[HoulihansTX]

Out to sea: Offshore sportsbook BetIslands, once hyped by SBR, closes shop and steals player funds


Sportsbook Review knew something was wrong. They had to know. It would be impossible or next to impossible for them not to know.

Offshore sportsbook BetIslands, a B-rated book per SBR until Dec. 17, folded up shop earlier this week and took an estimated $1.5 million in player funds with them. As you might expect, there was no advance warning or contingency plan in place.

The book enjoyed a meteoric rise over the past 21 months, thanks in part to SBR’s constant promotion, positive reviews and favorable rating, which improved steadily every couple of months since March 22, 2011—the day BetIslands was added to the site’s ratings guide.

SBR provides “independent ratings” of every offshore sportsbook and takes into account numerous criteria, which includes user feedback. But can SBR’s ratings be purchased by a book if the price is right? Given the obvious conflict of interest (SBR has ad deals with all books), it’s a question that’s been asked in the past and will be asked again in the future.
And rightfully so after this.

BetIslands’ SBR rating history looks fishy on the surface. Despite being a newer book, BetIslands went from a C-minus rating to a C in less than two months in early 2011. By mid-June, its rating was a C-plus. Then it improved to B-minus in early August before receiving a solid B three months later.
In the face of skeptics, SBR explained its reasoning.

From Aug. 5, 2011:

BetIslands was added to the SBR Rating Guide in March of this year. Since, SBR has had the opportunity to test the sportsbook, collect user feedback, and speak with majority owners. The veteran ownership group is respected within the industry. BetIslands has excelled with customer support and timely withdrawals. SBR will continue to monitor and evaluate the sportsbook as volume rises with popularity.

Somewhere along the way, it’s apparent that SBR stopped “monitoring” the site, even as user complaints became angrier, louder and more frequent. Many people complained about unusual payout delays and processing issues, only to be ignored.

Those people are now without funds, and one member reported a $50,000 loss.

Merry Christmas.

* * *
Note: We’ll have a follow-up to this story later this evening or tomorrow morning.

[HoulihansTX]

Countdown until this is salooned

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[ttrace35]

John and SSLP having drinks together.

[shari91]

Countdown until this is salooned

ONLINE COUNTDOWNS

Why would it be?

Although I'm wondering what the author meant by "constant promotion", I'm not sure Beyond the Bets or any site for that matter would appreciate you posting their entire article so there's no need for anyone to click the link and visit the site.

[PhillyFlyers]

How the fukk can anyone blame SBR for what happened at BI? Like SBR is responsible for BI? Give me a fukkin break.

Tell whoever wrote that article to suck my dikk.

[HoulihansTX]

Why would it be?

Although I'm wondering what the author meant by "constant promotion", I'm not sure Beyond the Bets or any site for that matter would appreciate you posting their entire article so there's no need for anyone to click the link and visit the site.

If you did not know of the existence of their site, well now you know and are interested. if you are aware of the site, then this will not interrupt their flow of traffic in anyway.

Full credit for this article has been give in the Thread title, and multiple links have been posted. Furthermore this thread highlights BYB sites, and points people in their direction. I posted the full article, b/c a synopsis just is not sufficient.

[Darkside Magick]

How the fukk can anyone blame SBR for what happened at BI? Like SBR is responsible for BI? Give me a fukkin break.


Tell whoever wrote that article to suck my dikk.

I don't agree with Philly on 92.76% of what he posts....but he right here!!!

[shari91]

If you did not know of the existence of their site, well now you know and are interested. if you are aware of the site, then this will not interrupt their flow of traffic in anyway.

Full credit for this article has been give in the Thread title, and multiple links have been posted. Furthermore this thread highlights BYB sites, and points people in their direction. I posted the full article, b/c a synopsis just is not sufficient.

I'm just saying that we've fielded our share of complaints from other sites because posters copy and paste full articles here. I even got in crap when I copied 3 or 4 paragraphs from some gambling industry journal, had included two links and the site still complained. Either way, your thread isn't going anywhere.

[Ra77er]

Saloon clock is a nice touch though

[ttrace35]

I don't agree with Philly on 92.76% of what he posts....but he right here!!!

You guys not paying attention.

