Bovada stiffing a player for winning - A new low for a sportsbook

[Miz]

i just read their bonus rules. holy shit. they basically have every form of betting pattern covered to justify theft of funds. I haven't had trouble with them ever, but I will be careful. I hope you get your money man. Good luck

[Sleepless]

What bets were you making to win all that $$$$ without any sports going on? Juswondrin

UFC, Table tennis, sims, esports

[Sleepless]

5Dimes has treated you "shady" as well?

Was was that about? Bonus related too?

I should clarify. I didn't personally have a problem with them but I read about a lot of disturbing things during the Tony era which you can read on archived forums or by googling. That said, I was very impressed with how they handled business when sports shut down in contrast with some other books apparently could not or chose not to pay their depositors what they are owed and cited the pandemic as their excuse.

[Sleepless]

Thank you for sharing this. best of luck in recovering your funds. Did you have multiple accounts ? That is usually the only way books totally stiff people. Or did you have a friend over on your wifi that also logged in? I've been paid many times by them, and this is disturbing news that I am wondering if it is related to financial trouble from the pandemic.

No, this was "bonus fraud" - a term that they invented to avoid paying someone who wins after accepting a bonus that they offered that person. I am not the only one that this has happened to and this type of behavior by any sportsbook should be not be accepted by the betting community.

[Sleepless]

Just wanted everyone to know that I filed a complaint with SBR to investigate. Hopefully this policy was just a very poor lapse in judgement that a more senior member of management will correct but we shall see. If they ultimately decide that they want arbitrary actions like this to be the foundation of their business then they should reap what they sew. Will post an update when I hear back.

[patswin]

I hate hearing this stuff and I hope SBR can help you get your money. I always take bonuses and as someone else above said, if you do it right you used to be able to make some good money from them. Over the years it has gotten worse and books give out less and less.
One red flag to them is betting your account balance on your first bet. So say you deposit 500 and get 500 bonus you would bet all 1000 on 1st bet. Bet the other side somewhere else and hope you lose at the bonus book so you can do it again. They watch for this kind of stuff. Its all good until you win that first bet. I hope you get paid Sleepless. Back when they were Bodog they would do shady stuff like this once in a while but I have not seen anything like this since they became Bovada

[DontTailMe]

No, this was "bonus fraud" - a term that they invented to avoid paying someone who wins after accepting a bonus that they offered that person. I am not the only one that this has happened to and this type of behavior by any sportsbook should be not be accepted by the betting community.

Well "bonus abuse" or "bonus fraud" are certainly not made up terms, and they would potentially use those for players who accept bonuses under two or more different account sign ups.

But your OP says that they justified their actions due to you being a "skilled player" in follow up conversation. If that's true, then they aren't accusing you of multi-accounting, but rather their "recreational player" clause, which is BS.

[DontTailMe]

I should clarify. I didn't personally have a problem with them but I read about a lot of disturbing things during the Tony era which you can read on archived forums or by googling. That said, I was very impressed with how they handled business when sports shut down in contrast with some other books apparently could not or chose not to pay their depositors what they are owed and cited the pandemic as their excuse.

Come on dude. You said "In my experience, 5D used to be very shady at times", which is the exact opposite of what you say here. I'm in support of your Bovada claim if what you say is true. But you have to be better than this. Stick to the facts.

[RedApples]

I should clarify. I didn't personally have a problem with them but I read about a lot of disturbing things during the Tony era which you can read on archived forums or by googling. That said, I was very impressed with how they handled business when sports shut down in contrast with some other books apparently could not or chose not to pay their depositors what they are owed and cited the pandemic as their excuse.

That isn't clarifying. That is changing story. Previously you stated "in your experience" they were shady, and contrasted that time period with the CovidEra 5Dimes. These posts don't pass the smell test. Hope it works out for you, and your NHL futures.

[RedApples]

Come on dude. You said "In my experience, 5D used to be very shady at times", which is the exact opposite of what you say here. I'm in support of your Bovada claim if what you say is true. But you have to be better than this. Stick to the facts.

lol I Just read this after hitting post and thought I double posted.

