11/19/2011 04:00 PM
Scam alert: 105Vig sportsbook player #2 writes inA second 105Vig Sportsbook (SBR rating D-) player writes in. The player tells SBR that he opened an account with 105Vig in early November after a sales
agent lured him in with a $100 free starter bonus that carried a 5X rollover. The player tells SBR that after completing the play-through requirement, he asked for a payout of $100. The player tells SBR that 105Vig denied the request, claiming that he must have a minimum of $500 in his balance to make a payout request. This non-standard rule is not found anywhere on the 105Vig site.
SBR
reported on November 11th that a player who also took the $100 starter bonus completed his rollover and increased his balance to $1,654.11. The player requested payment on Tuesday, November 8th and has not been paid. A 105Vig representative reportedly told the player that public posts attributed to the user had been read, and that the representative believed the player "should not be paid".
105Vig has all the makings of a
scam sportsbook - peddling no deposit bonuses and credit lines, working over forums and social media platforms whilst giving poor service and making up rules as it goes along when players attempt to cash in their chips. Players are advised to avoid the unknown bookie.
Sportsbook players with feedback or complaints are asked to submit a sportsbook complaint form, or dial 1-830-255-4677 during normal business hours to speak with a Sportsbook Review dispute analyst.
11/12/2011 01:51 PM
BetBtw sportsbook alertA BetBtw (unrated) player writes in with a payment complaint. The player deposited funds with BetBtw and increased his balance to more than $9,000. The player tells Sportsbook Review that he has been owed $9,135 since July 25th, 2011.
BetBtw shares the same web server as
BetTheWorld.com, formerly rated D+ by SBR. BetTheWorld ceased offering sportsbook wagering to customers and transformed into a fantasy wagering site. BetBtw shares the same web server as credit sites BetUniversal, 247WebToday and
agentsReport.com. SBR attempted to contact BetBtw using two known phone numbers—800-689-9922 and 800-816-0751; in both instances BetBtw terminated the call after SBR explained the call was in regards to a player payout complaint.
Following SBR's attempts to reach management, BetBtw locked the player's account. The player provided SBR with a screenshot showing his outstanding balance. SBR will update this sportsbook report.
BetBTW players with payout complaints are asked to submit a sportsbook complaint form, or dial 1-830-255-4677 during normal business hours to speak with a Sportsbook Review dispute analyst.
4/19/2010 07:44 PM
BetAtlas players moved to BetHorizonBetAtlas (SBR rating B-) players have been moved to sister sportsbook
BetHorizon (SBR rating B-), under the HorizonSports S.A. platform, which uses BLR Technologies software. The former
BetAtlas site now redirects to
agent/PPH website Wagergolf.com. Any players with balance discrepancies after logging into
BetHorizon are asked to fill out a
sportsbook complaint form.
10/21/2009 10:00 PM
The New York Police Department announces indictments of BetOnline BookmakersThe New York Police Department today announced the indictment of
BetOnline principals on gambling charges. According to news conferences held by the NYPD and the NY District Attorney, charges are largely based on evidence of cash transactions that took place in the United States, including one paid in person to a winning bettor for over $500,000. Multiple alleged
agents and credit websites were also named and cited as "wire rooms" for stateside bookmaking. It is unclear if the arrests will affect BetOnline's ability to send post-up player's their funds. SBR will investigate further and monitor BetOnline's progress in sending what is expected to be a surge in withdrawals. Although highly rated sportsbooks have weathered legal problems of key individuals, players are advised to use caution as the company's position becomes clear.
9/29/2009 05:17 PM
Former post-up book BetEagle facilitating agent theft?SportsbookReview has received two disputes from players with former post-up sportsbook
BetEagle (SBR rating D+) . BetEagle states it no longer takes deposits from new players as of this summer. Two player disputes were filed with SBR since that time. Players claim over $21,000 was stolen by rogue betting
agents.
BetEagle has no oversight of
agents using its platform, and will not stand for player funds. On July 23rd a BetEagle manager wrote to SBR stating that the stiff
agent, who owes one player $15,000, is still allowed to do business with other unsuspecting bettors on its platform because the
agent still has a balance with BetEagle:
He (the agent) has enough money up with us to keep his business open, I have no idea if the player is crying wolf, we cannot just shut him down. I understand you are doing your part but you need to know as long as their is credit business being dealt, there will be people on both sides getting shorted.
A second BetEagle player wrote on September 3rd that he was solicited by an
agent to start a credit account with BetEagle. The player believes his contact information was obtained through a mailing list. The two solicitation emails the player received appear as if they are BetEagle promotions, and not invitation from an individual
agent. The player won over $6,000 betting at BetEagle and his
agent is refusing to honor his winnings. BetEagle is again claiming no responsibility for the
agent's activity.