[shari91]

How the fukk can anyone blame SBR for what happened at BI? Like SBR is responsible for BI? Give me a fukkin break.

Tell whoever wrote that article to suck my dikk.

It's a year-old godaddy site trying to hype up a story hoping people pay attention to it. As I said, the "constant promotion" statement alone is just pure BS no matter what anyone thinks of SBR today. That's why I mentioned how they probably wouldn't appreciate Houli removing any need for people to go there. Ambulance chasers are bound to happen though.

[milwaukee mike]

nice to see you around shari

sorry if i posted anything inappropriate with respect to the betislands situation, we both know i just can't help myself

[HoulihansTX]

People not even reading the article.. Wow SBR @ its finest.

No where in the article does say SBR is responsible for BI going under. Rather they state that as a watchdog of offshore books, SBR failed in epic fashion.

[Darkside Magick]

Tracer ..you a cool dude and all but people need to man up and charge it to the game!

[HoulihansTX]

I understand you POV Shari, and I will no longer post the full articles rather a simple link.

[ttrace35]

Tracer ..you a cool dude and all but people need to man up and charge it to the game!

I already made a post about charging it to the game. Thats what I did. But Seeing that SSLP thread and how Walker was allover the dudes nuts, leads me to believe he knew more than he is telling. Read the thread by sslp "bye guys" in the Saloon. Then you tell me.

[sweep]

nice to see you around shari

sorry if i posted anything inappropriate with respect to the betislands situation, we both know i just can't help myself

grow a pair mike

[Ra77er]

What exactly is the article telling us that we don't already know and haven't discussed in one of the 400 threads the last two days?


That clock though...wow

[milwaukee mike]

grow a pair mike

shari is a friend and i might have thrown her under the bus like i do to everyone

[shari91]

nice to see you around shari

sorry if i posted anything inappropriate with respect to the betislands situation, we both know i just can't help myself

Why are you apologising? You think I wouldn't be going through the roof if I had lost money? Only reason why I didn't is because back during the half point/crazy freeplays heyday when I tried to sign up they said no non US allowed. Even having no money in there I'm still f'n pissed off. Bloody BetEd got a bailout offer and turned it down because they didn't want to hand over their client info, which is obv the only reason a book will assume another's debt, and yet no one wants to bailout BI's customers. I understand why from a business sense but it's just horribly unfair to the guys with cash there. So yeah, definitely no hard feelings. You know there never will be.

[5mike5]

www.rouletters.com

love the cockroach refrence in this 1

[wantitall4moi]

How the fukk can anyone blame SBR for what happened at BI? Like SBR is responsible for BI? Give me a fukkin break.

Tell whoever wrote that article to suck my dikk.

maybe not the low life losers in players talk, but they scammed people with actual money into believing BI was a legit business. People with more money than brains.

Look at the SBRB bash from 2011 I said it then and say it again that was a recruiting party from day one, akin to those time share offers people used to get back in the day, and maybe still do. They offered cash reimbursements to people willing to fly there, they have their party without the riff raff that could easily show up in vegas and they have their 'elite' list started. People who can afford to fly out of the country and or even ABLE to fly out of the country to meet degenerates from a gambling website are the perfect marks.

You think the few guys here who are pissing and moaning abut losing a few grand are responsible for them being able to steal 1.5 million (if accurate)?

SBR is the self proclaimed watch dog, one of the first places people look to find info. This book was basically started by a guy who posted here, how does that happen? If you dont think SBR was behind this from jump street you really are dumb. So SBR has cultivated this image and been building its rep, side stepping other obvious scams due to lack of over whelming 'evidence'. Now they are busted beyond busted and there is no plausible deniability, even though they try to claim it since they only rated BI as a B. Yet overtly they were highlighting it, letting it sponsor bashes and field trips, running contests, letting forum posters vote on who the best was (knowing full well BI would be voted number 1 because they could create enough ghosts if it wasnt), and also knowing forums rep means more than 'watch dog' rep in the long run.

This is the long con 101 people. If you cant spot the fish you are the fish.

Here is another dose of reality, ANYONE with "SBR PRO" under their name is a fish. Like it or not. because you have shown yourselves gullible enough to send money to them in some form. Sure you might get stuff from them, but that stuff has been bought and paid for by ill gotten gains and now out and out theft. Not to mention they have everything but your first born on file somewhere. Yippee you got an ipad, how many guys helped pay for it?