[Sleepless]

That isn't clarifying. That is changing story. Previously you stated "in your experience" they were shady, and contrasted that time period with the CovidEra 5Dimes. These posts don't pass the smell test. Hope it works out for you, and your NHL futures.

I misspoke and didn't express what I was thinking properly. It happens. When I realized that I didn't express what I was trying to say properly, I corrected it. I don't have an issue with 5D and really don't care about them one way or another. Was just attempting to give some feedback to the guy who asked a question about them and hopefully now he has a better understanding than he did before.

[Ant23]

With the recent behavior of BOVADA it doesn't surprise me that they have started doing #SHADY things. One thing that COVID-19 has done is separate the Top Notch sportsbooks from the ones that make up any reason to stiff players. Congrats to all the REAL A+ sportsbooks!!! Bovada just doesn't meet that criteria anymore......regardless of how much they pay to have others say so.

[Fitz030808]

Is there an update on this case? I would like to make a deposit at Bovada for poker and Sports. I take the 50% sportsbook deposit when I send bitcoin there. My fear is that I run up a big poker balance, win a couple sports bets, they’ll take all my winnings saying “bonus abuse”. Clearly a concerning issue.

[Ant23]

Fitz030808.......I would be very cautious when dealing with ANY book that uses any excuse to not pay anyone the winnings they have earned. GOOGLE Bovada issues/complaints and make an informed decision. Don't just send them funds b/c sbr.com says its an A+ book. This site is biased towards books that help pay the bills here. #FACTS don't like.......#PEOPLE LIE!!!!


I hope you read this before it gets deleted/blocked!!

[Sleepless]

Is there an update on this case? I would like to make a deposit at Bovada for poker and Sports. I take the 50% sportsbook deposit when I send bitcoin there. My fear is that I run up a big poker balance, win a couple sports bets, they’ll take all my winnings saying “bonus abuse”. Clearly a concerning issue.

Thus far, this issue has NOT been resolved. I had a brief moment of optimism when SBR reported back to me that my account would be reinstated and I would be able to withdraw my balance. When I contacted Bovada, they told me that they completely contradicted this and told me that the account is closed and they had already let me withdraw my balance The issue has always been that they removed $12,581 (my winnings) and only allowed me to withdraw my deposit amount. SBR told me that they asked me to email them, which I did. This was my message to them.

I am writing at the request of one of the moderators from the SBR forum who informed me that someone from Bovada was asking that I contact at this address. I am writing with regards to the $12,581 that was debited from my account that were from fair bets that were accepted by Bovada. The fact that I accepted a bonus that was offered to me by Bovada should not preclude Bovada from paying out fair and legitimate winnings. This is not behavior of an A+ rated sportsbook and significantly lowers the perception of Bovada in the sports betting and poker community. I am respectfully asking that the $12,581 that was removed from my account be put back so that I can withdraw it so that this situation can be made right and resolved once and for all. Thank you.

Two days later they got back to me and said they sent me an email on May 12 explaining the status of my balance (the one that stated that they would refund my deposits but were stiffing me on my winnings because of bonus fraud). No clue why they asked the SBR moderator to have me email them only for them to tell me the exact same thing that they already told me. I have been trying to get paid now for over 5 weeks. As of this moment, I am still STIFFED. It is my belief that any of these behaviors individually would be concerning but collectively ABSOLUTELY and POSITIVELY warrant a significant DOWNGRADE of Bovada's SBR rating. All one would need is a quick review of this forum to see the concerning number of disturbing issues with them over the past several months and they have shown a complete disregard to the consequences of this behavior. A book that arbitrarily refuses to pay a player his winnings on the grounds that the player accepted a bonus that they offered him and he won DOES NOT WARRANT THE COVETED A+ RATING! To continue to rate a sportsbook with as many serious complaints as Bovada has A+ would considerably undermine the credibility of SBR and is also unjust to the books who are rated the same or lower who have earned their ratings. As a community, we cannot allow a book to not pay on legitimate and fair winnings without consequence. In light of this and the numerous other complaints that have been posted in this forum, I would like to publicly request that a formal review of Bovada's A+ rating be conducted and reviewed for downgrade.

