What Is Your Take on Recent BetOnline Mess

rm18 · 10-22-09, 11:05 AM

All books are run by the mob, why book transfers are so easy.

Nicky Santoro · 10-22-09, 11:07 AM

holy crap.. i just sent them a W.U. last week and another bank wire yesterday. i now have a substantial amount there now.

should i call my bank and cancel the wire. it might be still in the process..

holy cow.. just my luck.

billy, sbr john, anyone??

jesus christ am i unlucky. of all the books to send it to, i pick BetOnline

they were an A- book for christ sakes..

SBR_John · 10-22-09, 11:14 AM

A lot of books have had their credit operation pinched. Most these guys offshore were bookies stateside that moved off shore and started retail operations. They kept their original business too and law enforcement loves to take those down because they can take all the cash they can find.

This has happened to BetCRIS and a whole lot of other books in the past. Did not have any affect on their online business but it looks like the downgrade to B- reflects some caution.

THEGREAT30 · 10-22-09, 11:19 AM

Makes me even more paranoid for sure. To each his or her own but they are right there with Bodog to me now. I can't touch them. I always think that one day I will be living in a million dollar house somewhere and the way I use to live will come back to get me and these types of books make me real paranoid so I don't deal with them.

THEGREAT30 · 10-22-09, 11:22 AM

Originally posted by rm18

All books are run by the mob, why book transfers are so easy.

Quite possible. Hope not but possible.

Richkas · 10-22-09, 11:25 AM

Originally posted by Nicky Santoro

holy crap.. i just sent them a W.U. last week and another bank wire yesterday. i now have a substantial amount there now.

should i call my bank and cancel the wire. it might be still in the process..

holy cow.. just my luck.

billy, sbr john, anyone??

jesus christ am i unlucky. of all the books to send it to, i pick BetOnline

they were an A- book for christ sakes..

I know what I would do. Its common sense. You can always go back to using them 6 months or so down the road.

InTheHole · 10-22-09, 11:47 AM

500,000 grand

The General · 10-22-09, 11:55 AM

Wait and see approach, definitely not speculating without facts. There is not a need to panic until there is information worth panicking over.

Nicky, you have every right to cancel that wire if you are extremely concerned.

Best

Nicky Santoro · 10-22-09, 11:56 AM

thanks richie, i called my bank,they said too late to cancel.

(not that this is an official OK we're ok), but i just got off the phone with a woman named Mary Catherine. she is a big mgr there.. she assured me 100x that our post up money is safe... of course they all could say that..but i made her swear on her kids and family's life that she is not lying.. and she did.

she stuck by her story.. of course i have been lied to alot by books like this in the past and then next day they stiffed me, but i hope mary is being sincere. at least she sounded sincere..

johnny and billy, pls get on this case.. keep us informed if our post up $$$ is safe. thanks boys..

pavyracer · 10-22-09, 12:04 PM

Where there is smoke there is fire.

The General · 10-22-09, 12:06 PM

There are plenty of sources in place down in Panama to stay atop this story. I think unusual activity from the Betonline facility and staff concerning possible dismay coming to the post-up side of business will be reported ASAP.

StraitShooter · 10-22-09, 12:24 PM

Originally posted by The General

There are plenty of sources in place down in Panama to stay atop this story. I think unusual activity from the Betonline facility and staff concerning possible dismay coming to the post-up side of business will be reported ASAP.

UntilTheNDofTimE · 10-22-09, 12:28 PM

Is this the reason contest prize $ hasnt been credited at bet online?

THEGREAT30 · 10-22-09, 01:35 PM

Could be Untiltheendoftime. I agree with Richkas on this one. I would stay away for a while. I can't touch them at all personally.

UntilTheNDofTimE · 10-22-09, 01:38 PM

well im not really worried about it, just cautious that i have my name associated with them now.

