12/22/2011 08:42 AM
Election odds: Romney the favorite for Republican nomination in 2012Yahoo Politics forecasts that Mitt Romney has a 65.6% likelihood of victory in the 2012 Republican primary. Fellow candidates Newt Gingrich's chances are declining, while candidates Ron Paul and Jon Huntsman have failed to gain steam. Mitt Romney's chances are attributed to his popularity in Iowa; a key state in determining who will ultimately receive the Republican nomination for President. Yahoo's figures are helped by prediction market data supplied by
Betfair (SBR rating A-). Curacao based bookmaker
Pinnacle Sports (SBR rating A+) has Mitt Romney as better than a 2 to 1 favorite (-221) to receive the nomination, while Canadian bookmaker
Bovada.lv (SBR rating A) has Romney at -200.
To win the Republican nomination
- Pinnacle Sports: Romney -221
- Bovada.lv: Romney -200 | Gingrich +450 | Paul +700 | Huntsman +1400
- SBR Points Sportsbook: Romney -250 | Gingrich +500 | Paul +800 | Huntsman +1350
Yahoo Politics:
Gingrich's decline in Iowa is persistent and sharp, his possible routes
to the Republican nomination increasingly limited. He has trailed Paul
or Romney in each of the last 4 polls of Iowa voters (Rasmussen, ISU, PPP, Insider Advantage);
in the last 2 polls, he trails both of them by a sizable margin.
Contrast that with how things looked on December 12: prediction markets
had Gingrich's likelihood of winning Iowa near 60 percent.
To discuss the 2012 election, political
betting odds and more, swing by the
SBRforum Politics & Economics section.
11/8/2011 03:55 PM
Sportsbook scam alert: 105Vig peddling no-deposit bonuses and credit linesSportsbook scam alert: 105Vig.com (SBR rating D-) is offering bettors a $100 freeplay to try out their website. The sportsbook is hosted on a web-server based in New York and shares the same remote address as a number of
handicapping services.
105Vig.com uses an unencrypted login, offers no customer support email address or phone number, and currently has
betting odds on one NFL game this weekend. 105Vig's appears to be powered by basic HTML webpage - not industry-grade betting software. A number of users
reported on SBRforum that the unheard of website offered a $500 credit line if the no-deposit bonus was lost. SBR has added 105Vig to the
sportsbooks blacklist at D- and advises users to avoid the anonymous outfit.
8/17/2011 04:11 PM
BetRoyal Sportsbook player's payout attemptA BetRoyal (SBR rating D-) player tells Sportsbook Review that he is attempting to place a withdrawal for $700 via a cash transfer method. The player has allegedly been waiting five days for the funds to be removed from his online sportsbook wagering account. The player reports that he has called
BetRoyal posing as a potential signup and that he was told that withdrawal amounts are removed from accounts within three hours during the normal working day, with payment subsequently made in one day per either of the cash transfer methods. The player tells SBR that he called BetRoyal's bluff and pointed out that he has been waiting longer than what's advertised by the sportsbook. The player's first deposit to BetRoyal was for $25 in January of 2011. He estimates that in his time wagering with the online sportsbook that he has lost in the neighborhood of $1,000. The player reports that this is his first payout request to date. While not yet officially considered a slow-pay, BetRoyal's dodgy service highlights a tactic atypical of a
D- rated sportsbook — both failing to honor its listed withdrawal times and not removing funds from a player account until the minute the funds are ready to be dispatched, prompting the bettor to battle the temptation of losing his balance prior to payment.
SBR will update this
sportsbook report if this BetRoyal withdrawal attempt turns into a slow-pay situation. SBR generally considers slow payment to be two weeks+ after the quoted time-frame.
