SBR review: Linesmaker.co.uk

SafariCasino, MayanSports and BetTheGlobe upgraded from F to D. The books' owner reports paying all players with privately held funds due to Futurebet's unwillingness to pay. Futurebet is withholding its licensee's funds while refusing to pay its users. Some Futurebet sportsbooks have closed down while others are attempting to work out deals to move player balances to other sportsbook operations, like Linesmaker.co.uk (SBR rating D+) has done. SBR expects only Futurebet-owned SportsbookUSA (SBR rating F) and new Futurebet partners BetOnUSA (SBR rating D-) & Oddsmaker (SBR rating D-) players to receive payments from the Futurebet cashier. Players should avoid these scam books which have proven they are not opposed to stealing funds.

Linesmaker.co.uk  (SBR rating D+) tranferring balances to Linesmaker.com (SBR rating D+). Players unable to access their Linesmaker.co.uk balance may contact SBR for assistance by email or by calling 830-255-4677.

The sportsbook's homepage gives users the following message:

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.