6/15/2009 09:31 AM
Industry loses veteran linesmaker, FernandoFernando, who was only in his mid 50s, was best known by players for his years as Lines Director at Hollywood Sportsbook. Fernando was a talented line manager who first gained notoriety for his exceptional ability to set NHL opening odds. He worked with Hollywood for years until the sportsbook was sold to the
Sportsbook.com Group in May of 2006. At its peak Hollywood was an A+ sportsbook that, under Fernando, was one of the few sportsbooks to join Pinnacle Sports (SBR rating A+) offering reduced juice. Fernando was a line manager at BetPhoenix at the time of his passing. He reportedly suffered from a heart attack Saturday. We at SBR send our condolences to Fernando's friends and family.
6/12/2009 12:14 PM
Brobury Sports upgraded from D- to D+BroburySports management discussed the company structure with SBR.
Brobury states that despite using
Sportsbook.com's software and wagering department, they have their own customer service office is Escazu, Costa Rica and handle their player's financial processing. SBR is scheduled to meet with Brobury next month and continue the evaluation process. BroburySports absorbed
Malvern Sportsbook (SBR rating D-) last week. All
Sportsbook.com (SBR rating D-) licensees (Jazette Ltd. serviced sportsbooks) are welcome to contact SBR to discuss policies and procedures and how they may differ from the unfair
Sportsbook.com policies. |
Sportsbook.com correlated parlay disputes
6/12/2009 07:58 AM
Defunct Apex Sportsbook (SBR rating F) back onlineApex websites, Apex
Sportsbook.com and ApexSportsbetting.com, return online five years after closing and stiffing players. The Apex websites were utilized as handicapping and betting tips sites by Apex owner, Robbie, AKA Zach, marketed his
new sportsbook ventures including his next sportsbook operation
Bet33 (SBR rating F).
ApexSportsbook is now one of many skins running on the Bet33 platform. Bet33, and even some players, have argued that the sportsbook should not have an F rating because the book has been online over three years and has not had any payout complaints filed against it. Bet33, its sister sites, and it's pay per head service, Realbookie.com, were built using the stolen funds from the original Apex Sports customers. Robbie has been asked multiple times in recent years to consider repaying his former customers.
5/29/2009 08:33 AM
EZBets (SBR rating D-) sportsbook voids $2,727 winning wager
EZbets voided a winning wager on the 4th quarter of a Denver Nuggets Basketball game.
EZbets and the
Sportsbook.com Group which services it, routinely offers NBA wager before each quarter. Management at EZbets says the wager was listed incorrectly, referencing the third quarter which was already completed:
Nuggets4Q
Trailblazers3Q
The player questions what the result would have been if his wager had lost. Player:
I placed a wager on the 4th quarter Nuggets vs Trailblazers OVER 48 (Bet ID 279316418)Risking $3000 to win $2727.27. The wager was graded as NO ACTION although the line was correct and posted after the end of the 3rd quarter. They claim the line was incorrect and posted as:
xxxNuggets4Q
xxxTrailblazers3Q
I have also lost wagers on the same game 1st half, 2nd quarter and 3rd quarter. ALL were graded as losing wagers for a total of about $4000 (they claim that all these wagers was posted correctly). Although it was posted as xxxTrailblazers3Q, the line was intended to be for the 4th quarter as there is the xxx in front of Trailblazers, also the time frame indicates that this wagers was for the 4th quarter total. If it was for the third quarter, it would have said xx instead of xxx as it was on my 3rd quarter wager which said xx. These guys know exactly that this should have been graded as a winning wager,but just deny it. They are the most dishonest sportsbook ever. this happened also several times with me grading winning wagers as NO ACTION IN THE PAST claimimg that it was a past posted, specially with the wagers to win a big amount of money. Please help me with this issue as soon as you can...
5/8/2009 11:27 PM
Sportsbook.com Group management provides wagering ticket to resolve two month old Iwager (SBR rating D-) dispute. The sportsbook
initially refused to allow the player or SBR to view the wagering ticket for a deleted winning wager. Iwager claimed the wager was on a betting offer that should have expired when the game began while the player insisted that he wagered on an in-game bet. The wagering ticket shows it was not an in-game bet and was justly canceled by the sportsbook because the bet was placed well after the game was underway.
5/3/2009 11:26 PM
SCAM ALERT: AlohaSportsbook enters the SBR Rating Guide at F. Aloha Sportsbook is the latest new sportsbook from former owner, Robbie AKA Zach, of failed stiff book
Apex Sportsbook (SBR rating F). Robbie recently started
recommending his own book through his fake rating sites AskTheBookie.com and A1-
Sportsbook.com.
Aloha sportsbook, is the number one internet sportsbook. A1-Sportsbooks.com is proud to recommend Aloha Sportsbook for internet sports betting. Read our review of Aloha Sportsbook at A1-Sportsbooks.com. AsktheBookie recognizes Aloha Sportsbook as a trusted internet sports betting site.
4/30/2009 07:34 PM
Iwager (SBR rating D-) cancels player's wagers; blocks account history The player made winning in-game NBA wagers. Iwager canceled winnings of $3941, claiming the wagers were not for live in-game wagers, but were all past-posted bets that were offered accidentally while the game was taking place.
Iwager closed the player's account, and refused to allow the player or SBR to view the wagering ticket which would reveal whether the bet was a past-posted play or a valid in-game bet. Iwager is a licensee of the
Sportsbook.com family,
Jazette Enterprises Ltd.
4/24/2009 11:06 PM
SCAM sportsbook Houstonbet (SBR rating F) adds new website VietnameseSportsbook.com
Houstonbet, which is soliciting deposits from Vietnamese speaking bettors, has added a new website, VietnameseSportsbook.com. The original website, Houstonbet.com is hosted at Evo Data Processing, the service provider known for owning stiff sportsbook, Lazerwager (SBR rating F).
3/24/2009 10:25 PM
Sportsbook.com (SBR rating D-) backtracks on plans to repay balance confiscation victims
SBR provided
Sportsbook.com with account information for players, who were cheated over the past two years, in hopes that new management would follow through with plans to pay users back for stolen funds. Although some managers at
Sportsbook.com want to see this debt cleared,
Sportsbook.com tells SBR that board discussions have stalled and there are currently no plans to pay owed customers. SBR estimates
Sportsbook.com and
sportsbooks that the group service stole over $500,000.
Forum:
Sportsbook.com Reopens Cases |
SBR: Sportsbook.com |
SBR: Correlated parlay confiscation
2/26/2009 10:49 PM
BetUSA downgraded from B- to C+The sportbsook shares some of its processing with the
Sportsbook.com group, which hosts BetUSA. BetUSA management has been able to make alternate arrangements for players after checks have bounced and players complain of two month wait time.
Sportsbook.com (SBR rating D-) players report over 40 bounced checks in 2009. Other players report a five month wait for funds.
1/30/2009 11:09 PM
Numerous Sportingbet (SBR rating D+) complaints receivedSBR has received 12
Sportingbet complaints from players showing that the sportsbook will not honor earned bonuses. Recipients of this promotion were targeted directly by Sportingbet. Sportingbet has told some of these players that they do not fit the profile of the player the book wants and will not receive their deposit incentive. Sportingbet-owned gaming site,
Superbahis (SBR rating D+), has refused to honor its cashback poker program to a player owed 250 Euros. A Sportingbet horse bettor is owed a £100 horse wagering refund due to horse-falling promotion. Sportingbet has refused to credit the bonus citing "
unusual betting patterns." Sportingbet players have also complained that the book has refused to grade soccer matches, citing an investigation of the outcome. SBR has confirmed that investigations by league governing bodies do not exist. Sportingbet rules support the players' claims that these wagers should have been graded months ago. Sportingbet is encouraging these bettors to allow the winning wagers to be graded as no-action so refunds can be applied. Sportingbet will not estimate when the wagers may be graded. The former owner of
Sportsbook.com (SBR rating D-) is no longer responding to SBR's inquries on behalf of players.
1/9/2009 07:47 PM
On-lineSportsbook.com (SBR rating D-) website domain expiresOn-lineSportsbook, the subject of Tuesday's withdrawal complaint report, is currently off-line. Slow-paid players became nervous when they saw the expiration message from the website hosting company. They were not contacted by the sportsbook. Balance holders can still log in and view their account at On-Linesportsbook's parent sportsbook,
GotoCasino (SBR rating D).
12/27/2008 10:19 AM
Sportsbook.com (SBR rating D-) to no-action if-win wagers on same gameA player complained that his $28,000 account was frozen after a payout request.
Sportsbook.com was reviewing his wager history. The player explained that he made numerous if-win wagers on the same game giving him an unfair advantage. He and
Sportsbook.com have agreed the best solution was to cancel all wagers made in that manner.
Sportsbook.com states that all players who made if-win bets on the same game will have their wagers canceled and that balances will be adjusted this weekend. Players who made losing same-game if-win wagers should verify that they received a credit adjustment for those losses.
12/5/2008 07:19 PM
Parier.net enters the SBR Rating Guide at D-. The sportsbook is operated by the
Sportsbook.com Group, which uses the company name
Jazette Enterprises Limited. Like all
Sportsbook.com books, Parier is located in Costa Rica and not in Gibraltar as the address at the bottom of the website suggests. Parier caters to French players and uses World Gaming Software.
11/23/2008 11:31 PM
MalvernSports enters
the SBR Rating Guide at D-. The sportsbook is operated by the
Sportsbook.com
Group, which uses the company name
Jazette
Enterprises Limited. As with all
Sportsbook.com books,
MalvernSports is located in Costa Rica and uses World Gaming Software.
11/16/2008 11:19 PM
OnlyWinners enters the SBR Rating Guide at D-. The sportsbook is operated by the
Sportsbook.com Group, which uses the company name
Jazette Enterprises Limited. Like all
Sportsbook.com books, Onlywinners is located in Costa Rica and uses World Gaming Software. SBR is currently discussing outstanding claims with
Sportsbook.com management. The
Sportsbook.com Group has unjustly confiscated balances from many players over the past two years.
11/8/2008 11:20 PM
MySportsbook (SBR rating D-) cancels live in-game NBA wagers after game endsOn 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. My
Sportsbook.com is operated and hosted by parent sportsbook,
Sportsbook.com (SBR rating D-).
10/25/2008 08:11 PM
Sports.com (SBR rating D-) cancels player's winning wagerSports.com canceled a bet on the 2nd quarter of Thursday's Auburn versus West Virginia game when the quarter was near completion.
Player:
This bet was clearly on the 2Q and action was taken on it during the commercial between the 1st and 2nd Qtr and the line moved the whole time. Then during the 2Q, after it was obviously going to be a winner, it was cancelled---unacceptable.Sports.com customer service initial response to the player was that the offering was not labeled correctly for a 2nd quarter wager and all bets placed on it were canceled. The player feels as though the sportsbook created a situation where it could not lose since it had the ability to cite the error if the outcome was not to its liking.
Sports.com is operated by
Sportsbook.com (SBR rating D-) which has canceled winning wagers in the past due to clerical errors. SBR intends to speak with management about this latest issue.