The most noteworthy complaint against
BetRoyal sportsbook occurred in July of 2008, when a player filed a $500,000 claim against the company. The complaint surrounded a group of players who were invited by BetRoyal management four years prior to trade prices and
betting odds at BetRoyal against other online sportsbooks. The player's invested deposits of $86,000 eventually earned a balance of $586,000. In the week preceedeing
SBG Global's (SBR rating D-) acquition of BetRoyal, the BetRoyal website was taken off the servers and when it returned -- the $586,000 was removed from the account. After a thorough review of available facts, SBR concluded that BetRoyal erased the winnings in order to take its labilities off the books prior to selling to SBG Global.
2/15/2010 10:35 AM
Interwetten voids £6300 winning bet
Interwetten (SBR rating B-) has voided a £6300 winning soccer wager. A player placed a bet on an exact outcome between Gallipoli and Grosseto, Italian B League soccer. Ten hours after the wager was graded the winnings were voided.
Interwetten left a note in the player's account citing an error in
betting odds.
BoyleSports (unrated) offered comparable odds as Interwetten on the same wager. SBR is contacting Interwetten to discuss this dispute.
4/22/2009 01:23 PM
SBG Global (SBR rating D-) cancels futures wagers on Formula 1 World ChampionshipsThree players wrote SBR with similar complaints. Each player had wagered on Jenson Button to win the Formula 1 World Championship at the odds of 70:1. At the time these wagers were placed the betting market, including
Bookmaker (SBR rating A+),
The Greek (SBR rating A+) and
Betfair (SBR rating A+), was offering similar
betting odds. SBG waited until Jenson Button won the first two Formula 1 races, voided the wagers, and offered to reinstate the bets at 10:1. SBG is wrongly applying the "gross or obvious error" rule to these bets. The line was not offered in error.
SBGglobal bettors are victim of outright theft. This sportsbook has a long history of cheating players. SBG management would not discuss the cancellations with SBR.
1/31/2009 11:36 PM
Super Bowl line hovering on 6.5SBRlines.com
showed the Pittsburgh Steelers favored by 6.5 to 7 since the line opened. The line started at 7 at
TheGreek (SBR rating A+) and
Pinnacle (SBR rating A+),
and was briefly available at 7.5 (-115) for Cardinal Backers at
Bookmaker (SBR rating A+). Players monitoring SBRlines saw the majority of the sportsbooks dance between 6.5 and 7 over the last two weeks. Many Arizona Cardinal bettors are waiting until game day for a chance at a more appealing price on a +7. There are a few sportsbooks offering 7 now for those players looking to lock in on the half point with a slightly higher price tag. Watch live
betting odds at
SBRlines.com.
1/8/2009 04:02 PM
BetTrojan (SBR rating C-) player receives payment of $4,311 winnings. The sportsbook initially took the funds because the player bet on
betting odds that it was about to change. Payment concludes the complaint originally reported on
1/2/2009.
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. MySportsbook.com is operated and hosted by parent sportsbook,
Sportsbook.com (SBR rating D-).
7/21/2008 11:43 PM
Player files $500,000 complaint against BetRoyal (SBR rating D-)
SBR Justin investigated the available facts of the complaint. In 2004 a group of players were invited by
BetRoyal management to trade prices and
betting odds at
BetRoyal against other
sportsbooks . The manager who had made the arrangement had taken a position with
BetUS (SBR rating D+) before this issue emerged.
BetRoyal management would often solicit sharp players to bet off action they did not want while offering them special low juice, or even no juice lines, to increase liquidity. For example, if the sportsbook felt it had too much exposure on one play or wanted to gamble on the other team, it would make the applicable vig pricing appealing for their players that were known to trade on the
sports betting market. The
sportsbook was aware that at least two individuals were placing wagers on this account. The deposited funds initially lost but the invested $85,000 in deposits eventually earned a balance of $586,000. Several days before
SBGglobal (SBR rating D-) completed its buyout of BetRoyal last year, the Royal website was taken off of the servers. When the site returned on the SBG platform, all winnings were removed from the account.
