Sportsbook.com confiscations

[Justin7]

I spoke with the head of CS. He confirmed that 31 players had their net wins taken out of their accounts. All 31 players played exclusively correlated parlays, with no (or almost no) other action. According to Sportsbook.com, these players were "stealing", so it was fair to confiscate their wins.

I also received a complaint from a player who lost playing correlated parlays. His wagers were not canceled, and he did not receive a credit. This was also confirmed by Sportsbook.com.

The amounts seized were not insubstantial. Although they did not comment on this, I already have reports from about 6 accounts with close to $180,000 confiscated.

This was a decision from "upper management", made after considering the long-term repercussions. They are not willing to refund any of the money confiscated.

In a case as flagrant as this, I don't even have to suggest how I feel, or what "should" happen. I'll provide updates when I know more.

In the mean time, if you had your balance reduced, I have two suggestions:
1. send an email to me (justin@sportsbookreview.com) with the details; and
2. use whatever other methods you can to bring pressure on them (try emailing wilheim from TheRX.com - they are an advertiser).

[HedgeHog]

Thanks, Justin

SB basically put themselves in a can't lose situation. Your bets win, they're voided. If they lose, they stand. I withdrew my remaining funds after their theft. I'll email TheRX.com in case they have any clout, but I don't see any way to retrieve the money they stole (9k in my case). I already emailed my complaint to assistance@sportsbookreview.com

[gambleballs]

All 31 players played exclusively correlated parlays, with no (or almost no) other action.

This is simply not true. I had tons of other action with this book. I have already emailed assistance@sportsbookreview.com and wilheim but haven't heard back from either.

[HedgeHog]

This is simply not true. I had tons of other action with this book. I have already emailed assistance@sportsbookreview.com and wilheim but haven't heard back from either.

I made other bets as well. Sportsbook.com is just trying to rationalize their theft. Never let the facts stand in the way of a good story.

PS Welcome to the forum, GB

[capone]

I also had many other bets with them. They simply took a shot at players in order to steal the money.

[RickySteve]

All 31 players played exclusively correlated parlays, with no (or almost no) other action.

This is blatantly false. Also, if they're so upset about these parlays, why are they still accepting them?

If mediation doesn't resolve anything, we need to initiate legal action. These companies are not above the law.

[vegaslegend]

That is total garbage, I placed tons of other bets, and have done so for years. I only started placing corralted parlays at the start of this season. I definetly played more games than corraleted parlays. So any way you want to slice this it is nothing more than stealing!!!

[Doug]

Downgrade them to D- where the SOB's belong, immediately !

[curious]

I spoke with the head of CS. He confirmed that 31 players had their net wins taken out of their accounts. All 31 players played exclusively correlated parlays, with no (or almost no) other action. According to Sportsbook.com, these players were "stealing", so it was fair to confiscate their wins.

I also received a complaint from a player who lost playing correlated parlays. His wagers were not canceled, and he did not receive a credit. This was also confirmed by Sportsbook.com.

The amounts seized were not insubstantial. Although they did not comment on this, I already have reports from about 6 accounts with close to $180,000 confiscated.

This was a decision from "upper management", made after considering the long-term repercussions. They are not willing to refund any of the money confiscated.

In a case as flagrant as this, I don't even have to suggest how I feel, or what "should" happen. I'll provide updates when I know more.

In the mean time, if you had your balance reduced, I have two suggestions:
1. send an email to me (justin@sportsbookreview.com) with the details; and
2. use whatever other methods you can to bring pressure on them (try emailing wilheim from TheRX.com - they are an advertiser).

I think these players should do several things: 1) Band together and hire lawyers both in the United States and whatever country these scumbags are actually based in. Even though they don't actually have offices here you can subpoena ANYONE who represents them in this country as an agent of theirs. This would include their western union and money gram processors, their web site domain name agent, anybody. Have both law firms send letters to any address you can find of anyone who is associated with them.

2) In the United States when you sue someone you can force them to give depositions and you can force them to make their records available to you. You will have these turkeys on wire fraud and possibly mail fraud. You will also have them for several Patriot Act statutes. I don't know what the law is in the country they are in when it comes to civil suits. Subpoena every officer of their company so that if they ever step foot in the united states you will have the right to make them give depositions. If the country that Sportsbook.com allows you to subpoena people to give depositions then subpoena EVERYONE in their company, and make sure the depositions take days.

3. Let the scumbags know that you plan on turning over EVERY piece of information you have about them and their operations to the United States DOJ. Send them a newspaper clipping of Kaplan along with it.

4. Go to EVERY sportsbetting forum on the internet and start threads which label these thieves as a deposit only book. If anyone wants to pay so they can play a video game then that's great, if they actually want a payout stay away.

