are seen as emerging territories. On June 16th, 2011, SBR reported that Betsson acquired BetSafe Sportsbook for €32.5m.

In the deal, Betsson is to pay an initial price of €65m, which includes approximately €5m in company shares. In 2011, the Nordic Gaming Group had revenue of €50m.

Whilst the company appears to be strengthening, Betsson did make SBR headlines last month for its confiscation of €360 in an unusual dispute that involved a female gambler. SBR analyst Justin broke down the case in an iGaming video report.

BetPhoenix payout dispute

A BetPhoenix (SBR rating C) player states he has been attempting to be paid £3,000 for approximately three months. The player claims he first requested payment prior to New Year's. He was initially to be paid through Moneybookers in two batches, in line with an alleged £2,500 cap per week. The player placed the first payout request and was told he could place the remaining payment request after a week.  The player followed the sportsbook's instructions and his full balance was to be paid via Moneybookers in approximately 10 to 14 business days. Mid-January, the player followed up as no funds were received to Moneybookers. He was told that there were processor issues, but that he could expect the funds soon. In February, a botched bank transfer was allegedly made, which the player did not recieve. As of March 31st, 2012, he has still not been paid.

A second BetPhoenix player reports having a $38,000 balance and being on a payment plan. The player had received $5,000 a month previously, but received only $3,000 toward his balance in March. The player claims that he was told that being the slow season he could only receive $3,000 with a $100 fee.

BetPhoenix players with payment feedback are asked to write to help@sportsbookreview.com, or file a sportsbook complaint form.

EnterBet player from SBR report paid after nearly three years

An EnterBet (SBR rating D-) player who filed an SBR complaint on December 7th, 2011 has been paid. The player detailed in his claim against EnterBet that he had been owed $2,000 for approximately two years. The player had written off his chances at ever being paid from the notorious slow-pay outfit, which caters mostly to casino players these days. SBR contacted EnterBet on the player's behalf in December, but the case fell cold. On Monday, March 19th, 2012, an EnterBet manager contacted SBR stating that the claim had been settled. The player allegedly received an agreed upon amount, as records of his old balance were allegedly lost. SBR has contacted the player to confirm the amount paid and his acceptance of the reported deal.

Betsson confiscates €360 from player citing fraud

In this week's "Are you serious" segment, SBR moderator Justin7 focuses on a recent sportsbook dispute with Betsson (SBR rating C+). A Betsson player claims she had €360 confiscated after being accused of fraud. The player states that Betsson expressed doubts on her gender, citing that her voice was not consistent with a female. Justin expands on the sportsbook's unusual position in the below video report.

BetBoo player waits for his funds via Moneybookers

A BetBoo (SBR rating D) player files a withdrawal complaint. On January 19th, 2012, the player requested a withdrawal for £419. The player received a generic email telling him to expect his funds within 72 hours. BetBoo failed to make the payment in this time-frame. The player is waiting for his funds via Moneybookers. The player states that he has sent numerous emails to the sportsbook without receiving a reply.

On January 25th, 2012, SBR published a report asking BetBoo players to share their withdrawal feedback. A BetBoo player wrote that a €1,000 withdrawal requested three weeks prior was delayed. That player has since been paid.

BetBoo players that wish to share their feedback on the sportsbook's payment times, customer service, or who have other items to discuss are asked to write to SBR.

Oddsmaker Sportsbook winnings confiscation update

Oddsmaker Sportsbook stiffs player for $45,000

Oddsmaker Sportsbook (SBR rating F) has confiscated $45,000 from a winning bettor. The player wagered with Oddsmaker on and off for three years, losing in the neighborhood of $5,000 prior to the start of 2012. The player, who will be referred to as "Paul" throughout this article, was tempted to reload his betting account after being enticed by a 50% cash bonus.

Oddsmaker's high bonuses sucked Paul in
Paul deposited $1,000 via credit card on December 29th. He received a 50% cash bonus with a 10X rollover, and wagered $1,500 (deposit+bonus) on a football game. Paul lost his bet but managed to profit $300 from betting the opposite side at another sportsbook.

Paul had the itch to send Oddsmaker another deposit, noting that the sportsbook is frequently late to move lines, even offering middling opportunities. Middling is the act of placing wagers on opposite teams with differing pointspreads. Paul gave Oddsmaker a call to ask if he could again redeem the 50% cash bonus he had lost a day before. Oddsmaker said he wasn't eligible for the bonus, but offered a different promotion before he hung up - a 100% cash bonus, this time with a 20X rollover. Paul eagerly accepted the offer. Paul told SBR that meeting 10X, 20X or greater in rollover is no problem for him with his betting style. Paul re-deposited $1,000 on December 30th.

Paul turns his 100% reload bonus into thousands of dollars
After re-depositing $1,000, Paul targeted a game to unload his balance and bonus on. He played every day, eventually increasing his balance to more than $10,000. Paul attempted to exploit small edges by monitoring programs like SBR Odds, Donbest or similar and comparing the numbers offered by other sportsbooks to Oddsmaker - including sportsbooks based in Las Vegas, where Paul resides.

Paul discovers Oddsmaker's MO, decides to middle way out
After his balance hit the $12,000 mark, Paul caught wind of Oddsmaker's reputation while perusing a gaming reviews site. After realizing Oddsmaker was considered a shady sportsbook and one to be avoided, Paul decided the prudent move was to middle his way out of the sportsbook. Paul recounts placing six different $2,000 wagers one weekend. He placed picks he thought would lose, and bet the opposite side at Las Vegas sportsbooks. It wasn't Paul's weekend, as each of the six wagers won in his Oddsmaker account. Paul's balance ballooned up to more than $20,000. Paul decided to pick his spots more carefully, and continued his strategy of placing wagers he expected to lose. He began to ignore the previous +EV (expected value) opportunities that once attracted him. After his balance reached $28,000, he decided it was time to test the waters so he requested an $8,000 payment on January 10th, 2012. Oddsmaker told him that his payment was too large to be sent at once, so he would receive two withdrawals in consecutive weeks.

Oddsmaker stalls Paul's $8,000 payout request
When two weeks passed with no tracking number from Oddsmaker, Paul called to ask for an update. He was told that payout inquiries needed to be made via email. After sending email as requested, Oddsmaker replied with the exact same message six times in as many days:

[quote]Oddsmaker Sportsbook: This email concerns your recent ticket: RE: Withdrawal Confirmation (***-***-*****)
As part of our commitment to improving your customer support experience, we would like to know how you think we are doing. You are invited to complete a short satisfaction survey consisting of just a few multiple-choice questions.
It should take you no more than a minute to complete (we promise!). To take the survey, please click on the following link: {omitted}. Your feedback is very important to us and we really appreciate your time.[/quote]
On February 6th, Paul was delighted when a $4,000 check arrived at his doorstep. He proceeded to place what he claims was more than one hundred additional wagers, still attempting to lose his funds in Oddsmaker.

Paul's balance hits $45,000, still no second $4,000 payment
On February 17th, his balance was at its highest - a whopping $45,000. Paul stopped wagering with Oddsmaker and picked up the emails, sometimes sending ten a day. Finally, feeling desperate, Paul fired off a more aggressively worded message, indicating that he was considering contacting an attorney.

[quote]Paul to Oddsmaker: I asked for this payout almost 2 months ago and still no tracking number. At this point I am deciding whether or not to contact an attorney. For the first time in my life I stopped gambling because I am afraid of winning. Last week on Friday and Saturday I bet over $35k and lost about 18k with your company. This should not be hard for someone to verify. This week I will bet nothing and lose nothing. Your company will lose thousands of dollars with the juice alone without my action. Since this does not seem to concern anyone it leaves me to believe that I'm getting stiffed and need to hire a lawyer. Does this answer your question on how I think you guys are doing?[/quote]
Oddsmaker closes account and confiscates all winnings
On February 20th, he received a telephone call from Oddsmaker's head of fraud Tony Massina. Tony told Paul that he was in big trouble. Paul's statement of considering legal action landed him in hot water with Oddsmaker brass, who observed that comment from Paul but not the dozens of previous messages begging for an update on his payment. Paul was told that his account was disabled and that he was done at Oddsmaker. Paul broke down, explaining that he's not a professional gambler, that this is life-changing money for a hard working Las Vegas employee whose had a gambling habit for the last 25 years. At one point during this conversation, Tony allegedly barked at Paul to shut his mouth and listen or he would be hung up on and never spoken to again. Tony said that the decision came from above and nothing could be done; Paul's message constituted a threat, and the decision was final. Paul was told he would receive his $2,000 in deposits back and nothing more.

Paul contacts SBR
On February 21st, Paul contacted Sportsbook Review. An SBR dispute analyst spoke with Paul for more than an hour, gathering the facts and listening to him. Paul started to repeat himself, saying he hasn't slept or ate normally since being delivered the crushing blow by Oddsmaker. SBR followed up with Tony Massina, receiving the following statement:

[quote]Oddsmaker Tony Massina: I was going to ignore this but I will respond one time and one time only because I am a straight shooter. Customer lied. Customer responded to an email survey from us saying he was considering contacting lawyers to get his withdrawals faster. Nobody in the industry needs that. On top of the customer admitting to owning his own website and to being a professional bettor (he admitted to both), camels back was broken when he threatened to contact lawyers. Decision was not mine but I am aware of the case. Customer had $2000 refunded to him and got a check for $4000 as well. Have a good day.[/quote]
Paul has denied Tony's (irrelevant) assertion of  being a professional gambler. Paul claims to have told Tony just the opposite when begging to be paid his balance. Paul told SBR he has lost thousands of his savings by betting the opposite side of his Oddsmaker picks at various sportsbooks. He told SBR that he couldn't lose at Oddsmaker, no matter what he bet.

Paul's experience is just one of many terrifying ordeals players have had with Oddsmaker. Oddsmaker is an F-rated company in the scam sportsbook blacklist, having confiscated $248,432 to date in player winnings. Players are advised to avoid the sportsbook at all costs. Its signup bonuses are used as a device to solicit deposits from players; all players with a clue are shown the door, without their balances. The scam sportsbook has cited "professional play" in many of the confiscations, and has now branched out to blaming a player's desperate tone in one of his dozens of emails for justifying robbing him. | Read Paul's plea to Oddsmaker

SBR will update this report. Discuss this case at SBR Forum.
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12Bet enforces unfair bonus rules

12Bet Sportsbook (SBR rating D-) is the subject of dispute analyst Justin7's "Are You Serious?" video segment.

12Bet Sportsbook is enforcing an unethical rule that allows for the confiscation of bonus + winnings, if a bettor fails to meet rollover in a 30-day period. One such player wrote SBR, detailing that he deposited €1200 for a €230 bonus; the player won €5186, but did not meet the rollover in a one-month timeframe. 12Bet voided the bonus and all winnings.

12Bet's rules also state that wagers placed at odds less than 2.00 (+100) do not count toward rollover. A 12Bet player who would have met rollover (counting favourites) had €3252 in winnings confiscated for not having met rollover soon enough.

A third 12Bet player wrote SBR with a wagering complaint. The player placed a soccer match at odds of 1.77 (-129) and noticed that the next day his ticket was adjusted to read 2.77 (+177). Following the settlement of the wager, 12Bet voided the play.

12Bet's unusual rules are often referred to as "gotcha" rules. These rules are designed to profit from players that unknowingly agree to bizarre and irregular terms. In contract law, such enforcements are rarely upheld. 12Bet has been assessed with an opening rating of D-, and is indexed on the SBR blacklist.

Players with feedback or grievances should file a sportsbook complaint form, or write to SBR directly at help@sportsbookreview.com. Additionally, players may dial 1-830-255-4677 to speak with a dispute analyst.

Unibet to acquire Betchoice

Unibet (SBR rating B-) Sportsbook has signed an agreement to acquire Betchoice. Unibet will enter the regulated Australian betting market. Unibet's acquisition price is £13.6 million; the deal, which transfers 100% of Betchoice Corporation Pty Ltd.'s shares, is said not to contain any liabilities. Completion of the deal is still subject to approval by the Northern Territory regulator; this process is expected to be completed before the end of Q2 2012.

Unibet intends to completely rebrand BetChoice to Unibet following what they refer to as a "short transition period". Unibet CEO Henrik Tjärnström spoke of the acquisition in an official company press release distributed this morning.

[quote]Unibet CEO Henrik Tjärnström: “This strategic acquisition gives Unibet immediate access to the regulated Australian market, which is currently open to sports betting and horse racing. We intend to rebrand the business quickly to Unibet. Betchoice already has a strong offering and market position in horse racing and through Kambi, Unibet has the opportunity to enhance the quality and performance of Betchoice’s sports betting offering and so to deliver revenue growth and margin improvements... In addition to benefit from the already existing Australian product offering, the acquisition of Betchoice will provide Unibet with a platform to facilitate other gambling services and opportunities should market conditions continue to improve.”[/quote]
SBR expects Unibet to refine its standards of enforcing house rules as they enter a regulated Australian market. Though Unibet is licensed by the Lotteries and Gaming Authority (LGA) of Malta; SBR has found that operators prefer Malta for its lax positions on player disputes and the ease of setting up shop. Unibet's operating procedure has until this point been to cut off communications with a player determined to be in violation of house rules, and has not been willing to fully satisfy SBR's inquiries in regards to player confiscations, such as in this sportsbook dispute reported in December of 2011.

SBR will attempt to revisit outstanding claims with Unibet, hoping that the company's recent good news will compel it to more satisfactorily address player disputes. | Read the full Unibet press release  | Read more

VIP Sports player never paid balance

On 15 July 2011, SBR reported that VIP Sports (SBR rating B-) would close its doors. The Curacao based bookmaker announced that as of August 1st it would no longer be in business. VIP, along with sister sportsbooks Nine.com and BetGameDay.com instructed players to withdraw their funds by that time. Many seasonal players were taken by surprise when logging on for football season and realizing that the VIP brands were defunct. SBR exhausted all avenues in contacting former VIP personnel and eventually procured a statement that players would be paid. GTBets.com (SBR rating C) surfaced the same week, using the same website skin, web server and telephone number as VIP Sports. SBR interviewed GTBets.com and learned that the sportsbook  acquired the VIP software, hardware and retained key management. GTBets.com attempted to solicit VIP's former clients into depositing; an attempt to capitalize on the brand and kickstart its own business venture. GTBets.com later agreed to pay VIP Sportsbook, BetGameday and Nine.com players that did not request their funds prior to the 1 August 2011 deadline. A total of $45,995 was owed to players and reportedly paid. GTBets assured SBR that it had attempted to contact all players that held unpaid balances with the VIP brands.

SBR has received a new complaint from a player that states he was never paid a $1,590 balance. SBR is contacting GTBets management to discuss the player's claim. VIP Sports players in need of assistance should submit a sportsbook complaint form, or write to SBR directly at help@sportsbookreview.com.

UPDATE 26 Jan 2012: The player's deposit ($1,590) was made in November of 2009. The player does not recall wagering with the sportsbook, and has no further information to document that a balance was maintained at VIP. SBR has asked the player to provide more information, and considers this matter closed.

Sportsbook.com payout feedback wanted

A Sportsbook.com (SBR rating D-) player who won a $48,000 parlay on a $20 wager writes in with feedback. The player states that a month prior to hitting the parlay, a $2,500 payout was fulfilled in three weeks. After making the huge score, the player claims that Sportsbook.com told him their payout timeframe had been increased to 6-8 weeks. The player has requested the entirety of his balance on November 8th, 2011 and has yet to receive any of the payments. Sportsbook.com players that have waited in excess of the extended time-frame are asked to write to help@sportsbookreview.com.