You can all cite "you werent forced to do anything". All you want, but when a 'company' is passing itself of as "neutral" or an 'authority' and people actually give them that authority and trust by simply believing them, then it makes it a very bad situation. Besides SBR didnt have to proactively do it, they had enough paid shills and forum rats to do it for them. Probably multiple guys with multiple posts all backing each other up and building their forum reputations as guys 'in the know'. Si if someone with a ton of forum rep says something sheep will listen, especially if other guys with forum rep all agree with it. Truth is its probably all the same guy or maybe two guys running all those accounts.

Like I said SBR is trying to become the new Shrink, now that Shrin kis dead he has it all. He doesnt need the 'legit' real life gambler Shrink used to have post for him, SBR John has the luxury of hiring anonymous idiots at a couple hundred a month to do it for him.

He also has the luxury of living in an age where guys are really really dumb.

[milwaukee mike]

Why are you apologising? You think I wouldn't be going through the roof if I had lost money? Only reason why I didn't is because back during the half point/crazy freeplays heyday when I tried to sign up they said no non US allowed. Even having no money in there I'm still f'n pissed off. Bloody BetEd got a bailout offer and turned it down because they didn't want to hand over their client info, which is obv the only reason a book will assume another's debt, and yet no one wants to bailout BI's customers. I understand why from a business sense but it's just horribly unfair to the guys with cash there. So yeah, definitely no hard feelings. You know there never will be.

i posted our "temporary" picks that me and sharkbite discussed for the bowl contest. shaunovery is going to discuss them in my points forum thread, if you want some input then by all means jump in.

even though i quit drinking i'm still doing these

[stevenash]

I don't agree with Philly on 92.76% of what he posts....but he right here!!!

Exactly. Philly is spot on.

And they really need to pipe down over there at therx. They've been involved in very shady dealings in the past to be talking,

[ttrace35]

It's a year-old godaddy site trying to hype up a story hoping people pay attention to it. As I said, the "constant promotion" statement alone is just pure BS no matter what anyone thinks of SBR today. That's why I mentioned how they probably wouldn't appreciate Houli removing any need for people to go there. Ambulance chasers are bound to happen though.

How do you feel about the other article on "rouletters.com"? SBR getting buried all over the place, shari.

[Sam Odom]

Gag Order Lifted ?

Shari , who gave you the OK to post in a BI thread today ?

[5mike5]

How do you feel about the other article on "rouletters.com"? SBR getting buried all over the place, shari.

thats a good 1....

www.rouletters.com

so many of these out now, with all the same conclusions too

[shari91]

How do you feel about the other article on "rouletters.com"? SBR getting buried all over the place, shari.

I've never heard of rouletters but is that surprising? Forums take the heat when books fail. It's not like people can scream at the owners so they go to a forum. There's nothing unusual about that. I trust Covers is getting buried everywhere too as they had BI as one of their top recommended sportsbooks.

[milwaukee mike]

now that all my pictures of betislands jon are back up...

just remember - DEATH BEFORE DEFEAT

[shari91]

Gag Order Lifted ?

Shari , who gave you the OK to post in a BI thread today ?

More like the posts have evolved past death threats to Jon and conspiracy theories that make no sense so it's easier to come up with something to reply. Regardless, it's the 21st already here and apparently the world is ending today so I'm going to get off the Internet and cuddle up with the sleeping kid. Just in case those Mayans had a bit of a clue. Gag order back on until I work tomorrow night should the Earth still be spinning

[wantitall4moi]

I've never heard of rouletters but is that surprising? Forums take the heat when books fail. It's not like people can scream at the owners so they go to a forum. There's nothing unusual about that. I trust Covers is getting buried everywhere too as they had BI as one of their top recommended sportsbooks.

LOL this is typical. Covers has been for sale since about 2001. SBR is suppoedly some watch dog site with player interests at heart.

So trying to divert attention from SBR to Covers is the weakest excuse ever.

It wasnt a Covers poster who is freinds with guys at Covers who started the book.

I didnt see them sponsoring a Covers Bash.