During the investigation, Royal, which was known for odd player arrangements and high risk bookmaking models, claimed that it had an agreement with the account holder that he would never take out winnings – only deposits. Royal claimed that the players were using some sort of hedging strategy where they would guarantee that they lost money at Royal, and won at other books. Royal offered no solid proof of this, often referring to the deal as something arranged independently by the manager that had moved on. The account holder denies there was any such agreement to “not withdraw winnings.” He rightfully points out that such an arrangement is not logical and describes a scenario where the account could only lose money. SBR told Royal that their explanation was not believable. The account holder believes BetRoyal erased the winnings in order to take $500,000 in liabilities off the books before selling to
SBG Global.
6/25/2008 06:53 PM
New Live betting odds Service, LinesMover, operated by 4SportsPicks (SBR rating F) management.
MajorWager moderator Clevfan spotted Linesmover's phone number on SBR's overview of
4SportsPicks.com which now uses the website, ForSportsPicks.com. The most recent scam from the
4Sports Group was through deposit-only F-rated betting sites
PlayersBigWorld,
Playing24Hours and
SportsPlayingWorld. 4Sports moved these books with it from SportsCallCenter F.A. turnkey service before starting their own operation. Within months players were contacting SBR for help with over five-figures in total payout requests. 4Sports management, also management for Linesmover, told players they are only a service provider. 4Sports also serviced eWinner when it closed with player funds in 2004.
4/7/2008 08:29 PM
BetChance (SBR rating D-) pays two more players a total of 6000 eurosThe Malta-based
sportsbook has been upgraded to D- due to possibility of payment. Users also report faster line movement keeping the book in line with the market's
betting odds.
A player from closed sportsbook,
Playbanks (SBR rating F) which is also located in Malta, reports receiving funds.
Lotteries and Gaming Authority of Malta made the payment on behalf of PB International.
8/26/2007 06:39 PM
Bet911 (SBR rating D+) cancels player's $100 wager at +690 claiming it was a bad line. The bettor has provided detailed betting odds history from other major sportsbooks showing the price ranging from +650 to +750. Bet911 customer service claims the payout should have been lowered to +500 and therefore is not a valid bet. SBR has asked Bet911 to reconsider the decision as a failure to change odds does not constitute an obvious error or a bad line.
Update 7:40 PM CST: Bet911 management apologizes and credits player full winnings.
8/18/2007 10:18 PM
SBRforum's Free Football Handicapping Contest "Beat The Prick" Registration Open
First Prize: Harley Davidson 50th Anniversary Sportster (or $8,000 cash).
This prize is sponsored by
BetCRIS (SBR rating A+) and
Bookmaker (SBR rating A+).
Second Prize: Panasonic 58' Flat-Panel Plasma HDTV & Bose Lifestyle Home Theatre System (or $4,000 cash). This prize is sponsored by
Justbet (SBR rating B+).
Third Prize: Trip for 2 to Las Vegas - Airfare, 3 nights at The Hotel at Mandalay Bay with $500 cash (or $2000 cash). This prize is sponsored by
Live betting odds at SBRlines.com.
Fourth through 15th prize: Over $8000 in cash will be awarded with the fourth place finisher receiving a check for $1,700.
Weekly Prizes: The top 10 scorers who "
Beat the Prick" each week will receive $100 cash from SBRforum. No sportsbook account is required for eligibility to receive any of the contest prizes.
See
rules here and
Sign-up here
7/28/2007 09:17 PM
BetChance (not rated) receives poor reviews from SBR readers
BetChance users complain of slow-pays, including Moneybookers withdrawals, taking well beyond the stated five days and delayed ACH payments; voided winning wagers, including bets that were placed two days before the event on lines not considered to be erroneous; and taking two to three days to grade some wagers. Most players tell SBR they were attracted to the Malta-based bookmaker by their opinionated
betting odds. Players should consider heavily opinionated lines from low-volume or new bookmakers a reason to be cautious and a sign that the sportsbook may be gambling.