9/13/2008 04:09 PM
ABCsportsbook (SBR rating D-) account holders moved under
Sportsbook.com (SBR rating D-); ABC Sportsbook closes. ABC was already operated by the Costa Rica-based
Sportsbook.com Group and used the same World Gaming software. Bonus and wagering disputes have been common in past
Sportsbook.com Group account transfers. Players with feedback are welcome to email
SBR.
ABCsportsbook is not to be confused with
ABCislands (SBR rating B) of the
DPT Sports Group.
8/8/2008 07:34 AM
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.
7/15/2008 11:41 PM
All-Sportsbook enters the SBR Rating Guide with an F rating.
All-Sportsbook is part of the
EZ Sports Group. The most recent complaint came from a player who was with sister book
Vegas-Sportsbetting (SBR rating F) five months ago. The player won almost $5,000 on a
Giants Super Bowl futures wager. After requesting his winnings he was locked out of his account. The group has stiffed big futures winners in the past. The scam allows the book to take continous action on multiple teams through out the season, eventually stiffing only those who bet on the championship team. All-
Sportsbook.com already has its very generous
NFL futures
odds up.
6/17/2008 11:22 PM
1LuckyGambler enters the SBR rating guide at D-
1LuckyGambler is a Costa Rica-based sportsbook that uses the
Sportsbook.com (SBR rating D-) hosting and service center. Bettors are advised to steer clear of the S
portsbook.com group which has scammed many players over the past year.
Sportsbook.com is four months behind in payment to some players due to a lack of processing resources.
6/16/2008 10:22 PM
Scam sportsbook USDbet (SBR rating F) soliciting new players it cannot pay
USDbet has been unable to pay players since August of 2007. The sportsbook advertised on sports betting forums while complaining about its blacklist status on SportsbookReview. Once its processor refused to give the book player funds it collected on its behalf, USDbet stopped answering player emails. USDBet.com continues to take deposits and will likely aggressively market bonuses prior to the start of football season. Players should be aware of these scams that utilize money-first gambling portals to appear to be legitimate operations.
Player: Hi, I've been using USDBet for 2 months now, and I've won quiet a bit of money. They appeared to be a creditable looking website, I've been able to get answers to question regarding bonuses and different betting types via email, but when it comes to making a withdrawal, I don't get any response.
I actually spoke to someone once via there live chat once, and they said there withdrawals wont be activated for 3/4 weeks due to a change in management (but they keep accept deposits?!?!?)
There live chat very rarely works, and there 1800 number rings out. (Although, rarely, I actually do get someone on the live chat, but I've tried over 200 times and I've only gotten through twice). This is starting to really #$%! me off. Is there anything you can do to help me?
USDbet migrated to Futurebet from the
Sportsbook.com Group in December of 2006.
6/13/2008 11:48 PM
New player victim to sportsbook impersonator
Player: After hearing about how good Legendz was and that you gave it an A+ rating I decided to join. I went to LegendsSportsbook.com and sent 250 bucks! It wasnt until 2 week later when i tried to get there from SBRlines did i realize they were two different websites! I checked the rating guide and realised a scammer has my money.
Robbie, formerly of defunct Apex Sports (SBR rating F) is operating legendSportsbook.com which has attracted bettors looking for the real Legendz (SBR rating A+). SBR has warned players since 2006 of LasPalmasSportsbook.com after readers reported depositing in what they believed to be LasPalmas (SBR rating B-). Bettors should also beware of OceanSportsbook (SBR rating F) and AmericasBookie (SBR rating F). Both are part of this network of scam sites.
5/14/2008 09:41 PM
Logans enters the SBR rating guide at D-. Logans is the second
Sportsbook.com-hosted sportsbook to enter the SBR rating guide this week. Logans is advertising the same $10 free bet promotion that other
Sportsbook.com serviced books are offering. As is the case with other brands, it does not mention that the use of the promotion is prohibited when it has been accepted at other seemingly independent
Sportsbook.com licensees. The group has labeled the used of multiple bonuses at their different books as abuse and confiscated player funds from winning accounts.
5/13/2008 09:47 PM
Ebets enters the SBR rating guide at D-. Ebets is a Costa Rica-based sportsbook that uses the
Sportsbook.com (SBR rating D-) hosting and service center. Ebets is currently calling players from customer lists to offer 25% bonuses. Bettors are advised to steer clear of the
Sportsbook.com group which has scammed many players over the past year.
5/8/2008 04:56 PM
Sportsbook.com (SBR rating D-) yet to correct April 13th misgraded wagersPlayers with losing wagers on Herzeliya vs. Beitar Jerusalem may contact SBR for help requesting a manual sportsbook account credit. The match was called before completion due to crowd violence.
Sportsbook.com's rules state the match must be completed for the player to have action. SBR has already assisted one player correct his account however, the
sportsbook has not applied credits to all deserving account holders. It is common for the
Sportsbook.com Group to credit only the players who complain. Two players from
Sportsbetting.com (SBR rating C-), which outsources its wagering and odds management to
Sportsbook.com, are awaiting credits.
4/29/2008 09:55 PM
Sportsbetting.com (SBR rating C-) players submit complaints
The sportsbook has been behind in payments since it stopped using
Sportsbook.com (SBR rating D-) accounting service in December of last year. Over 25 users have submitted payout complaints within the past month. The majority of these players are most alarmed by the lack of communication with the sportsbook, saying they are continually promised updates by email and phone that never arrive. SBR can verify that players have been paid five figures. Recent history suggest players who are waiting will be paid within two months.
Player waiting for $2,500:
They literally have provided zero updates. The call center "pros" keep giving the same empty assurances and "we understand your frustration" pleasantries, but there has been exactly zero word from the actual withdrawal department about when they are going to re-issue a check. |
Player discussion
4/5/2008 01:58 AM
New BetOnUSA (SBR rating D-) player comes forward with claim for $29,000
BetOnUSA stiffed multiple players for at least $200,000 when moving its websites from the Sportsbook.com Group (Jazette Enterprises Ltd) to already slow-paying operation, Futurebet. This latest claim is for just over $29,000. BetOnUSA has told winners that these large debts belong to the Sportsbook.com Group. In late 2007 BetOnUSA forced a player to settle for slightly more than half of his six-figure casino jackpot, claiming that Sportsbook.com, who was providing hosting and software to BetOnUSA at the time, was responsible for those funds.
Player: In summary, when Betonusa.com went down last year, my account balance was $21,723 and the sum of 3 pending checks I did not receive amounted to $7381. Once the plug was pulled at BETONUSA I never did gain access to my account again, so the above figure represents my best estimate of the balance based on a diary of my wagering activities. The figure for the 3 checks is accurate and I will be more than willing to provide withdrawal receipts if requested. When the site came back up, I could not log into my acount and my balance disappeared.
4/2/2008 09:56 PM
Hollywood Sportsbook (SBR rating D-) cancels player's $2000 winning wager
A Hollywood player accidently placed a wager on the wrong team. He asked customer service if he could cancel the wager, was told that it was not possible, and was advised to wager on the other side of the match to eliminate the risk and "only lose the juice." The player waited until minutes before the game's start time and made a would-be losing wager on the other team. Hollywood canceled the winning wager during the game. Despite wagering logs showing the book did unjustly cancel the bet after start time it denied the player's request to review the phone logs confirming the bet would stand. Hollywood initially told the player it would investigate the matter in February but is no longer responding. SBR has added the claim to the list of pending issues filed by the
Sportsbook.com Group's players. Hollywood was acquired by
Sportsbook.com in May of 2006.
4/1/2008 11:04 PM
SportFanatik (SBR rating D-) player accepts $10 free-bets; book confiscates $820Sportfanatik shares the same ownership and management as
Sportsbook.com (SBR rating D-). The
Sportsbook.com Group regularly refers to these $10 free-bet offers as a reason the bettor is not entitled to his/her balance, claiming the user violated the bonus rules or "the spirit of the promotion." The scam is always used on winning players who are often debited for more than they have received in bonuses over the life of the account. Even long-time
Sportsbook.com account holders should use caution. The book has proven it will attempt to increase profit margins by stealing funds from players with positive balances who are no longer perceived to be profitbale. Other recent scams include voiding winnings on parlays and stealing five and six figure balances from winners who used different sportsbooks within the
Sportsbook.com family.
Player: I have a problem with sportfanatik in that my account has been disabled ,there was a small balance of $20 and a pending bet of 800/1000 San Antonio for NBA champs ,reason being they are accusing me of playing both sides in the weekly free $10 bet . I have an acc with Hollywood as well but I didn’t realise they were connected , I thought it strange that they would offer the same proposition but I did take the free bets most weeks ,as I had no opinion of the propositions I mainly ticked the boxes at random and obviously at times they would differ . For at least a year I have only been taking the free bet with sportfanatik and one is only allowed 1 free bet per week so it is strange that this complaint should surface now . I fail to understand how they can adopt such stringent measures and if they are legally entitled to cancel my bet and confiscate my funds. Hoping that you can assist in this matter
3/11/2008 06:30 PM
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
3/10/2008 05:36 PM
Sports.com (SBR rating D-) & Linesmaker (SBR rating C-) close player's accounts; confiscate $1,765
The
Sportsbook.com -hosted
sportsbooks are known to give multiple promotions and bonuses over long periods of time only to confiscate funds if the user is deemed to be unprofitable claiming he/she "
took advantage" of an offer or did something "
not in the spirit" of the promotion. This player was told he took part in "
free bet abuse" which is the label given when a player uses two $10 free bets on opposing teams or has simply collected multiple free bet credits at different
Sportsbook.com-hosted brands over an extended period of time. Sales agents tell players during the sign up process that each book is a separate entity, is not affiliated with other brands, and that bonuses and accounts with different
Sportsbook.com-hosted brands are allowed. The
Sportsbook.com group's
risk management department audits winning accounts looking for reasons to confiscate the amount of money the player has won through its time with the book. The scam affected many players in 2007 when the operation debited accounts thousands in winnings on
correlated parlays.
Sportsbook.com kept player losses from those same wagers.
Linesmaker ownership is expected to reverse the decision of its turnkey provider as it has in the past. SBR has asked both sportsbook brands' decision makers to review the claim.
1/11/2008 08:39 PM
Sportsbook.com Group steals $5,677 from playerThe player held accounts at
Sportsbook.com (SBR rating D-),
Sportsbooks.com (SBR rating D-),
Sportfanatik (SBR rating D-),
and
PlayersOnly (SBR rating D-). He was debited for the amounts won over the life of the account totaling $5,677.
Sportsbook.com cites "bonus abuse" as the reason for stealing these funds. The
Sportsbook.com operation often labels players who have won money and utilized promotions in more than one of the many sister sportsbooks as
bonus abusers.
Sportsbook.com and sister
Jazette books do not have rules against using multiple brands and using their promotions. It is often encouraged through cross marketing and the sales departments which market each website as an independent sportsbook.
Player: I did everything above board and was having a good season of NFL picks and now they've stolen from me. I guess I should have known better since you had it listed as D- but they'd fixed their payout issues over the last few months and I had never had other problems with them over 5+ years of active use. However, I have no email to send you since they didn't even bother to email me.