I didnt see Covers rate them

Covers just piggy backed off it because thats what they do. But they also probably had an inkling there that SBR was partially responsible for the quick rise of Bet Islands and just decided to try and get theirs too.

Its OK people sell their souls every day, people at SBR arent the first they wont be the last.

[PhillyFlyers]

maybe not the low life losers in players talk, but they scammed people with actual money into believing BI was a legit business. People with more money than brains.

Look at the SBRB bash from 2011 I said it then and say it again that was a recruiting party from day one, akin to those time share offers people used to get back in the day, and maybe still do. They offered cash reimbursements to people willing to fly there, they have their party without the riff raff that could easily show up in vegas and they have their 'elite' list started. People who can afford to fly out of the country and or even ABLE to fly out of the country to meet degenerates from a gambling website are the perfect marks.

You think the few guys here who are pissing and moaning abut losing a few grand are responsible for them being able to steal 1.5 million (if accurate)?

SBR is the self proclaimed watch dog, one of the first places people look to find info. This book was basically started by a guy who posted here, how does that happen? If you dont think SBR was behind this from jump street you really are dumb. So SBR has cultivated this image and been building its rep, side stepping other obvious scams due to lack of over whelming 'evidence'. Now they are busted beyond busted and there is no plausible deniability, even though they try to claim it since they only rated BI as a B. Yet overtly they were highlighting it, letting it sponsor bashes and field trips, running contests, letting forum posters vote on who the best was (knowing full well BI would be voted number 1 because they could create enough ghosts if it wasnt), and also knowing forums rep means more than 'watch dog' rep in the long run.

This is the long con 101 people. If you cant spot the fish you are the fish.

Here is another dose of reality, ANYONE with "SBR PRO" under their name is a fish. Like it or not. because you have shown yourselves gullible enough to send money to them in some form. Sure you might get stuff from them, but that stuff has been bought and paid for by ill gotten gains and now out and out theft. Not to mention they have everything but your first born on file somewhere. Yippee you got an ipad, how many guys helped pay for it?

You can all cite "you werent forced to do anything". All you want, but when a 'company' is passing itself of as "neutral" or an 'authority' and people actually give them that authority and trust by simply believing them, then it makes it a very bad situation. Besides SBR didnt have to proactively do it, they had enough paid shills and forum rats to do it for them. Probably multiple guys with multiple posts all backing each other up and building their forum reputations as guys 'in the know'. Si if someone with a ton of forum rep says something sheep will listen, especially if other guys with forum rep all agree with it. Truth is its probably all the same guy or maybe two guys running all those accounts.

Like I said SBR is trying to become the new Shrink, now that Shrin kis dead he has it all. He doesnt need the 'legit' real life gambler Shrink used to have post for him, SBR John has the luxury of hiring anonymous idiots at a couple hundred a month to do it for him.

He also has the luxury of living in an age where guys are really really dumb.

My man, do you hear what you are actually saying?

You really want me to believe that SBR colluded with a FUKKIN POSTER on the forum to scam people out of $1.5 million and that they planned this as you say, "from the jump"?

Let me ask you......do you have any actual evidence to back up your conspiracy theory? Something tells me I'll be waiting for a loooooong time for it.

[katstale]

I was at the bash in Costa and was not even aware that BetIslands was the sponsor of the luncheon!! lololol I also was not drinking. Now when the legends girls showed up, i was aware of that sponsorship for the poker tournament. lolol But there was no BI hype at the luncheon. Just reading all of this and trying to help sort out fact and fiction from what is an obviously bad situation.

[milwaukee mike]

phillyflyers, you didn't see sbr john's post about meeting sslp for a beer to talk about his new sportsbook?
not that it proves anything

here's another little nugget

DUDLEYDAWSON was getting weekly freeplays right up until the end from betislands to shill for them on sbr.

[ttrace35]

My man, do you hear what you are actually saying?

You really want me to believe that SBR colluded with a FUKKIN POSTER on the forum to scam people out of $1.5 million and that they planned this as you say, "from the jump"?

Let me ask you......do you have any actual evidence to back up your conspiracy theory? Something tells me I'll be waiting for a loooooong time for it.

Philly. Read the thread "bye guys" by sslp, in the saloon. You make your own conclusions.