Playing with credit bookmakers is essentially the same as using a private bookie. There is rarely anything the hosting website can do except refuse to allow the scam
agent-bookmaker to use its website as a tool to steal from bettors in the future. Thus far BetEagle has failed to do so.
7/4/2009 05:02 PM
SCAM Alert: Two players were scammed out of a total of $6300 at
Southernwagers.com (not rated). Southernwagers is a "pay-per-head" site, where anyone can act as the sportsbook. Two different representatives of Southernwagers.com have stiffed players. The first complaint in November 2008 was for $3300 in winnings; the most recent was June of 2009. Southernwagers states "
it is not our problem. The agents handle all the money - we just operate the lines service." One of the two players as well as a third who did not take the bait, tell SBR that they were solicited to join the sportsbook through the Yahoo! Rivals.com posting forum. Players are advised to avoid unproven sportsbooks and bookies, especially those offering credit. Sportsbooks without an advertising budget commonly offer credit accounts to bettors they do not know. This in itself should be a warning sign that the sportsbook is unlikely to pay after a big winning run.
Just to give you a final update on my situation, the agent changed his story once again and told me, via text, that I was not going to get paid my $3,000 and to F off. He now will not return any of my calls, texts, or emails and is completely blowing me off. If you could do that fraud wire you mentioned earlier to prevent others from encountering this BS, I would appreciate it. Again, thanks for trying to obtain my winnings for me and keep up the solid work you guys do at SBR
5/3/2008 03:13 PM
BetSBI (SBR rating D+) fails to pay scammed players after repeated promises
A
BetSBI (Sports Betting International) representative contacted multiple players setting them up with a line of wagering credit. Players won approximately $2,000 and filed a complaint with SBR when their contact was no longer answering his phone. The sportsbook's manager told SBR that the
agent gave other players credit as well and those players lost over $15,000. Since those players refused to pay the
agent he was unwilling to pay the unrelated winning account holders. The sportsbook's manager gave multiple dates for when it would step in and pay the players if the issue could not be resolved directly with the
agent. After assuring both the players and SBR that the accounts would eventually be paid, SBI has gone back on its word. Players should be aware that BetSBI, which claims it no longer has post-up players, works with rogue
agents and may be facilitating a scam.
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.
7/10/2007 12:14 PM
Seattle Post Intelligencer reports Betcha.com (SBR rating D-) shut down
Washington State Gambling Commission investigators seized computers from a new Seattle-based Internet-betting site Monday, claiming the business violated the state's 2006 online gambling ban -- a contention the site's founder strongly disputes. agents with a search warrant confiscated laptops and computer monitors before Betcha.com's seven employees arrived to work in the company's North Seattle office.
MoreThe Seattle, Washington and Canada-based exchange was attempting to facilitate the matching of bets between two users for a fee. This model was deemed illegal by the Nevada Gaming Commission which arrested
WagerFree (SBR rating F-) owner Garet Bradford. Bradford also claimed to be only facilitating bets between "club members." Despite the consumer fraud element to Mr. Bradford's scam operation, authorities ultimately charged WagerFree's owner with two felony counts relating to operating a gambling business without a license. Betcha.com maintains its server in Canada and is currently online.
1/20/2007 04:24 PM
Bet7Moons (SBR rating F) owner redirects website to
LasPalmas (SBR rating C), where he has relocated his credit package. Robbed
Bet7Moons post-up players are hopeful that LasPalmas will not service the stiff
agent or will force him to take part in a payment plan to refund victims.
12/1/2006 02:00 PM
Kahnawake Gaming Commission no longer permitting licensees to take phone wagers. The KGC’s amendments primarily effect
BetUS (SBR rating D) which opened its Canadian office to serve as an inbound call center that would take wagers. The sportsbook may close this office after letting over 100 staff members go.
SportsInteraction (SBR rating C-) says that the Commission will soon amend the Regulation Agreement again, to simply prohibit wagering by phone.
Sports Interaction plans to offer positions to former
BetUS clerks.
Kahnawake’s new Internet-only "Interactive Gaming Regulations"
(a) no licence holder or authorized client provider, including their respective members, shareholders, directors, officers, employees (contractual or otherwise) and
agents are permitted to conduct the following activities by way of voice communication with a player, through any device or means:
i. receiving or accepting a bet or wager;
ii. receiving or accepting instructions of any kind in relation to funds held in, or to be deposited to, the player’s account;
iii. providing odds, lines or any other information related to a sporting or other event
6/14/2006 11:06 PM
SBR office Tours: View the office photos for GPS Global SA sportsbooks,
SexyWagers, BetGES and CasinoVIP,
here. The company is located in Heredia, Costa Rica. Its focus has been servicing credit
agents with sites such as Elite Sportsbook (BetESI), under the name of Evolution Sports Data Processing, or CallECC. This new post-up operation, which is still developing its policies and procedures, has received an initial SBR rating of D.