BetGrizzly payout feedback wanted

UPDATE: The player reports receiving payment, stating that confusion on how to verify his payout led to him filing his sportsbook complaint.

A BetGrizzly (SBR rating D) player reports that he requested a $250 withdrawal on December 7th, 2011. The player was told by manager "Chuck" that funds would be paid via a P2P method the following day. The player states that despite BetGrizzly advertising quick payments via that method, he has been unsuccessful in his attempts to receive a hard confirmation on his withdrawal status. The player states that BetGrizzly has also yet to deduct the funds from his balance.

On November 22nd, SBR reported that a BetGrizzly dispute originally covered four days prior had been resolved. BetGrizzly reopened the account of a player whose account was disabled after converting his freeplay starter bonus. The player put in a payout request of $250 but his account was closed thereafter.

SBR will update this report after connecting with BetGrizzly management.

Players in need of sportsbook assistance are asked to fill out a sportsbook complaint form. Alternatively, players may reach Sportsbook Review by writing to help@sportsbookreview.com or by dialing 1-830-255-4677 during normal business hours.

EnterBet player submits withdrawal complaint

An EnterBet (SBR rating D-) player tells SBR that a $2,000 balance held at the sportsbook has been erased. The player claims that he originally requested a withdrawal approximately two years ago, and had written off his chances at ever collecting from the notorious slow/no-pay outfit. EnterBet customer support has claimed to have no knowledge of the funds. SBR is attempting to reach a member of EnterBet management.

SBR receives little feedback from GoTo Entertainment group players. In September of 2011, SBR reported that a BetGoTo (SBR rating D-) player who had received only partial payments over the course of the last three years was still owed $2,700 since October of 2011. GoTo group players with payment complaints are asked to submit a sportsbook complaint form or write to help@sportsbookreview.com.

Update: VIPSports.eu dispute resolved

Earlier today SBR reported that a VIPSports.eu (SBR rating C) player had a wager cancelled because the wagering software did not properly enforce limits. The player entered a $460 to win $400 wager on an NHL game Saturday, November 26th. After realizing that the wager was cancelled, the player said he missed out on re-betting the game elsewhere. The player then requested that VIPSports.eu close his account and refund his deposit. The sportsbook obliged and refunded his deposit via Moneybookers, though a $35 fee was charged by the eWallet. SBR followed up with management to discuss both the wager cancellation and withdrawal fee.

Management told SBR that that a software glitch caused the player to be able to place a wager in excess of the limit for residents of his country. The error has since been identified and corrected. Despite his funds not being at risk—as the wager was cancelled prior to the game starting—the sportsbook will pay what he would have won at the intended limits ($60). That amount will be added on top of the $35 fee which the sportsbook says was charged by the eWallet processor unbeknownst to them. SBR considers this dispute closed.  | Read more

BetGrizzly player has account disabled after converting free bonus

A BetGrizzly (unrated) player writes in with an account complaint. The player registered for BetGrizzly on November 13th, 2011. He accepted the free $50 no deposit bonus and completed the advertised 6X rollover. After finishing the rollover, the player requested a $250 withdrawal. The player tells SBR that BetGrizzly informed him that he needed to wait a period of 30 days in order to request payment. The player then says that his account was suddenly closed without notice from BetGrizzly. The player states that customer service will not reopen his account. SBR is following up on this BetGrizzly sportsbook complaint.

On July 29th, 2011, SBR reported that BetGrizzly Sportsbook was targeting players promising 100% bonuses. BetGrizzly was being promoted by former WagerWeb (SBR rating D-) employee "Chuck".

Players are advised to use extreme caution when playing with unrated online sportsbooks. High bonuses are typically dangled as carrots to reel in new blood but can spell disaster for the house without proper risk management. SBR publishes a comprehensive list of over 1,000 sportsbook ratings in the SBR Sportsbook ratings guide.

BetGrizzly players with payout complaints are asked to submit a sportsbook complaint form, or dial 1-830-255-4677 during normal business hours to speak with a Sportsbook Review dispute analyst.

Sportsbook scam alert: 105Vig player writes in

A 105Vig (SBR rating D-) player writes in. The player tells SBR that he signed up at the mysterious new sportsbook for their $100 free bet promotion, which he lost. 105Vig offered the player a $500 line of credit - the player accepted and increased his balance to $1,654.11. The player asked for a withdrawal on Tuesday, November 8th. On Wednesday November 9th 105Vig contacted the player and stated while manager "Jerry" was not in the office, the representative believed that the player should not be paid due to making negative posts on SBRforum about the company.

On November 8th, 2011, SBR reported that 105Vig was peddling no-deposit bonuses and credit lines. 105vig.com uses an unencrypted login, offers no customer support email address or phone number, and uses HTML to display its sportsbook lines - not industry-grade betting software. SBRforum members reported that the unheard of website offered a $500 credit line if the no-deposit bonus was lost. 105Vig is currently on the SBR sportsbooks blacklist. SBR advises users to avoid the anonymous outfit.  | Read more

5Dimes Sportsbook baseball betting rule changes

5Dimes Sportsbook (SBR rating A+) has updated their baseball betting rules.

Effective October 15th, 2011, professional baseball post season games are not official until a winner is declared. This year, the New York Yankees vs Detroit Tigers playoff game was suspended in the second inning due to weather, before play resumed the following day with new pitchers. As there can be no rain shortened playoff games, 5Dimes has added to their rulebook to add more clarity to how the sportsbook will handle the uncommon scenario in the future. | View the 5Dimes baseball betting rules changes
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Online sportsbooks legal expert Nelson Rose interview: Part 3

Sportsbook.com moves non-US players to Global.Sportsbook.com

Sportsbook.com (SBR rating D-) is now redirecting non-US players to Global.Sportsbook.com. Sportsbook.com (ag) fired off an email this morning advising players that their accounts would be moved to the new, Malta-based platform. Global.Sportsbook.com is officially part of WinUnited Ltd., a gaming company licensed by the Lotteries and Gaming Authority (LGA) of Malta. WinUnited Ltd. is most known for powering YouWin sportsbook (SBR rating D-). A Sportsbook.com (ag) manager confirmed to SBR that US-based players are not impacted by the move.

In its 1,000+ word email to international players, the sportsbook declared that rollovers would be waived on outstanding bonus cash with the condition that players not request payment for sixty days. If a player requests payment prior to then, he would be forfeiting the bonus amount entirely. The sportsbook is essentially holding players funds hostage and forcing them to sit on their balances without losing their earned bonus cash. The email went on to state that pending wagers would not be honored. The unethical decision to void player wagers is one of many the Sportsbook.com Group has made over years, along with debiting $150,000+ in correlated parlay winnings from players five years ago.

Feedback from Sportsbook.com's non-US players

A Sportsbook.com (ag) player based in Canada wrote SBR today with concerns over his $2,070 balance. The player attempted to log into his account this morning and found that it was disabled. The player was told that as a non-US resident, he would have to log into the new Global.Sportsbook.com site to register an account, and then be transferred his funds. The player points out that in addition to his balance, he has two pending wagers for a total of $500. The player wagered $300 last December on the Philadelphia Phillies to win the World Series at 6/1, and another on the Texas Rangers to win the ALCS at 4.5/1.

SBR received an additional complaint from a player that stated that he was told his account would be enabled with his funds available eight hours ago. After the time-frame passed, the player reached out to SBR. SBR is asking this player for more information regarding his balance information. | Sportsbook.com's letter to account-holders
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Sportsbook.com player offered bonus to cancel payouts

A Sportsbook.com (SBR rating D-) player owed $10,200 reports being offered a bonus to cancel his outstanding withdrawals. The player's first payout request was made for $1,250 on July 9th, 2011. On August 25th, that request was cancelled and placed back into his betting account. The player was told that his next payout request would be treated with a higher priority; the same promise given to fellow Sportsbook.com (ag) players that also filed sportsbook complaints earlier this month. The player reports that he made another payout request for the initial $1,250 plus $250 more on August 25th. In addition to that request, the player also has outstanding withdrawals totaling $10,200 which were requested throughout August and into September. The player notes that he has also received the bonus promo emails asking him to cancel his payouts in exchange for a cash bonus incentive. Sportsbook Review has written Sportsbook.com management asking for an update to this complaint.  | Read more

BetAtHome accuses player of chip-dumping

A BetAtHome (SBR rating C-) player tells SBR that his account has been closed with a €600 balance. The player allegedly opened his account with BetAtHome in the beginning of 2011, playing in the sportsbook and poker room. The player had made two small initial deposits of €100. The player tells SBR that he was paid one €400 withdrawal prior to having his account closed with a €600 balance. BetAtHome has reportedly accused the player of poker chip-dumping with at least one other account holder, a charge this player denies.

Poker chip-dumping is the act of colluding with other players, typically to circulate ill-gotten funds or as a means of moving funds between accounts. It can be a way to evade an insufficient deposit or to dispose of funds taken from other players. While chip-dumping cannot be proven 100% of the time, usually a sportsbook that brings players up on the charge will have other circumstantial evidence linking the players beyond their play; most times an IP address, shared registration detail or similar.

SportsbookReview is investigating this BetAtHome complaint.
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Sportsbook.com stalls $24,000 payout request

A Sportsbook.com player tells SBR that he requested a $24,000 payout ten weeks ago. The withdrawal was cancelled due to alleged "processing issues" at the time. The player was told that he would be given a priority withdrawal on his subsequent request (which was made on August 17th, 2011). The player tells SBR that his funds have yet to be received, and that an email was sent to him offering a $1,000 bonus if he were to agree to cancel the payout request.

This is the third report of a Sportsbook.com (ag) player being deliberately slow-paid and having a bonus-carrot dangled in front of them to terminate their withdrawal request.

On September 12th, SBR reported that a Sportsbook.com player has been unable to withdraw $250 from his account since July 8th. The payout was cancelled due to alleged processing issues, and despite being promised to be given a high priority following that botched withdrawal, the only action the player was a Sportsbook.com email offering him a  cash bonus for not taking his funds out.

On September 14th, another Sportsbook.com player report having his payout stalled in exchange for accepting a bonus. The player wrote to SBR that a $4,000 payment was cancelled on July 19th, 2011 due to alleged processor problems. Like the other two reports, the player was told that his next withdrawal request would be assigned a higher priority in light of the hiccup. The player resubmitted a $5,000 withdrawal request on August 19th. Sportsbook.com has yet to render payment to the player.

Sportsbook.com management has yet to  provide comment to SBR on any of the three complaints.
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Scam Alert: Sportsbook.com stalling payouts by offering bonuses

A Sportsbook.com (SBR rating D-) player tells SBR that a $4,000 payment was cancelled on August 19th, 2011 due to processor problems. The player was told to submit another payout request and that it would be given priority due to the first botched withdrawal. The player resubmitted a payout request for $5,000 on August 19th. As of September 14th, 2011, Sportsbook.com (ag) has not rendered payment to the player.

The player is the second to report receiving an email from the dodgy, blacklisted sportsbook offering him a 20% bonus up to $1,000 for canceling his withdrawal. On September 12th, SBR reported that Sportsbook.com offered a bonus to a player for cancelling his withdrawal request.

Sportsbook.com has developed an unfavorable reputation for its treatment of winning players, and is most notorious for confiscating over $100,000 from players that wagered correlated parlays years ago. Sportsbook.com's maintains a rating of D- in the SBR Sportsbook ratings guide. | Sportsbook.com bonus email
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Sportsbook.com offers player bonus to cancel withdrawal

A Sportsbook.com (SBR rating D-) player tells SportsbookReview that he has been attempting to withdraw $250 from his account since July 8th, 2011. The payout request was cancelled after six weeks due to alleged issues with Sportsbook.com's (ag) third party payment processor. The player tells SBR that he was told that his next request would be higher prioritzed in light of the withdrawal hiccup. His next withdrawal was made on August 25th, 2011. The player tells SBR that not only has payment not yet been rendered, the player forwarded an email from Sportsbook.com offering him a cash bonus if he would cancel his pending withdrawal. SBR is following up on this payment dispute. | Sportsbook.com's email to player
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Online sportsbooks legal expert Nelson Rose interview: Part 2

SBRtv's Peter Loshak interviews renowned online gambling, and online sportsbook legal expert Nelson Rose. Part one of this three part video series can be found in the SBR archives.  In part two, professor Rose addresses the potential impact of various online poker legalization bills, as well as the banking climate. | Discuss this video

BetPhoenix correlated parlays wagering dispute

A BetPhoenix (SBR rating C) player reports that his account has been frozen. The player holds a $7,226 balance with the sportsbook. The player was placing MLB correlated parlays. SBR is investigating this sportsbook complaint and gathering facts such as the deposit history, wagering history, and most importantly what type of correlated parlay this was. A correlated parlay could involve a number of high expectation combinations, such as an obvious sportsbook error like offering the ability to bet on the same team in the first half and for the game per event. The sportsbook allowing extremely low-risk bets over the long term creates mediation challenges, especially when offered over an extended period of time. The BetPhoenix player reports that after logging into his account on September 5th, he was prompted by a message which reportedly stated that he would not be given any action until it was determined "how much you robbed from us".

The sportsbook's mistake and the inability to identify the error early on is likely attributed to the BetPhoenix staffing cuts for budget reasons. The sportsbook lines staff is said to be at its lowest in years and to be stretched with added responsibilties. | Forum discussion: BetPhoenix dispute
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GTBets.com to pay VIP Sportsbook, BetGameday, Nine.com players

GTBets.com (SBR rating C) tells SBR that they will honor VIP Sportsbook players funds. GTBets.com is a new sportsbook that surfaced when VIP Sportsbook, BetGameday and Nine.com went off-line on August 1st, 2011. GTBets acquired the VIP Sportsbook software, hardware and retained key management. GTBets first came to light when they began spamming marketing offers to former VIP players, which included those account-holders usernames at VIP.

On July 15th, SBR reported that VIP Sportsbook was preparing to cease operations. VIP, BetGameday and Nine.com advised bettors via their homepages to request balances prior to August 1st, 2011. However, more than thirty players failed to see the warning on time and reported not being paid their final balances - worth more than $45,000. SBR continued to report that seasonal sports bettors missed the messages, reporting not being called or emailed with a heads up as to the closure of the Curacao based sportsbook family. A VIP manager claimed on August 16th that players in the attached SBR list would receive payment, but that there was no support or accounting team able to service future player claims.

SBR first spoke with GTBets.com Thursday September 1st. Originally GTBets.com was prepared to offer VIP players a deal that if they made their final payout requests prior to October 1st, 2011, they would receive credits to their GTBets accounts and would be fully able to make withdrawals without playing requirements. After speaking with SBR further, GTBets took the restrictions off the good faith gesture so that all players able to confirm their final VIP balances would be able to be credited. | Read GTbets.com statement
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VIP Sportsbook players owed $45,995

VIP Sportsbook players are owed $45,995. Thirty-nine players report that they were not paid their funds prior to VIP Sportsbook going offline on August 1st, 2011. The Curacao based operator claims to not have the manpower nor the ability to process additional payouts. The sportsbook company claimed in discussions with SportsbookReview that players were given sufficient notice to access their accounts to initiate their payment requests. Many seasonal sports bettors are logging in for the first time for the upcoming football season, and did not noitce the July notice on the VIP Sports, BetGameday, or Nine.com websites. SBR will update this report.  | Read more

BetGrizzly sportsbook payouts?

