9/28/2011 06:25 PM
Sportsbook.com moves non-US players to Global.Sportsbook.comSportsbook.com (SBR rating D-) is now redirecting non-US players to Global.Sportsbook.com. Sportsbook.com (ag) fired off an email this morning advising players that their accounts would be moved to the new, Malta-based platform. Global.Sportsbook.com is officially part of
WinUnited Ltd., a gaming company licensed by the Lotteries and Gaming Authority (LGA) of Malta. WinUnited Ltd. is most known for powering YouWin sportsbook (SBR rating D-). A Sportsbook.com (ag) manager confirmed to SBR that US-based players are not impacted by the move.
In its 1,000+ word email to international players, the sportsbook declared that rollovers would be waived on outstanding bonus cash with the condition that players not request payment for sixty days. If a player requests payment prior to then, he would be forfeiting the bonus amount entirely. The sportsbook is essentially holding players funds hostage and forcing them to sit on their balances without losing their earned bonus cash. The email went on to state that pending wagers would not be honored. The unethical decision to void player wagers is one of many the Sportsbook.com Group has made over years, along with debiting $150,000+ in
correlated parlay winnings from players five years ago.
Feedback from Sportsbook.com's non-US players
A
Sportsbook.com
(ag) player based in Canada wrote SBR today with concerns over his
$2,070 balance. The player attempted to log into his account this
morning and found that it was disabled. The player was told that as a
non-US resident, he would have to log into the new Global.Sportsbook.com
site to register an account, and then be transferred his funds. The
player points out that in addition to his balance, he has two pending
wagers for a total of $500. The player wagered $300 last December on the
Philadelphia Phillies to win the World Series at 6/1, and another on
the Texas Rangers to win the ALCS at 4.5/1.
SBR received an
additional complaint from a player that stated that he was told his
account would be enabled with his funds available eight hours ago. After
the time-frame passed, the player reached out to SBR. SBR is asking
this player for more information regarding his balance information.
| Sportsbook.com's letter to account-holders
9/14/2011 04:25 PM
Scam Alert: Sportsbook.com stalling payouts by offering bonusesA Sportsbook.com (SBR rating D-) player tells SBR that a $4,000 payment was cancelled on August 19th, 2011 due to processor problems. The player was told to submit another payout request and that it would be given priority due to the first botched withdrawal. The player resubmitted a payout request for $5,000 on August 19th. As of September 14th, 2011,
Sportsbook.com (ag) has not rendered payment to the player.
The player is the second to report receiving an email from the dodgy,
blacklisted sportsbook offering him a 20% bonus up to $1,000 for canceling his withdrawal. On September 12th, SBR reported that
Sportsbook.com offered a bonus to a player for cancelling his withdrawal request.
Sportsbook.com has developed an unfavorable reputation for its treatment of winning players, and is most notorious for confiscating over $100,000 from players that wagered
correlated parlays years ago. Sportsbook.com's maintains a rating of D- in the
SBR Sportsbook ratings guide. |
Sportsbook.com bonus email
9/13/2011 03:09 PM
BetPhoenix correlated parlays wagering dispute updateOn September 7th, SBR reported that a
BetPhoenix player's account was frozen. The player held a balance of $7,226 with the sportsbook. The winnings were derived from
correlated parlay play; BetPhoenix (SBR rating C) was accepting IF Bet wagers for Major League Baseball that gave the player an overwhelming edge against the house.
correlated parlays typically involve a number of high expectation combinations, sometimes including obvious errors like the ability to bet the same team for the first half and game. While the player was unwilling to disclose his complete balance history, he did concede having withdrawn more than what was lost placing the correlated wagers; most recently depositing $326 and withdrawing $850.
BetPhoenix confirmed that the player's balance account was frozen and then negatively adjusted to account for the play. The mistake and the inability to identify the error are believed to be attributed to a large reduction in staff for budget reasons. The BetPhoenix lines staff is said to be smaller than its been in years.
9/7/2011 06:17 PM
BetPhoenix correlated parlays wagering dispute
A BetPhoenix (SBR rating C) player reports that his account has been frozen. The player holds a $7,226 balance with the sportsbook. The player was placing MLB correlated parlays. SBR is investigating this sportsbook complaint and gathering facts such as the deposit history, wagering history, and most importantly what type of
correlated parlay this was. A
correlated parlay could involve a number of high expectation combinations, such as an obvious sportsbook error like offering the ability to bet on the same team in the first half and for the game per event. The sportsbook allowing extremely low-risk bets over the long term creates mediation challenges, especially when offered over an extended period of time.
The BetPhoenix player reports that after logging into his account on September 5th, he was prompted by a message which reportedly stated that he would not be given any action until it was determined "how much you robbed from us".