One of two player reports on voided winning bet: After the Result of a Tallinn win they said they were consulting management to make a decision on what to do with the Bets. They have since Voided the Bets, but have poor reasons. They said incorrect Odds. however odds were High with Bluesq and Coral, both of which have Paid out and honoured the bets. Betchance actually Cut their Odds on the 17th, where I placed further bets. They have only acted because the Bets I placed have won and wont pay me Winnings. Betchance had two days from me placing my Bets til the Event happened, and did not Act before the Game!
One of four bettors to report BetChance slow-pay: Betchance now informed me last Friday that the bank (their bank) had blocked the payment, and asked whether I would agree to a different payment plan.This I did, but it appears Betchance have already broken their latest promise again. They had confirmed they would pay me £1,400 by Moneybookers today (this is the payment I requested on July 13), but it is now end of business and I have received nothing.They have also promised to send me £4,000 (instead of £8,000) by bank transfer today, and that I can withdraw the remainder of my money by Moneybookers in instalments of £1,000 per day.I was asked to agree to this payment plan since I was told they have a lot of withdrawal requests and they would like to spread out the money amongst their customers. I believe my agreement to their request was reasonable, but I still remain highly sceptical about the sincerety of Betchance until I have received my money from Betchance.
View examples of live chat service
here.
7/12/2007 10:05 PM
SBR receives 2nd complaint in a month from a
Bet1128 (not rated) user of voided winning wager after the event was finished.
Player:
They cancelled match ONE DAY AFTER without any explanation. Ok - if the match odd on Monfils was too high - they had time 12 hours to correct the thing (i placed a bet 12 hours before match start), they could cancell the match, let all users got message and offer lower odd of 2.8 for example. They play dirty - let their customers live in fake that their bet is valid, they wait match to finish if Davydenko win, everything is good - they take money to their customer. If Monfils win - instead paying people at odd of 3.35 they CANCEL THE MATCH?!
The player quotes
Betfair (SBR raing A+) offering
betting odds on Tennis player Monfils at +215 and +184 at
Bet24 (not rated). The player wagered on Monfils at +235. Player also points out that the book's advertised policy is to regrade the wager at the correct market price.
Bet1128 rules: If during transcription, typing or printing a quoted odds is visibly incorrect (e.g. 1.50/2.50) the company reserves the right to reinstate the original odds even after the result is known. In such cases comparison with other bookmakers currently on the market will, in good faith, give evidence of the error.
6/24/2007 11:04 PM
SBR Offers Screenshot Toolbar In an effort to assist players and reduce the number of wagering disputes, SBR has developed a screenshot toolbar. With one click players can record a copy of each pending wager and/or web page in the betting process. The toolbar also offers league navigation buttons to SBR's
live betting odds program SBRlines.com, the SBR search engine, a find-in-page feature for team names and ROT numbers, as well as a shortcut to SBRforum topic searches.
Download SBR Toolbar Basic:
- Saves images in Bitmap image format
Download SBR Toolbar Full:- Saves images in Jpeg image format
- Simultaneously records screenshots from multiple-monitor configurations
- Requires
Windows .Net Framework: (Already installed with newer and Windows Vista PCs
| Download here)
4/30/2007 09:24 AM
IGotSports (SBR rating D-) feared closed; website and phones off-line.
IGotSports has not posted betting odds for days and its last known payment was April 3rd, four days after the arrest of Gary Kaplan. Kaplan, who was widely thought to be the owner of the operation, was arrested in the Dominican Republic. SBR downgraded IGotSports from D to D- on the 6th of this month. SBR will attempt to visit the IGotSports building today.
12/16/2006 11:56 AM
BetMania (SBR rating C+) cancels player’s pending wager on the Suns/Kings Under 219, stating that the bet was on a "steam play." Below is the message left in the user’s account.