StraitShooter · 10-22-09, 01:47 PM

Dont like this news..will steer clear till the dust settles..too many other good outs to sweat it

UntilTheNDofTimE · 10-22-09, 02:08 PM

yea i dont see any reason to not use

Carib, 5 dimes, pinny, matchbook, the greek. Those are the only books id use

Keith Richard · 10-22-09, 02:31 PM

Originally posted by Nicky Santoro

thanks richie, i called my bank,they said too late to cancel.

(not that this is an official OK we're ok), but i just got off the phone with a woman named Mary Catherine. she is a big mgr there.. she assured me 100x that our post up money is safe... of course they all could say that..but i made her swear on her kids and family's life that she is not lying.. and she did.

she stuck by her story.. of course i have been lied to alot by books like this in the past and then next day they stiffed me, but i hope mary is being sincere. at least she sounded sincere..

johnny and billy, pls get on this case.. keep us informed if our post up $$$ is safe. thanks boys..

Nicky , I think I spoke to her before, but she was known as Sister Mary Catherine at that time.

I think you will be ok.

Rollins08 · 10-23-09, 09:32 AM

What do you guys expect a book to say when you ask them questions after something like this? "the place is falling apart, get your money out quick!". I think there going to stick with saying everything is just fine.

sickler · 10-23-09, 09:45 AM

I'm not surprised.

Never did trust them. Posted several times about this in the past.

Originally posted by sickler

I posted a link earlier in the thread, but since nobody wants to click it, I'll try to c&p it. Read it and draw your own conclusions:

betonline.com hits the headlines

The bettingmarket.com sportsbook of the year 2007 is the Panamanian based Betonline.Com. It wins the award, not for its innovative lines, added value or customer service, but rather, for its ability to make the headlines and to divide loyalties. The newsflow that has surrounded the company has cast a long shadow over the entire offshore online gambling industry. The manner in which this newsflow has been reported calls into question the independence and objectivity of the gambling industry portals that present themselves as industry watchdogs. If ever there was a case for legalising online gambling in the US, here it is.

