7/15/2011 10:37 PM
VIP Sports to close August 1st, 2011VIP 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 historyVIP 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.
11/18/2006 10:12 AM
Nine (SBR rating B+) completes move to
IGW software.
Nine absorbs sister sportsbooks
BetCom (SBR rating B+) and
MyBookie (SBR rating B+).
6/28/2006 12:34 PM
SBR Bill Dozer reports: Newest Leisure & Gaming Plc sportsbooks,
Nine, BetCom and MyBookie receive upgrades from B to B+ after inheriting A+ rated VIP Sports’ wagering rules and policies.
VIP’s terms of service were implemented today.
6/28/2006 12:29 PM
Nine, MyBookie & BetCom raised from B to B+ 
11/14/2005 02:00 AM
777Rock upgraded from C- to C+,
MyBookie / Nine Group upgraded from C+ to B
11/9/2005 07:10 AM
VIP Sports (SBR rating A+) to acquire the MyBookie Group to include Nine.com and Betcom.com VIP will also acquire English Harbor Casino group.
5/30/2005 12:05 AM
SBR to meet with MyBookie (SBR rating C) management and head bookmaker. Not withstanding the recent negative event for this sportsbook,
MyBookie has smartly collected top talent and has potential.
MyBookie has indicated risk management policy changes will eliminate the possibility of a reoccurrence of the recent situation where
MyBookie was beaten out of one third of a million dollars and then made news by trying to settle for less than the player’s account balance.
5/27/2005 12:50 PM
SBR has confirmed that MyBookie (SBR rating C) has indeed settled the recent dispute. MyBookie states forcefully:
"There seems to be some serious misinformation here , We have stated and agreed to pay the player in FULL $85k . Not in payments not in installments but in FULL PERIOD . There is no settlement partial payment plan or anything else."
5/27/2005 11:14 AM
MyBookie (SBR rating C) has agreed in their words "...to pay player in full". But now there are reports of more shady activity. TheOffshoreWire is reporting that the player has been offered half of his balance and will be forced to state publicly he is satisfied. This is hopefully a false report. This would still be an improper confiscation case with simply a lesser amount of money being confiscated.
5/26/2005 11:04 PM
The MyBookie (SBR rating C) settles dispute and agrees to pay player $85,000. SBR upgrades
MyBookie and appreciates their open minded approach to settling this dispute. Mike Nichols, GM of
MyBookie, consulted with General Pete, Ken Weitzner, both of theRx.com and Russ Hawkins of MajorWager.com. A special thanks to SBR sources in Costa Rica and TheOffshoreWire.com’s Roberto C. for valuable information he shared with SBR and his important role. And finally, SBR aknowledges
MyBookie Hall-of-Fame headlinesman Rick who recommended the player be paid.
5/26/2005 11:02 PM
MyBookie and the entire GCS family upgraded from D+ to C
5/25/2005 12:36 PM
SBR COSTA RICA OFFICE REPORTS: GrandCentral Sports(SBR rating D+) dba MyBookie proves why private oversight of the offshore sportsbook industry is insufficient to protect players. MyBookie forced a player, allegedly by suggesting they may stiff him out of his entire balance, to accept .30 on the dollar, a move that cost the player $85,000. Except for SBR and little known TOW(TheOffshoreWire), none of the so-called player advocate sites have even reported this incredible theft. This is easily the largest sportsbook theft case of 2005. Lawmakers in North America will undoubtedly use this theft as an example of how vulnerable players are to unregulated sportsbooks. SBR has repeatedly called for GCS to pay the player or show cause why he should not be paid. Sources in Costa Rica have told SBR that because the only major website that took up the players’ cause was SBR that GCS felt they got away with minimal backlash.
However, many respected operators here in Costa Rica are disgusted with the forced theft. More than one sportsbook operator has complained publicly and privately that even SBR was not doing enough to pressure this book to settle in full with the player. Operators here recognize that these types of theft will be the beginning of the end for the sportsbook industry.
SBR’s position is clear: Pay the player or show cause as to why $85,000 was confiscated. Failure to do so will result in the possibility of an SBR Scam Warning press release as well as a possible downgrade to the SBR Blacklist.
5/15/2005 02:43 PM
SBR COSTA RICA OFFICE: MyBookie (SBR rating D+) Sources here in Costa Rica tell SBR that
MyBookie management is elated that there has been minimal backlash from the revelation that they shortchanged a player for $85,000.
MyBookie pays in advance an advertising fee to all the major watchdogs and so far that has proven to be money well spent. None of the major watchdogs have even mentioned the incident much less demanded that
MyBookie pay the player. Players should be warned that a lucky streak at
MyBookie could well produce an offer to settle for .30 cents on every dollar won.
5/13/2005 02:05 AM
The Grand Central Sports(GCS) family of books including BetCom, GCSvip, Grand Central Sports, MyBookie, ParlayBook and Sportsbook911 draw an automatic downgrade for improper player account confiscation. GCS admits to settling a player’s balance for far less than its true value; a clear violation of the SBR guidelines for account confiscation. Account confiscation is only permitted in cases of fraud with convincing evidence. No such fraud occurred in this case nor does the player stand accused of such.
5/13/2005 02:03 AM
BetCom, GCSvip, Grand Central Sports,
MyBookie, ParlayBook and Sportsbook911 lowered from C to D+
3/6/2005 06:42 PM
SBR mailbag: Players with Sportsbook.com (SBR rating C-), Intertops (SBR rating B+), BetOnUSA (SBR rating D-), submit new complaints. Positive Feedback submitted by players at Bodog (SBR rating A-), Diamond International (SBR rating B+),
MyBookie (SBR rating C), and PayoffsPlus, which has been upgraded from C to C+ this week.
1/18/2005 11:55 AM
Mansion raised from C to C+, Legendzsports raised from B- to B, Dimeplayer raised from C to C+,
MyBookie raised from C- to C, WorldBookie raised from C+ to B-
12/23/2004 04:52 PM
MyBookie group raised from D+ to C-
12/11/2004 06:47 PM
Robbie McPhail, who stiffed players as the owner of the defunct Apex Sportsbook, is using the Apex website to promote his sportsbook affiliates. ApexSportsbook.com features ads for Pinnacle Sports, Hollywood107, Sportingbet, SBGglobal, Cybersportsbook and
MyBookie. SBR is asking these sportsbooks to withhold any commission payment to Robbie or to work out an arrangement where the stiffed players can begin to receive payment. SBR will be able to provide a list of players owed. Robbie’s new sportsbook,
PlatinumSportsbets (SBR rating F) is also promoted on this site as well as his other sites which include Askthebookie.com.