1/9/2008 10:27 AM
Sportsbetting.com (SBR rating C-) phone lines back up. The sportsbook's users have complained about the absence of a working phone line, not receiving email responses and slow-pays since the start of December. Sportsbetting.com switched to in-house customer service and financial processing at the start of December. Players have recently confirmed receiving payouts that were originally requested through the
Sportsbook.com Group's service in November.
Update 2:20 PM: Two players who complained of withdrawal delays in December report receiving subsequent four-figure payouts in seven days.
12/30/2007 02:21 AM
Win4Real (SBR rating C-) credits player for funds confiscated in June$791 was initially stolen by the
Sportsbook.com (SBR rating D-) operation's customer service, which managed Win4Real player accounts as it does with most of the sportsbooks it hosts under
Jazette Enterprises Ltd. Ownership has has since employed its own processing and customer service department.
6/14/2007 Report: Win4real (SBR rating D+) confiscates player's winnings citing multiple accounts within the
Sportsbook.com family. The player, who also holds an account at SuperBook (SBR rating D+), claims $791 was taken from his balance. win4real and the
Sportsbook.com Group (Jazette Enterprises Limited) does not prohibit players from using multiple accounts in its large family of sportsbooks. SBR will contact win4real on the player's behalf.
12/13/2007 06:46 PM
SBR Mailbag: Sportsbetting.com (SBR rating C-) users file complaintsThree players report being slow-paid by SportsBetting.com with one player reporting waiting since March.
"$1,512 has been requested 2-3 times per month, since March of 2007 - nothing but excuses, no payment. My responses are exactly the same each and every time. We will investigate and get back to you. Never." Sportsbetting blames previous service provider,
Sportsbook.com (SBR rating D-), which handled payouts until November. Sportsbetting has pursued these matters with their former banking department. Players also complain that the book has not replied to emails, has not had a phone number since November, and LiveChat is often backed up with as many as 20 users in the queue. Two players have recently submitted payment requests under the new system and have offered to allow SBR to monitor the withdrawal process. |
Discussion
11/30/2007 06:37 PM
Sportsbetting.com (SBR rating C-) leaves Jazette Ltd. (Sportsbook.com Family) customer service
Sportsbetting.com has removed the service provider's phone number from its website as the first Jazette-affiliated sportsbook not to utilize any of the operation's client support system and staff management. The book will provide its own customer service and accounting department. Sportsbetting has not offered a phone support line of its own but states it is "upgrading its phones service" and is asking players to use its LiveChat feature. Sportsbetting continues to use Sportsbook.com's World Gaming software and line management system. The move is expected to be followed by other Sportsbook.com partner books that want to avoid providing poor customer service and the unethical actions taken by Jazette management. SBR will closely monitor new payout request and player support services.
11/24/2007 11:58 PM
NYCsportsbook & EZbets identifed as part of Sportsbook.com Group. Both NYCsportsbook and EZbets have been downgraded from D+ to D-. Two new reports of theft were filed this week by players at books affiliated with Sportsbook.com.
11/23/2007 04:08 PM
Sportsbook.com (SBR rating D-) steals $10,000 from player claiming he abused bonuses. The player took offered deposit bonuses over a three year period from three different books that are hosted and serviced under Sportsbook.com. Sportsbook.com classified accepting these bonuses as "bonus abuse" despite the fact that rules against accepting offers from the multiple Sportsbook.com-service books do not exist and that the player followed the listed terms of service when joining. Sportsbook.com confiscated the funds shortly after the player's profit grew beyond what he had received in bonuses over the life of these accounts. All bonus requirements were met and previously withdrawn. Sportsbook.com terms of service do not refer to a rule allowing the book to audit account and bonus history to see if promotions were used "in the spirit of the bonus." This has been a reoccurring complaint from Sportsbook.com users over the past few months. Sportsbook.com has used other illogical reasoning to take money back from winning users. SBR is currently collecting data on a player case where over $150,000 was confiscated. The timeline of player and book activity will be published early next week.
11/16/2007 08:32 PM
SBR comments on upgrades for Sportsbetting.com, BetUSA and Linesmaker Ownership for these three
Sportsbook.com-hosted books have agreed to make decisions independent of
Sportsbook.com (SBR rating D-) and in a manner that is deemed to be fair to users. Each book has addressed old complaints and states that it is committed to addressing future issues. These sportsbooks offer email service that by-pass the
Sportsbook.com customer service center.
Sportsbook.com has allowed a long list of player complaints to build. The list includes verified reports of outright theft and cheating on individual bets. SBR will publish a detailed report of offenses once all data is gathered and discussions on remaining issues have concluded. SportsBetting and Linesmaker have been upgraded from D+ to C-, BetUSA from C- to C. Privately owned
Sportsbook.com-hosted sportsbooks that would like to clarify their position and address pending issues should
contact SBR.
Note: All
Sportsbook.com-serviced books rely on the operation for its financial processing. The group was unable to pay some non-U.S. players for over five months earlier in 2007.
11/11/2007 01:26 AM
Sportsbook.com (SBR rating D-) confiscates $10,000, cites free-play bonus abuse. Player: Hello…..I need help with a sportsbook complaint. I had around $10,000 at 6 different sportsbooks within the Sportsbook.com group. They said they froze my accounts for “free bet” abuse and seized all funds…..I only made $200 - $300 off of freebets over the last two years….and they took $10,000. I can see if they wanted to take the $200-$300, but 10K? Is there anything that can be done? Sportsbook.com is claiming the use of bonuses at multiple
Sportsbook.com-managed books is "bonus fraud" and reason to confiscate winnings. A second player has submitted a claim to SBR for $50,000 . The player was told $50,000 would not be paid because he circumvented limits on some of his wagers by using affiliated sportsbooks to place the same bets. The same player was also debited over $30,000 when
Sportsbook.com scammed multiple users, stealing
parlay winnings.
Player: I have always used my own name, address, email, credit cards, etc. It was
plain who I was at all times. I don't see how I should be expected to keep track of which books are allowed and which aren't, especially if that information isn't expressed anywhere. Sportsbook.com and sister
Jazette books do not have rules against using multiple brands and utilizing their promotions. It is often encouraged through the sportsbook sales departments which market each website as an independent sportsbook.
Sportsbook.com states that it will adress these reports in detail.
11/3/2007 11:25 PM
Linesmaker.co.uk (SBR rating D+) closes, says Futurebet claiming insolvency
The sportsbook's homepage gives users the following message:
"The gaming platform provider for this website is claiming insolvency and is no longer able to provide services". The website also states that player balances will be honored and users must contact the book at
fbrescue@linesmaker.com to make arrangements. The message does not say if balances will be moved to
Sportsbook.com-serviced
Linesmaker.com (SBR rating D+) or if players will be given the option for an immediate payout. Other
Futurebet-serviced sportsbook users will not be as fortunate.
Note: Linesmaker.com ownership tells SBR they would not be part of voided
correlated parlay scandal. Any players who believe their LM account was debited due to the
Sportsbook.com Group winning parlay confiscations should contact SBR. Linesmaker was not downgraded to D- along with most of the
Sportsbook.com Family.
10/30/2007 11:00 PM
Sportsbook.com (SBR rating D-) attempted to lessen the severity of their parlay winnings
confiscations by announcing they will credit players for losses during the same period. However, SBR is collecting account information from players who have not been credited for losses. Players who have standing losing correlated parlay wagers will be added to a new list to be given to
Sportsbook.com management.
10/26/2007 08:56 AM
Futurebet on verge of collapse; SportsbookUSA and sister books downgraded to F
More Futurebet Sportsbook brands report that the operation will not pay book owners or their players. Brand owners who ignored Futurebet warnings now realize they have been marketing a scam operation and find themselves with player debt that they cannot pay. Futurebet has not passed earnings, from what has been a very favorable football season for the house, on to sportsbook site owners. Book owners who have been stiffed out of these profits must go into their pocket or stiff the players who managed to win.
Scam planned months in advance?
Futurebet Sportsbook brand owners tell SBR that the turnkey business reached a new low in the early part of 2007. The operation blamed problems on processor theft and stiffed employees in June. Despite the internal probelms sportsbook giant
BetOnUSA (SBR rating D) chose to migrate to
Futurebet just last month. SBR expects BetOnUSA, which briefly owned the World Gaming software source code, to take control of its second sportsbook platform once the many sportsbooks sites close. A paper sale of Futurebet-owned flagship
SportsbookUSA is also possible. The chronic slow-pay book has been quiet while white labels see shrinking player bases and growing debt.
Futurebet-hosted Linesmaker.co.uk (SBR rating D-) to transfer balances to Sportsbook.com-serviced Linesmaker.com (SBR rating D-). Players who reside in countries that are prohibited by the
Sportsbook.com Group will receive a check.
Linesmaker.co.uk users should
contact SBR. Futurebet Sportsbooks that have obtained their own processing or will move player balancesto a different book are also asked to contact SBR.
10/19/2007 06:40 PM
Sportsbook.com downgraded from D+ to D-
10/19/2007 06:13 PM
Sportsbook.com: We will cancel winnings and keep player losses
Sportsbook.com (SBR rating D-) tells SBR that they will not reverse the decision to confiscate parlay winnings. The Jazette Group has added insult to injury today by releasing a statement saying they may also keep player losses. The statement starts by referencing vague house rules and invites victims to ask for their accounts to be reviewed so
Sportsbook.com can decide whether to retroactively cancel losing parlays as they did with winning wagers that took place after September 1st. The book has been accepting these types of wagers for years. The latest rash of complaints take the Jazette operation from inefficient error-prone giant to stiff-sportsbook status.
Sportsbook.com:
If upon a second review of the account the decision remains that the customer repeatedly and knowingly exploited the system in order to place those wagers, then no further action will be taken. | Read Full Statement
10.22.2007 Update: Sportsbook.com now stating that all losses in this time frame will be refunded. Players should contact SBR to pursue credit for losses.
10/19/2007 01:23 PM
Sportsbetting.com (SBR rating D+) joins BetUSA (SBR rating C-) in stating that it will not confiscate winnings from correlated parlays, which was the original action taken by service provider,
Sportsbook.com's (SBR rating D+) operation management. Any players that have found their SportsBetting.com account to be debited should contact SBR or
Sportsbetting.com.
BetUSA has added the following rule to address the lack of software control over correlated parlays. Other
Sportsbook.com sister sites are encouraged to add similar language and warn players via email that this new stipulation exists.
Correlated parlay betting: The results of certain events can be considered to be correlated. For example, in college football betting on a heavy underdog (eg 35 point underdog) and the under in the game is statistically correlated. If players consistently bet correlated parlays then management reserves the right to regrade wagers. Wagers will be split so that half the stake will go on the pointspread and half on the under in the game. This rule applies from 19 October 2007. This will only apply to those regularly staking $50 or more on parlays and is intended only to limit professional bettors who consistently bet correlated parlays.