[MeanPeopleSuck]

Thus far, this issue has NOT been resolved.

Dude, that is one of the more egregious cash grabs I've ever experienced or heard about. I totally agree: if your case isn't fixed, Bovada should immediately have to undergo a review of its rating.

And not just for you, but for all of us. You got hit with a version of the alarmingly rising tide of books using "recreational player" clauses to screw us. I've been threatened with that clause too, and my fear that books will continue expanding claims along those lines is the exact reason I returned to posting here at SBR after two years away.

The "recreational player" clause is terrifying because it has no limitations. Any account that any of us has containing decent profits can theoretically be hit with, "we're confiscating your winnings because we only cater to recreational players and your significant profitability over time shows you're clearly a professional."

[nyplayer33]

Low post count op.....never had issue with bodog. Bovada

[HomeRun35]

It seems like most of these types of experiences revolve around the book using their bonus rules as excuse to confiscate funds. I've just decided to never take a bonus at these types of books, not worth the risk.

[DontTailMe]

Low post count op.....never had issue with bodog. Bovada

The fact that SBR's response to OP seems to validate the issue indicates that OP's post count is of no consequence here.

Also, this is not the only person who has made the same complaint of Bovada in recent weeks. Something is going on over there.

[Colonist]

Years ago, someone named Bodog Becky used to comment on here in representation of the book. Does anyone nowadays rep Bovada on here? I'd like to hear the book's take on this as I'm guessing there is another side to this story. If not, why can't an SBR mod report on their findings with the discussions with Bovada? Why would that need to be confidential?

[Sleepless]

Dude, that is one of the more egregious cash grabs I've ever experienced or heard about. I totally agree: if your case isn't fixed, Bovada should immediately have to undergo a review of its rating.

And not just for you, but for all of us. You got hit with a version of the alarmingly rising tide of books using "recreational player" clauses to screw us. I've been threatened with that clause too, and my fear that books will continue expanding claims along those lines is the exact reason I returned to posting here at SBR after two years away.

The "recreational player" clause is terrifying because it has no limitations. Any account that any of us has containing decent profits can theoretically be hit with, "we're confiscating your winnings because we only cater to recreational players and your significant profitability over time shows you're clearly a professional."

This 100%. The issue here is their willingness to use their "terms" to get out of paying a customer his winnings. They have every right to refuse or limit future bets but it is never acceptable to not pay out. I wasn't a skilled player when the first deposit I lost, I wasn't a skilled player when the second deposit i lost, it wasn't until I attempted to make a withdrawal that they call me a skilled player and confiscate my winnings. Really??? How can this ever be acceptable?!?!

[Sleepless]

It seems like most of these types of experiences revolve around the book using their bonus rules as excuse to confiscate funds. I've just decided to never take a bonus at these types of books, not worth the risk.

This seems to be a solution but if a book wants to not pay a winner, there are a dozen other "terms" that they could use to not pay. The thing that separates an A+ book from a C rated book is the book's willingness to find reasons not to pay and that is the issue we all should have. It should not be acceptable to offer customers a bonus as an excuse to not pay those that win.

[Sleepless]

The fact that SBR's response to OP seems to validate the issue indicates that OP's post count is of no consequence here.

Also, this is not the only person who has made the same complaint of Bovada in recent weeks. Something is going on over there.

I'm really glad that you pointed this out. I am not the only one to have had this problem lately and there have been other reports on this forum about the same issue recently.

[Sleepless]

Years ago, someone named Bodog Becky used to comment on here in representation of the book. Does anyone nowadays rep Bovada on here? I'd like to hear the book's take on this as I'm guessing there is another side to this story. If not, why can't an SBR mod report on their findings with the discussions with Bovada? Why would that need to be confidential?