A BetGrizzly (unrated) player has filed a sportsbook complaint. The player tells SBR that he deposited to BetGrizzly after being lured in by their attractive bonuses, and because he had prior dealings with "Chuck" (formerly of WagerWeb). The player tells SBR that BetGrizzly gives out 25% in freeplays per day, and that by his estimation he has received nearly $2,000 in freeplays in his short time with the online sportsbook. After having success with his wagers, the player tells Sportsbook Review that his balance was increased to $4,000. He has been trying to withdraw funds for the last week via a cash transfer service, and has to date not received payment, despite BetGrizzly advertising same-day payouts through those methods.

Players are advised to use extreme discretion in choosing which online sportsbook to send their funds to. Unrated sportsbooks just starting out have a high failure rate in this industry. Many of these sportsbooks will promise 100% bonuses or other daily incentives to entice players to play with them over more established sportsbooks. | BetGrizzly sportsbook news
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SBR's online sportsbook email response test

Sportsbook Review (SBR) has launched a new online sportsbook email response test. The seasonal test is conducted prior to the start of each sports year. The test included five football betting related questions and was sent to ten unsuspecting sportsbooks. SBR rates each sportsbook on the test, monitoring the speed of each response, how thorough each sportsbook representative is, and whether or not all questions are answered. View the sportsbook email test results for August 29th, 2011.

The sportsbook email response test is one of many pages that sports bettors may find helpful when determing which online bookmaker is right for them. Other valuable pages might include the SBR sportsbook reviews section, which features a comprehensive review of the top industry sportsbooks, and the SBR sportsbook ratings guide which rates over 1,000 sportsbooks.  Another page worth bookmarking is the SBR sportsbook blacklist, the blacklist includes scam sportsbooks that are unlikely to pay players or have openly justified confiscating funds from winning sports bettors.
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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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VIP Sportsbook players owed $31,153

The SBR mailbag is growing with letters from VIP Sportsbook, Nine.com and BetGameDay players. The sportsbook family went off-line on August 1st, 2011, and has yet to pay all players.

On July 15th, Sportsbook Review reported that the VIP Sportsbook group was preparing to shut its doors. In that report, SBR relayed the message hung on the VIP websites directing players to request their balances prior to August 1st. Many players never saw the message, however, and currently thirty players report not being paid $31,153. The amount seems relatively small considering that the family of sportsbooks has been online more than a decade, and was once considered an industry titan. While the exact amount of outstanding funds is unknown, SBR has received at least one report per day in the last two weeks of unpaid funds. Seasonal sports bettors were left blindsided by the move, many only logging into their accounts near the start of the football year. Players state that no email notices were sent advising them to request their funds, and that follow-up emails to the VIP support line have went unanswered.

SBR is attempting to make contact with "Jay", a former operations manager with VIP Sportsbook who claimed on August 16th that players would receive their final payment shortly. Jay also addressed the emergence of GtBets.com—a website hosted on VIP Sportsbook's server, which shares the same layout, customer service numbers—by acknowledging that former employees are behind the venture. On August 15th, SBR reported that GTbets.com was sending marketing emails to former VIP players containing their VIP log-in information. While GTbets.com has not provided official comment on any connection to the now off-line VIP Sportsbook group, the operation is also headquartered in Curacao.

SBR is hopeful that the disconnect between the VIP Group and its former players is attributable to technical challenges following the sites closure and the termination of support mailboxes. SBR will update this report as any of the reported thirty players confirm receiving their funds, or as more non-payment reports surface.
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Bookmaker and DSI maintenance

Bookmaker (SBR rating A+) and Diamond Sportsbook (SBR rating A+) are performing a quick upgrade which will cause the sites to be down for approximately 45 to 60 minutes. No phone wagering or mirror site access will be possible during this period. Management tells SBR it is routine software maintenance.

VIP Sportsbook players owed $29,063

Twenty-five VIP Sportsbook (SBR rating B-) players report being owed $29,063. The players did not request payment of their account balances prior to the August 1st, 2011 deadline imposed by VIP. On July 15th, SportsbookReview reported that the VIP Sportsbook group announced that it would be closing. While VIP management initially told SBR that players were given ample notice to initiate payout requests, several players have reported that they were not given any heads up.

On August 15th, SBR reported that Gtbets.com (SBR rating C) surfaced targeting VIP Sportsbook Group players. GTbets.com shares the VIP Sportsbook server, customer service numbers and website skin. In addition, players forwarded marketing mailers which contained their VIP username and passwords. VIP Sportsbook operations manager "Jay" told SBR on August 16th that VIP, Nine.com and BetGameday have nothing to do with GTBets. The manager confirmed that former employees are now working on the site.

SBR will update this report.

Players in need of sportsbook assistance are asked to fill out a sportsbook complaint form. Alternatively, players may reach SBR by writing to help@sportsbookreview.com or dialing 1-830-255-4677 seven days a week during normal business hours.

Thanks to all who joined us for the 2011 SBR Bash in Costa Rica!

Congratulations to poster MyFootballGame who won the 4th annual SBR Bash poker tournament. MyFootballGame was one of 38 posters who competed for the $2,000 cash top prize in Saturday's SBR poker event at the Los Suenos Marriott resort near Jaco Beach. Thanks to all the loyal SBRforum posters who attended the weekend festivities.


More 2011 SBR Bash pictures

Superbook.com sportsbook withdrawal complaints

A Superbook.com (SBR rating D-) player tells Sportsbook Review that he asked for an $1,800 withdrawal on July 10th, 2011, and a $650 withdrawal on July 20th, 2011. Neither of the players requests have been paid by the Sportsbook.com skin, Superbook.com. SBR is following up on this sportsbook complaint.

Sportsbook.com recently made SBR's front-page online sportsbook news section for their cancelation of $7,030 in winnings from a player that had requested exclusion from Sports.com months prior. Sportsbook.com management has yet to address that complaint with SBR dispute analyst "Justin7". Sportsbook.com has a long history of unethical and unjust confiscations of winning players, the most noteworthy of such negative adjustments was the voiding of more than seven figures worth of "correlated parlay" winnings. Sportsbook.com's software accepted wagers that the sportsbook said violated house rules, and the sportsbook adjusted the balances of winning players after the bets were both accepted and grading, leading to their placement on the SBR sportsbook blacklist at D-.  | Read more

VIP Sportsbook update

Since SBR's last VIP Sportsbook update on August 16th, an additional two users have reported that they held balances which have not been paid as of August 18th, 2011. The players did not request their funds prior to the August 1st deadline set by VIP Sports after the company closure was announced. VIP Sportsbook, Nine.com and BetGameday are currently off-line. The total amount of outstanding funds owed to users is now $10,876.

A VIP Sportsbook operations manager claimed that the players who did not request payment in time would receive payment. SBR has followed up to inquire on whether accommodations would also be made for players that did not contact SBR not VIP Sportsbook to arrange to be paid their final balances. SBR will update this sportsbook report as more information becomes available.| VIP Sportsbook players outraged  | Read more

BetRoyal Sportsbook player's payout attempt

A BetRoyal (SBR rating D-) player tells Sportsbook Review that he is attempting to place a withdrawal for $700 via a cash transfer method. The player has allegedly been waiting five days for the funds to be removed from his online sportsbook wagering account. The player reports that he has called BetRoyal posing as a potential signup and that he was told that withdrawal amounts are removed from accounts within three hours during the normal working day, with payment subsequently made in one day per either of the cash transfer methods. The player tells SBR that he called BetRoyal's bluff and pointed out that he has been waiting longer than what's advertised by the sportsbook. The player's first deposit to BetRoyal was for $25 in January of 2011. He estimates that in his time wagering with the online sportsbook that he has lost in the neighborhood of $1,000. The player reports that this is his first payout request to date. While not yet officially considered a slow-pay, BetRoyal's dodgy service highlights a tactic atypical of a D- rated sportsbook — both failing to honor its listed withdrawal times and not removing funds from a player account until the minute the funds are ready to be dispatched, prompting the bettor to battle the temptation of losing his balance prior to payment.

SBR will update this sportsbook report if this BetRoyal withdrawal attempt turns into a slow-pay situation. SBR generally considers slow payment to be two weeks+ after the quoted time-frame.

The most noteworthy complaint against BetRoyal sportsbook occurred in July of 2008, when a player filed a $500,000 claim against the company.  The complaint surrounded a group of players who were invited by BetRoyal management four years prior to trade prices and betting odds at BetRoyal against other online sportsbooks. The player's invested deposits of $86,000 eventually earned a balance of $586,000. In the week preceedeing SBG Global's (SBR rating D-) acquition of BetRoyal, the BetRoyal website was taken off the servers and when it returned -- the $586,000 was removed from the account. After a thorough review of available facts, SBR concluded that BetRoyal erased the winnings in order to take its labilities off the books prior to selling to SBG Global.

VIP Sportsbook says players will be paid

A former VIP Sportsbook (SBR rating B-) operations manager has contacted Sportsbook Review today stating that players who did not request payment in the allotted time—the August 1st deadline—would be paid. The manager explained that the two individuals SBR had communicated briefly with were no longer servicing exiting VIP players inquiries and that their mailboxes were not being monitored. The manager stated that he would be contacting players on SBR's list to inform them that they would be paid soon. SBR questioned VIP as to the relationship with GTbets.com (SBR rating C), the newly surfaced sportsbook that shares VIP servers, software and customer support. The manager denied a business overlap from an ownership perspective, but conceded that former employees of VIP Sports are managing the new brand.

Players that did not request payment from VIP Sportsbook prior to the August 1st deadline where VIP Sportsbook, Nine.com and BetGameDay announced their closure are advised to write to help@sportsbookreview.com with their account usernames and balance information.

ALERT: GtBets.com operating on VIP Sportsbook server, sharing phone number & website skin

Gtbets.com (unrated) has surfaced and is targeting slow-pay sportsbook VIP Sportsbook (SBR rating B-) players. VIP Sports announced that it would be closing down on July 15th, and asked players to withdraw their balances prior to August 1st, 2011. Fourteen players report not receiving $9,382. A VIP Sports security team advisor, as well as a customer service represent have told SBR that no additional payments will be made to players that did not know to request their funds by August 1st. SBR has written and attempted to call VIP each day following those statements, last receiving a response Thursday August 12th.

It is not yet known whether Gtbets.com purchased a customer list from VIP Sports, or whether an unofficial rebranding has taken place. Players that have not been paid were given no additional updates from VIP Sports.

SBR is following up on this latest development and will update this report. | VIP Sports update thread

VIP Sportsbook players await their final payment

Twelve VIP Sports (SBR rating B-) players report being owed a total of $8,432. The players did not initiate a withdrawal prior to the VIP deadline of August 1st, 2011. Sportsbook Review reported on 7/15 that VIP Sportsbook, along with sister sportsbooks Nine.com and BetGameday would be closing their doors. Management has not provided a time-table on when the players who did not request their balances in the allotted time can expect payment. SBR will update this report as more information becomes available.  | Read more

BetUS player submits withdrawal complaint

A BetUS (SBR rating D+) player tells Sportsbook Review that he requested an $1,137 payout on July 18th, and has yet to receive his funds. The payment method the player was slated to receive carried a ten business day time-frame. After faxing in account information after the payment window passed, the player was told the delay was caused by "new payment methods" that are being tried out prior to the upcoming football season. SBR is following up on this sportsbook complaint.

VIP Sports, Nine.com, BetGameday payment feedback

On July 15th, Sportsbook Review reported that VIP Sports (SBR rating B+) and its sister sportsbooks would be closing on August 1st, 2011. VIP displayed a note atop its webpage asking players to request a payout prior to August 1st, 2011. SBR has received two letters from players that were not aware that the sportsbooks were headed off-line. These players have not been contacted yet with instructions on how to proceed with requesting their funds. SBR has followed up with VIP support about these inquiries and has specifically asked what will happen to pending future bets in the system. SBR will update this report.  | Read more

EasyStreet targeting former BetJamaica, Greek, BetEd, VIP customers

EasyStreet (SBR rating D) is sending promo emails to players offering a 35% cash signup bonus. While the email is titled "Attention all Greek and BetJamaica Clients", the opening lines also address former BetEd, Nine.com and VIP Sports players. EasyStreet's promo mailer states that the sportsbook has no intent of leaving the US market.

Prior to each football season, all online sportsbooks begin to pump up their marketing and bonuses in an attempt to retain or reel in customer business for the coming pigskin year. Players are advised to avoid lowly rated sportsbooks with histories of unfairly dealing with players. In addition to the already established sportsbooks, many fly-by night scam attempts are made by rogue operators in possession of industry mailing lists. While EasyStreet Sports is not designated as a blacklisted sportsbook, its poor rating is largely attributed to the theft of $46,000 from a winning casino player accused of robot play. | EasyStreet spams former sportsbook players
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StanJames account complaint

A StanJames (SBR rating B) player writes to SBR with an account dispute. The player tells SBR that he has been a StanJames user since May of 2011, placing daily bets for a period of three months prior to having his account closed. An email was sent to the user on July 2nd, 2011 informing him that his account was closed with a 0 balance. The player disputes this, claiming that he has records indicating that he held a €2,600 balance. SBR is looking into this sportsbook complaint.

VIP Sports to close August 1st, 2011

VIP Sports (SBR rating B+) has announced it will close on August 1st, 2011. VIP Sports and sister sportsbooks Nine.com and BetGameday.com each display a note atop their homepage asking players to request a payout within the next two weeks. SBR is following up with VIP to ask what will happen with pending futures bets, and to inquire on who players should contact if their funds are not requested prior to the August 1st closure date.

VIP Sports history
VIP Sports has long been a player favorite, with a reputation of catering to their "VIP" customer base by offering personalized rewards programs. VIP Sports was based in the Dutch Antilles, operated by parent company Stockdale Investment Ltd. VIP Sports was listed on the London Stock Exchange in 2005, and continued its prominence by acquiring the MyBookie Group which included Nine.com and Betcom.com.  VIP Sports also acquired the English Harbor Casino Group in November of 2005. In the spring of 2006, VIP Sports announced a full year gross profit of more than $80M, citing a 26% growth from 2005. VIP Sports lowered it's profile in the fall of 2006, deciding to no longer accept new player registrations from the United States on the heels of the UIGEA act. VIP Sports continued to operate a well-run sportsbook for the next six years.  Its next major announcement came in January of 2011, when the sportsbook announced that its grandfathered Washington State players could no longer maintain accounts with VIP, amidst legal questionmarks surrounding players from that state.

Players with any questions pertaining to their upcoming withdrawals for VIP Sports or any sister sportsbook should write to SBR at help@sportsbookreview.com. SBR may also be reached by phone during normal business hours at 1-830-255-4677.

SBRforum WSOP Main Event freeroll winner survives day one

The SBRforum WSOP Satellite winner "FuzzyDunlop" survived Day 1B! FuzzyD is taking a stack of just over 15,000 chips into Tuesday's Day 1B+1C. If Fuzzy survives Tuesday, he'll inch that much closer to the money by moving into Day 2. The WSOP Main Event runs from July 7th-19th, at the Rio Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada.

WSEX update

Two new WSEX (SBR rating D-) payout complaints have been reported. The first player requested a $1,400 payment following the 2011 Super Bowl.

The WSEX player tells SBR that he asked a friend to call WSEX to pose as a potential customer, WSEX reportedly told the player withdrawals take only two weeks. The player tells Sportsbook Review that he receives only generic updates from the WSEX camp.

The second player requested a $2,000 payout  in mid June of 2011. Based on his recent playing activity, SBR expects that WSEX will unfortunately choose to prioritize his withdrawal request above the player waiting since February of 2011 in hopes to retain his future business.

In total, WSEX players have reported being slow-paid a total of $460,462. The most delinquent payment request is from October of 2009. | WSEX statement
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BetUS player payout complaint

A BetUS player submits a payout complaint. The BetUS player tells SBR that he requested a $360 payout on April 20th, 2011, and has not received his funds. The player was allegedly quoted a 30 business day time-frame to receive the funds. After following up with BetUS, the player claims that he was told it is in the accounting department's hands. SBR is following up on this sportsbook complaint.