SBR Rules Monitor: BetUSA
SBR continues to discuss this matter with Sportsbook.com management with little progress. Sportsbook.com has agreed to credit players for losing correlated parlays since September 1st. This is of little consolation for most victims because only winning account holders were robbed during a time period when Sportsbook.com noticed players beating the book for large sums. Players do not have the option to recover losses from periods prior when they may have sustained a losing run. The offer by Sportsbook.com, although possibly reducing the amount stolen, further illustrates why the actions are unjust.
10/16/2007 02:32 PM
BetUSA (SBR rating D+), a
Sportsbook.com serviced book, agrees to pay on all voided same-game (correlated parlay) winning parlays.
BetUSA ownership has often reversed unfair decisions by its service provider on issues ranging from incorrect bet grading to bonus and wagering disputes. Players whose
BetUSA balances were debited should contact
SBR or
BetUSA ownership by email. SBR is still communicating with
Sportsbook.com regarding the decision to confiscate these winnings across all of the
sites under its management.
10/14/2007 02:21 AM
GoHorseBetting enters the SBR rating guide at D. GHB is a sportsbook serviced by the
Sportsbook.com group which is the source of over thirty new complaints this week. SBR to report in detail on each matter.
10/13/2007 11:22 PM
Email from
BetOnUSA (SBR rating D) manager shows how neither
Sportsbook.com (SBR rating D+) or BetOnUSA are claiming responsibilty for a player's near five-figure balance. This player's account was moved from BetOnUSA's operation with the brand PyramidCasino to
Sportsbook.com's operation. Once BetOnUSA's group of sites moved to Futurebet and ended its relationship with
Sportsbook.com, some larger balance holders saw their funds disappear.
See BetOnUSA email to player.
10/11/2007 11:10 PM
Sportsbook.com (SBR rating D+) confiscates winnings made from correlated parlay bets dating back over one month. SBR is currently investigating complaints submitted by four players who were informed via email that thousands would be deducted from their balances because winnings derived from parlays where the legs of the parlay are "linked." Wagering on Under the total score and the Underdog spread would be an example of a correlated 2-team parlay. Some sportsbooks use their software to prohibit these types of wagers. SBR is also investigating a separate claim made by a player who states that over $80,000 was confiscated because he utlized
different sportsbook websites within the
Sportsbook.com family (Jazette ltd Group) of sportsbooks. This has been allowed and often encouraged by the different brands in the past. SBR will list updates for all
Sportsbook.com complaints ranging from instances of incorrectly graded wagers to missing balances from sportsbook brands that defected from the
Sportsbook.com operation to other white label services.
10/7/2007 11:48 PM
Player's PyramidCasino (SBR rating D-) $9,500 balance disappearsThe sportsbook was part of the BetOnUSA Group (Empire Entertainment Ltd) before BetOnUSA moved its network of
sportsbook websites under the
Sportsbook.com Group (Jazette Enterprises Ltd) in December of 2006. When BetOnUSA chose to cut ties with Jazette and move its websites to the SportsbookUSA Group (Futurebet) last month they redirected PyramidCasino.com to land at BetOnUSA.com. Most PyramidCasino account holders can log in at
BetOnUSA (SBR rating D). This player has been told by BetOnUSA that they have not received the funds from the
Sportsbook.com operation and are not responsible for the balance despite owning the site, which now points to BetOnUSA.
Sportsbook.com management claims the player debt belongs to BetOnUSA despite that funds were won when the site was managed by the
Sportsbook.com Group and the player currently being able to log in to his zeroed out account using the Jazette-operated
Sportsbetting.com (SBR rating D+). This is the second player to report that the two companies are playing hot potato with his balance. A player who won over $100,000 from BetOnUSA's casino has not been able to access the $85,000 that was remaining in his BetOnUSA account. Both companies claim the debt belongs to the other. BetOnUSA is owned by the same group that owns
Oddsmaker (SBR rating D-). These issues serve as a reminder of the added risk that comes with playing at
turnkey sportsbooks.
9/25/2007 06:26 PM
Sportsbook.com Group stands firm on decision to void winning wagersSportsbook.com (SBR rating D+) bettors who had winning bets on the September 9th game between the Indians and the Angels will apparently be cheated out of their funds. After initially crediting players for the win the funds were deducted from accounts due to a misspelling in the abbreviated listing of one of the pitcher's first names. Players have made a legitimate case that the decision is illogical, inconsistent and subjective. Players have reported instances where losing wagers placed on games where the pitchers' names have also been misspelled were not canceled.
Player: FYI, below is a copy of a bet that I made at Sports.com on Sep 18th. You'll notice that it was graded a Loss, rather than a No Action, despite the fact that the pitcher's name was spelled wrong (it was spelled Harahan, and was supposed to be Hanrahan). Now obviously, it's not a major spelling error (only one letter off), and it did not confuse me, and I wouldn't expect the bet to be No Actioned .... however, it does illustrate that their bet cancellations are very subjective (the JefWeaver bet that they cancelled was only one letter different from JerWeaver, similar to this Harahan / Hanrahan bet which they allowed to stand as a Loss).
9/18/2007 10:57 PM
Positive player reviews and newly improved website earn LasPalmas and the rest of Horizon Twenty upgrade from C to C+.
Note: LasPalmas Sportsbook is a scam website impersonating the original LasPalmas. The real Las Palmas uses the website BetLasPalmas.com. LasPalmas
Sportsbook.com is owned and operated by one of the stiff owners of defunct Apex Sportsbook. Players can use the
SBR Rating guide to avoid scam
cybersquatting websites.
9/15/2007 06:06 PM
BetOnUSA (SBR rating D) loses players' pending wagers to go with multiple reports of missing withdrawal requests after switching from the Sportsbook.com platform. This is not uncommon for the operations involved. Some users saw their pending wagers and accounts deleted when Sportingbet PLC sold its American-focused brands to Jazette Enterprises Ltd.
Player: Please be advised that BetOnUsa sportsbook changed their software and basically dumped all pre-existing wagers. In April I had bet $500 on the NY Mets to win the World Series. The ticket had been in my pending wagers all summer until they dumped everyone's accounts and made us set them up again. To add insult to injury they have the audacity to say there was no bet made, then changed their story to say the bet had been rejected when I originally placed it! That is ridiculous on so many levels...why would they reject such a future wager?...Why would they proceed to take $500 out of my account...etc. It looks like I am getting scammed here, but I would really appreciate if you could warn all of your subscribers that BetOnUsa.com is a scam and to stick with the sites that SBR recommends.
9/11/2007 11:19 PM
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 their part. There is no way this bet should have been no actioned. Their response was that they had the wrong line because they capped the game with Jeff Weaver pitching, which is absolutely ludicris. He's not even on the Angels, how can they cap the game based on a pitcher that is not even on the team? I am forwarding you an email that they sent me. Can you do anything to help me?
Any players who hold a losing ticket on this September 9th, 2007 game between the Cleveland Indians and the Anaheim Angels are urged to contact SBR immediately.
9/9/2007 11:15 PM
AztecGaming (SBR rating D) reemerges on the Futurebet network. The long-time Word Gaming licensee and Sportsbook.com (SBR rating D+) partner site has been off-line for nine days leaving players to turn to SBR for clues on when and if they will be able to access their accounts again. It's likely players will have to work hard to get their accounts reinstated under the new system as is currently the case for BetOnUSA (SBR rating D) users. Players are advised to pursue withdrawals as soon as possible. This perennial slow-paying operation is known for using stall tactics when the football season takes a turn in the players' favor. It remains to be seen if the newly migrated sportsbooks will inherit Futurebet slow-pay practices effecting thousands of players.
9/4/2007 06:40 PM
BetOnUSA (SBR rating D) website back online after two weeks. BetOnUSA.com is now serviced by Futurebet software and its turnkey customer support branded as
PlayerSupport. Players who have requested a payout from the book when it was running on the
Sportsbook.com (SBR rating D+) network report recent withdrawals have been canceled and funds were credited back to their betting accounts. BetOnUSA is likely the biggest brand on the Futurebet network followed by long time problem-sportsbook,
SportsbookUSA (SBR rating D-). Players are hopeful that the book will not show the effect of Futurebet's financial problems and will resume processing payments. BetOnUSA, as part of the
Sportsbook.com Group, recently began sending player funds after slow-pays that lasted as long as five months.
8/30/2007 11:05 PM
AztecGaming (SBR rating D) off-line for three days
Aztec appears to be the latest
World Gaming sportsbook to attempt to leave the Jazette Ltd-owned platform for the
Futurebet/PlayerSupport turnkey hosting service. The domain name is now hosted on one of the Futurebet servers in Canada. Players have contacted SBR about their Aztec funds and report the site, absent of any notification message, has been down for over three days. Aztec Sportsbook will join
I-Sportsbook.com (SBR rating D) and
CasinoUnreal (SBR rating D) as the latest to make the switch to the slow-pay sportsbook operation.
BetOnUSA (SBR rating D), which has been off-line for 9 days, is also said to still be in the process of moving all accounts to its new Futurebet platform but no further information has been provided. Players are unable to request payouts.
8/27/2007 11:24 PM
USDbet next Futurebet sportsbook to be downgraded since G2Gbet (SBR rating F) closes and stiffs players. USDbet's owner has not responded to SBR emails and customer service, known as "PlayerSupport," is unable to give an estimate for when players may receive their funds. Futurebet continues to deny affiliation with G2G even after SBR has presented the confirmation receipts for deposits taken by the company for G2Gbet.com.
Soon-to-be Futurebet sportsbook
BetOnUSA (SBR rating D) enters day six of being inaccessible to account holders. The former
Sportsbook.com Group book may remain off-line for the rest of the week. SBR will continue to report on the Futurebet sportsbook operation in an effort to help players avoid being pulled in by the many websites and new football season marketing.
8/24/2007 06:35 PM
BetOnUSA (SBR rating D+) moving to Futurebet from the Sportsbook.com (SBR rating D+) Family BetOnUSA's website is currently displaying the message:
"We at BetOnUSA.com have decided that it is in the best interest of our players to re-launch with US focused software. We will exhaust every option available to us to make the account transfer process as seamless as possible and to return BetOnUSA.com to its roots as a US-based gaming community."The sportsbook is currently hosted on a Futurebet server and IP address. Some cashier pages are already live on the Futurebet/PlayerSupport network.
Sportsbook.com support is telling BetOnUSA players they are having problems with the site when in fact the website is off-line so that accounts can be ported into the Futurebet software and the website can be moved to Futurebet's Canadian servers. Despite the
Sportsbook.com Group's processing issues it is likely the payout situation will worsen for BetOnUSA users. It should be noted that BetOnUSA was known for dishonest practices prior to its move to
Sportsbook.com's facility.
PyramidSportsWager (SBR rating D+), a long time BetOnUSA sister site and IEE licensee, is also offline due to the impending transfer. Players are advised to pursue funds from these sportsbooks.
BetOnUSA players can currently access their accounts through
Sportsbetting.com (SBR rating D+)
8/16/2007 10:29 PM
Sportsbook.com (SBR rating D+) management confirms with
SBR that the
Jazette Ltd. Group is now processing payouts to non-US players by Neteller. Players who have had to wait over three months have reported receiving five-figure sums in $2500 increments as recently as this morning. The Neteller option is not listed as an available transfer method on the group's websites, but owed players have been contacted by email to confirm their Neteller account number and arrange transfer. Players outside of the US and Canada who are waiting for a payout from the
Sportsbook.com family may
contact SBR for assistance in arranging payment. Neteller is again seen as a viable option for many sportsbooks, such as
BetOnline (SBR rating A-), who relisted the method on their cashier page yesterday.
