To old to gamble - BETWAY AVOID

**Chopsticks** · 07-05-09, 05:28 AM

Wow.. if this story is true it is probably the silliest excuse for not paying I have ever heard!

The first thing you should do if you haven't already is to file a complaint with SBR.

It could be that it is a misunderstanding and that they need you to send documentation to proove identity, like bank statement and passport.

I have found betway to be a very decent bookie that pays out. They were rated F here at SBR at one point, but fortunately they improved and started paying!

I don't find it hard to believe that a 66-year-old knows how to use a computer and online betting. My grandfather learned to use computer when he was around 64-65, and he is now 70. He may not be as fast to type and browse as I am, but he knows what he is doing and learns new things every day.

There is no way of knowing if a person is 20 or 70 by talking on the phone. If she thought you sounded like a 13-year-old I could have some understanding that she didn't believe you were 66, but this is not the case.

They have never phoned me to confirm a withdrawal.

I hope you will be paid in full!

**mchouse** · 07-05-09, 05:39 AM

Believe me that it is true. I already have accounts with a couple more books (sportingbet, betfair wich i don't use much because it is a bit complicated to use, bet365) and never had any problems with any of them. Usually i only open accounts in sportbooks that have my native language so it is easer for me to. Has you said maybe i am a bit slower but certainly not a total invalid.

**fingas** · 07-05-09, 06:19 AM

what is your native language by the way?

**mchouse** · 07-05-09, 06:22 AM

portuguese, so really sorry for my crappy english

**Justin7** · 07-05-09, 08:49 AM

This sounds awful. Definitely fill out a complaint form here:

http://www.sportsbookreview.com/Sportsbook+Complaint.aspx

I can't promise we can get them to pay, but we can certainly try... and document it if they are crooks (which they have been in the past).

**fixxer** · 07-05-09, 03:54 PM

I remember I had some rough moments with them before my first withdrawal at Betway.

First, they closed my account after my request.
After I contacted them, they wanted to call me to make a phone verification.
During the verification process, they had some "tricky" questions, just as "how old will you be in June 20xx etc..."....but after the phone call (and sending them the copy of my ID card) they paid me out relatively fast (moneybookers) - still, this was years ago....

This case sounds awful....I agree, there surely are 60+ yo people betting online...(I even know one)

**sinkhole** · 07-05-09, 05:04 PM

what more tricky questions fixxer?

**hhsilver** · 07-05-09, 05:16 PM

Originally posted by mchouse

portuguese, so really sorry for my crappy english

Hey, your English is much better than my Portuguese. Good luck - hope you get your money.

**fixxer** · 07-05-09, 05:29 PM

This is the one I remember, this phone call was years ago....

**TheBeautifulGame** · 07-07-09, 04:19 AM

So, because a man is 66 years of age, he doesen't know how to use a computer? How could someone even THINK of saying something like that. i haven't heard anything more ridicolous in all my life!

I hope you get your money promptly. I wish you the best of luck, mchouse

**arnie_marta** · 07-07-09, 09:06 PM

Is this serious

Another sportsbook trying not to pay, with another stupid reason.

**mchouse** · 07-10-09, 10:53 AM

Thanks for all your coments friends. Altought i have sent severall mails thay don't even answer them. Opened a complaint in sbr last saturday so i am wainting for a response.

**triffid** · 07-11-09, 05:24 AM

I was looking for a book with a `no download/instant poker` link (so i could use them at work as i cant install any programs on work machines) and found this site late last year. I decided to open an account with them just to try them out as i had never heard of them before. So i did so and deposited £50 into the new account. After i did this i found out the link to there no download poker was not working, so i tried there online casino. I lost a bit and then won it back plus a very small amount extra and decided to cash out since it was only the poker i was really intrested in. The next day i logged back into the account i created to see if the withdrawl had gone through only to find that the account had been closed. After 4 days of sending persistant emails they finaly answered and said that the account had been closed and all funds with-held because my log-on name was "...an anagram of a swear word"

All subsiquent emails i sent were ignored for about a week before i gave up. To cut a long story short, in the end i lost the £50
The funny thing is i usually play medium stakes poker (3/6 $ to 5/10 $) , had they not decided to steal the cash i would probably have deposited a 2-3 Gs ,i only put in the small amount ot test the water.
It was this theft that got me finding SBR forum, now i dont go for books less than B rated
This book are no less than petty thieves and i cannot stress enough that the gambling starts as soon as you deposit without having ever placed a bet with this con book.

**NAS** · 11-10-09, 06:54 AM

mchouse any news?

**HedgeHog** · 11-10-09, 07:09 AM

BetWay has a D- rating, so I doubt they ever paid the guy his remaining winnings.

**Stumpage** · 11-10-09, 07:53 AM

Ladies and Gentlemen, this concludes tonight's awards ceremony for "Worst/Most Comical excuse ever for not paying" in the category of shit-ass sportbooks

To recap, BetWay wins the contest by unanimous vote, and also recieve a lifetime Patheticness Distinction award seeing as this excuse can never be topped. Congratulations to this smoldering pile of festering excrement.

**betpartners** · 11-10-09, 04:38 PM

I can predict the future

Justin7 takes this on, gets nowhere as usual with European books and then Betway get rogued.

Point being we will be none the wiser as to what really happened.

That said, if this is true and for me its not a big if but a mega if, then betway deserve all they get, stinks if they closed the acount because they did not beleive someones age ffs.

Just ask for the documentation, some people are so simple.

Justin7 what is the update on this, does the OP have a case here or is this a wind up?

**vderi55** · 11-19-09, 11:57 AM

Reading this story, and another topic about the conditions change, I've decided to withdraw the bigger half of the amount on Betway. Next day they asked for documents, and after two days I've got an e-mail that they could not reach me via telephone, just as mchouse. I answered back, we fixed a time when they can easily call me, the call was done, and the amount was transferred next day. Not the fastest book (he whole process took about a week), but I've seen worse, and the they replied fast on e-mails.

**Justin7** · 11-19-09, 01:35 PM

I can only comment on what I see, and I don't have this one.

Betway did have a history for randomly stealing accounts if you were playing arbs - "money method" I think is what they called it. Their new rule allowing theft of any player's winnings involving betting good numbers is ridiculous also.

**vderi55** · 11-19-09, 06:01 PM

Well I was not playing arbs, and I have no problem until now, but I agree, the new rule is pathetic

**Toit** · 11-19-09, 06:23 PM

Originally posted by vderi55

Well I was not playing arbs, and I have no problem until now, but I agree, the new rule is pathetic

If you were born in '55 or your age is 55 you're probably just on the right side of the age line.

**fixxer** · 11-20-09, 03:08 AM

Avoid Betway at all cost

**iceminers26** · 11-20-09, 03:20 AM

idiotic excuse by the book, sorry mchouse, i hope u somehow get your money

**vderi55** · 11-20-09, 10:57 AM

Yep, I'll withdraw the remaining sum before my next birthday