On May 24th, 2011, SBR reported that a BetUS player was paid following a complaint filed two weeks prior. The player in that withdrawal complaint requested a $1,935 payout on April 14th and was given a 7 to 10 business day time-frame to receive his funds. After obliging the sportsbook's requests to produce documents confirming his identity, the player confirmed receiving payment within two weeks of filing his complaint with Sportsbook Review.  | Read more

PartyGaming improves communication following Bwin merger

Prior to PartyGaming's merge with Bwin, PartyGaming refused to cooperate with SBR citing data protection laws. PartyGaming would provide only cursory background of complaints, unable to share specific evidence with SBR in support of its conclusions. After the PartyGaming/Bwin merger, the consolidated company began to address all sportsbook disputes in a prompt and fair manner.

A common complaint of both PartyGaming and Bwin users has been each sportsbook's identity verification. PartyGaming sportsbooks---like all sportsbooks with a bonus model---enforces KYC (know your customer) requirements. SBR has confirmed multiple instances of forgery carried out by a ring of Ukraine-based scammers who set their sights on the Austrian bookmakers. SBR's biggest concern in the past has been legitimate users being mislabeled as scammers due to their region or incidental details.

Bwin itself is one of the most financially stable sportsbook companies in the world. Legitimate users funds are not considered to be at  risk. SBR will continue to advise PartyGaming/Bwin on player handling and sportsbook complaints. Bwin's sportsbook rating has been upgraded to C+.
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Oddsmaker robs player of $2,000

Scam sportsbook Oddsmaker has not relented in its campaign of theft. The F rated sportsbook once made a name for itself by entrapping players with convoluted bonus rules, using a variety of reasons to justify confiscating rolled over winnings. Oddsmaker would tell players that making a lone parlay wager out of hundreds of wagers would cause that player to lose his balance.

In September of 2010, Oddsmaker mailed a $100 promo to players prior to the upcoming football season. A player who accepted the offer and rolled over the $100 thirty times had his balance zeroed after making a payout request. The player was guilty of making one lone exotics wager after he was well on his way to completing the playing requirement.

Oddsmaker adds rule to confiscate winnings from "pro" players
Oddsmaker—being a pioneer of scam sportsbook tactics—was the first to justify seizing winnings from players that were too sharp for their liking. The industry standard for recreational player seeking sportsbooks would be to close that player's account and honor his winnings. Oddsmaker has decided though that it makes better business sense to openly steal from players, and to date has confiscated $199,132 from players whose only mistake was beating the house.

Sportsbook Review mediator 'Justin7' met personally with Oddsmaker sportsbook managers in Las Vegas during Super Bowl weekend to discuss the growing number of player complaints. Oddsmaker at the time claimed that it was interested in improving its public image and vowed to work with SBR to fairly resolve sportsbook disputes. Following that meeting, Oddsmaker did not honor its promise, instead Oddsmaker continued its assault on their customers.

Oddsmaker banks on the image created by their very elaborate marketing campaigns, fliars, pamphlets, coasters, Oddsmaker spends seven figures annually on financing such endeavors according to former business associates. Oddsmaker's theft is believed to be fueled by nothing more than pure greed, the sportsbook has a large customer base and records substantial growth each year due to their aggresive marketing strategies. | Oddsmaker player robbed of $2,000 speaks out
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BetEd sportsbook players lose their account balances

Letters from BetEd players who lost their account balances when the sportsbook went off-line continue to hit the SBR mailbox. BetEd was a small, recreational sportsbook that had a good financial track record. BetEd had a controversial past however due to "gotcha" rule enforcements in select account disputes.

BetEd reportedly had the largest involvement with a bogus processing company setup by US authorities to entrap online sportsbooks. BetEd allegedly had a number of bank accounts frozen which severed their ability to make payments. BetEd has not responded to SBR inquiries or been able to document the amount of funds withhold, and has to date not written their customer base with an explanation for why sufficient funds were not in reserve in the case of a doomsday scenario.

The other online sportsbooks named in the federal indicment on March 23rd continue to operate as normal under new domains. The US continues to go after .com sportsbook domain names, prompting leading industry sportsbooks to alternate to the .ag and .eu endings, which are presumably beyond the US grasp. | BetEd forum discussion

5Dimes casino errors result in two disputes

Stryyke sportsbook remains off-line with players funds

A Stryyke Sportsbook (SBR rating F) victim writes in. A player with a €1627.93 balance owed by Stryyke tells SBR that he has had no communication from the scam sportsbook prior to the site going offline in 2010. Stryyke players have reported over €35,000 in unpaid winnings.

Apex Sportsbook player paid after six years

An Apex Sportsbook (SBR rating F) player has received payment after six years.

On April 11th, SBR staff pinned a note in SBRforum's Sportsbook & Industry section asking old Apex players to write in. Apex Sportsbook stiffed players prior to going off-line in 2005. Apex owner Robbie McPhail used stolen players funds to finance Bet33 Sportsbook (SBR rating D-) later that year. Apex is also the parent company of 1Vice Sportsbook. | Apex, Bet33 history  | Read more

Online Scams, five sportsbooks to avoid

The Sportsbook Review Blacklist includes 1,066 sportsbooks. These online sportsbooks are the worst in the industry.  The criterion to be included in this list is to carry a D- or F rating.

Apex Sportsbook victims advised to write in

There may be hope afterall for Apex Sportsbook (SBR rating F) victims. Apex stiffed an undetermined amount of players after closing shop, then resurfaced as Bet33 (SBR rating D-) Sportsbook in 2005. Bet33 was assessed with a rating of F by SportsbookReview, but later upgraded to D- after years without a sportsbook complaint.

Apex owner Robbie McPhail used players stolen funds to finance Bet33, thus Bet33 remains on the SBR sportsbook blacklist. Bet33 paid a player $3,000 in November of 2009 that reported to SBR he had been stiffed by Apex five years prior. Bet33 has requested that SBR publish a note asking former Apex players to write in with their account balances. Players can email help@sportsbookreview.com.

SBR will update this report if any former Apex Sportsbook players receive payment from Bet33.

Congrats SBRforum Poker Freeroll winners!

A big congratulations to Saturday's SBRforum Poker Freeroll winners. The event was part of April's SBR Poker Freeroll series. The following SBRforum posters shared the $500 pot: "secretstash", "WillC", "DavyDave', "orioles', "cankid', ''bernardmadoff', 'mikejamm', 'brazilian soccer', 'pinnerpsk', and 'krisskross'.

SBR Poker games are held on SBRforum's custom poker platform. For more information, visit the SBR Poker Forum.

SportsInteraction, mobile betting platform upgrade

SportsInteraction (SBR rating B) rolls out a new mobile betting platform. SIA management tells SBR that their new mobile site is live. The mobile betting platform currently supports users with existing deposits in their accounts. SIA plans to expand the product this year to include live betting and sign-up/deposit ability.

The mobile site has advanced browser recognition, to make mobile betting via an iPhone or Android software a seamless experience. SIA tells SBR that the changes for updating odds on the bet card is being worked on in their production lab and went live Monday. SportsInteraction has established itself as a sportsbook that takes forum user feedback quite seriously. | SportsInteraction Mobile Forum feedback

Sportsbook review of Betbanks.com

Betbanks.com (SBR rating D) is making its rounds across messageboards and Twitter, advertising 25% signup bonuses with no rollovers. SBR urges players to be extremely cautious when depositing for bonuses that sound too good to be true. White label turnkeys have a high failure rate with historically little investment.

The Costa-Rica based sportsbook claims to be primarily a credit outfit with 10% of their business driven by post-up clients. SBR interviewed management and requested permission to visit the Betbanks office to conduct a sportsbook photo tour. Betbanks stated that it would need to consult its senior associate prior to allowing SBR into their facility.

Based on available information, SBR has determined that the business model of Betbanks.com is not sustainable long-term, and is potentially a fly-by night attempt at soliciting player deposits. Betbanks can only process Western Union and Moneygram transactions, which is consistent with previous scam sportsbooks such as Houstonbet (SBR rating F). Like Houstonbet, Betbanks states that it is interested in marketing toward the Asian market.

Betbanks players with feedback are asked to write to help@sportsbookreview.com.

Sportsbook.com payouts: four to six week withdrawals?

A Sportsbook.com (sportsbook rating D-) player has submitted a payout complaint. On March 3rd, 2011, the player requested a $1,000 payout. The player tells SBR that he received confirmation his ID documents were verified prior to requesting the withdrawal. On March 10th, $1,000 was credited back to his account, attached to a system message notifying the player that his payout needs to be resubmitted.

The player tells SBR that after following up on his withdrawal status, Sportsbook.com quoted a four to six week time-frame for his bank wire to be received. | Sportsbook.com complaints  | Read more

Scam sportsbook Parlaymakers still off-line

Parlaymakers (SBR rating F) is the latest sportsbook to collapse without paying their players. The scam sportsbook was downgraded to F by SBR on February 28th after going off-line. Parlaymakers did not provide notice to players that the domain would be taken down, and ceased replying to both players and SBR shortly after the loss of their biggest processor, Gold-Pay.

The niche sportsbook had an unusual business model that allowed players to place teasers and parlays at prices offered by Matchbook (SBR rating B-). On February 20th, SBR published a report advising players to request their funds after communication brokedown from the sportsbook. Parlaymakers "Max" relied on word of mouth to bring in business for the small sportsbook, initially paying players and spamming forums to promote the brand. All future ventures started by Parlaymakers Max and associates will be added to SBR's scam sportsbook blacklist.

Parlaymakers players are asked to submit their details via sportsbook complaint form to SBR. While players are unlikely to be paid in the short-term, SBR has assisted some players in receiving payment from scam sportsbooks that experienced success after rebranding, one such case occurred when Bet33 (SBR rating D-) paid a player who had been stiffed $5,000 following Apex Sportsbook's (SBR rating F) collapse five years prior. | Parlaymakers scam discussion

Parlaymakers scam; sportsbook off-line

Parlaymakers (SBR rating F) is off-line. Parlaymakers did not provide notice to players that the sportsbook would be taken off-line, and has not responded to the latest round of sportsbook complaints submitted to SBR. Parlaymakers players reported to SBR that their logins stopped working prior to the domain being taken down. Parlaymakers has not provided comment to SBR, and has been added to the SBR Sportsbook Blacklist at the rating of F. | Parlaymakers report  | Read more

Sportsbook.com vs player, $26,000 dispute update

Sportsbook.com (SBR rating D-) dispute update. On February 9th, SBR reported that Sportsbook.com canceled $26,000 in winnings from a player. The player told SBR that he deposited $1,000 on Saturday February 5th, and made several parlays prior to increasing his balance to $26,000. Sportsbook.com canceled the player's winnings and stated that only the $1,000 deposit would be refunded. After discussing the complaint with Sportsbook.com management, SBR has concluded that Sportsbook.com's actions were justified. | Sportsbook.com report  | Read more

Sportsbook Scam Alert - CreditWagering fraud

CreditWagering sportsbook (sportsbook rating F) burns another player. In November, the player opened his account and began to wager. CreditWagering extends players $1,000 upfront and requires that they complete a 3X rollover prior to making any withdrawal. If a player is down $400 or more after his first week of playing, CreditWagering requires that the player settle for that amount in order to resume playing. Players who pay are promised 15% back on their settlement amount. The attractive proposition has lured in many players, some of whom that have no intention to pay should they lose their first $400, and some innocent players that had settled up when they owed. | CreditWagering Report
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WSEX Sportsbook update

Two WSEX Sportsbook (SBR rating D) players confirm partial payment. The first player reported a $2,500 payment; prior to receiving this withdrawal he had $25,000 in delinquent payout requests. The withdrawal requests ranged from December 12th to January 4th. The second player reported a successful $1,800 Moneybookers withdrawal. After receiving those funds, the player still has a balance of $7,900 which he has been trying to withdraw since April of 2010. Twenty-eight WSEX Sportsbook players have submitted sportsbook complaints. WSEX still owes these players a total of $251,298. | Full WSEX Sportsbook Report
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Cashpoint player account wagering dispute

On December 18th, a Cashpoint (SBR rating C-) player deposited €100 by Moneybookers. Three days later, the player found that he was unable to place any wager, even for €1. When the player requested his money thinking that Cashpoint chose not to accept his business, he was informed that his deposited amount must be rolled over at least once prior to a withdrawal. SBR is discussing this dispute with Cashpoint. On 12/10, SBR reported that Cashpoint voided a player's balance.

Bet770 bonus abuse complaint

A Bet770 (unrated) player reports that he had a £400 balance voided for what was alleged to be bonus abuse. The player states that he redeemed Bet770's special £5 bonus deals for a period of 6 months. The player claimed he fulfilled rollover on all promotions. Bet770 reportedly zeroed out his account stating that the player received bonuses from "different language versions" of the website. SBR is contacting Bet770 for more details.

GoToEntertainment player reports year long slow-pay

A GoToEntertainment (SBR rating D-) player reports not being paid for over one year. The player has a balance of $18,203 and two pending Moneybookers withdrawals of $5,000. On 7/19, SBR reported that the GoToEntertainment Group, which includes Enterbet and GoToCasino, left the BetPhoenix building and platform before a takeover deal was finalized. $10,000 was paid to delinquent GoTo account holders during GoTo's brief period in the BetPhoenix office.

Parlaymakers wager dispute update

On November 18th, SBR reported that Parlaymakers (SBR rating C) canceled $4,000 worth of a player's teasers. The player had originally bet $1,000 on five teasers, all including the Baltimore Ravens leg of -1.5. Parlaymakers cited a rule disallowing more than $1,000 on any teaser team. Parlaymakers claimed that the player was aware of the restriction, but could not prove this. Since the wagers were canceled prior to any of the games beginning, the player rebet the teasers elsewhere. Parlaymakers has agreed to credit the player a $1,600 freeplay, which is equivalent to the amount of equity the teasers held.

SportingBet player submits wagering complaint

SportingBet (SBR rating D+) wagering complaint. On October 16th, a player wagered €120 on a spanish handball match between Toledo and La Rioja. His wager was on La Rioja at -2 with odds of 1.85. When La Rioja won by exactly two, the wager should have been refunded as a push. SportingBet graded it as a loss. When the player contacted SportingBet about the incorrect betting, he states that he was told it was meant to be a 3-way market, even though it was listed and priced as a 2-way handicap. All other spanish handball markets were also listed and priced as 2-way handicaps. SBR has contacted SportingBet to discuss this dispute.

Oddsmaker player being slow-paid for $772

Oddsmaker (SBR rating D-) player reports slow-pay. On October 11th, a player requested a $772 withdrawal and was told by Oddsmaker that his check would be sent in 2 to 3 business days. As of November 2nd, no payment has been received and Oddsmaker's cashier department has not provided the player with an update. On October 20th, SBR reported that Oddsmaker was slow-paying a player on a six-month old withdrawal request. SBR will update this report.

Oddsmaker player: [quote]Oddsmaker is a fraud and a scam. How can I retreive my funds. I made a wager for $850.00 on the 4th of October Patriots vs. Dolphins. the payout was $772 the Patriots won the game by more than the -1 spread. I won the money and I cashed out on the 11th of october and have not received my funds.[/quote]

Betfair bonus dispute

Betfair (SBR rating A) bonus dispute. Betfair ran a new account special from October 6th-11th for 50% cash-back on losses during that period. The requirements were that €50+ needed to be wagered on two or more days. A player signed up for this promotion and lost €1260 during the allotted time.  Betfair opted not to refund half of his losses (€630), stating that this special was never offered to the player. The player provided both SBR and Betfair with a copy of the e-mail he received advertising the promotion. SBR is investigating.