The sportsbook's mistake and the inability to identify the error early on is likely attributed to the BetPhoenix staffing cuts for budget reasons. The sportsbook lines staff is said to be at its lowest in years and to be stretched with added responsibilties. | Forum discussion: BetPhoenix dispute
8/19/2011 04:42 PM
Superbook.com sportsbook withdrawal complaintsA
Superbook.com (SBR rating D-) player tells Sportsbook Review that he asked for an $1,800 withdrawal on July 10th, 2011, and a $650 withdrawal on July 20th, 2011. Neither of the players requests have been paid by the
Sportsbook.com skin, Superbook.com. SBR is following up on this
sportsbook complaint.
Sportsbook.com recently made SBR's front-page
online sportsbook news section for their cancelation of $7,030 in winnings from a player that had requested exclusion from Sports.com months prior. Sportsbook.com management has yet to address that complaint with SBR dispute analyst "Justin7". Sportsbook.com has a long history of unethical and unjust confiscations of winning players, the most noteworthy of such negative adjustments was the voiding of more than seven figures worth of "
correlated parlay" winnings. Sportsbook.com's software accepted wagers that the sportsbook said violated house rules, and the sportsbook adjusted the balances of winning players after the bets were both accepted and grading, leading to their placement on the
SBR sportsbook blacklist at D-.
8/30/2010 01:46 PM
BetUS confiscates $5,274 from winning bettorBetUS (SBR rating D+) has confiscated $5,274 from a winning bettor. The player deposited a total of $4,993 to BetUS and increased his balance to $27,796.
BetUS subtracted $5,274 from his balance claiming that the winnings were derived from
correlated parlay bets. BetUS tells SBR that losing bets were subtracted from wins of other parlays, defending their confiscation by claiming the player was not being freerolled. BetUS' software has not been modified to automatically prevent wagers with X% correlation, despite the functionality being a common gaming software configuration.
BetUS player:
I deposited money with Betus.com and placed wagers, many of them, and all was well, and for the most part I did well. After a while I was cut back to smaller limits on some wagers, but maintained the account and continued playing. I was then cut off from playing completely, and while I did not agree with the decision, there really was nothing I could do about it, so I requested to be paid out. Several checks did come as indicated, but then I got one check for an odd amount, then no checks for a while, despite still being owed a good deal of money. I called and called them, consistently getting the run around for two weeks, and finally got someone willing/knowledgeable enough to answer my questions. I was then told that "several of the winning bets placed were illegal, and I would not be paid for them, as they were correlated Nascar parlays." I of course was stunned, could not see how they could not pay me for a bet they accepted.
Read BetUS statement
8/19/2010 11:09 AM
BetUS not honoring freeplay winnings?A
BetUS (SBR rating C) player deposited $1,000 via Moneybookers on August 11th. He accepted a $1,000 freeplay which carried a 6X rollover and a 60 day hold. His first wager risked his entire freeplay on Kansas City +1.5 at the price of +135. After winning that wager and increasing his balance by $1,350,
BetUS closed the account. The player states that he was told that BetUS caters only to recreational players. To date the player has not confirmed receiving his deposit back. BetUS has not returned communication with SBR regarding the complaint.
In mid-March, a player had $6000
confiscated by BetUS. BetUS originally claimed the player was part of a syndicate, then later said that the winnings were from illegal
correlated parlays. BetUS offered no proof of their claim.
7/24/2010 12:51 PM
BetUS (SBR rating C) Steals $6,000?BetUS (SBR rating C) has seized $6,000 from a player's balance due to
correlated parlay wagers. On July 20th, the player wrote to SBR stating that his account was closed in April with a balance of roughly $16,000.
BetUS investigated the player for "syndicate wagering" while his account was frozen, but ultimately concluded the player was not acting in concert with other account holders. BetUS states that it does not allow
correlated parlays, and docked the player's balance $6,000.
BetUS:We did freeze the funds won from correlated parlays and sent him the remainder of his balance, per his request. Of course, we do have a correlated parlay rule on our Ts&Cs
SBR reviewed the BetUS terms and conditions page and found only the following rule, which does not specifically mention
correlated parlays:
Multiple wagers/parlays/if bets are not accepted where the outcome of one part of the wager contributes to the outcome of another.
In addition to the ambiguity of the printed rule, which could apply to every parlay wager, the BetUS software does not prevent these bets from being accepted. The complaint is similar to the
Sportsbook.com (SBR rating D-) confiscations, where players had thousands in winnings voided after placing wagers on
correlated parlays. SBR is discussing the situation with BetUS.
4/8/2010 06:29 PM
EnterBet payment complaintAn
EnterBet (SBR rating D-) slow-pay complaint has been received. The
EnterBet player requested payment of $830 three weeks ago, and has been no indication on the status of his payout request. EnterBet is the same sportsbook that stated it would intentionally slowpay
correlated parlay players.