So what is the score with the offshore operator Betonline.Com?
Borne out of a merger between BestlineSports and BetOnline.com, and operating out of Panamanian-based offices, the company has something of a colourful history, to say the least.
Associates of Gambino family member Frank "The Bear" Basto, Joseph P. Fafone and Joseph J. Fafone were charged with acting as agents on behalf of Bestlinesports.com. Both faced state bookmaking charges for collecting bets and making cash payoffs locally on wagers placed in Costa Rica via toll-free telephone and internet website links.
Bestlinesports was then listed in an indictment in the case of United States District Court of Eastern District of Missouri vs. BetonSports.com, as a website that was owned by Betonsports; a charge the company denined.
More recently, US authorities broke up a large betting ring, charging more than two dozen members or associates of the Lucchese crime family with running the multibillion-dollar operation. It has been alleged that bettors were given passwords for various offshore Web sites, including betonline.com and bigactionsports.com.
Betonline receives a Sportsbook Review (SBR) Overall Rating of A-. The SBR website states that BetOnline earned its position "through hard work, innovation and experience".
SBR provides its users with a potted history of the website, stating that it began taking wagers online as BestLineSports in Costa Rica in 2001, before moving to Panama in July of 2004. The company then expanded its business and by 2006 had moved into one of the industry's top facilities where it employed over 300 Panamanian citizens. It subsequently purchased BetOnline Sportsbook and its website name BetOnline.com. Regarding the company's strategy SBR states;
"Experienced players who make many wagers will be pleased with the savings from the -105 program while the NFL Sunday bettor will enjoy making his first bets with house money in the form of free plays. BetOnline is a good choice for the new or experienced bettor, especially those seeking relatively high wagering limits. BetOnline also excels in phone wagering but reduced juice by phone is not offered."
Gambling911 recently wrote that following their appearance at CAP Bahamas this summer, represented by Jodi Klein, Betonline has propelled itself to become one of the top affiliate converters in the industry;
"One of the reasons could be BetOnLine's better-than-average industry *********** acceptance rates. The company, Gambling911.com's second longest tenured sponsor, focuses almost exclusively on the North American sports betting market, offering -105 juice online (meaning instead of paying the typical $1.10 to win $1.00 on favorites, customers at BetOnLine.com only need to risk $1.05 to win $1.00, which adds up tremendously over time)......There are countless ways of attaining greatness, but any road to reaching one's maximum potential must be built on a bedrock of respect for the individual, a commitment to excellence, and a rejection of mediocrity," comments Gambling911.com Senior Editor Payton O'Brien. "Over the past year, BetOnLine.com has accomplished this feat with uncompromised passion and consistency.""
In Sepetmeber 2007 the online gambling portal The onlinewire downgraded Betonline to high risk, with caution advised; "due to adverse feedbacks on some individuals directly involved with the operation." The website stated that its sources in Costa Rica and Panama had recently confirmed the direct involvement of Dalton Wagner, formerly MVPSportsbook/Betonsports, with Betonline. The same sources also allegedly confirmed the direct involvement with Betonline of one, or more, of the former managers of the failed BetPanam operation;
"Betonline was born under the wrong star, its first marketing steps assisted by the infamous Robbie M\*\*\*\*\*\*. M\*\*\*\*\*\* is a con artist well known in Costa Rica and abroad due to his involvement in several scam operations that stiffed dozens of unsuspecting bettors....In the first months of 2007 Betonline announced the sale, or merger, with BestLineSports. BLS officially merged into Betonline to improve its internet marketing performance....In reality the move was dictated by much more serious concerns. BestLineSports was originally operated by some individuals directly tied to the shadiest businesses of Gary Kaplan (Betonsports). Allegations according to which BestLineSports was catering part of the credit business tied to the Gambino mob family lead U.S. prosecutors to name BestLineSports.com in the Betonsports Indictment of July 2006."
From the online gambling portal EOG; Originally Posted by Almost Allright; "Betonline.com? Shrink, is this the book you were talking about last week to be careful with? If i recall, the business model of reduced juice and a high amount of credit customers was the cause for concern. Also is this the same book SBR has at A-"
The Shrink responded; "YES!!!!! I have been WARNING POSTERS for quite awhile to stay away from them...That A- rating is not the same you'd expect from other A rated books like Matchbook, etc....This is nothing new as I have said this repeatedly..."Trusted bettors were given passwords for various Web sites, including BETONLINE.COM and bigactionsports.com, and for an 800 number. The bets were then routed to a wire room -- a bookkeeping center -- in Costa Rica.""Other bets were placed by phone or in person with agents, also known as "package holders," responsible for overseeing groups of bettors. It was the agents who collected and paid out cash, in some cases using VIOLENCE or the THREAT OF VIOLENCE on those unable to make good on their debts." Name me any other A rated books who behave like this?"
A ceratin Michael Cash posting at the online gambling portal MajorWager had this to say regarding Betonline.com;
"I just got back from BetOnline and I can say they are making a push to be a top tier book by this time next year. I met with some of their people and affiliates and they were one of the most impressive places I went on my trip. BP is correct they are bestline and they bought the players and name from betonline and absorbed them in. They are doing some pretty strong numbers over there. Also, the banking in Panama is way better because of the canal. Both Betonline and Legendz where I also went are reporting none of the problems that the CR books are."
A person calling himself Wilheim, Head Moderator, at the online gambling portal therx.com recently wrote;
"I just called BetOnline.com in Panama and spoke to management and there is absolutely no connection with the Betonline.com mentioned in the article (or any individuals mentioned in the article) above and their book which is 100% post up and licensed fully to operate in Panama. Right now at BetOnline.com it is business as usual and I am certain that there is no connection between the two names. Remember BetOnline.com recently changed their name from Bestlinesports.com for the simple reason of seach engine accessability. The book is solid and remains an excellent out for any Rxer to have funds posted at."
Whatever the real truth about Betonline.Com (and truth is a commodity in short supply when it comes to the offshore gambling industry), one thing that is ceratin, is that we shall be hearing a lot more about betonline.com over the forthcoming year.
The current extradition treaty between the United States and Panama was signed in 1904, and contains a limited list of extraditable offenses. However, Panama is a party to the 1988 UN Drug Convention, through which narcotics trafficking and related money laundering are deemed to be included as extraditable offenses under the bilateral extradition treaty. Moreover, Panama has continually demonstrated a willingness to surrender fugitives to the United States; making use of legal alternatives to extradition in order to effect the return of non-Panamanians to the United States to face trial. The Departments of Justice continues to engage with the Government of Panama to ensure that all fugitives are brought to justice.