Sportsbook.com management also stated that of the over 2000 players that experienced a one month or longer delay due to processing issues, 93 users remain. Those users, many of whom are from the March 21st batch of botched transfers, are also welcome to contact SBR for assistance.
8/14/2007 06:25 PM
Two non-U.S. players using
Sportsbook.com (SBR rating D+) report receiving payouts through their
Neteller account. Many non-U.S. players having been waiting for
withdrawals from the
Sportsbook.com family of books for over five months. SBR will inquire with management regarding the payout schedule for the remainder of these slow-paid users.
8/9/2007 02:19 PM
Email Response Test Results Posted:
Football bettor
Jeff Slater had six sign-up questions for 13 sportsbooks. Response time ranged from 41 minutes from
Jazz Sports (SBR rating B+) to almost six days from
Sportsbook.com (SBR rating D+).
Justbet (SBR rating B+) was in second place with a near perfect reply and a large improvement from SBR's April email test. See complete e-mail test results
here.
Note: Sportsbooks are welcome to contact SBR for more email details and are given the opportunity to add their own comments to the results page.
8/7/2007 11:38 PM
The
Sportsbook.com (SBR rating D+) Group corrects wager grading errors six weeks after being notified of the mistake by SBR and players. Affected players should see a balance credit adjustment for the win amount. The book voided winning baseball bets when they received incorrect information regarding a change in starting pitchers. Players who had a listed baseball bet cancelled without a change in pitching are asked to
contact SBR.
8/6/2007 11:25 PM
Sportsbook.com Family of sportsbooks (SBR rating D+) begins scheduling payouts via Neteller. Non-US players who have been waiting as long as five months are relieved to hear that the group finally has a plan to send their funds. SBR will be speaking to management this week about the potential for new payout options and will verify when the first non-US user is paid.
8/4/2007 11:30 PM
KingpinSportsbook (SBR rating D+) website registration expires; players moved to
BetOnUSA (SBR rating D+). KingPin was originally moved under the
Sportsbook.com Group after the acquisition of BetOnUSA's parent company, Empire Entertainment Ltd. Players who have a question about their account should call 1-800-632-6088.
8/1/2007 04:57 PM
Sportsbook.com (SBR rating D+) pushes payment date back for non-US players
The
Sportsbook.com family previously told non-US players in June that they would begin processing their withdrawals in the middle of July.
Sportsbook.com tells SBR they are now targeting the middle of August and are considering using an e-wallet such as Neteller or Moneybookers. Some players have waited for payment for over five months and are rightfully upset that the sportsbook will not take the necessary steps to give them their money.
Sportsbook.com claims that the new payment processors they have acquired will only deliver payment to users in the United States.
7/17/2007 10:20 PM
Three weeks after the
Sportsbook.com (SBR rating D+) Group has been notified of wager grading errors by SBR and players, wagers remain graded incorrectly.
Sportsbook.com and sister books voided winning baseball bets when they received incorrect information regarding a change in starting pitchers. Players continuously complain that the sportsbook has not made the effort to look into the wagering dispute.
BetUSA (SBR rating D+) appears to be the only exception. Ownership has manually credited players whose wagers were graded wrong by their service provider.
7/8/2007 11:48 PM
BetOnUSA (SBR rating D+) now officially owned by the Sportsbook.com GroupShortly after
Sportsbook.com told SBR they acquired BetOnUSA at the close of 2006, management from the former BetOnUSA Group informed us that they were only utilizing
Sportsbook.com as a turnkey partner and they intended to bring BetOnUSA and account holders back under their new software platform. Our source informed us today that they have sold the brand.
Sportsbook.com (Jazette Enterprises) is 100% owner of BetOnUSA, which is expected to remain on Jazette's World Gaming platform.
6/27/2007 08:02 PM
Sportsbook.com (SBR rating D+) and sister books such as
BetUSA (SBR rating D+) fail to correct grading errors. The
Sportsbook.com Group erroneously
voided winning baseball bets in two instances claiming they received information that there were pitching changes. In both cases the listed pitchers did start the game. SBR will escalate the complaints to management. Players who had a listed baseball bet cancelled are invited to contact SBR.
Sportsbook.com players who had listed money line bets on the Cardinals on June 19th or 26th graded as a loss are also asked to
provide SBR with wager details.
6/19/2007 02:07 PM
Sportsbook.com (SBR rating D+) family of sportsbooks plans to begin processing payment to non-US players in July. The
Sportsbook.com Group currently does not have access to processors with the ability to transfer internationally and no longer offers e-Wallets such as
Neteller.
Update 6/21/07: Complaints from non-US players mount as they are informed that processing is responsible for lack of payment. Many non-US players are upset that the
Sportsbook.com Group has not made their transfers a priority and point out that the delay should be considered a valid slow-pay and a warning sign for the US players that make up the majority of the company's customer base. Processing restrictions are not a factor for most of these users.
6/14/2007 04:41 PM
Win4real (SBR rating D+) confiscates player's winnings citing multiple accounts within the
Sportsbook.com family. The player, who also holds an account at
SuperBook (SBR rating D+), claims $791 was taken from his balance. Win4Real and the
Sportsbook.com Group (Jazette Enterprises Limited) does not prohibit players from using multiple accounts in its large family of sportsbooks. SBR will contact Win4Real on the player's behalf.
6/7/2007 11:11 PM
Sportsbook.com (SBR rating D+) withdrawal update: Sportsbook.com management confirms that they are currently unable to process bank wires. Pending wires have been canceled and should result in a credit for the requested amount back to the bettor's account. Payout requests via check for over $2,500 have also been canceled.
Sportsbook.com presently has the ability to send checks in increments of $2,500 or less and is advising players who are owed more than $2,500 to make multiple requests. Many SBR readers and
SBRforum posters have confirmed receiving payment. However, some players who have had their requests shuffled between band-aid processors have waited nearly three months. Non-US players have voiced their frustration because
Sportsbook.com chooses not to utilize available international transfer services such as Neteller and Moneybookers.
5/31/2007 06:05 AM
Sportsbook.com (SBR rating D+) awards $19,707 to player resolving 16 month old
virtual horse racing dispute. Six players using books in the
Sportsbook.com family disputed account history that showed their balance, or significant portion of their balance, was gambled away on a racing-style casino game. Each complaint was resolved early in 2006 with the exception of this largest balance holder.
Sportsbook.com was under Sportingbet Plc management at the time of incident.
5/8/2007 11:44 PM
New setback for Sportsbook.com (SBR rating D+) clientsPlayers were informed today that
Sportsbook.com will not accept payout requests above $2500 until at least May 21st due to backlogs with their larger payment processor. With processing time currently taking in excess of three weeks, new $2500+ payout requests are expected to take over a month to reach users.
Sportsbook.com is accepting multiple withdrawal requests in $2500
increments, which is handled by a processor dedicated to smaller individual transactions, but players can expect the backlog to soon carry over to this processor as well. SBR will contact
Sportsbook management to inquire on the next course of action.
5/4/2007 12:05 AM
Sportsbook.com (SBR rating D+) gives update on lost batch of payoutsSportsbook.com management states that the large batch of bank wires from March 21st was scheduled to be sent on April 4th, but was lost by processors and has just recently been recovered.
Sportsbook.com is claiming the withdrawals were resent on April 24th. SBR estimates that, if the process was successful, players will see the funds in their bank accounts no earlier than May 8th, two weeks after the latest execution date. Management has also informed
SBR that two processing companies are assigned payout requests based on withdrawal amounts. One is handling transactions for $2500 or less and the other is designated to sums above $2500. Some recent $2500-or-less payments have been confirmed by players in under a week. Payments above $2500 are currently facing a processing time of three weeks according to management and recent history suggests further delay is possible. Large balance holders requesting new
withdrawals may benefit from doing so in multiple installments below $2500.
5/2/2007 12:53 PM
Sportsbook.com (SBR rating D+) resolves baseball grading dispute; credits players. Bettors whose baseball wagers remain incorrectly graded are welcome to contact SBR. The error has likely occurred across the entire family of JEL (
Sportsbook.com Family)
sportsbooks.
5/1/2007 05:40 PM
Sportsbook.com (SBR rating D+) incorrectly grades wagers; refuses to rectifySportsbook.com users who wagered on a total or runline on the
April 10th baseball game between the Brewers and Marlins and had the bet graded as a "push" (no action), are asked to contact SBR. The
Sportsbook.com group of books has incorrectly 'no-actioned' the 10th inning tie that was postponed to the next day and has refused to acknowledge its rule (below) when debating with would-be winners.
Rule: In Baseball, all games that go at least the full 9 innings and finish tied as a result of a suspension of play, shall be graded as a push on all money line bets. However, all run line and total bets will have action. Note that this is an extremely rare occurrence. In the event of a change in Las Vegas rules, Sportsbook will adhere to the decision set forth in Las Vegas.
4/27/2007 04:02 PM
I-Sportsbook (SBR rating D+) defects from Jazette Enterprises Limited (Sportsbook.com Group); players still unpaid. Turnkey Sportsbook, I-
Sportsbook.com left JEL, which has been unable to pay players for over two months, on the 15th of April for the Futurebet Gaming Network. Although many Futurebet white label sportsbooks are able to pay their players, I-Sportsbook client funds appear to be in limbo between the two hosting operators. The new version of
I-Sportsbook.com claims it does not have player balances from when the site was hosted on the
Sportsbook.com/Jazette servers. The situation illustrates the added liability in playing with turnkey properties and why most are rated significantly lower than operator-owned flagship brands.
Player: On April 13th i tried to log onto my account and it said invalid username i spoke with a chat rep and they said it was because they were switching servers (which was scheduled to start on the 15th according to their website) they said i should be able to log on in a few days. I tried the next day and that chat rep said i was never a member and that until i remembered my username there was nothing he could do. Well the next day i was able to get to the cashier page and withdraw all funds they have still not reached me, each day i receive a new answer as to why my funds have yet to reach me. The current answer im getting over and over is that they need approval from the owner since my account was with the old network. I get this answer from EFS Caribbean who claims they have nothing to do with I-Sportsbook.com anymore. And the people at I-Sportsbook say they cant help me because my account was with the old network and can only contact the owner through email. I was a member with I-Sportsbook.com for 7 years without every having a problem before. I would like to thank you before you even reply because if i ever gamble on the internet again i know which sites to trust from your website. Is there anyway i can contact the owner am i being scammed?