2/19/2010 12:59 PM
WagerWeb confiscation updateOn January 6th SBR reported that
WagerWeb (SBR rating D) confiscated $9578.60 from a player that wagered exclusively on
correlated parlays.
WagerWeb has since locked the player out of his betting account, freezing his remaining $1700 balance. SBR is following up with WagerWeb to ascertain the reason for the action and whether or not the player is scheduled to be paid his funds.
1/27/2010 06:17 PM
Enterbet states that it will intentionally slow pay correlated parlay playersTwo
EnterBet (SBR rating D-) players have filed slow pay complaints with SBR in the last month. The first player requested his $4000 balance 18 months ago, while the second player requested $1500 in early November. In a discussion with
EnterBet management on behalf of the two players, EnterBet stated the following:
EnterBet:
"These two players were verbally warned not to play correlated parlays. They'll get paid, but I am going to slowpay anyone that does this."
Correlated bets are wagers where the favorite is parlayed with the over, or dog with the under in the same game, or parlaying two bets where winning the first leg makes the second more likely to win. The industry standard in dealing with correlated bets is to block games with too high of a correlation between the pointspread and total from being accepted by the betting software. Enterbet chose to instead accept all
correlated parlays. SBR is continuing to speak with EnterBet on the unprecedented decision to intentionally slow pay the winning players.
1/6/2010 07:47 AM
WagerWeb (SBR rating C-) confiscation of $9578.60 determined to be theft.On December 21, 2009, SBR provided an
update on this dispute. WagerWeb claimed that the player won a net of $9578.60 on
correlated parlays, and that it had warned the player not to make this type of wager in the past. WagerWeb seized this money from the player's balance. SBR asked the sportsbook to, at minimum, provide proof that the player was warned, but was unable to.
The player provided a wager log that shows he started betting on August 23rd, 2009. From August 23 to October 24th, 2009, the player put in numerous bets consisting of mostly
correlated parlays. The player lost and made redeposits on September 26th, October 4th and October 17th, 2009. With each redeposit, WagerWeb reviewed his play and gave him deposit bonuses. At one point, the player was down $11,000 betting
correlated parlays (which WagerWeb was allowing during the losing streak). The player did not move past even until October 24th, at which point he was showing a net win of $3752.
correlated parlays accounted for a net win of $4302.
If
WagerWeb had only confiscated $4302 (the player's net win from
correlated parlays), it still would have been an unjust confiscation. Although WagerWeb's rule states that it does not accept
correlated parlays, it had no problem
honoring them when this player (and other players) were losing for months. WagerWeb's software permits line managers to designate what games are eligible for same-game parlays - if WagerWeb did not want to accept
correlated parlays, it could have set its software to disallow any bet type it did not want. WagerWeb's selective enforcement of this rule allows it to free-roll players as evident by at one-time beating this player out of $11,000. Any practice that allows a book to accept wagers the Sportsbook can win, but the player cannot is unfair and unethical.
In addition to confiscating $4302 from the player's net win in
correlated parlays, it stole another $5276.60. When it was pointed out to WagerWeb that the player won only $4302 from
correlated parlays, it made no attempt to justify the additional theft.
12/21/2009 12:42 PM
WagerWeb correlated parlay confiscation updateOn 12/14, SBR reported on
WagerWeb (SBR rating C-) confiscating $9578.60 from a player that had wagered multiple
correlated parlays. The player is a long-time bettor with
WagerWeb and placed numerous
correlated parlays dating from August 29th to October 24th. On October 29th the player
inquired about initiating a withdrawal via bank wire. At this point WagerWeb began a five week auditing process which culminated in deducting $9578.60 in winnings citing
correlated parlay play.
WagerWeb has a rule which outlaws correlated bets. The rule states WagerWeb does not accept any bet that is considered a correlated multiple, or parlay. WagerWeb uses ASI software, which has the ability to limit the correlation percentage of same-game pointspread to total parlays. WagerWeb chose not to exercise this software function and instead accepted the players parlay wagers.
The player disputes his net amount won by placing these
correlated wagers. WagerWeb has not yet justified how it obtained the $9578.60 figure. SBR will update this report as discussion continues. | View initial
WagerWeb complaint
12/14/2009 12:48 PM
WagerWeb selectively enforcing rule on correlated parlaysOn December 7th,
WagerWeb (SBR rating C) confiscated $9578.60 from a player, citing their rule against correlated paralys.
WagerWeb does not restrict
correlated parlays from being accepted via the software, and has admitted to SBR that the rule is selectively enforced. WagerWeb claims the player was warned not to continue placing
correlated parlays and that the player ignored the warning. The player denies ever receiving a warning. WagerWeb's selective enforcement allows it to keep winnings from losing players, and confiscate funds from winners. This is a clear case of theft by WagerWeb similar to the unresolved complaints of
Sportsbook.com (SBR rating D-).