5. Find a hacker who is really good at SEO (anyone who claims to be a hacker and doesn't know what that means, wish them well in their future endeavors and have nothing to do with them) and set up a web site which lays out the thievery these scumbags engaged in against you. Don't embellish, tell exactly what happened. Put out a plea for anyone else victimized by these scumbags to submit their story to the website. The person who is good at SEO will ensure that google searches on Sportsbook.com will return your site first. LOL Call it something like "The Jihad against Sportsbook.com".

6. Have the law firm in the country where Sportsbook.com is located start lobbying the government officials that are both pro online gaming and anti online gaming. For obvious reasons.

7. Make sure that EVERY news outlet you can think of gets hold of the fact that you are filing a class action lawsuit. Given the latest news in this country about online gaming, this is a hot topic right now.

8. Failing all of that, sponsor some nice people from an Afghan refugee camp to come to the US and ask them to help you "explain" things to the people at Sportsbook.com.

[HedgeHog]

Downgrade them to D- where the SOB's belong, immediately !

[DrunkenLullaby]

Hedgehog, if you've ever wondered (as I used to) where they get the money from to pay us winners (I mean, back when they used to pay) then check out the posts from this 1_Realcapper dude on therxforum board about this topic.

Wow is all I can say about this guy. Just wow.

[m3vr6]

WTF!! if you take you got dish it!! if you are man enough to take any actions you have to pay out!! I WANT TO OPEN A SPORTSBOOK NOW. IF THE PLAYERS LOSE IT'S ACTION, IF THEY WIN IT'S NOT ACTION!!

[m3vr6]

if they don't like players playing like this they have all the rights to kick them out and pay them and tell them that they don't want to book their actions when they notice this. this is stealing from the players that put cash up front to play.

[paul Mordeeb]

Not to be a dick, just rying to understand which SB considers a "corraleted parlay"

A. Dog + Under (same game)
B. Fav + Over (same game)
C. Baseball (-/+1 1/2) + (Under/Over) (this most books don't take these but I think sb was at some point)
D. Just any parley involving the same game?

[DrunkenLullaby]

Paul, I believe in this instance it's A & B, but that's the point - why would anyone ever parlay anything there ever again when they refuse to divulge their criteria for nullifying bets (and, oh, by the way, not nullifying the losing bets!)?

[BigBollocks]

Justin the work you put in and the lengths you go to try and protect players is absolutely tremendous. I've never had to go through SBR for anything (playing at top flight books helps in that regard), but if I did I would feel better knowing folks like you are working to investigate the details of various cases. Thanks for your hard work mate!

[m3vr6]

Justin I hope you're able to help these guys get their funds back. How can the players sleep at night when this happens to them.

[bigboydan]

Downgrade them to D- where the SOB's belong, immediately !

I think you being a little too generous myself only wanting to downgrad them to a D- Doug.

This book not only screwed over their players on this one, but they also screwed over their players on some technicality on an "initial" (The Weaver incident) not too long ago. Then we haven't even mentioned the slow pay problems due to their processing issues.

It's pretty damn bad when they start to look for ways to screw their players like this. Then again thats what you get with corporate big wigs in there trying to find any way at all to help turn a profit. Now thats just unacceptable!

[tacomax]

Not to be a dick, just rying to understand which SB considers a "corraleted parlay"

A. Dog + Under (same game)
B. Fav + Over (same game)
C. Baseball (-/+1 1/2) + (Under/Over) (this most books don't take these but I think sb was at some point)
D. Just any parley involving the same game?

I'm interested in the actual "offence" as well. Although not excusing the confiscation in the slightest but could the players be considered to have been taking a shot at the book even though the book allowed the bets to be placed. Or, putting it another way, would any decent book prevent bets like this being bet in the first place?

[Doug]

I think you being a little too generous myself only wanting to downgrad them to a D- Doug.

This book not only screwed over their players on this one, but they also screwed over their players on some technicality on an "initial" (The Weaver incident) not too long ago. Then we haven't even mentioned the slow pay problems due to their processing issues.

It's pretty damn bad when they start to look for ways to screw their players like this. Then again thats what you get with corporate big wigs in there trying to find any way at all to help turn a profit. Now thats just unacceptable!

I don't believe in F+, F is reserved for places out of business like Panam, I agree with Cascade's F though.

D- is the only thing left.

Sportsbook would probably pay off a small player that won a little bit. They aren't out of business, and probably won't go out anytime soon, with a base of players.

[increasedodds]

Anyone else find it comical, that you can still place these bets now on large NFL spreads... Can't check college yet.

This group is simply amazing... Getting ready for round two of theft!