English Sports Betting

**Bigshooter** · 11-25-11, 04:08 AM

Was my first offshore out. I stopped playing when they started to go downhill, around the summer of 2001.

I found their ad in the DRF & signed up, I remember having to pay a fee to play with them. I think $96.

I do have to say, everytime I requested a payout Monday morning, the FEDEX guy was at my door Tuesday afternoon.

**skrtelfan** · 11-25-11, 07:46 AM

Yeah they stiffed a friend of mine around 2002. Some idiot on a forum kept boasting about what a great book ESB was, so my friend made a small deposit there, ran it up pretty high on some of the ridiculous lines they offered (they would regularly offer stuff like a hockey team +1 -120 when the market line was +.5 -105), and never got paid. When he told me he was having a problem with ESB I said "Why did you deposit there, they haven't paid anybody in over a year."

**Richkas** · 11-25-11, 08:36 AM

My first book as well...Became pretty good friends with Dennis

**jjgold** · 11-25-11, 08:50 AM

one of my first

never got stiffed..one of books that started it all

**Bill Dozer** · 11-25-11, 09:06 AM

One of the earliest scams. If you bugged them enough they would send a small player his money. We must have called them 1000 times in 2 years.

**Ez Money 77** · 11-25-11, 12:39 PM

Yeah it was pretty crazy being flown out there and totally paid for everything. I was only like 18 or 19 and my 16 year old brother came with me. They took us to some clubs down there and paid our ridiculous alcohol tab for our room. Looking back on it now I can't believe I even went. I honestly went with no more than a couple hundred bucks. My brother even found someone selling some weed on the beach cheap and brought it back to the states. Crazy memories.

**Laz** · 11-25-11, 12:59 PM

Yeah I think they were my first as well.

**MartinBlank** · 11-25-11, 01:04 PM

Back in the early 1990's they would advertise in publications like College Football News, and they would actuallIy advertise with a parlay card------I am certain that hooked a lot of people. Their phone number was something like a toll free number then tel a bet....or something like that.

When it came time to pick an off-shore, I went with Bowman's. And loved that place for years.

**Ez Money 77** · 11-25-11, 02:36 PM

I used Bowmans before as well. As for esb man I was pushing everyone so hard to join there I got so many referals mainly from aol chat rooms and IMing people who had sports, gambling, or something like that in their profile names.

**Brock Landers** · 11-25-11, 03:17 PM

my first book, they never stiffed me, used em from 95-99

**Waterstpub87** · 11-25-11, 04:37 PM

I miss the old days. Back when you could bonus whore to your hearts content with neteller and the multitude of poker and sports sites.

**cyberinvestor** · 11-28-11, 09:32 AM

Wow it was nice to take a trip down memory lane. ESB was my first book as well. I found out about them in some fantasy football magazine around 1995. I filled out the signup form (by hand because they didn't have a website or online gaming system) and mailed in my money order. Two weeks later I was up and running. It was a call in book only for the longest time. I can't remember if they made the leap to an online betting platform. The service was great and I got my payouts but then all of a sudden they went to garbage. I remember they used to offer parlay cards via fax and all sorts of stuff that nowadays seems like the stone ages of gambling. Good memories but glad they died and didn't suck anyone else in. I am sure the owners and management walked away very wealthy people. ESB was one of the first offshore outlets and had probably 70-80% of the market for the first few years because of it.

**katstale** · 11-28-11, 10:22 AM

They paid interest on your balance. I was gone before the stiffing began.

**trytrytry** · 11-28-11, 10:38 AM

Peaches and James...

**JakeLc** · 11-28-11, 11:14 AM

ESB was my 2nd book. I used to bet Marion Cards there.

**dante1** · 06-07-18, 04:12 PM

that was the name of the very first place I made wagers. In fact, it was so long ago I am almost positive it was done via phone. they were dishonest, not even sure if they still exist. This may have been in the 90's, I think it was.

**dante1** · 06-07-18, 04:15 PM

if I remember correctly and I think I do, they even charged you to deposit and it was not a few dollars.

**jjgold** · 06-07-18, 04:23 PM

That place was phone only most of its time in business as was Bowmans

online it was wsex, intertops, bowmans oasis and a few others

**dante1** · 06-07-18, 04:30 PM

Originally posted by jjgold

That place was phone only most of its time in business as was Bowmans

online it was wsex, intertops, bowmans oasis and a few others

r u saying that ESB became intertops, and others. That is hard to believe because they were blatantly dishonest. Maybe, they were sold or different management but I would not trust them with $10. They robbed from me because they were the only available outlet, with the exception of a local and I thought like an idiot that this was regulated by the Brits. So I had some confidence.

however, if you have the info that they became the above I will have to grant you the beneft.

**trytrytry** · 06-11-18, 09:30 AM

Originally posted by dante1

if I remember correctly and I think I do, they even charged you to deposit and it was not a few dollars.

and ESB charged you $97 to sign up, but you got some newspaper they ran Las Vegas something or another.

**Foxx** · 06-11-18, 12:27 PM

I forget about them. They still owe me like 10k from 16 years or so ago. I just submitted a SBR complaint form.