"Please read this important message: Your Suns Total bet was deleted...obvious steam play. If you continue to bet Steam here your account will be closed"
SBRlines.com shows the average
betting line is currently set between 217 and 218. Line history quotes the market average at 219 only 15 minutes ago. BetMania is expected to honor this bet and not use subjective terms to get out of honoring
betting odds that hold value for the bettor. Players should expect a confirmed bet to stand unless it is due to an "obvious", or "gross," error.
9/16/2006 09:43 PM
BetAndWin (SBR rating C-) failing to honor winning wagers BAW, now called bwin, users are consistently submitting complaints that the sportsbook is voiding winning wagers well after the match has finished. Many recent complaints are the result of live-wagering
bad lines. Few players are able to gauge what the correct market price should be, and therefore are unaware if in-game
betting odds are offered in error. Players are referring to bwin’s practice of voiding bets on recent soccer matches and preseason NFL lines as "the bait and switch." Bwin offered Tampa Bay +7 for two days when the average market price was +3.5. After the game was played, bwin cancelled winning wagers on Tampa Bay citing their “bad line rule". Players who took Houston -7 in week four of the preseason are asked to contact SBR.
Player: Bwin take shot at players. It took bet on Tampabay and cancelled them after the match... say it was a bad line mistake. wtf is that??? This bookie get to gamble and when they lose they say oops!! sorry my mistake! they probably get new players to sign up this way too!!
Note: The Austrian bookmaker’s license has been void in Germany and the book stands to lose much of its German player base immediately. Co-Chief Executive Officers of bwin International Entertainment AG were detained for questioning by French Authorities on 9/15/06. Players may find updates on the books CEOs
here.
9/15/2006 05:03 PM
BetOnSports Plc sportsbook, Yishengbo enters the SBR rating guide at D-. BetOnSports continues to cheat players through its remaining active sportsbooks. SBR has received multiple complaints from American-based bettors who were ejected from
Easybets (SBR rating D-) after solidifying MLB future wager wins. EasyBets was known for offering generous future
betting odds to attract its clients.
Bettor: "Bill, The voided wagers were still pending. EasyBets stiffed me on the Mets winning the NL East division - which is already a foregone conclusion, and I’ll get cheated big if either San Diego or San Francisco win the NL West."
8/30/2006 05:48 PM
Mailbag Complaints:
WorldBet (SBR rating D-): Player’s winning wager on FIBA basketball cancelled after match due to erroneous
betting odds. Book not responding to player emails requesting the book pay at correct market odds.
DragonWager (SBR rating D-): Book moving toward F rating after two more players report no-pay cases. DragonWager continues to supply odd excuses such as a surge in chargebacks.
Bets4All (SBR rating F): Latest wave of no-pay complaints began last Tuesday. The sportsbook is using its usual excuse, stating it needs six weeks to verify legitimacy of credit card deposit. The
’verification process’ has lead to players waiting for months, years and some not being paid at all.
Sports-Gambling (SBR rating D-): New player reports confiscated $3,000 balance after transfer from
SunsetSports (SBR rating F-) account, for being "
too sharp". The
SBG Global (SBR rating D-) Group has confiscated over $33,000 in legitimate balances in past year.
8/27/2006 08:57 AM
SBR Bill Dozer reports: SBR continues to receive steady flow of BetAndWin (SBR rating C-) complaints. The sportsbook has been downgraded from C to C- for failing to catch "bad line" errors until after the event has finished. BAW, now called bwin, is suspected of giving "bonus" credits to those who complain instead of settling all bets at the correct
betting odds. Recent complaints include a voided win on a baseball bet because the book erroneously listed the incorrect date. Players who had a loss stand on an incorrectly listed BAW wager should contact SBR immediately. A 2nd complaint was recorded on ski jump proposition. Players who had a wager on ANDREAS KOFLER at 55:1 cancelled, without any credit, should contact SBR.