4/22/2007 11:34 PM
Easybet added to the SBR rating guide at D as part of Jazette Gaming Group, which includes
Sportsbook.com (SBR rating D+). Easybet is one of the many Jazette sportsbooks that has been unable to pay most players for over two months. (see forum topic:
Sportsbook.com withdrawal delay)
4/15/2007 11:43 PM
BetUs (SBR rating D) players waiting two months for payment
BetUs payout complaints are similar to the
Sportsbook.com (SBR rating D+) withdrawal issues on a much smaller scale. SBR has received 29
BetUs withdrawal complaints since mid-February of which four have been resolved. BetUs appears to be attempting to buy time by telling the majority of these individuals that they have entered incorrect banking details and must resubmit their payout request. Two others reported that their bonus roll-over requirement has been increased after initially having been met. BetUs tells SBR that they, like many sportsbooks, are experiencing issues with third party processors. The book states that many of these issues have been addressed and users who have been waiting nearly two months should receive funds shortly. SBR will continue to monitor payouts from the BetUs family (D rated
SportsGambling,
Omni,
BetUs and
BetReduction) of books.
4/12/2007 06:23 PM
4/2/2007 01:14 PM
More Sportsbook.com (SBR rating D+) withdrawals confirmed by SBRforum posters. Many players are still waiting for both checks and bank wires that were "processed" over ten days ago.
Sportsbook.com states that checks may take up to three weeks to reach users and that wait time may be up to one week less for bank wires.
3/30/2007 06:50 PM
Ten players report receiving Sportsbook.com withdrawals after seven weeks.
For almost two months
Sportsbook.com (SBR rating D+) and sister books were unable to pay after losing the service of two payment processors. The many users who continue to wait are extremely encouraged by the confirmed payments. Nine players reported receiving bank wires. One SBRforum poster reported receiving a check.
3/23/2007 11:32 PM
Sources tell
SBR that
BetOnUSA (SBR rating D-) will be moved back under previous operators within one month. BetOnUSA is currently part of
Jazette Enterprises Ltd (
Sportsbook.com and sister books). Accounts and balances would be transferred to a new software platform. The book will likely be off-line during the migration period. Users have larger concerns at the moment as
BetOnUSA and
Sportsbook.com withdrawals have not been processed since early last month. Management is adamant that the first batch of bank wires will produce at least some reports of payment early next week.
3/14/2007 11:04 AM
Jazette Enterprises Ltd, including
Sportsbook.com (SBR rating D+),
Sportsbetting.com (SBR rating D+),
PlayersOnly (SBR rating D+) and
BetOnUSA (SBR rating D-), tells SBR that they have obtained a new bank wire processing service. Management states that players who have check withdrawals pending may wish to cancel those requests in favor of a wire. Bank wire is the sole option for withdrawals at this time and may take weeks depending on the order the request was received. The company has been pursuing a new check processor since parting with previous service proivders last month and does not presently have the ability to send checks. Some players have been waiting over a month for their funds.
2/27/2007 10:35 AM
Oddsmaker (SBR rating D-) new sportsbook from former ownership of BetOnUSA (SBR rating D-). BetOnUSA sold it’s family of sites to Jazette Enterprises Limited (
Sportsbook.com Group) in December of 2006. BetOnUSA is most known for giving players a free $50 account and then denying payouts to the few who are lucky enough to build their balance up to the $1,000 minimum required to withdraw.
2/26/2007 12:02 AM
Deposit-only sportsbook,
SportsbookPayer (SBR rating F-) website taken off-line. The scam website, which was designed
to look like Bodog (SBR rating A+), managed to rob players of over $150,000. The latest known scam from this group is
SportsbookAction24 (SBR rating F-). SBA24’s website imitates
Sportsbook.com (SBR rating D+).
2/17/2007 11:56 PM
Cyber
Sportsbook.com users redirected to
Bodog (SBR rating A+). Players should find
details sent to registered email addresses. WWTS non-U.S. accounts were transferred to Bodog Sportsbook on Wednesday.
1/31/2007 07:01 PM
BetOnUSA (SBR rating D-) and sister books acquired by Jazette Enterprises Limited (D+ rated Sportsbook.com). Sportsbook management tells SBR the BetOnUSA Group (Empire Entertainment Ltd) was purchased last month. All customer service and accounting is now directed to the
Sportsbook building in Costa Rica. The purchase brings
Sportsbetting.com (SBR rating D-) back to the company and gives Jazette ownership of the World Gaming software code.
JEL states that it will look into no-pay claims against BetOnUSA, including the latest from a player waiting four months for $1,000.16. JEL sportsbooks also have their own no-pay complaints pending. During the migration of
SportingbetUSA (SBR rating D+) last October to Jel-owned
SuperBook (SBR rating D+) some accounts, balances and pending wagers were lost.
12/4/2006 01:17 AM
SCAM Alert: ExecutiveSportsbookdr (SBR rating F-) The scam was first documented operating through
CypressSportsbook.com. The con artists have opened many sportsbook sites since to perpetuate the scam. Players are brought in through tout sites and are made to feel like they are getting a special deal for large VIP players. The
sportsbook then sucks the player for all it can before he or she begins asking for the funds back. The group is known to request the bettor to send Western Union transfers to Poland. Below is an email sent to the player by Executive:
"Mr. ******* thank you very much for becoming a member of the internets premier sports wagering websites executivesportsbookdr.com . In setting up your account your referrer Tony made an error with the minimal deposit requirements for a Platinum Plus Member. All Platinum Plus accounts need to be at the minimal deposit level of $2,500USD. We will need to receive an additional $1,500 from you and your account will be activated immediately. After we receive your additional deposit today your ATM Card and Sports pager will be shipped to you immediately and you will receive everything no later than tomorrow November 29th, 2006 via Federal Express. Thank you for your business and we apologize for the error that was made on the start-up of your account. Thank you Sir. -Chad Halloran Accounts Mgr."
11/17/2006 10:19 AM
Gambler loses winning bets at Sportsbook.com
Sportsbook.com (SBR rating D+) chose to cease servicing players in select states that have individual laws against gambling and void all pending bets. Below is the latest complaint from a player cheated by
Sportsbook.com.
Player:
As I would imagine you are already aware, Sportsbook.com has disabled accounts for all betters in states with specific laws against online gambling. This went into affect about 5:00 Tuesday November 14th. All pending future bets were graded as no action. Unfortunately, I have bets that included $300 to win $1000 on Johan Santana for AL Cy Young, $100 to win $1200 on Derek Jeter to win AL MVP, as well as bets on Albert Pujols and Ryan Howard to win NL MVP which would have brought a minimum of a $190 profit. So instead of being paid off on these wagers, I have been told I will only get back the amount of the wagers themselves. I was sent a message saying a total of $3921.38 would be sent to me via Federal Express in the next couple of days, the problem is that with my balance and the total of the pending wagers, the amount should be for $4351.38 or for $430 more than what they claim they owe me.
10/13/2006 06:39 PM
Sportingbet Plc partially reverses decision to cancel winning bets After Sportingbet Plc severed itself from its US-serving brands, complaints began to flood the SBR mailbox. Non-US players in the newly sold sportsbooks were told that all pending bets would be canceled. This was due to the new company, Jazette Enterprises Limited’s noncompete agreement with Sportingbet Plc. Jazette (JEL) agreed not to service non-US players and to steer its international players back to the Plc’s remaining non-US serving sportsbooks. Fortunately, Non-US players were contacted this evening and told their accounts would be maintained and transferred to a different sportsbook. However, JEL decided to acknowledge specific US State laws and discontinue servicing players where they apply.
Sportsbook.com and its sister sites have told players living in the offending states that they will not be paid their impending winnings. SBR will discuss the remaining complaints with individual property managers/owners. Players with canceled winning wagers or canceled wagers that have gained market value should contact
SBR.
10/12/2006 04:47 PM
Sportingbet PLC sells Sportsbook.com (SBR rating D+) and US-facing business to "existing management team"
Statement: Sportingbet announces that it has sold, on 12 October 2006, its US-facing sports betting and casino business (the “US Operations”) to Jazette Enterprises Limited (“JEL”) (the “Disposal”). Sportingbet received cash consideration of US$1 for the shares and related assets of the US Operations, and has discharged excess liabilities amounting to approximately US$13.2 million. Had the business been closed, the Board estimated that the cost of severance and closure would have amounted to approximately US$14.0 million – a total saving of circa US$27.2 million.
Full StatementThe press release suggests that
Wallstreet,
Aces, and
SportingbetUSA (SBR rating D+) will move US players under a different brand, likely
Sportsbook.com.
Sportingbet Plc has retained ownership of these highly marketable website domains. Paradise Poker will relinquish its share of the US poker market. The poker giant will also be retained by Sportingbet Plc and cease taking deposits from US players at 11:00 a.m tomorrow.
SBR is currently investigating claims that the group has canceled winning future wagers of players who reside in US states that have specific laws against gambling.
10/11/2006 09:06 PM
Betcorp Ltd. considers pulling out of US market
BetWWTS (SBR rating B+) is the latest sportsbook under a public company attempting to solidify plans to privatize. Betcorp Ltd released a statement this evening acknowledging that if it was unable to move its US-focused brands under private ownership by Friday, services to the US market would close. Sources within the company tell SBR "
It’s likely you will see the last two public giants privatize within the next 48 hours but of course, all [Betcorp sportsbook] players will receive their funds immediately if this is not achieved." Sportingbet Plc, the parent company of
Sportsbook.com, also released a statement today saying that it would look to sell its US-focused brands. Although the safety of WWTS player funds are not in question, SBR has downgraded the BetCorp Group to B+. The books will be reevaluated once it is known if account holders will maintain the ability to wager.
7/27/2006 09:24 PM
SBR meets with Sportingbet Plc management; year old dipsutes resolved. The sportsbook agreed to reevaluate previous decisions which resulted in multiple balance credits.
Bonus and winnings confiscations have been reversed, as well as voided winning wagers dating back to last year’s British Open
bet on Tiger Woods. The sportsbook is addressing the policies, or lack thereof, responsible for these actions. It is expected to stand by new universal policies that treat all players equally regardless of the type of action given to the book. New procedures include prorating bonuses for players asked to leave any of the many websites and settling winning bets made on obvious or gross errors at the correct market price (average
betting odds) instead of canceling. The
Sportingbet Plc
family will be reevaluated once all pending issues are concluded and these new policies are solidified. Players with a complaint against the Sportingbet Group, which include
Sportsbook.com (SBR rating D+), should
contact SBR.
7/5/2006 01:15 PM
Sportingbet (SBR rating D+) Company continues Bait n’ Switch bonus scam.Sportingbet Plc steals winnings from player, citing a mystery "
bonus abuse" rule. SBR has received numerous complaints from players who were attracted to incentives from the many Sportingbet Plc brands, which include
Sportsbook.com (SBR rating D+) and
SportingbetUSA (SBR rating D+). If the player has accepted bonus offers from the different books and goes on to win, he is susceptible to the confiscation of all funds above the total amount deposited. SBR has contacted Sportingbet Plc on multiple occasions to verify that utilizing more than one site is not a violation of any rules.
SBR poster ’dvorak51’ shares his experience with the Sportingbet Group’s
Aces.com (SBR rating D+).
7/5/2006 8:32:38 PM Update: Sportingbet management refunds player’s winnings and adds free-play bonus for inconvenience.