New Bet1128 ownership refuses to honor old player balances

A Bet1128 (SBR rating D+) player has contacted SBR stating that his account has been deleted. On August 4th, the player wrote to SBR indicating that the €300 balance he maintained with Bet1128 in 2009 was erased from the website. Bet1128 does not dispute the player's claims. Bet1128 states that Centurion Ltd. acquired the domain, but not any liabilities from Paradise Bet Ltd. who used to operate the sportsbook. Shortly thereafter, Paradise Bet Ltd. made the news for allegedly being a front for organized crime. | Full Bet1128 Sportsbook report
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Oddsmaker promo burns player

Oddsmaker (SBR rating D-) promotional fine-print burns another player. Oddsmaker mailed out a free $100 promo prior to the 2010 football season. A player accepted the offer and created an account with Oddsmaker. After four weeks the player rolled over his $100 30X and amassed a balance of $2900. When the player made a withdrawal request, Oddsmaker zeroed his balance due to one teaser being wagered with the promotional cash. The player was unaware of the rule and points out that he already turned a profit of $527 prior to entering the exotic wager. This is not the first instance of Oddsmaker confiscating a winning promo account balance. In a December 2009 sportsbook dispute, SBR reported that Oddsmaker zeroed out a $1500 balance from a player that says he followed all listed wagering rules attached to his promo. SBR is following up with Oddsmaker.

WSEX feedback wanted

A WSEX (SBR rating D) player has confirmed receiving a $2500 payout to his Neteller account.  This is the 5th confirmed WSEX payment in September for a total of $8800.

A new WSEX payout complaint was reported this morning from a player owed $150 and $400 from June & July withdrawal requests. WSEX stated to SBR on June 29th that all players who filed sportsbook disputes would be placed on priority lists. All players that have contacted SBR in the past six months, as well as those that have not written in, are urged to write to SportsbookReview with updates on their payout statuses.

WSEX is still slow-paying $240,050 to 53 players.

WSEX player: [quote]I have been waiting for 2 withdrawals now for over several months from WSEX.com.  One from the beginning of June for $150. and one from July 5th for $400.  They keep saying the old line "it was sent to our processor and awaiting them to send the check" for several months.  What a horribly run Sportsbook.  They want your money instantly to bet on their site, but you cant get access to your winnings for months if at all!  [/quote]

WSEX pays player $1,000

A WSEX (SBR rating D) player that requested a $1,000 priority check on May 1st has been paid. The player informed SBR that he was offered a $1,000 Moneygram free of charge in place of the check on August 10th. Players with payout updates or new complaints against WSEX are asked to write to help@sportsbookreview.com. WSEX is currently slow-paying $250,000+ to 55 players, with the earlier withdrawal delay dating back to October of 2009.

ABC Islands player reports partial payments

An ABC Islands (SBR rating C) player with a total balance of $16,000 reports receiving partial payments. After discussing his account status last Friday with the sportsbook and being informed he could not be sent a $5,000 payment at once, he agreed to accept partial payments of $500 a day via Western Union. ABC Islands sent the player $500 4 days in a row with a fee of $69 per transaction. The Jazz Sportsbook Group was downgraded to C on June 1st for falling behind on payouts and inefficient eWallet service.

ABC Islands player: [quote]Yes I spoke to someone at abc last friday, they said they CANNOT pay 5k at once right now, so I was furious. They said "when football starts." They offered Wu/Mg but said they can only do 500/day, with different names, etc. so I did get 4 payments of 500 each, for a total of 2000 out. It costs me like $69 for each 500, but I dont care, I am looking at big picture. I will call them next week and do the same, just trying to pull out as much as I can as I am done with this book.[/quote]

188Bet adds winnings back to player account

Oddsmaker (SBR rating D-) withdrawal complaint

Withdrawal requested — $3,400 on April 30th.
Player issue — On January 9th a player deposited $250 to Oddsmaker (SBR rating D-). After a few months of play, his balance increased to more than $7000. On April 30th he requested a $3,400 withdrawal via priority check. The expected time-frame for delivery was 10 business days. The trouble began when the quoted time passed and no check had been received. The player followed up with Oddsmaker to inquire and to his surprise was informed by the cashier department that his "bank wire" was sent. Taken aback by the claim, the player clarified that he requested a priority check and never at any point provided wiring instructions. Oddsmaker was adamant that the wire had been sent and suggested he check his bank account for the funds. The book finally acknowledged the error a week later. Oddsmaker then told the bettor it was in the process of canceling the bank wire and resending the funds via priority check. Two more months passed and no updates were given to the player on the status of this check.

No progress was made. The player submitted a sportsbook complaint to SBR.

SBR is currently in discussion with Oddsmaker management, who said only the banking department could provide updates. When asked about the disconnect between management and the cashier department, an Oddsmaker customer service manager stated that it could not comment on the company structure but would provide an update ASAP.

SBR will update this report. |  Oddsmaker is part of one of the largest online betting scams, FutureBet.

BetHorizon player claims account is hacked

A BetHorizon (SBR rating B-) player has claimed that his account was hacked.  A player contacted SBR stating that $9,000 was missing from his account and had been spent on sportsbook wagers and in the casino. The player denies placing the wagers and has asked BetHorizon to provide the IP addresses connected to the activity. BetHorizon has stated to SBR that the player's password was entered once, and that there were no signs of technical penetration to the account. BetHorizon has stated that it would provide the list of IP's associated with the account to SBR for review. The account in question never accessed the casino prior to that night.
Editor's note — BetHorizon was able to show that the the player's account had casino activity on four prior occasions.

Matchbook players report problems with exchange software

Matchbook (SBR rating B-) players complain of the exchange software matching bets erroneously.

Player 1: [quote]I set a market at -168 on Under 8.5 in minn/tb game for $145. About 20 seconds after i made the Market, I canceled it and it was cleared from my unmatched bets slip. 7 minutes later it was matched (after i already cancelled it), I have made all my bets from iphone without a problem. Considering over the past week the site goes down for 5 minutes at a time everyday more then once, i truly believe the problem resides on matchbooks end and i should not be responsible for the error.[/quote]
The second player to complain of the software also created an offer — David Oritz at -124 prior to the final round of the 2010 Homerun Derby.

Player 2: [quote]I offered David Ortiz at -124 before the final round. My bet went unmatched, and they closed live betting for the event. It said "live betting is no longer available for this event." I checked my account, and it showed the bet as unmatched. Then after the event, I go into my account and see that the bet was matched. I guess they closed betting on the event and then decided to reopen it. I called them and they said that yes, they closed it and then re-opened it.

They can't close betting on an event and make all unmatched bets void, and then re-open the betting and take the unmatched bets and put them back up as offers. This is exactly what happened. This bet should be void.[/quote]
SBR has followed up with Matchbook to inquire on both complaints.

Neteller investigates Bestake fraud complaints

Neteller is investigating the Bestake (SBR rating F) merchant account after complaints against the alleged scam sportsbook were reported. 50 Bestake players contacted SBR saying their balances were zeroed out after clicking a 'Show Me The Money' button which was curiously placed next to a new Express 4 Hour Withdrawal ad on its homepage. In reality, once players clicked the message, their entire balances were divided into six World Cup soccer wagers -— with the condition being all six wagers must be recorded as wins in order for the bettors to receive their funds plus 15%. Neteller was unable to comment directly on any action it could take against Bestake, but did state that they would be unable to accept claim requests for funds lost at the hands of a third-party site. | Readers discuss Bestake scam

ABC Islands feedback wanted

Players with feedback on ABC Islands (SBR rating C) of the Jazz Sportsbook Group are asked to write into help@sportsbookreview.com. A player contacted SBR stating that he requested a withdrawal of $2500 on June 26th via Moneybookers and has yet to receive payment. ABC Islands recently cleared all outstanding payment complaints prior to this new report. SBR is investigating.

SBR presents WSEX with 12 additional slow-pays

SBR has presented an additional 12 slow-pays to WSEX (SBR rating D) management. WSEX claimed it would review the payout statuses. In prior correspondence with WSEX, it was stated that the sportsbook would prioritize players that wrote in for sportsbook dispute assistance. Since that message, 3 players have in fact reported payment – however an additional 12 slow-pay complaints have been filed since that time. In total, WSEX is slow-paying $250,617 to 47 players, the first of which is waiting on payouts requested back in October of 2009. SBR will update this report.

Two WSEX slow-pay complaints reach SBR mailbox

Two WSEX (SBR rating D+) slow-pay complaints have been reported.

Player 1: Requested $140.00 from WSEX on February 3rd. Player has been given various excuses about a change in carriers.
Player 2: Requested $3000.00 from WSEX on March 23rd. WSEX claimed to be encountering processor problems.

A major complaint from players with WSEX has been the fact that, seemingly, staff have been instructed to provide generic and misleading statements regarding the withdrawal process. WSEX management did claim to SBR that players who filed for sportsbook assistance would be placed on priority lists. Four WSEX players reported payment in June; however 9 additional slow-pay complaints were filed since those reports surfaced. In total WSEX's debt to 46 players has now increased to $249,617. The first of those payout requests was made in October of 2009.

Canbet (SBR rating C-) forces player to fill bonus rollover on lost balances

Canbet (SBR rating C-) is requiring that player who accepted a bonus of £25 on a prior deposit, before zeroing out his entire balance, resumes his rollover fulfillment. Despite funding his account a number of times thereafter after losing both the bonus and his balance amount, Canbet recredits the £25 bonus and asks the player to complete a 6X rollover. SBR is following up on the dispute.

Gamebookers settes all tennis wagers as losses on two-way market

Gamebookers (SBR rating B-) is again subject of a tennis grading complaint due to its non-standard policy of grading all tennis Exact Score wagers as losses upon a player's retirement. A bettor placed a wager of £63 on an exact set score of 2-0 on the Zvonareva vs Jankovic Wimbledon WTA singles match. After losing the first set, Jankovic retired. Gamebookers graded the player's wager as a loss, however none of the full game exact scores are winners. The industry standard for a multi-way wager is that if there is a losing side, someone wins or pushes.

Other sportsbooks, such as Pinnacle Sports (SBR rating A+) have clearer rules for this scenario: "If a tennis match is not completed because of a player retirement or disqualification, all Set wagers will be considered void. Such wagers will be cancelled and the monies refunded."

SBR is following up with Gamebookers regarding their decision.

WSEX player was informed checks take up to 20 business days

WSEX (SBR rating D+) accounting gave a misleading time-line to a player that asked how long his $2155 check requested on May 4th would take to receive. He was told that the normal regular mail check delivery time is up to 20 business days. After 20 business days, WSEX told the player the delay was caused by a switch in banking processors. In reality, WSEX payment delays began much sooner than the purported processor change; WSEX was first downgraded in April of last year for their payout issues. WSEX continued its slide over the next several months and to date has fallen to the mark of D+, slow-paying 44 players $246,477. WSEX has yet to clear the payout request of a user who attempted to withdraw his balance in October of 2009. WSEX management claimed players that wrote to SBR via sportsbook complaint form would be placed on "priority lists". It is unclear how many additional users are encountering payout delays. SBR asks any player to fill out the complaint form or write directly to help@sportsbookreview.com with their payout statuses and account numbers.

Three WSEX players report payment

Three WSEX (SBR rating D+) players have reported payment. One player received $9000 via 3 checks, two other players received $2500 each via Neteller. Players that have not submitted sportsbook complaints against WSEX are encouraged to do so. WSEX is currently slow-paying 33 players a total of $213,690, with the first payout request made in October of 2009. On June 18th, WSEX management stated players that asked SBR for help would be on a "priority list".

WSEX player reports payment

A WSEX (SBR rating D+) player has reported payment. The player received two $2500 checks this month. He wrote SBR for dispute assistance on June 3rd. The player is still owed $15,000 by WSEX. WSEX management has discussed the payout delays with SBR and has stated players who submitted sportsbook complaints were on a priority list. WSEX has 35 slow-pay complaints levied against them for a total of $222,690.

BetOnline247 makes partial payment to player

BetOnline247 (SBR rating D-) has made a partial payment of $200 to a player that had his deposit returned after requesting a withdrawal. The player initially requested $1492 from BetOnline247 on December 7th. His deposit of $225 was returned on January 14th. On June 9th, BetOnline247 management contacted SBR claiming that the site was once again operational after a period of downtime and that the sportsbook intended to settle all balances owed. SBR will update this report as more payments are made. Players that have not contacted SBR are asked to fill out sportsbook complaint forms.

Unibet account closure dispute - funds not returned

A Unibet (SBR rating B+) account closure complaint has been received. On March 24th a player alleges that Unibet closed his account which held a €710.44 balance. Unibet requested the player confirm his Moneybookers and bank account information prior to sending his funds. Unibet made no indication as to why the account was closed and whether or not just his deposit would be returned or the entirety of his balance. This is the second outstanding complaint of Unibet closing a player's account without making a payment to the player. SBR is following up with Unibet.

Interwetten bet cancelation update

On 5/21 SBR reported that Interwetten (SBR rating B-) canceled a player's $50 wager on a darts match between Taylor and King. Interwetten canceled the bet prior to the game beginning and notified the player there was an error in the odds offered. SBR has confirmed that the odds of 1.7 were off market.

BetFirstClass complaint update

The BetFirstClass (SBR rating D) player from SBR's May 17th slow-pay complaint has written in with an update. As detailed in the report, $1,000 toward his $2,472 payment request was filled with Western Union on May 17th. BetFirstClass stated that WU would not allow more to be sent in a 24 hour period to the player's location. However, four days have passed since then and no arrangements have yet been made to send the remaining balance. SBR is following up with BetFirstClass on the WU delay.
BetFirstClass player: [quote]BFC said they will payout me on last week ,and then i call them about slow pay my 1472 by westernunion,and they told me will pay today or tomorrow every time when i ask them,yesterday i just got they e-mail say will pay on yesterday but rigth also no pay,they seems make most reason to hold my money 1472.[/quote]

Stryyke uses technicality rule to void winnings

Stryyke (SBR rating D-) has voided €940 in winnings from a player  that requested a payout prior to completing his bonus rollover. Stryyke has yet to explain in detail its policy for deciding what funds come from the bonus and what winnings are won with deposited funds. The sportsbook issued the following statement to SBR today:

Stryyke: [quote]For your information, terms 5.1.h. “In case the user does not fulfill one of the bonus requirements or requests a pay-out before fulfilling the requirements the bonus and related winnings are forfeit and will be deducted from the players account”. The credit balance has been paid out today to (the player's) bank account.[/quote]

188Bet player complaint - sportsbook voids balance

A 188Bet (unrated) sportsbook complaint has been received. On May 1st a player deposited via Moneybookers before zeroing out his account. The player then funded twice by debit card for $450 and $400. After placing a few wagers, 188Bet adjusted his balance to zero, then asked the player to provide ID documents. The player obliged and sent his ID right away, but did not respond to 188Bet's request for a bank statement showing his address within a 48 hour window - so 188Bet refunded $450 in deposits to the player's credit card. The player points out that his total deposits for the time period that his deposits were voided in is $850.

SBR is following up with 188Bet.