8/16/2006 05:07 PM
BetAndWin, now bwin (SBR rating C) cancels winning wager after event has concluded due to a "bad-line" or "erroneous
betting odds". SBR to discuss wager with management and request player be credited at what the book believes should have been the correct payout
odds.
8/14/2006 06:24 PM
SBRlines 3.0 receiving rave reviews from both new and veteran bettors. The new program features real-time
betting odds displayed in Flash software and Live MLB Play-by-Play reporting. SBRlines remains the only FREE real-time odds program featuring top sportsbooks.
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.
7/8/2006 10:35 PM
SBR network maintenance notice The SBR network of websites, including SportsbookReview.com, SBRforum.com and live odds program,
SBRlines.com will be off-line from Midnight CST Sunday July 9th until approximately 10:00 am CST Monday July 10th, for scheduled server maintenance. Players can view
betting odds on SBRlines V1.0 during this downtime. The following sportsbooks have confirmed they will use the relatively inactive time surrounding the MLB all-star break to upgrade or perform maintenance. Pinnacle Sports (SBR rating A+). Maintenance to network from 7:00 pm CST Sunday July 9th until approximately 2:00 pm CST Monday July 10th. Wagering and customer service will not be available during this time. Canbet (SBR rating A-): Website will not be available on July 10 & 11 due to server relocation. Legendz Sports (SBR rating A-): Website scheduled to go off-line evening of July 10th in order to change software from IQL to BLR.
5/27/2006 11:59 AM
BetOnSports (SBR rating C+) wager cancellation policy drawing complaints.
BetonSports tells TheRX.com poster that it reserves the right to cancel wagers on
sports odds that are about to change. Sportsbooks often subjectively label these types of wagers as "
betting steam". The industry standard dictates that the only time it is acceptable for a sportsbook to cancel a wager is when the line posted is a gross error and is addressed before the event begins. This is commonly referred to as a ’Bad line’ or ’erroneous
betting odds’. Sportsbooks are entitled to deny service to players but confirmed wagers should not be susceptible to cancellation at the book’s discretion.
5/27/2006 1:21:33 PM Update: BetOnSports tells SBR that as of today, this policy will no longer exist and all confirmed wagers will be honored.
3/22/2006 10:12 AM
SBRlines now featuring the option to display
betting odds in decimal format.
2/1/2005 11:49 PM
SBR Bill Dozer reports: No-pay complaints continue to come from players at scam sportsbooks. BetGateway (SBR rating F) is hoping to stay afloat with a profitable Super Bowl. More players are reporting denied withdrawal requests yet the book continues to offer large bonuses on new deposits. New
BetEmpire (SBR rating F-) and sister book
WorldWager (SBR rating F-) complaints emerge. Management is attempting to void out winnings on multiple large account balances. They claim that if the
betting odds had changed soon after a bet was placed it was the sportsbook’s error and a "bad line" which nullifies the wager. The book is applying this made-up rule to months of graded wagers. One player did report reaching a settlement with WorldWager and has received payment.
Update 2/26/05: BetEmpire management tells SBR that they are no longer involved with WorldWager and that BetEmpire is a seperate operation. BetEmpire has its own mangement team in place but is under the
BetUS (SBR rating F+) brand.
12/23/2004 02:06 PM
SBRLines talked about on the PR Newswire - Real-time Sports betting odds Now Free For All Web Sites. (PRWEB) December 23, 2004 Sportsbook Reviews
Live Lines program only features, what they deem to be top notch sportsbooks. The site believes that offering this product for free will help steer the industry in the right direction.
SBR’s Bill Dozer says, “When you take some of the top sportsbooks and group them together it makes each one stronger. This has been why our recommended list is so powerful. No other gaming site puts the player as its first priority. We plan to use this same model as we introduce line shopping to new players.”
Webmasters can choose from a list of sportsbooks they would like to feature. SBR plans to expand this list as the program evolves. Live Lines for your site is now available at
http://webmastertool.sbrlines.com/sbrwelcome.aspx PRWEB