I would very much welcome this and would encourage an SBR mod to discuss their findings from the discussions

[lonegambler23]

Is there an update on this case? I would like to make a deposit at Bovada for poker and Sports. I take the 50% sportsbook deposit when I send bitcoin there. My fear is that I run up a big poker balance, win a couple sports bets, they’ll take all my winnings saying “bonus abuse”. Clearly a concerning issue.

just use 5dimes, fukk bonuses use your hard earned money guy

[PD77]

Years ago, someone named Bodog Becky used to comment on here in representation of the book. Does anyone nowadays rep Bovada on here? I'd like to hear the book's take on this as I'm guessing there is another side to this story. If not, why can't an SBR mod report on their findings with the discussions with Bovada? Why would that need to be confidential?

Sport book reps aren’t allowed to post any longer to my knowledge. Been like that for a while.

[thagame24]

Any update on this? Been holding off on a bovada deposit because of this issue.

[vampire assassin]

Any update on this? Been holding off on a bovada deposit because of this issue.

Same here.

[Sleepless]

As of now, they have not paid me my winnings and they closed my account. I have filed a complaint with SBR so hopefully they will be able to help resolve this but as of now it's been 6 weeks and still no pay. Would really appreciate it if anyone from SBR could provide an update.

[DontTailMe]

As of now, they have not paid me my winnings and they closed my account. I have filed a complaint with SBR so hopefully they will be able to help resolve this but as of now it's been 6 weeks and still no pay. Would really appreciate it if anyone from SBR could provide an update.

Wasn't there a second player who posted about this same "recreational player" issue in the last couple of weeks? I think there should be 2 similar SBR disputes if I'm not mistaken.

I'm VERY interested in seeing how both of these cases turn out.

[Ant23]

Sleepless.........Looks like you can get in the line of folks that Bovada has gone to the "terms" to stiff. Amazing that none of the mods here seem to think that's a problem? Guess as long as the $$$ keeps coming in the lights stay on!!

[HedgeHog]

I thought that this was resolved. Last I heard SBR contacted Bovada and the OP's account was going to be reopened and paid. What happened? I'd like to hear SBR's version. Better yet, an official word from Bovada would be nice.

[DontTailMe]

I thought that this was resolved. Last I heard SBR contacted Bovada and the OP's account was going to be reopened and paid. What happened? I'd like to hear SBR's version. Better yet, an official word from Bovada would be nice.

I don't remember anyone saying this was resolved - player, Bovada, nor SBR. And I don't see any updates at all in this thread.

However, I did find the other occurrence of this Bovada recreational player BS I mentioned in my comment above. Not sure if this guy ever submitted a dispute.

https://www.sportsbookreview.com/forum/sportsbooks-industry/3603758-bovada-payout.html#post29453914

I’ve been scammed by Bovada for $5700. They site bonus abuse because I’m not a “recreational player”. Such a damn cop out to not want to pay me. It’s absolutely criminal, can someone on here help?

[thagame24]

It's sad when books that used to be great start going down this road. I'm up on Bovada big lifetime and have been limited, so now I feel like I'd definitely be playing with fire if I deposited for a promotion. Guess I will have to pass

[Sleepless]

I thought that this was resolved. Last I heard SBR contacted Bovada and the OP's account was going to be reopened and paid. What happened? I'd like to hear SBR's version. Better yet, an official word from Bovada would be nice.

SBR contacted Bovada and said my account would be reinstated to withdraw my remaining balance. Naturally I assumed that they had put back the $12,581 in winnings that they debited. I went to log into account and was unable to so I contacted customer service. They told me that the account has 0 balance and has been closed and that they already informed me of all of this a month ago. I am anxiously awaiting an explanation why the SBR rep was told by Bovada that the account would be reinstated and that I would be able to withdraw the balance.

I also would very much like an SBR rep to post and discuss their findings and even more so would love for an official Bovada statement to explain the situation and their justification for non payment.