Moneybookers addresses Bet911 complaints

On April 28th, SBR received complaints that Bet911 (SBR rating C-) was not paying players out via Moneybookers. After one day, Bet911 addressed the reports by claiming that multiple fraudulent transactions were made by their players using the Moneybookers system. Bet911 initially vowed to pay players out via alternate methods, such as by check, before back-tracking and declaring that no player who requested a Moneybookers withdrawal would be paid prior to completion of an internal investigation. Despite this statement, hours earlier the player from SBR's April 29th newswire reported payment. Bet911 has not returned any of SBR's communication since April 29th. Additionally, Moneybookers has taken issue with Bet911's stance concerning why players were not being paid out via Moneybookers. Moneybookers has stated to SBR that Bet911 has insufficient funds to complete their payments to customers. SBR has lowered Bet911's rating to C-.

Moneybookers: [quote]The customers didn’t receive their payouts from Bet911.com because they don’t have the funds to complete their payouts. If you have any questions on this please let me know.[/quote]

WSEX slow-pays update

WSEX (SBR rating C-) slow-pay reports have continued to flow into the SBR mailbox. Three new payment complaints were filed with SBR this week. One player requested two payments for $2997 and $2995 in January of 2010. In total 31 unique WSEX slow-pays remain outstanding. WSEX's debt to players has increased to $163,011 with the oldest payout requested in October of 2009. SBR asks that players with open disputes against WSEX fill out a sportsbook complaint form.

Player to WSEX: [quote]I have read that various people that requested payouts in February have been paid but I still have 3 payouts remaining and two of these were requested in January and have now been over 100 days since my request.  Can you please prioritize my January payouts and make sure they get sent in the next week.  Thanks.

Below are my open payouts:
$2997 requested 1/8
$2995 requested 1/20
$2994 requested 2/22[/quote]

Stryyke confiscates €5,697 from player citing poker chip-dumping

Stryyke (SBR rating D-) has seized a player's €5,697 balance after concluding the player was chip-dumping within Stryyke's poker network. Chip-dumping is the process of intentionally funneling money to other accounts within a poker game, this is typically done between two or more accounts as a way to evade an insufficient deposit, or to circulate ill-gotten funds. SBR has asked Stryyke for evidence and complete game logs to support its claim. This report will be updated. On April 22nd, Stryyke made SBR headlines for a decision to cancel winning bets on an NBA game due to allegedly receiving "suspiciously" lopsided action on the game in their sportsbook. Stryyke's solvency has been under question in recent months as the sportsbook is currently slow-paying 22 players €18,797.20, with the oldest payment requested in May of 2009.

Player: [quote]I saw that you are helping players receive delayed payouts from Stryyke and would like to add my name to the list of unpaid players. I initially submitted my payout request on Feb 4th, 2009 for 6,400 Euro and to date have only been paid 500 Euro. I am currently waiting on 5697 to be paid (I lost some of my balance playing poker), but strykke has repeatedly ignored my emails, given me excuses, and canceled my withdrawal requests for no reason. I am hoping you can help me get paid and end this nightmare. If you need any screenshots of my transaction history or any other information please let me know and I will be happy to provide it to you. [/quote]
Stryyke: [quote]Chipdumping is considered illegal and Stryyke reserve the right to freeze all accounts involved in chipdumping and also confiscate funds held in such accounts.This  account has been closed due to serious violation of our rules.  This acccount will stay closed and the funds have been seized.[/quote]

Sportsbetting.com live wagering dispute

A Sportsbetting.com (SBR rating C-) live wagering dispute has been received. A player making live wagers on the NHL game bewteen the Buffalo Sabres and Boston Bruins had 4 wagers no-actioned. All 4 wagers were placed in the 3rd period, two of which on the Bruins +1.5 +110 and 2 on the Over 3.5 goals -165. Sportsbetting.com stated to the player that the lines were supposed to be offered for the 2nd period, not the 3rd period. The player notes that when the wagers were placed, the game was already in the 3rd period. SBR is investigating the complaint.

BetFirstClass feedback wanted

BetFirstClass (SBR rating D) is now under new management. SBR is interested in hearing from current players about their experiences. A payment complaint was reported earlier today. The last big outstanding slow-pay complaint levied against BetFirstClass was paid following the transitional period to new ownership and management. Players with feedback on their account and payout statuses should write to assistance@sportsbookreview.com, or fill out a sportsbook complaint form. | View full press release.  | Read more

Dimeline Sportsbook bonus complaint standstill

No progress has been made in the Dimeline Sportsbook (SBR rating D) bonus complaint reported on SBR in March. On January 5th of 2009 a player deposited €2000 with Dimeline and slowly began to wager toward his rollover requirement. On January 1st of 2010 Dimeline removed €4505 in bonus funds from the account citing that the rollover was not met within 3 months of his deposit. The player disputes that the rollover was timed, and has provided an e-mail transcript where the Dimeline Sportsbook sales manager reiterated the bonus terms in early 2009 prior to his deposit. No such mention of a 3 month rule was intact. SBR is asking Dimeline Sportsbook to return all bonus funds to the player's account and to allow him to resume filling rollover. Any such bonus terms added by Dimeline Sportsbook after the player's deposit cannot be applied retroactively.

Stryyke sportsbook slow-payments update

Stryyke (SBR rating D-) last communicated with SBR regarding the slow-pay complaints reported from players on March 23rd. 16 players are currently owed $15,233.95 with the earliest payment requested in August of 2009.

Stryyke player comments: [quote]Delay in paying out even hough I have met turnover requirements and supplied them with necessary ID.When I email them they make various excuses[/quote]

Bet911 cancels soccer bet citing bad line

On February 19th a Bet911 (SBR rating C-) player wagered on a Holland soccer match between Eredivisie Roda JC and Hercales. The player bet on Roda JC at +115. Seven minutes prior to the game beginning, Bet911 canceled the play. SBR has confirmed that other sportsbooks, including BetCris (SBR rating A+) opened at +115 before closing at -110. While the wager was voided before the game and cannot be settled, SBR will still speak to Bet911 on the case as they should not penalize players for their oddsmaker being slow to update their offerings - when the line was posted at Bet911 it was inline with the rest of the market.

Stryyke management discusses outstanding slowpay cases with SBR

Stryyke (SBR rating D) has discussed the status of outstanding slowpay complaints with SBR. The sportsbook is based in Malta and claims that due to Malta imposed regulations rigorous checks of players accounts must be complete prior to their first payout. The industry standard in verifying a players identity is one to two business days; some Stryyke players have waited months for payment. Stryyke has attributed the payment delays and length of account verification to the size of their staff. SBR asks that Stryyke updates its website with a revised payment timeline and notate the delays involved until the "KCY" procedure is complete. While Stryyke has shaved down the number of their slowpay complaints, new reports have steadily trickled in. SBR last reported on February 23rd that 12 players are owed a collective €8656.65. As of today Stryyke owes €6384.65 to 8 players with the earliest request made on November 2nd.  | Read more

SBR to speak with Stryyke management today

SBR has a phone conference scheduled with Stryyke (SBR rating D) later today. Stryyke plans to address the status of the outstanding slowpay complaints submitted to SBR. In the last month, Stryyke players have filed 18 slowpay complaints. Sixteen of those players have confirmed payment totaling €8789.82 collectively. In total there are still 12 outstanding slowpay complaints including the five filed yesterday and in months prior. Stryyke has €8565.65 in debt to these players. SBR will inquire on the length of payment times and the recurring delays players have reported experiencing. This report will be updated.

SBR Free Racebook is now live

The free SBR Racebook is now live. SBR Forum members may use their loyalty points to place wagers on dozens of tracks. The software used is industry grade and offers numerous betting options. Posters may use their earned and won loyalty points to make purchases for various merchandise at the SBR Store.

BetFirstClass users advised to request funds

BetFirstClass (SBR rating D) and sister sportsbooks downgraded from C to D amid news that the books owner is in US custody. Those who work with the sportsbook group state that BFC "Mike" was wanted, prior to starting his sportsbook, for tax evasion. Representatives for BetFirstClass say it is "business as usual." Players are sure to test that statement with an influx of withdrawal requests. BetFirstClass is a small sportsbook that became known after advertising on a betting forum. To date, there have not been any payout complaints from BetFirstClass players.

Sister BetFirstClass sportsbooks are: Lines2Bet (SBR rating D), Lay104 (SBR rating D).

Bet911 enforces non-industry standard bonus requirement

Bet911 (SBR rating C-) has enforced a non-industry standard bonus rule. A player funded his Bet911 account with $400 on January 12th. He accepted a 30% cash bonus which carried a 5X rollover. Although the player has completed his rollover after nearly three weeks of play, Bet911 is requiring the player to wager exactly $404 for 10 more days to fulfill his "activity days wager". Bet911 has a rule that requires players to fulfill a specified number of activity day wagers for each promotion. The rule is not in place to prevent dormancy but instead to prevent a player from hitting a few larger wagers and then lowering his bet amount to complete rollover. It is not clear by reading the Bet911 fineprint exactly how the average activity wager figure is reached.

Bet911 T&C: [quote]In regards to the days of activity a player must again wager what he would normally wager on a bet in order for it to count as an activity day credit. If the player normally plays 100 dollar wager and wants a withdraw but still has activity days left he must still wager that 100 a day to get credit for it. He can not bet less than that for it to count as an activity day.[/quote]
Bet911 has claimed the player agreed to completing 15 activity day wagers prior to accepting the promotion. SBR will address the complaint with Bet911 and ask for a clearer breakdown of what constitutes an activity day wager. If rules are non-industry standard, they must be clear and specifically brought to a players attention. Non-standard rules cannot be buried in the fineprint of the terms and conditions page.

Casineto discusses payment complaint with SBR

Casineto (SBR rating D-) has addressed the recently filed payment complaint from January 21st. A player reported waiting over three weeks for a $380 payment; according to the Casineto website the expected payment time was 48 hours. Casineto has informed SBR they will investigate the complaint and settle the account.  Casineto has had 15 slow pays reported against them totaling $5910 in player funds owed prior to this complaint - SBR waits for an update from those players to confirm whether or not their cases remain outstanding.

Slowpay sportsbooks with shared management

BetMonte (SBR rating D+) and BetDos (SBR rating D+) have both accumulated payout complaints this month. The Costa Rica based sportsbooks operate on the same platform. SBR has confirmed that one log-in works at both places. BetMonte has owed a player $7,064 since October 15th. BetDos has recently rejected three payouts totaling $3285 citing that an ownership change is forcing all players to complete a one-time rollover of their funds. SBR asks that players who have payout complaints against either brand file a sportsbook complaint form. | View BetMonte complaint; BetDos complaint.

BetDos forcing players to complete one-time rollover prior to withdrawal

Three BetDos (SBR rating D+) slow pays have been received totaling $3285. The funds were requested on December 10th, January 4th, and January 12th. BetDos has stated to players that the sportsboook transferred to new ownership on January 15th and due to this all balance holders must complete a one-time rollover of their account balance before submitting a payout request. There has been no official statement or press release notating any ownership change at BetDos. The Costa Rica based sportsbook does not have a published phone number.  | Read more

Bet911 stands by decision to retroactively change agreed upon bonus terms

On 1/12, SBR reported that Bet911 (SBR rating C-) declined to process the withdrawal request of a player citing that he had not fulfilled his rollover request. Through discussion with the player and Bet911, SBR discovered that the player wagered "six-packs", or daily perks, in his process of completing rollover. At the time the bonus was accepted from then manager Carl, the wagers were counted as eligible play. Bet911 has conceded that it never updated its website after November 1st when it states that the decision was made to discontinue counting the daily perk wagers toward the initial bonus promotion, but feels within its right to do so as the terms of service grant the sportsbook total control to change any offering without prior notice. Many sportsbooks have such rules in-print, yet the application of the rule in this instance is unfair to the player. SBR has asked Bet911 to reconsider its decision and to honor the agreed upon bonus terms.  | Read more

New Dimeline Sportsbook slow pay

A Dimeline Sportsbook (SBR rating D) slow pay complaint has been filed with SBR. A player requested $1800 via check on October 21st. His request is still pending. The player describes attempting to withdraw $2000 prior to this request by Moneybookers, that request was cancelled as Dimeline has experienced difficulty paying customers out via Moneybookers. SBR will speak with Dimeline for an update on this latest slow pay complaint. One other player is waiting for a $4000 payout. Dimeline has stated that player should receive a check by the first week in January.

WagerWeb selectively enforcing rule on correlated parlays

On December 7th, WagerWeb (SBR rating C) confiscated $9578.60 from a player, citing their rule against correlated paralys. WagerWeb does not restrict correlated parlays from being accepted via the software, and has admitted to SBR that the rule is selectively enforced. WagerWeb claims the player was warned not to continue placing correlated parlays and that the player ignored the warning. The player denies ever receiving a warning. WagerWeb's selective enforcement allows it to keep winnings from losing players, and confiscate funds from winners. This is a clear case of theft by WagerWeb similar to the unresolved complaints of Sportsbook.com (SBR rating D-). WagerWeb also has a history of confiscating winnings citing rules after a players funds have won for a period of time and funds have been at risk. SBR will update this report pending further discussion with WagerWeb management.

Dimeline addresses bonus dispute

Dimeline (SBR rating D) has addressed the bonus confiscation report from December 2nd. Dimeline offered a 100% cash bonus, 10X rollover in March prior to the MLB season beginning. The conditions of the bonus were that MLB moneylines were not counted toward this promotion. From March 22nd to April 30th a player wagered $52,678.90, $10,172 of these wagers counted toward his rollover. On April 30th Dimeline closed the players account citing steam and non-recreational play.

Dimeline stated that bonuses are intended for non-recreational players and stated that it would only pay a prorated amount of winnings. SBR's position was that this was not a fair tactic and that Dimeline had no right to the player's earned winnings. Dimeline then made an agreement with the player that should they re-enable his account, if he completes the remainder of his 10X rollover, they would pay all winnings with no proration. At that time the player's winnings were in excess of $13,000. Dimeline stated that the bonus would be paid only if the player ceased steam play and was re-profiled as a recreational bettor. The player completed his rollover and withdrew $9976 in winnings. SBR considers the bonus dispute closed. 

Stryyke players report slow-pay

Stryyke (SBR rating D-) players have reported slow-payment. Three Stryyke players are owed €1433. The oldest payment request was made on September 30th. Strykke management has stated to SBR that the players are on a priority list to be paid, which raises concerns over the sportsbook's current financial stability. Players experiencing slow-pay issues from Stryyke are advised to submit a sportsbook complaint form.

RebateWager pays player in open teaser dispute

RebateWager (SBR rating B-) has paid the player whose winning open teaser was graded as a loss. RebateWager's posted rule on open teasers is that all teaser legs must be filled within one week. However, RebateWager has stated its standard procedure is to honor all accepted wagers and legs of open teasers. RebateWager paid the first three legs of the teaser which were placed in the allowed time-frame. The book cites multiple warnings to this player as for honoring only the teaser legs within the 1 week stated period. | View initial report

BetDos reduces winning wagers citing syndicate play

BetDos (SBR rating D+) reduced three winning wagers to $50 each citing its anti-syndicate rule. A player placed three bets between October 7th and 8th winning a total of $2243. After the events were settled, BetDos made the reductions. BetDos agreed to allow SBR to review all facts surrounding the case. BetDos stated that there were eight players making the same bets at the same time. Bet Dos had other remedies - including lowering limits, closing accounts, and even canceling wagers prior to the event if players were coordinating to exceed limits. BetDos agreed to reinstate the player's winnings on SBR's recommendation.