WagerWeb also has a history of confiscating winnings citing rules after
a players funds have won for a period of time and funds have been at
risk. SBR will update this report pending further discussion with WagerWeb management.
10/4/2009 11:03 PM
BetFirstClass reserves right to cancel winning parlays and keeping losers?A player reported that he placed a
correlated parlay of a side and total in an NFL game. After
BetFirstClass (SBR rating C-) graded the wager as a win, the player states it was cancelled. BFC cited the fact that the parlay picks were on correlated outcomes and not allowed despite the player's funds being at risk and the software allowing the wager.
BetFirstClass' own rule acknowledges that the sportsbook is aware it is taking these bets while not honoring them.
Clients Betting on correlated parlays run the risk of having funds deducted from the account. Balances and this can & will be done via mgmt here at betfirstclass on an Individual Basis. If you wager these type parlays, you are playing at your own risk. This includes any N.H.L Parlays where the Puck line is correlated to the total (if 6 or less)
Player:
Its bullsh*% the bets can be placed in their software and then they can re-grade after the game is over. Something to take note of... I spoke with the owner and it looks like they are standing firm on the issue.
Players should use caution when dealing with sportsbooks that expect players to govern themselves using their terms of service instead of making the proper investment in sportsbook software. SBR will inquire with BFC about both the general policy and rule and the player complaint.
9/30/2009 04:56 PM
Canbet’s Rise and Fall as an Online Sportsbook; Canbet downgraded to CSeven years ago Canbet broke into the top ten SBR recommended list of
online sportsbooks. The Australia based operation had been a long-time member of the Top 20 list, widely regarded among off-shore bettors as a solid out that was worthy of being on any player’s short list.
Canbet reached a rating as high as A-, earned on May 14th 2005. They maintained that mark impressively for four years.
Then everything changed. Bonus terms were retroactively changed, payouts were delayed, accounts were confiscated, and even winning wagers were canceled. Following
IASbet's sale of Canbet on May 13th 2009 to Yin King Investments Ltd., Canbet has only continued its slide of poor management and player relations.
Here are some of the more disturbing unresolved complaints against Canbet. |
View full report (written by Lou Moretti)
May 22nd 2009: Canbet cancels 27 correlated NCAA football parlaysCanbet cancels 27 correlated NCAAF parlays the day after the bets were correctly settled in players account. Canbet maintains their software has never accepted
correlated parlays where the pointspread exceeds 33% of the total, stating the string of bets were accepted due to ''operator error''. Canbet management has stated that they believe the player was aware of this as he proceeded to bet more than his average stake size and also deposit in larger amounts to take advantage of these plays. | View more here
Canbet’s posted rules on correlated players actually make an argument on the player’s behalf:
Canbet:
Any multiple made up of more than one selection from the same event will be deemed a related contingency. i.e. Alan Shearer to score 1st & Newcastle Utd to win; Denver -7.5 pts and Denver to win the game. The only exception to the above is in North American sports where sides and totals can make up a multiple bet. "
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
5/22/2009 05:57 PM
Canbet canceled 27 correlated NCAA football parlays on different games; downgraded to C+SBR has discussed the case numerous times with management in recent months.
Canbet states that their software has never accepted
correlated parlays where the point spread exceeds 33% of the total, and that the
string of bets were accepted due to "operator error." Management also stated they believe the player was aware of this as he bet more than his average stake size and also deposited larger amounts to take advantage of these plays. Canbet:
Parlays should not have been offered on this game and were only offered on this game due to operator error. Company policy is to only offer such parlays when the point spread is roughly a third or less of the points total. The fact that the bets were not voided until after the match does not alter the fact that the parlays were accepted in error in the first place. Agreed, it is certainly not normal practice to detect such bets until after the event. Again, through operator error these bets were not detected prior to grading the event.
Canbet cites a rule that it claims supersedes the fact that the software allowed the wagers and graded them after the player's funds had been risked.
In the event that a line or price is put up in obvious error due to a human error by an employee, any customer wagers entered to take advantage of such error will be void.
The most applicable rule Canbet has for these wagers suggests that they were valid bets that are allowed.
Any multiple made up of more than one selection from the same event will be deemed a related contingency. i.e. Alan Shearer to score 1st & Newcastle Utd to win; Denver -7.5 pts and Denver to win the game. The only exception to the above is in North American sports where sides and totals can make up a multiple bet.
Canbet will remain under review as this and other disputes are discussed further and more is learned about Canbet's impending migration to its new platform and management.
International All Sports Ltd. sold Canbet last week to Yin Khing Investments Ltd. IASbet's rating will also be reviewed. | IASbet Ltd:
Canbet press release
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
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.
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.
10/19/2007 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.
10/11/2007 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.