6/14/2006 02:54 PM
Beware of MVP Sportsbook (SBR rating D) agents soliciting deposits An
MVP Sportsbook ’
agent’ is calling post-up customer lists offering deposit bonuses. One player complains his MVP account was deleted after winning $2338. The player declined the initial deposit
bonus offer, but was given a $3,000 line of credit. He went on to win $2338.00. The ’
agent’ tells SBR that he will not pay because the MVP phone clerk was not supposed to let him wager the amount he did, and claims the bettor targeted "a weak clerk." The
agent also claims the player’s winning bets do not count because the player agreed to "settle" once he had lost $1000. However, the line of credit gave the player ability to lose up to $3,000.
Players should avoid dealing with phone solicitors or verify offers are directly from the sportsbook. Those seeming to represent MVP may only be part of BetOnSports’ ’per-head’ service.
4/24/2006 02:33 PM
SCAM ALERT: "Vince Taylor", a former employee for no-pay sportsbooks, HiltonSports(SBR rating D-), SunsetSports(SBR rating F-), RoverSportsbook(SBR rating F-) and BetWGN(SBR rating F-), soliciting deposits. Vince used
SandalsWager.com, a per-head credit sportsbook website to book his players’ wagers and serve as an
agent. A player complains that Vince posed as his account manager and broke off communication when he was ready to take his first payout on a $15,000 balance. SandalsWager’s only response to the matter was "
all inquiries should be addressed to the agent".
10/15/2005 02:51 AM
SBR Bill Dozer reports: Stiff sportsbook
Ewinner (SBR rating F-) back online operating as a credit/
agent sportsbook. Ewinner
closed in September of last year, stealing over $60,000 from winning players. The book is still using the same phone line, 1-877-394-6637.
1/10/2005 03:36 PM
Merger talks dominate the industry. Several A and A+ books involved. SBR has been directly notified by several major sportsbooks that they have signed confidentiality agreements and/or retained
agents for private talks. SBR has been bearish on mergers and generally skeptical of previous possible combinations. However, for better or worse, it appears that 2005 will be the year that a major phase of consolidation will begin.
1/10/2005 04:49 AM
BetRoyal (SBR rating D) exits the credit business. Operating under BetMidas.com, Royal Sports attempt at the credit side of the business is finally over. BetMidas and BetCharter were both unprofitable and highly problematic involving scam artists and stiff
agents. The move is a positive one which will allow Royal to focus on their core post-up business.
10/11/2004 11:44 AM
BetMidas (SBR rating F+ raised from F-) This is a per-head service offered by Royal Sports. SBR will eventually drop the coverage of this scam infested credit-only sportsbook. However, players should be aware that many supposed
agents are really con artists using BetMidas and BetRoyal to facilitate their scam. Beware of
agents asking you if you would like to play on credit. If you lose they will demand immediate payment and if you win they will disappear and Royal will tell you the
agent went away for a while.
8/29/2004 09:42 AM
SBR reporting from Curacao, Netherlands Antilles: BetRoyal (SBR rating D+) in arrears to their Western Union agent. Royal Sports continued to tell this vendor for the past 6 months they were unable to make even a partial payment on this important $80,000 debt. Management of Royal promised payment when football started but instead has put the Western Union
agent on a payment plan claiming they do not have the liquidity. Royal Sports continues to insist they have money but admit they conduct business in a dishonorable method and are in serious arrears on nearly all accounts.
6/23/2004 12:53 PM
BetCascade (SBR rating C) Players should use caution. SBR continues to with hold a further downgrade while trying to verify the financial backing. There are a few reports of credit players being slow paid, these reports are not through SBR and have not been confirmed. In addition, SBR can confirm a well respected
agent has pulled out along with one minor investor. SBR at this time would recommend players who deposit money (post-up players) who enjoy Cascade keep their balances at a bare minimum or withdraw their funds until more facts are known. Credit players who have strong
agents, that are fully responsible for all settlements, are not affected.
12/8/2003 05:27 PM
BlueGrass (SBR rating C-) Rumors reportedly started by a rouge
agent causes run on bank - well run book has struggled through a poor year - Doubtful recent rumor will have any lasting negative impact
11/16/2002 10:59 AM
Heritage Downgraded - removed from the Full Recommended List - Sharp players upset their limits were lowered have created a significant exodus/ run on the bank - Insiders and credit
agents
among those heading for the exits. There have been zero slow pay complaints - book may actually reemerge stronger after it completes the purge of its professional player base - Heritage GM who has a history of personal problems was one of the founders of Pinnacle and a very respected bookmaker for over 20 years.
8/28/2002 09:47 AM
CRIS - Downgraded from the Recommended List
agents have closed and searched offices
4/18/2002 03:34 PM
Costa Rica - CR
agents & FBI said to be hunting down certain operators -We continue to advise caution
4/4/2002 03:34 PM
Cascade -Well respected
agent vouches that slowpay rumors concerning BetCascade have nothing to do with book itself