copyright © bettingmarket.com; all rights reserved
Sunday, 29 April 2007 at 10:02 AM

http://www.sportsbookreview.com/forum/sportsbooks-industry/143805-betonline-scam-p2.html

Nicky Santoro · 10-23-09, 10:06 AM

sickler, i hope you don't expect me to read all taht. i have trouble reading 3 lines, imagine that.. sickler, can you pls tell me in 1 sentence what all that means.. is our money safe at Betonline.. should i worry.

sister mary catherine of St Monica's Parish, of Betonline, told me yesterday and swore on her kids life that my money is safe..

durito · 10-23-09, 10:18 AM

BetOnline has always been a sketchy book.

Nicky you will have $50 limits soon and a $100,000 rollover.

They will offer you this or to take half your money. It's their standard operation.

sam9ball · 10-23-09, 10:24 AM

Originally posted by Nicky Santoro

sickler, i hope you don't expect me to read all taht. i have trouble reading 3 lines, imagine that.. sickler, can you pls tell me in 1 sentence what all that means.. is our money safe at Betonline.. should i worry.

sister mary catherine of St Monica's Parish, of Betonline, told me yesterday and swore on her kids life that my money is safe..

I'd be worried, cause all the Nuns I know don't have kids.

Nicky Santoro · 10-23-09, 10:25 AM

Originally posted by durito

BetOnline has always been a sketchy book.

Nicky you will have $50 limits soon and a $100,000 rollover.

They will offer you this or to take half your money. It's their standard operation.

durito, pls dont say this cause i have been paranoid about this. i have spoken to the line mgr about this 1 on1 and he guaranteed me he'd NEVER do this to me as long as i don't play steam, and i am not.. win or lose, it won't make a diff he said..i told him i'd only shop for good #s there, and he said 10000% he'd never lower my limits, ever.. and he even told me he checked on my past bets and he finds nothing wrong with my action...so lets see if their word is good or not..

btw, i am doing very well there too as we speak, so we'll see if they pull a fast one on me or not.. oh, and my limits are very high,they have not been lowered at all still..

but i always did have a bad feeling when signing up there. that's why i asked them 200x so far to guarantee me they would never do this.. THEY BETTER NOT DO THIS TO ME..

sickler · 10-23-09, 10:35 AM

Originally posted by Nicky Santoro

sickler, i hope you don't expect me to read all taht. i have trouble reading 3 lines, imagine that.. sickler, can you pls tell me in 1 sentence what all that means.. is our money safe at Betonline.. should i worry.

sister mary catherine of St Monica's Parish, of Betonline, told me yesterday and swore on her kids life that my money is safe..

There's a connection to Betonsports. I don't know exactly what it is, but it's there.

Poker_Beast · 10-23-09, 10:43 AM

May just be the start

durito · 10-23-09, 10:47 AM

Originally posted by Nicky Santoro

durito, pls dont say this cause i have been paranoid about this. i have spoken to the line mgr about this 1 on1 and he guaranteed me he'd NEVER do this to me as long as i don't play steam, and i am not.. win or lose, it won't make a diff he said..i told him i'd only shop for good #s there, and he said 10000% he'd never lower my limits, ever.. and he even told me he checked on my past bets and he finds nothing wrong with my action...so lets see if their word is good or not..

btw, i am doing very well there too as we speak, so we'll see if they pull a fast one on me or not.. oh, and my limits are very high,they have not been lowered at all still..

but i always did have a bad feeling when signing up there. that's why i asked them 200x so far to guarantee me they would never do this.. THEY BETTER NOT DO THIS TO ME..