6/18/2006 02:29 AM
SCAM ALERT: Industry scammer continues to trick players into joining sportsbooks. Robbie McPhail is operating Legend
Sportsbook.com which has attracted bettors looking for the real
Legendz (SBR rating A-). SBR warned players in March of Mr. McPhail’s
LasPalmasSportsbook.com after readers reported depositing in what they believed to be
LasPalmas (SBR rating C). Bettors should also beware of
OceanSportsbook (SBR rating F) and
AmericasBookie (SBR rating F). Both are part of this
network of scam sites and are spamming email lists offering large
bonuses.
5/11/2006 06:39 PM
SBR mailbag: Player experiences improved service from
MVPSportsbook (SBR rating C+) after move to the
BetonSports facility completed last month.
"Hello. I do not need any assistance but want to relate my experience with mvpSportsbook.com
2 days after the Superbowl this year I decided to withdraw a good portion of my winnings- it was very frustrating as it had to be processed by phone and Accounting was always away or too busy to take the call- it took a good portion of a week to get a withdraw processed
By contrast yesterday I decided to withdraw funds, and they now process the withdraw request on-line and it was in my account exactly when they said it would be there- within a day- very pleased with the turn- around"
5/8/2006 11:53 AM
Sportingbet Plc Takes Over Hollywood Sportsbook The Hollywood website and player accounts will be activated on Sportingbet’s World Gaming system today. Players will still be able to reach the book’s customer service manager Victor and his staff, which has also migrated to the World Gaming office, by calling 1-800-220-0002. Marty, one of the industry’s top General Managers who is credited for much of the book’s success, will no longer be involved with Hollywood. Hollywood
Sportsbook.com will feature World Gaming’s lines and will no longer offer players a -107 lineset. Hollywood has been downgraded to B as SBR monitors the book’s transition, anticipating the potential for changes in operational procedures. Sportingbet company press release can be found
here.
5/9/2006 (3:16:55 PM) UPDATE: System migration is rescheduled to be completed tomorrow morning. Banking will resume at this time.
4/25/2006 11:39 PM
SBR Bill Dozer reports: Player waiting one month for $3,150 withdrawal from Sportsbook.com(SBR rating D+). SBR to inquire about bankwire which was validated by managment on March 15th.
Player: "
Dear Sirs, I have been experiencing some severe problems with the online sportsbook Sportsbook.com. As you may see from my attached correspondence, I bet on the 2006 Oscars and won $3,000.00 on Best Picture. I contacted them and asked for withdrawal, filling out their online form for bank transfer.
However, since then, I have not received the money. My account with them shows no money on it, and they keep not responding to my various e-mails. I am desperate! Is there anything I can do? Is there anyhow you could help me with? Please be kind enough to advise! I would be most grateful if you could do anything to help me!!! Thank you so much in advance."
4/21/2006 02:57 PM
SBR Bill Dozer reports: Sportingbet Plc returns $24,000 confiscated from client in October 2005. Over the course of a year the player had used multiple Sportingbet Plc sites including
PlayersOnly(SBR rating D+),
LinesMaker(SBR rating D+),
SportFanatik(SBR rating D+),
SportingBetUSA(SBR rating D+),
Aces(SBR rating D+) and
Sportsbook.com(SBR rating D+). The amount confiscated was the sum of what the player had earned in bonuses and won overall from the family of sportsbooks. SBT management originally stated that the player was violating the spirit of the bonus although the company’s client support has maintained that utilizing multiple sportsbooks and incentive offers was acceptable. Other Sportingbet players hope to experience the same success in resolving their issue and recovering their funds. SBR is currently speaking with Sportingbet’s corporate office about these matters.
3/22/2006 06:08 PM
SCAM ALERT: Rip-off sportsbook site owned by Robbie McPhail. LasPalmas
Sportsbook.com is designed to con players into believing they are actually playing with five year old sportsbook,
LasPalmas(SBR rating C) (betlaspalmas.com). The new cyber-squatting website comes complete with LasPalmas graphics and logos but operates on the
Bet33(SBR rating F) wagering platform. The site was previously used to redirect traffic to the real LasPalmas for referral earnings.
2/26/2006 03:57 PM
Sportsbook.net(SBR rating D), owned by Sportingbet Plc, now used as a handicapping site to promote the
Sportsbook.com brand.
2/17/2006 11:22 PM
SBR Bill Dozer reports: Sportsbook.com (SBR rating D+) and
SportsBetting.com (SBR rating D+) agree to refund $15,000 in casino losses to bettor. The correction comes one month after the player complained to SBR that his account was hacked and funds were lost in the casino. The sportsbook maintains that the funds were missing due to a "glitch". The balance adjustments will mark the sixth correction of this kind.
12/3/2005 11:30 AM
SBR Bill Dozer reports: Problems continue for bettors with books under the Sportingbet umbrella. Although management has resolved some individual complaints, the company continues to unjustly debit client accounts. Current complaints include voided winning wagers, the closure of accounts and confiscation of profits from those accounts, and the seizing of earned bonuses. The majority of gamblers likely will not experience these issues although bettors who successfully utilize the company’s promotions may be severely penalized without warning.
Player reports AllProSportsbook(SBR rating D+) confiscating funds and ignoring emails. Hi, this is my first time sending you (sportsbookreview.com) E-mail. I have an account in AllproSportsbook.com. I have been using this account since August 2005. But recently, this company gave me some hard time. They paid slow, E-mail no reply and deducted all of my bonus in my account eventhought I have covered the rollerover requirement. But that wasn’t a big deal. I don’t really care about the bonus, I also told them I do not want any further bonus in my account. After then, I only deposited twice and received $77.50 automatically right after. Then I kept wagering a lot and requested a payout. at that payout, They also deducted the $77.50 bonus. that’s fine! after then I still wagered for a while without any deposit. then I requested another payout. But they still deducted the same amount of $77.50. That’s my money, not the bonus. Then I talked the live chat person, and he said they will check for me. I also send that company an E-mail about thit case. so far they still haven’t replied me. I have no idea if they return me $77.50 or not. They might have system error or they don’t even care of their clients money. If I make another withdrawl next time. I might still have money deducted.
11/4/2005 01:47 PM
SBR Bill Dozer reports: Sportingbet (SBR rating C) stealing player balances? SBR has received reports from two players who have had funds confiscated. The book’s emailed explanation to these players states that this is occurring because these bettors have been depositing for the sole intention of receiving the bonus and therefore are in violation of the bonus rules. The book calculated how much the player will now receive by returning funds up to the amount deposited and thereby voiding winnings and legitimately earned bonus funds. The Sportingbet Group has historically allowed multiple accounts within their many affiliated sites and has promoted their bonus plans independently. SBR had previously verified that players were encouraged to take part in independent incentive plans and use multiple accounts within the family of SBT Plc sportsbooks. Thus far SBR has email history suggesting that
Sportsbook.com and sister sites have unjustly confiscated over $22,000 in account balances. This gaming giant has been the source of serious complaints in recent months and will be reassessed pending management’s actions on these cases.
11/3/2005 11:11 PM
SBR Bill Dozer reports: Sportsbook.com (SBR rating C) and the Sportingbet Group’s accounting errors leave players without access to funds for weeks. The operation services over 50 sportsbooks and many players unknowingly utilized more than one of the heavily marketed websites. Sportingbet has recently told some of these players that they would have to consolidate their accounts and that they would receive their balances via book-to-book transfers to one of the family’s websites. Bettors have reported waiting two weeks for five-figure sums, as the book attempts to get its records in order. Although this delay is frustrating, SBR has told players that this is likely a botched procedure that will be corrected in time. SBR to inquire with management.
10/21/2005 11:36 PM
SBR Bill Dozer reports: BetUSA upgraded to C+ after distinguishing itself from the Sportingbet Plc family, to which it belongs. BetUSA’s ownership has proven that it has the ability to act independently of its sister books like
PlayersOnly and
Sportsbook.com (SBR rating C). The book employs its own customer service staff for advanced player inquiries and management has made decisions on wager grading that have differed from its larger sister books. Recently BetUSA paid players who bet Tiger Woods to win the British Open, while players who wagered with the flagship SBT Plc books saw their winning wagers canceled. BetUSA clients still must deal with the same flawed accounting department that is sometimes responsible for payout delays.
10/9/2005 11:04 AM
SBR Bill Dozer reports: Sportsbook (SBR rating C) complaints over canceled winning wagers mount. The book’s rules state that wagers place on erroneous lines will be settled at the correct odds. Sportsbook is not operating according to these rules.
"Dear Sir, I have been a customer of Sportsbook.com for several years.On 10/1/05 I wagered a small 5.00 to win 85.00 on Tarver to win by decision over jones.I should of won 85.00 but management cancelled the bet after the fight was over stating they made an error on the line.I want to make people aware that this site did not make good on their bet.Instead of just paying the 85.00 in good faith they choosed to cancel the wager after the fight ended.I spoke to management to no avail.They said that they can cancel wagers at anytime.Very bad business."
10/5/2005 09:27 PM
SBR Bill Dozer reports: Players again upset that
Sportsbook.com (SBR rating C) cancels winning wager after match is final. The latest incident revolves around the Tarver vs. Jones fight. While this line, unlike others in their recent history, was indeed ’off’, Sportsbook again had the unfair advantage of knowing the outcome before deciding which wagers they would honor. Sportsbook’s rules state that when a winning wager is canceled due to a
gross error the wager must be settled at the correct price. The book seemingly ignores this rule.
9/16/2005 03:23 AM
SBR Bill Dozer reports: Sportsbook.com (SBR rating C) voids another player’s winning wager after event had finished. This is the third complaint from players with the Sportingbet Group whose funds were debited due to what
Sportsbook.com management calls a "
bad line" on Tiger Woods to win the British Open. SBR has presented
Sportsbook.com with information showing that these odds can not be considered an "obvious error". Players would have a legitimate complaint if the wager was simply canceled prior to the event but since Sportsbook waited weeks after the event had conlcuded, these players are victims of theft.
SBR would also appreciate hearing from bettors who wagered on participants other than Tiger Woods to win the British Open whose wagers were graded as a loss.
7/11/2005 03:39 PM
SBR Bill Dozer reports: Sportingbet Plc family of sportsbooks refusing to pay players this week. Players file multiple complaints against such books as
Sportsbook.com, SportingbetUSA.com and Aces.com, citing that the below notice was first posted today.
"Note: There will be no withdrawals processed the week of Monday July 11th to Friday, July 15th. Withdrawals will resume normal processing July 16th. We apologize for any inconvenience caused."
Sportingbet users complain that they were not given any notice that their funds would be inaccessible. Many players will actually be forced to wait until the 18th, due to some banking methods being available for processing only on weekdays. Sportingbet management claims that this freeze on player funds is due to a website upgrade, which suggests players could have been informed well in advance. A likelier reason for this hold on account balances is that Sportingbet recognizes a very slow week in sports and would like to prevent a wave of withdrawal requests that occur when there is little to wager on.
4/8/2005 10:14 AM
SBR Bill Dozer reports: Players continue to complain that
Sportsbook.com (SBR rating C) is sending payouts by check after confirming that the withdrawal would be processed via Neteller. This is proving to be costly for those using foreign currencies and for those who wished to redeposit into a different sportsbook.