InternationalAllSports cites bonus abuse and confiscates player winnings

InternationalAllSports (SBR rating B) has closed a player's account and confiscated winnings for what they claim was "bonus abuse". The player adamantly denies the misuse of any bonus and his requests for support from IASbet have went unanswered. The player has provided a timeline to SportsbookReview which states the following order of events:

•    June 21st: The player requests 495€ withdrawal. The player is asked to provide 100 points of ID. The player sends 110 points.
•    July 2nd: They need copy of the card, player complies.
•    July 3rd: Player asked to send bank account #, IBAM and Swift, player obliges.
•    July 13th: Player is refunded 30€.
•    July 22nd: Player is refunded 30€.
•    July 29th: Player is informed account was closed and deposits returned.

The player's deposit was only 30€ and he was refunded this amount twice in two seperate transactions prior to being informed the account was closed. SBR will seek to reach management to discuss this. This is the second account closure case levied against InternationalAllSports in the past week.
 | Read more

10Bet (SBR rating C) player informs SBR of slow-payment

A 10Bet player has reported slow-pay. The player requested payment of £5005 GBP on July 24th. As of today, September 10th, the player has not received any funds from 10Bet. The player's requests to communicate with 10Bet have resulted in 10Bet emails stating that the accounting department would be notified. During this slow-pay period 10Bet has promised multiple times that the player would receive his funds "shortly." SBR will update this report once contact with 10Bet is made.

Sportsbetting.com closes player's account without explanation

On July 29th, Sportsbetting.com (SBR Rating C-) disabled a player's account for what was described as a "random security check." The player had deposited $1500 via prepaid debit card from July 24th to July 26th, in three different transactions. Over a 3 day period, the player made approximately 30 wagers before the account was disabled. Sportsbetting.com asked the player to provide ID documents to verify the player's identity. After the requested documents were supplied and confirmed as received, the player was then asked to fax the back of driver license, which was sent on August 3rd. Since that time, the player has sent several emails inquiring as to why the account is still locked, which has approximately $2000 in it. Sportsbetting.com has been the source of communication and unjust confiscation complaints. The player has been sent only automated email responses and remains locked out of the account. SBR will update this report when Sportsbetting.com addresses the complaint. | Forum: Sportsbetting.com confiscation.

BetOnBet Update:

Four new BetOnBet (SBR Rating D-) slow-pay complaints have been reported this week. Communication with BetOnBet management has slowed. BetOnBet has refused to comment on the reason for the lengthy payout delays, instead only stating that it would look into complaints by SBR readers. SBR will continue to press BetOnBet for answers,  but BetOnBet has not been fourthcoming during a period where little progress has been made. One fifth of the complaints have been resolved but the same number of new complaints have been received. Players are advised to avoid this slow-pay sportsbook while at least 25 players puruse their funds.

Oddsmaker burns three more winners with promotion fine print

Oddsmaker (SBR rating D-) software allows players to place parlays with their promotional funds but if the user places even one small parlay before a winning run, the sportsbook will cite the no-parlay fine print when the player requests a payout. Winnings will then be confiscated. The fine print regarding parlays is on the book's rules page but not supplied with the marketed promotional material. Oddsmaker previously told SBR it would honor winnings earned prior to the point the first parlay was wagered, would add the rule to the correct website pages, and clarify the rule in its terms of service. The book has not made these changes and players continue to waste winning picks on an account that cannot yield a profit. Players who have added to their balance with deposited funds have also had winnings removed despite having their own funds at risk and enough deposited cash to cover winning wagers.

Player #1:[quote]I was given $100 "bonus" from a flier I received in the mail that did not mention any stipulations, however I later found out, that the bonus amount must be wagered 10x, which is wagering a total of $1000 or more, and that you must subtract $1500, and the remaining balance could be cashed out, or continue to wager with it. I did all of this and now have a total of $3,283.81, in my account so after subtracting out their $1500, I should have $1,783.81 to my name. I was refused payout because I supposedly made an illegal parlay which apparently was not part of of the deal, why then was I allowed to make this bet and never warned that this bet was illegal until I tried to make a cashout!? [/quote]
Player #2:[quote]When i attempted to withdraw $1500 from my oddsmaker.com account, my entire account of $1749 was frozen and my funds seized. They claim I broke a bonus regulation although this was not bonus money and i had been making similar winning and losing bets for a month on their website with no problems. [/quote]
Player #3:[quote]I recieved a bonus from oddsmaker. I have been playing it and i clicked live chat to inquire why a wager didn't show up from the day before. The Rep 'andrew" quickly said i violated the terms and conditions by placing a parlay wager over a month before out chat knowing that i can only view back 30 days of wagers. He quickly then took all of the money out of my account and ended the chat session. [/quote]

DPT Sports Group launches new LooseLines website

LooseLines (SBR rating B-), a sister sportsbook of JazzSports (SBR rating B) and backed by parent company DPT Sports, is back online after a brief period of housing former BetRuss (SBR rating C-) players. Those players have since been migrated to Jazz Sports. DPT tells SBR that  there will again be a focus on Looselines as an independant brand with dedicated management and customer service. Looselines will be reevaluated after ther new website is tested and new player feedback is received. Players with recent experience at both Jazz and LooseLines are encouraged to write to SBR.

Gamebookers subject of tennis bet grading complaint

Gamebookers (SBR rating B-), a member of the Partybets family, unfairly grades tennis wager as a loser, taking 63 Pounds ($109) from a player. The player bet on an exact set-score market, wagering Vassallo Arguello to beat Bellucci by 3-0. Bellucci retired midway through the 3rd set with the score at 1 set each. The book's rule states [quote]In the event of a participant withdrawing after the start of a tennis match, the respective bets will be deemed void if at the time of suspension they are still not decided as winning or losing (e.g. First Set and First Set Exacta will be settled if the first set has ended).[/quote] The rule is ambiguous on exact set-scoring with a retirement. Other books have clearer rules on this scenario. From Pinnacle Sports (SBR rating A+): "If a tennis match is not completed because of a player retirement or disqualification, all Set wagers will be considered void. Such wagers will be cancelled and the monies refunded." Under Gamebookers' interpretation, the exact-set betting will have many losing bets, but no winning bets with a retirement. The industry standard is that for any multi-way market, such as exact set-scoring, there must be at least one winning bet.

Shilbet off-line day 11.

 The sportsbook's players write to SBR daily reporting that their funds were lost when the sportsbook disappeared. Shilbet spent its last two active months cheating players in various ways including altering wagers. SBR is researching the possibility that Shilbet is attempting to open a new sportsbook under a different name.

HighRollerOnlineCasino enters the SBR Rating Guide at F.

 HighRollerOnlineCasino is the newest site from sportsbook website mass-producer EZ Sports Group. SBR will attempt to identify many new sportsbooks from scam operation EZ Sports prior to football season. The group has used a new batch of website domains to hook players through search engines and is offering a turnkey program for new bookmakers. The EZ Sports network of sportsbooks will heavily advertise bonuses from 25% to 100%.

BetSportsWeb

 downgraded from C- to D+ after General Manager of company parts with sportsbook. BetSportsWeb was upgraded to C- in May of this year. SBR does not have any pending complaints against BetSportsWeb. The sportsbook was involved in a high profile dispute at the end of 2008 under its previous name, BetSuperior (SBR rating D+).

10Bet (SBR rating C) credits player for cancelled wager

shortly after SBR contacted management. The bettor's complaint was originally reported on June 11th.
[quote]10bet sportsbook has cancelled a winning wager
10bet sportsbook has cancelled a winning wager on a Mexican League baseball game between the Yucatan Lions and Oaxaca Warriors on 5/24/09. 10bet claims that the game had started 30 minutes prior to its own listed start time of 00:00AM UK (01:00AM CET). The player disputes the game was past-posted and points out that he also placed the same wager at  Pinnacle Sports (SBR Rating A+) which listed the same start time. Pinnacle Sports graded the bet as a win. The wager ticket was not graded for three days before being cancelled.  The player has sent multiple emails to 10bet without receiving a response. Players who wagered on the same game on either team and had their bets canceled are encouraged to contact SBR.[/quote]

SBR Bash: Bodog Poker Pro Evelyn Ng to take on SBR posters in the annual SBR Poker Tourney

Evelyn Ng will be competing in SBR Forum's annual SBR Bash Poker Tourney. The event will be held at the Golden Nugget in Las Vegas the weekend of August 22nd. There is a $200 cash bounty for the poker player who is able to knock out Evelyn! Evelyn is a Bodog Poker Pro who has won nearly half a million in poker circuits, including the World Poker Tour Ladies Night I Tournament, ahead of Annie Duke, Jennifer Harman and Kathy Liebert. Evelyn has competed on SpikeTV's King of Vegas, and appeared on Casino Casino as well as Criss Angel MindFreak.

If  Evelyn Ng places in the tournament, she has graciously offered to donate all winnings to St. Jude Children's Hospital. Bodog (SBR Rating B) and SBRforum.com will each match any of Ms. Ng's winnings with their own charitable contribution to St. Judes. The poker tourney has a prize pool of $5000 and all SBRbash goers are invited to compete, but must reserve their spot before SBR bash registration is closed. | View SBR Bash information.

Players vs. Shilbet

Two players from sportsbook, Shilbet (not rated), complain that the sportsbook graded their full-game bets as 1st half losing wagers. On June 10th, Shilbet offered wagering on the Ecuador vs. Argentina soccer game. Odds history logs show that Shilbet offered full-game odds of +300 on Ecuador, +210 on the draw, and -143 on Argentina. At least two players had wagers on Ecuador at +300, believing it to be a game wager. The game was tied 0-0 at halftime, and Ecuador won the game 2-0. The players now see that half time result had been applied to their wagers on the full game. SBR has begun discussing the matter with Shilbet.
Shilbet claims that "In certain occasions we pick unconventional odds in order to attract players". SBR notes that Betfair (SBR rating A+) had odds on a first-half draw at +108, and finds Shilbet's explanation for the line being for the full game is unlikely for multiple reasons. 1. It was offering +210 on a first half draw - nearly double the market price; and 2. Both players and odds tracking sites would have had to misinterpret first-half odds as full-game odds. Shilbet's software does not note if wagers are on periods of games or full games.

10Bet Sportsbook cancels winning wager

10Bet Sportsbook has cancelled a winning wager on a Mexican League baseball game between the Yucatan Lions and Oaxaca Warriors on 5/24/09. 10Bet claims that the game had started 30 minutes prior to its own listed start time of 00:00AM UK (01:00AM CET). The player disputes the game was past-posted and points out that he also placed the same wager at Pinnacle Sports (SBR Rating A+) which listed the same start time. Pinnacle Sports graded the bet as a win. The wager ticket was not graded for three days before being cancelled.  The player has sent multiple emails to 10Bet without receiving a response. Players who wagered on the same game on either team and had their bets canceled are encouraged to contact SBR.  | Read more

Canbet canceled 27 correlated NCAA football parlays on different games; downgraded to C+

Canbet canceled 27 correlated NCAA football parlays on different games; downgraded to C+
SBR has discussed the case numerous times with management in recent months. Canbet states that their software has never accepted correlated parlays where the point spread exceeds 33% of the total, and that the string of bets were accepted due to "operator error." Management also stated they believe the player was aware of this as he bet more than his average stake size and also deposited larger amounts to take advantage of these plays. Canbet: [quote]Parlays should not have been offered on this game and were only offered on this game due to operator error. Company policy is to only offer such parlays when the point spread is roughly a third or less of the points total. The fact that the bets were not voided until after the match does not alter the fact that the parlays were accepted in error in the first place. Agreed, it is certainly not normal practice to detect such bets until after the event. Again, through operator error these bets were not detected prior to grading the event. [/quote] Canbet cites a rule that it claims supersedes the fact that the software allowed the wagers and graded them after the player's funds had been risked.[quote]In the event that a line or price is put up in obvious error due to a human error by an employee, any customer wagers entered to take advantage of such error will be void.[/quote]The most applicable rule Canbet has for these wagers suggests that they were valid bets that are allowed.[quote]Any multiple made up of more than one selection from the same event will be deemed a related contingency. i.e. Alan Shearer to score 1st & Newcastle Utd to win; Denver -7.5 pts and Denver to win the game. The only exception to the above is in North American sports where sides and totals can make up a multiple bet.[/quote]
Canbet will remain under review as this and other disputes are discussed further and more is learned about Canbet's impending migration to its new platform and management. International All Sports Ltd. sold Canbet last week to Yin Khing Investments Ltd. IASbet's rating will also be reviewed. | IASbet Ltd: Canbet press release  | Read more

Win4Real (SBR rating C-) and sister sportsbook Racebook.com (SBR rating C-) confiscate player's deposits

Sports Betting & Handicapper Scam : SBR investigates

Players report BetUS and Tout collaborating on Scam: SBR investigates
Sportsbettingchamp.com,  a website promoting pro capper, John Morrison and the "John Morrison Chase Betting System”, is working with BetUS (SBR rating C-) to scam players.

How the scam works: When players sign up with BetUS through the Sportsbettingchamp.com website, BetUS identifies that player as a “Chase system” referral. When that player wants to make a play released by the tout, BetUS deals a unique, higher-priced line on that game for that specific player. It is similar to a grocery store changing price tags after they find out what you were sent to purchase.

For example, on March 23, 2009, the “Chase system” told the players to bet on the Los Angeles Clippers. BetUS and most books were offering a spread of +15 for this game. Most BetUS players, including those referred to BetUS through other professional handicapper websites received the fair line of +15. Players who were referred to BetUS from the Sportsbettingchamp's website were offered a line of +13.5.

Other recent examples of dealing inflated lines only to the tout’s subscribers include:
March 7, 2009: Golden State Warriors +6 (vs +8)
March 3, 2009: Toronto Raptors +6.5 (vs +8)
March 1, 2009: Toronto Raptors +4.5 (vs +6)
February 24, 2009: Charlotte Hornets +5.5 (vs +7)

In every case, the alternate line is only on games released by the tout, and always hurts the player following paying for the pick. The BetUs customer essentially pays much more than he or she realizes.  BetUS’s tactic of moving the line against these players means that instead of charging the normal -110 for these wagers, BetUS is effectively charging these players -140 – four times the usual bookmaker commission.

Players are advised to use caution following any tout that suggests you use a particular sportsbook. SBR has received many complaints over the years involving touts that gain the bettor's confidence before taking part in various sportsbook scams.

GamblersPalace (SBR rating C) confiscates $137 player winnings

GamblersPalace (SBR rating C) confiscates $117 player winnings
The player requested a withdrawal prior to meeting his bonus rollover. GamblersPalace rules state that if the player takes a payout before meeting the bonus terms and conditions the amount of the bonus will be deducted. GamblersPalace initially agreed to pay the player and reword its rules to reflect a deduction of the bonus and winnings from that bonus. The sportsbook later refused to pay the player.
Note: The player never had the bonus plus funds in play, meaning the bonus was not directly used to earn winnings.

Baseball analyst Willie Bee grades his 2008 preseason predictions

Baseball analyst Willie Bee grades his 2008 preseason predictions
Willie Bee: Later this week those four little words baseball fans and bettors love to hear will be uttered: Pitchers and catchers report. Before SBR baseball analyst Willie Bee starts diving into this year's projections for each of the 30 MLB clubs, he's taken a look back at the 2008 season projections and how well, or poorly, they turned out. Reviews of each of the six divisions can be found on the following pages: AL EAST ... NL EAST ... AL CENTRAL ... NL CENTRAL ... AL WEST ... NL WEST

BetFred confiscated freeplay winnings

SBR.TV's Peter Loshak hosts round table Super Bowl discussion

Part II: The Picks

DailyDime enters the SBR rating guide at D-

DailyDime enters the SBR rating guide at D-
DailyDime.com is hosted and serviced, with the same website IP address and company license as AceCity (SBR rating D) and Oddsmaker (SBR rating D), by Futurebet. The Futurebet flagship sportsbook prior to partnering with Oddsmaker and BetOnUSA (SBR rating D-) was SportsbookUSA (SBR rating F). SportsbookUSA has stole hundreds of thousands, if not over a million, from its players. SBR still gets at least one email a week from new SportsbookUSA players who are asking for help collecting winnings. Players should avoid all affiliated sportsbook brands.