You should read the Sportsbook & Industry section here before signing up at books. They don't seem to have done it for a while, but last year this was their standard practice. They tried to steal $7,000 from me.

IN their defense, they did end up paying me my entire balance (took two months and cost a fortune, but it was 40k). Though I had to finish my absurd rollover (they add freeplay winnings to the rollover) with a 45 second delay and cut limits on nearly everything.

Nicky Santoro · 10-23-09, 10:53 AM

that's what i was worried about when i joined. thats why i asked them to assure me they would never do this,and they did.

so far, no 45 sec delay, no cut limits, no rollover on the FP's either.. just the winnings of it, x 8, no big deal on that...i don't play steam either there and only play weak #'s...all is good till now. they better not change this on me. anyhow, my rollover doesn't have much left, so i am ok..

Dark Horse · 10-23-09, 11:19 AM

Everybody involved can get 25 years.
What are they? Serial killers?

Don't worry about names. Half of America is betting offshore.

Bill Dozer · 10-23-09, 11:30 AM

I don't expect BetOnline users to notice a change in service. With processing a challenge, a surge in withdrawals would affect payout times especially eWallets but most users are not aware of industry news. BetOnline's Panama parent company was not mentioned and the report and arrests were focused on credit agents, personal assets and personal corporations. Payouts have been received today and yesterday and players should test their withdrawals out.

jjgold · 10-23-09, 11:33 AM

500K WOW!!

You know the book is very solid after a cash payout like that

louisvillekid · 10-23-09, 12:20 PM

i had a few hundred in there for the past few months but finally lost it all last week.
What i've thought was odd about that place was when i've always sent **'s to other books they always give me a country in central america, with a city and the person always has a full name and/or 2 last names. But when i've sent money to BOL they just give me a Russian sounding name, just first and last, and a country, usually a former soviet country, and that's it, no city, just tell me send it to that country and that name and they'll get it.
And they do, cause my account gets credited, but i've always thought it was strange for some reason.

Newguyintown · 10-25-09, 02:10 AM

I requested both a wire and a check the day after the news. The CS on live chat was no hassle and no pressure to not withdraw whatsoever. They were professional and responsive in taking my withdrawal information. The money was promptly taken out of my account with an indication that a wire will be sent. I will update the moment it hits my account.

NGT

Hawaiisports · 10-27-09, 03:08 PM

Originally posted by SBR_John

A lot of books have had their credit operation pinched. Most these guys offshore were bookies stateside that moved off shore and started retail operations. They kept their original business too and law enforcement loves to take those down because they can take all the cash they can find.

This has happened to BetCRIS and a whole lot of other books in the past. Did not have any affect on their online business but it looks like the downgrade to B- reflects some caution.

I dont think so SBR_Jonh

Yes, BOL was pinched, but they have several charges.

The investigation uncovered evidence that the enterprise had links to both the Gambino and Genovese crime families. They are [FONT=TimesNewRoman]charged with enterprise corruption as well as money laundering, promoting gambling and conspiracy.

In this case, all BOL customer must be worried, due to we'll have problem with our money. Although the company is in Panama, is linked with all this shit and I think that US & Panama authorities will freeze their bank accounts.

I request a ** or ** and they told me that they dont have that service right now and offer me a free check. It sounds good, but I dont like it due to it's smell like shit. I think all clients will be having a big delays receiving our payments and sincerilly, I dont like to work with a book with this kind of problems.

Here is the full press relese link for info: http://www.queensda.org/newpressrele...l_10_21_09.pdf