3/14/2005 11:03 AM
Sportsbook.com (SBR rating C) comes clean on their infamous ’audits’ that cause unnecessary long payout delays and announces they will eliminate withdraw audits. Many insiders, including SBR, long suspected the highly unpopular ’audits’ are mainly used as a way of punishing winning players and discouraging withdraws. This procedure has continued to be a drag on the entire Sportingbet group rating, of which
Sportsbook.com is the largest member. The group last sported a top 20 sportsbook in 2002 with their second largest member SportingbetUSA, which reached a peak rating of B+.
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.
2/14/2005 04:47 AM
Players continue to complain about the service from Sportsbook.com (SBR rated C) "I recently requested a payout on 2/7/05 at about 8am, via Neteller. Two days later, at approximately 4pm, I finally e-mail them about this. Within 30 minutes, I received a reply stating that my withdrawal had been sent...to my bank account! On my receipt is says clearly that it is a Neteller withdrawal. I contacted customer service, and they told me that it was already processed as such, and there was nothing more they could do. I would not recommend this book to ANYONE!!"
1/22/2005 12:55 AM
SBR Bill Dozer reports: Sportsbook.com (SBR rating C) and sister sites under Sportingbet management not honoring bonuses. In the past few weeks SBR has received an influx of complaints from players who feel cheated claiming they were victims of dishonest marketing. Players filed complaints ranging from not receiving promised bonuses after numerous email requests as well as bonuses being unjustly confiscated upon cashout. SBT management states that these players did not meet their wagering requirements. However, they were assured by clerks, verbally and by email, that these requirements were met and the bonus would not be lost. SBT sportsbook owners have admitted that there is a software glitch responsible for showing wrong information regarding the progress of the player’s bonus roll-over.
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. Apex
Sportsbook.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.
12/10/2004 11:15 PM
SBR Bill Dozer reports: Sportsbook.com (SBR rating C) scares another player with the "account audit". SBR receives regular slow-pay complaints from
Sportsbook.com players who find their accounts frozen due to an account audit. This audit often follows the player’s first above average-sized withdrawal request. It can be very stressful for long time customers who never previously won a large amount and were unaware of this practice. SBR tells the player that history suggests the funds will arrive in a few weeks or less, but this does not stop them from asking about a sportsbook who will treat them like a valued customer when they are fortunate enough to go on a winning streak.
“So… now we are at the point where they are telling me numerous times that they are ready to release the funds, but somehow they keep putting it off and not getting back to me in the time frames promised. They also have me talk to a different person each time and just give me the run-around with vague statements like "we are working on it", and "you will hear from us real soon". I am holding out hope they will deliver the funds that I requested soon, but frankly the way they have handled this gives me a lot of concern. They have gladly and quickly taken any money I have paid to them, but seem to be avoiding having to pay me for my winnings.”
12/2/2004 02:50 AM
SBR mailbag: Sportsbook.com (SBR rating C) now 7 days late on ACH (e-check) payout.
Sportsbook.com management is tracking payment.
Update 12/2: Player receives payment in full
SportsbookUSA (SBR rating F): Player waiting for withdrawal of $724 since September 3rd. SportsbookUSA tells SBR they will advance the payout request to accounting and claim they do not know why it has yet to be processed. Withdrawal requests continue to be stalled in this book’s system.
Internet1x2 (SBR rating F): Player reports being paid $6,000. Complaints are still being filed but the overall amount of player debt that SBR has on record is slowly decreasing.
Changeabet (SBR rating F-): New complaints coming in from multiple players owed small amounts. Changeabet and their sister sites are currently offline.
Bahismerkezi (not rated) owes player over $16,000 since November 7th. Phone line only offers an answering machine. Bahismerkezi is not responding to emails.
English Sports Betting (SBR rating F-) SBR receives no-pay complaints against ESB almost daily. This scam operation owes more players than any other active sportsbook.
11/15/2004 12:58 PM
Sportsbook.com (SBR rating C) gives this player a dose of customer service that they are rather well known for: So my experience begins with Sportsbook.com. I have been using online bookmaking sites for years and never ever heard of anything like this before. My account was debited $100 because they told me that they gave me the $100 by mistake. All I know is that I had only about $300 remaining in my account, and I bet it all. After I won the bet and I expected to receive $270 in winnings plus the Principe bet of $300 = $ 570. So I should have $ 570 in my account. I only received $ 470. I called up Sportsbook.com and they told me that they credited my account an extra $ 100 two weeks ago by accident. They told me their computers gave me the extra $ 100 by accident and then they manually took the money out. (Wouldn't it be nice if they had sent me out some sort of e-mail letting me know what was going on, rather then just taking the money out of my account and letting me figure it out on my own).
Then (according to Sportsbook) it happened once again, their computers did it again, giving me an extra $100. Then once again they manually took the money ( $100 ) out. That's twice in one week and I never knew it even happened once, because my computer doesn't give me that info. All I know is that my balance was always right until last night when I saw that $ 100 was missing out of my account.
When I called them, they told me that they would e-mail me my history and it should take 48 hours to receive. ( 48 hours for a fax, WOW ) All I know is that on my computer screen, I can't see any of these mistakes that they claimed to of made They also told me that their a huge public company and that they have no reason to cheat me. They could give two sh-t's if I stay their customer. What a joke. I have now closed my account.
So once again, I feel very cheated and I think Sportsbook.com is very shaddy!!!!
10/2/2004 04:41 PM
SBR mailbag: This week’s slow-pay complaints come from players with
BetCSI (SBR rating F-),
BetUs (SBR rating F+). Scam outfit,
English Sports Betting (SBR rating F-) clients continue to supply multiple no-pay complaints.
Sportsbook.com (SBR rating C) player reports his account is locked due to “random account audit”. Three of the many players owed by
Internet1x2 (SBR rating F-) have reported payment in full via bank wire. SBR will continue to pursue and monitor payouts for those seeking withdrawals from Internet1x2.
9/12/2004 12:46 PM
Sportsbooks gear up to handle the onslaught of football players on the internet. The top A+ group of sportsbooks reporting no problems handling the load are Pinnacle A+ (
www.pinbet.com), VIP Sportsbook A+ (www.VIP
Sportsbook.com). Load problems have caused slow downs at BetWWTS A+ and BetJamaica A+. A complete phone listing for all sportsbooks is located
here.
9/6/2004 12:24 PM
SBR Bill Dozer reports: It is confirmed that ownership of the
defunct Apex Sportsbook is managing
Platinum SportBets (SBR rating F+). The main figure in the Apex disaster, Robbie McPhail, is introducing himself as Platinum SB’s customer service manager. SBR cautions players of this new site,
www.4platinumSportsbook.com, and its excessive promotional offers.
8/31/2004 09:02 AM
SBR mailbag recent complaints: Player reports 2 month no-pay from
BetUs (SBR rating F+). Ewinner (SBR rating D-) source of multiple slow-pay complaints.
SportsInteraction (SBR rating D) receives multiple complaints regarding slow-pay and customer service. Three
Sportsbook.com (SBR rating C-) customers report they are still waiting nearly 2 months for bank wires. Another
Internet1x2 (SBR rating F-) victim reports 9 month no-pay.
Betsrus (not rated) cold calling players offering 75% bonuses. Players should be cautious of unknown books calling-for-cash.
7/20/2004 04:44 PM
SBR Bill Dozer reports: SBR receives influx of
Sportingbet PLC sportsbook complaints.
Sportfanatik (SBR rating D+) client reports unjust bonus confiscation.
Allstar.com (SBR rating C-) player files complaint over missing check. A
SportingbetUSA (SBR rating B-) client claims withdrawn funds left his player account but never reached his Neteller account. A 2nd SportingbetUSA player contacts SBR about unjust bonus confiscation.
MySportsbook.com (SBR rating C-) loses multiple bank wires during processing.
5/21/2004 04:03 PM
Sportsbook.com lowered from C+ to C
5/21/2004 03:53 PM
Sportsbook.com (SBR rating C) experiencing all too familiar slow pay complaints. Just two weeks after a rare upgrade, SBR is forced to lower
Sportsbook.com to a rating of C. SBR is hit with no less than 10 complaints on
Sportsbook.com. Players should note that SBR recognizes that
Sportsbook.com has a good selection of summer sports including tennis, golf, NASCAR, ect. Players funds are not at risk however players need to realize that this is a difficult book to get a payout.
Sportsbook.com is known in the industry to have deep pockets but short arms.
5/16/2004 11:37 PM
Player complaints this week include another NO PAY complaint from WorldWager (SBR rating F), Ladbrokes (SBR rating A+) for very poor customer service,
Sportsbook.com (SBR rating C+) with another disappointing slow pay complaint - SBR recent upgrade of
Sportsbook.com now under reconsideration
5/7/2004 05:17 PM
Sportsbook.com (SBR rating C+) recently upgraded by SBR not a popular move as players write in with fresh complaints and to voice their dissatisfaction with the upgrade
5/6/2004 12:42 PM
Grande upgraded from B+ to A-, SportingBetUSA upgraded from C+ to B and
Sportsbook.com upgraded from D+ to C+
1/3/2004 12:00 AM
Sportsbook.com raised from D+ to C-
12/1/2003 04:25 PM
Player gets
fed up with Sportsbook.com (SBR rating D+)
, finds a great book on the SBR Recommended List
11/24/2003 03:52 PM
SBR mailbag - Mostly positive comments on
Casablanca, Heritage,
Sportsbook.com,
BetAustralia
10/23/2003 05:53 AM
Complaints from;
Internet1x2(F-), Playerstime(C-), SportingbetUSA(C-), Sportingbet(C-), BetonUSA(D+), WSEX(A-), Sportsbook.com(D+)
9/13/2003 03:11 PM
Sportsbook.com complaints rolling in- making a bet is easy but making a withdraw is a different story
6/18/2003 09:56 AM
This week's complaints -
Sportsbook.com, Gibralter, Sportbet, MVP
4/27/2003 05:39 PM
Sportsbook.com, a long time
SBR
Black List member, producing record amount of complaints
4/26/2003 05:18 PM
Warning: Jazz Sportsbook
www.jazzSportsbook.com is
NOT the real Jazz Sports
www.jazzsports.com Jazz Sportsbook is trying to benefit on Jazz's good name -
This could easily end up being a scam
3/27/2003 05:03 PM
Sportingbet shares tumble again - Holding Co. for SportingbetUSA,
Sportsbook.com has fallen 70% in past 12 months - nagging customer service complaints possibly indicative of poor mgmt.
9/23/2002 09:47 AM
This week's serious player complaints: Little NASA (on RUN! List), SportsInteraction (on Black List), SportsbookUSA,
Sportsbook.com(Black List), LionBets(on RUN! List)
2/19/2002 10:23 AM
Sportsbook.com - Already on Black List is setting records for amount of complaints - further downgrade possible
11/1/2001 01:19 PM
Sportsbook.com - Downgraded to the Black List(2nd time) - Deteriorating customer service - Merger related problems
7/28/2001 12:14 PM
Sportsbook.com - Upgraded - Removed From the Black List - Agreed to be acquired by SportingbetUSA