BetEd player makes $6,931 mistake

BetEd (SBR rating B-) player makes $6,931 mistake
The player made an eCheck deposit for $50 using a bank account owned by his father, who he lives with. In two weeks time the player turned the deposit into a balance of $6,931. After requesting a withdrawal for his winnings, BetEd reviewed the account and found the source of the deposit to be his father's checking account. [quote]I looked at my account today and they have completely zeroed out all of my winnings, I went from having over $6900 and now I HAVE A $0 balance!!!! Their accounts mngr emailed me stating that my transactions were not valid and violated their terms and conditions. He stated that my email was invalid, which it's not, it's just not my primary email address. He also wrote, Per these clear and serious violations, your account has been closed and the deposit refunded to the actual bank account holder. Now I try to log in, and my account doesn't even exist!!!!!!! I earned that money, or won that money fair and square and if they would take the time to cooperate with me, and speak with myself and my parents, they would know that everything was authorized.[/quote]The player points out that the $50 eCheck deposit was accepted and eligible to be lost. Unlike eChecks, credit card purchases are normally declined if the name on the card is not identical to the name on the user account. BetEd cites rule 14 which states "For security purposes, your bank account information must match the information supplied during your initial registration."  If any players have made a deposit with a third party checking account, before subsequently losing their funds, they should be sure to contact BetEd for a refund. Players are reminded to read all rules carefully before depositing with a sportsbook. | Player discussion

Bet911 sportsbook player receives payment prior to more delays

Bet911 (SBR rating D-) $10,000 winner reported initial success with a $1,000 installment plan that began in October, but the sportsbook failed to pay over the last month. The player first complained in June that Bet911 was unable to pay $10,000 without explanation. Owed 911 players are concerned that their chances to be paid will end with along with the busiest part of the year, football season.
Player: My contact does keep me informed. Apparently, money is tight. simple as that.  At the moment i am hoping payments will begin again soon.

Worldwidebet is added to the SBR rating guide at F

WorldWideBet added to the SBR rating guide at F. WorldWideBet.com is one of the many mass produced sportsbook brands from scam operation, Futurebet. Futurebet will use its white label program to target bettors who don't realize the new books are affiliated with the notorious scam artists. SBR will continue to search for new futurebet-serviced sportsbooks and immediately warn readers.

BetGun (SBR rating D+) players report sportsbook confiscation

Three unrelated BetGun (SBR rating D+) players report confiscation of winnings as well as deposits. The sportsbook claims each account holder shares an IP address with another user. BetGun justifies its action by simply stating that this is a "very serious rule violation." BetGun has not cooperated with SBR or players when asked for wagering and account user history.

Pinnacle Sportsbook (SBR rating A+) no longer offering full featured racebook

Oddsmaker (SBR rating D-) bonus scam costs another player $1,500

Oddsmaker (SBR rating D-) bonus scam costs another player $1,500. The player player placed parlays and striaght wagers when betting with his Oddsmaker try-us-out bonus money. A player has a parlay in his acount history will see his account set to zero when he eventually requests a payout. The sportsbook routinely allows players to make winning plays for months despite the fact that a parlay wager early in the account history will be reason to deny payout requets. The fine print regarding parlays is on the book's rules page and not supplied with the promotion. Oddsmaker previously told SBR they would honor winnings prior to when the first parlay wager was made, would add the rule to the correct website pages, and clarify the rule in its terms of service. The book has not made these changes and players continue to waste winning picks on an account that cannot yield a profit. Players who have added to their balance with deposited funds have also had winnings removed despite having their own funds at risk and enough deposited cash to cover the wager.
[quote] Oddsmakers.com sent me an email for a free $200 account which had no strings or restrictions. Over the months between baseball and football wagers, I built it up to $2,000, then lost some where I currenty have juslt under $1,500 sitting in a real money account. I wanted to request a $500 cashout as I was laid off from my job. When I talked with live chat requesting one, they said I couldn't have one since I didn't meet the so-called conditions of terms.
Now, when I went back to check my real money balance, they wiped it out completely showing 0 balance just because I asked for a PIN. Why didn't they wipe this out long, long, ago, why wait until I ask for a PIN over 8 months later?[/quote]

SBRforum Handicapping Contest: New York Jets at New England

MySportsbook (SBR rating D-) cancels live in-game NBA wagers after game ends

MySportsbook (SBR rating D-) cancels live in-game NBA wagers after game ends
On November 6th, at the start of the 4th quarter of the NBA Warriors-Nuggets game, a player placed an "in-running" bet risking $1000 to win $833. The winning bet was canceled after the event. MySportsbook first claimed it was a past-posted play, but later blamed the cancellation on offering erroneous betting odds. The sportsbook refused to pay the player, reprice the bet at what it deemed to be a fair market payout, and has not shown why it considers the betting offer to be in error. MySportsbook.com is operated and hosted by parent sportsbook, Sportsbook.com (SBR rating D-).

SBR Justin reports: BetSuperior player balance confiscation

PokerSouls enters the SBR rating guide at F.

PokerSouls enters the SBR rating guide at F. PokerSouls, also known as CasinoSouls, is one of the many mass produced sportsbooks from scam operation, Futurebet. Futurebet will use the different brands to target bettors who don't realize the new books are affiliated with the notorious rip-off artists. SBR will continue to search for new futurebet-serviced sportsbooks in an effort to warn players.

AverageJoeBets enters the SBR rating guide at F

AverageJoeBets enters the SBR rating guide at F. AverageJoe, also known as B4Bsports, is one of the many mass produced sportsbooks from scam operation, Futurebet. Futurebet will use the different brands to target bettors who don't realize the new books are affiliated with the notorious rip-off artists. SBR will continue to search for new Futurebet-serviced sportsbooks in an effort to warn players.

bwin (SBR rating C+) players continue to submit multiple complaints to SBR each week.

LazerWager folds with player funds; parent company scams continue

Lazerwager (SBR rating F) again cites frozen funds of third party processors as reason for finally calling it quits. The book used the processor excuse again despite only transferring two partial withdrawals to players since last year's Super Bowl. LazerWager blamed a credit card processor that froze post-up funds in February. LazerWager admitted that it made the mistake of relying on one processor to collect all monies and that without player deposits it did not have the needed funds to pay winners. The sportsbook lied to players saying that it would be transferring money from other business ventures. During the stalling and false promises of 2008, the sportsbook marketed aggressively to get new deposits from unsuspecting bettors. The Lazerwager staff told SBR prior to payout issues that the book is owned by GPS Global SA, also known as Evolution Sports Data Processing (evodp.com). The sportsbook shares the same server with many other betting sites.

SCAM ALERT: The image below was taken from Lazerager sister sportsbook, Prime Time Sports website today. The F rated sportsbook pretends to be rated A+

Waubet (not rated) closes after over a week of stalling users

BetSportsWeb enters the SBR Rating Guide at D+.

Logans upgrade from D- to D+

Logans upgrade from D- to D+ reflects potential for independent decision making. The sportsbook, which is managed and hosted by Sportsbook.com (SBR rating D-), tells SBR that it has its own email address for players to use when a dispute arises. Logans management also said it would be open to revisiting the decisions made by Sportsbook.com's team. Logan's management suggested it would have reversed decisions the Sportsbook.com Group made against players in the past, prior to its launch. Logans is a new Sportsbook.com-hosted brand that uses the turnkey operation's banking and processing. Players at Sportsbook.com turnkey serviced sportsbooks including Logans are susceptible to the long payout delays due to processing. Some players are currently waiting almost four months.
 | Read more

Oddsmaker (SBR rating D-) promotion stings new player

ExtremeBet enters the SBR rating guide at F

Player files $500,000 complaint against BetRoyal (SBR rating D-)

SBRforum Free Roll Poker Tournament: Thursday, July 24th

BettingStar24

BettingStar24 (not rated) tells SBR all delayed payouts have been processed. BS24 players are encouraged to contact SBR with feedback.
BettingStar24: We received the OK from the internal security check and carried out the payout requests of all customers named below. We hope that you understand that we had to check all the data and details prior to payout. This measure is primarily made for customers safety.
7/12/08 Update: Players confirm payment received.

USAsportsbook enters the SBR rating guide at F

Scam book USDbet (SBR rating F) soliciting new players in cannot pay.

BetRuss (SBR rating C-) acquired by DPT Sports Group

10Bet (SBR rating B-) cancels two soccer wagers citing "typing mistake"

Rating Change: Rio

Rio BetSuperior - SBR initiates rating coverage at D+

Rating Change: BetSuperior

BetSuperior - SBR initiates rating coverage at D+

BetSuperior enters the SBR rating guide at D+.

No-Pay book, LazerWager (SBR rating F) continues to advertise while stalling owed players

Willie Bee previews the 2008 mlb Baseball Season

LinesMaker (SBR rating C-) and Sports (SBR rating D-) give player back confiscated funds.

LinesMaker (SBR rating C-) and Sports.com (SBR rating D-) refund player's confiscated funds. Management of the Sportsbook.com Group tells SBR the player's funds were taken because he wagered the "free bets" for an extended period without giving the house action. Winning players are advised to use caution at Sportsbook.com Group books.
 
Player: I've had these two accounts for approximately 18 months and normally play the weekly $10 bets only after I've made a few bets during the week, maybe 40% of the time. I guess that in February, there weren't really any games to my liking so a little bored, I played the free bets and won about $20 each at Sports.com and Linesmaker. I did not use the two accounts to place bets on opposing sides of the free bet and I didn't receive any warnings before the accounts were disabled. Thanks again for your help

Sports.com (SBR rating D-) and Linesmaker (SBR rating C-) close player's accounts; confiscates $1,765

SBR visits LazerWager (SBR rating D-) office to discuss withdrawal issues

First payout activity observed from BetChance (SBR rating F) in nearly five months

DimeLine Sportsbook (SBR rating D) players complain of new payout delays

Super Bowl Opening Line: New England Patriots -13

Super Bowl Opening Line: New England Patriots -13
SBRodds.com currently shows a range of NE Patriots -12.5 (-105) at 5Dimes (SBR rating A) to NY Giants +13.5 (-116) at Matchbook (SBR rating A-). Players can expect to see some movement through tomorrow morning as early bettors help the line settle across the board. Players can monitor the Super Bowl lines at SBRodds.

Player vs. Oddsmaker (SBR rating D-) Update

Player vs. Oddsmaker (SBR rating D-) Update
Oddsmaker originally voided almost $1000 in winnings after the player placed a $5 parlay with promotional funds. Oddsmaker rules state that parlays will not be accepted in connection with these bonus funds but do not address subsequent winning bets. Oddsmaker did state that they would be adding a statement in their rules that would inform future players that a single parlay bet may result in confiscation of other winnings from the bonus. Oddsmaker has since credited the player with $73, the amount won prior to the offending parlay wager. BigJuicyOdds (SBR rating D+) read the SBR complaint report and has given the player a $1,000 free account with a 10x rollover.

Internet 1x2 player being slow-paid and not responded to

WagerWeb (SBR rating B-) confiscates $37,451; cites wagering fraud

WagerWeb (SBR rating B-) confiscates $37,451; cites wagering fraud
A player won $37,451 making over 60 football wagers through the month of October. At the end of October,  the player requested his funds and was given $5,000, which equaled the total amount he deposited. He was told his winnings would not be paid due to wagering fraud. WagerWeb states the player stalled wagering phone clerks, giving him the ability to make bets after kick-off. The book has thus far provided evidence that the player bet six minutes after the start of one game. SBR has reviewed multiple examples of his NFL wagers which were found to have been placed prior to kick off. This dispute highlights WagerWeb's on-going problems with risk management and their inability to deal with issues in real time. If the book identifies a bet placed after the start of a game it is expected to cancel the wager immediately, informing the player of its error of failing to close the betting market on time- as opposed to allowing the player's funds to be risked and later canceling the bet upon auditing his wagering history. Regardless of past-posting claims, Wagerweb has unjustly punished the player labeling his account as fraudulent instead of addressing individual wagers. SBR has asked Wagerweb to address each individual bet and to pay the player for all wagers where he was allowed to put his funds at risk.

Sportsbook.com (SBR rating D-) steals $10,000 from player claiming he was abusing bonuses

Sportsbook.com complaints grow

Sportsbetting.com will not take part in Sportsbook.com parlay scam

Half Point Value sports betting calculator now offered on SBRforum.com

BetsInParadise enters SBR rating guide at D-

Sportsbook.com decision costs bettors $20,000

Sportsbook.com (SBR rating D+) and sister Jazette Sportsbooks tell players that an error in Sunday's pitcher listing will cost them their winning bets. Players have reported a turnaround of $20,000 in their accounts.

Player: So I bet (BET ID=*********) the Sunday Night Baseball game on September 9th, 2007 between the Cleveland Indians and the Anaheim Angels. This is how they listed the game: Indians(Cleveland) Laffey Angels(Anaheim) JefWeaver. Now at the time, I didn't even realize that you guys had listed Jeff Weaver instead of Jared Weaver. I mean why would anyone pay attention to that since Jeff Weaver is not even on the team anymore? Obviously they meant Jared Weaver. Anyway, so the Indians won and I got my money. Now it's Monday and Sportsbook.com took away my winnings and no-actioned my bet because now they are saying that they listed the wrong pitcher! You can't be serious right? I can MAYBE understand if Jeff Weaver WAS ACTUALLY ON THE ANGELS. But he's not and obviously they meant to say Jared Weaver, who is actually on the Angels. Basically, they trying to no action my bet for a TYPO mistake that they made. Obviously I'm pretty upset about this. Like I said, I can understand if Jeff Weaver was on the Angels and they made the mistake of listing him. If that was the case, then, I agree, all bets should be no actioned. But this is a case where Jeff is not even on the Angels and it was a honest typo mistake on

BetOnUSA (SBR rating D+) moving to Futurebet from the Sportsbook.com (SBR rating D+) Family

BookMaker.com announces acquisition of SuperiorBook.com

BookMaker (SBR rating A+) officially takes over  Superiorbook (SBR rating D+) as well as accounts from sister no-pay sportsbook, BetEmpire (SBR rating F). Bookmaker has erased the rollover  requirement previously imposed by the internal Empire/Superior "merger." Players now have full acess to wagering and their funds.

Operations Director of Superiorbook and BetEmpire quoted in the Bookmaker press release:
Mr. Jimmy Mason, Operations Director of SuperiorBook.com: I can not stress how pleased I am that Bookmaker.com came to the rescue of our former players. Bookmaker.com has gone above and beyond anything I have seen in this industry and continues to show why they are an A+ operation. My number one concern has been and continues to be the welfare of the players and I can now sleep well at night knowing everyone's funds are safe and they'll now have a much better overall gaming experience.  | Read more

Superiorbook (SBR rating D+) to close

SBR’s Sports Betting Rules Monitor:

BetRoyal Sportsbook adding 7 day wait to payout process

SBR’s Sports Betting Rules Monitor: MLB Baseball Betting Rules Clarified by sportsbooks

Bet1128 (not rated) refuses to honor winning wagers

BetEmpire.com off-line

Sportsbook.com unable to pay non-US sports bettors

BetEmpire (Empire Sportsbook) to close; won't pay players?

BetMania complaints continue

Soccer sportsbook, Internet1x2 exits SBR Blacklist

BetOnUSA to be moved back under preivous operator

SBRforum analyst previews 2007 MLB season