[Bass386]

I have open an account by focusbet and I claimed there sportsbook bonus. I bet 400 EUR on draw ( 4.25 ) in match Ny Red Bulls Vs Portland Timbers. The match ended in a draw, but I only got 850 EUR back. They say, when I claimed a bonus, I can only bet with 200 EUR, other winnings will be forfeited. But when only 200 EUR counts, they must give me 200 EUR back.I have placed more bets wiht over 200 EUR, but I lose all this bets.
But when only 200 EUR count, they must give me the amount over the 200 EUR back? Is that right? Otherwise they can cheat customers. When I bet 400 Euro and I win, they stolen winnings and when I lose the bet, they will claim the 200 EUR.

I know from other customers, that they bet more then 200 EUR with bonus and they got all their winnings! Dont pay in by this scam bookmaker !

[Optional]

I don't like their bonus terms but they are pretty clear about what they will do with "illegal" bets

6. The required bonus betting turnover is calculated valid for bets with the stakes not higher than 200 Euro each. If the player bets higher amount than that, the winning is considered illegal.

Moreover, in this situation the following applies:

If the player places a bet which is higher than the Max Bet defined and wins, the system will calculate consequently:

• Valid Bet = Max Bet / Bet

• Valid Win = Valid Bet * Win

• Illegal Win = Win - Valid Win

The Illegal Win will be removed and the rest will be transferred as Win (the player will be credited only with the Valid Win).

I think you make a good point that if winnings are not paid, all bets over 200 euro should be cancelled though. Ethically at least.

You can fill in a complaint form and SBR will have a look at it for you.

[luctens]

It's amazing that players call bookmakers a "scam" and "cheats" for just abiding by their own stated terms.

If you don't like the terms, you simply shouldn't have accepted them when signing up. Whether the terms are fair or not, you've got to expect a few curveballs in some sites' and in this industry, the ownness is well and truly on the customer to examine everything to make sure that they agree with the terms and it's not good enough for the player to then cry foul after the event saying they don't like the terms that they've already previously agreed to.

[Bass386]

When I bet 400 Euro and it is only allowed to bet with 200 Euro , they must give me 200 Euro back. They dont answer on my mails, they will not solve the problem, so its a scam bookmaker. Other bookmakers are better, they solve it by technology, then I cant bet more then 200 Euros.

That I bet more its my mistake yes, but I think they have changed the bonus terms, because I know from other customers that they have placed bets with more then 200 Euro and they got the money.

[Optional]

When I bet 400 Euro and it is only allowed to bet with 200 Euro , they must give me 200 Euro back. They dont answer on my mails, they will not solve the problem, so its a scam bookmaker. Other bookmakers are better, they solve it by technology, then I cant bet more then 200 Euros.

That I bet more its my mistake yes, but I think they have changed the bonus terms, because I know from other customers that they have placed bets with more then 200 Euro and they got the money.

There is actually quite a lot of bookmakers that have bonus rules with limits like this who also do not use technology to prevent bettors making errors. And unfortunately too many also use their rules to insist it is totally the players responsibility. And are supported by their 'regulators' in this approach.

Not saying that I don't agree this isn't ethically wrong, just that from previous experience it's very likely Focusbet don't care about the ethics and will insist the letter of their rules be followed. They would not spell out their rule so explicitly if they did not plan to use it on people like you.

It's good that this thread now exists to help warn others though.

[AimePor]

Thank you for share, good to know, like this forum

[luctens]

When I bet 400 Euro and it is only allowed to bet with 200 Euro , they must give me 200 Euro back. They dont answer on my mails, they will not solve the problem, so its a scam bookmaker. Other bookmakers are better, they solve it by technology, then I cant bet more then 200 Euros.

That I bet more its my mistake yes, but I think they have changed the bonus terms, because I know from other customers that they have placed bets with more then 200 Euro and they got the money.

The terms that are in question here are the following:

"6. The required bonus betting turnover is calculated valid for bets with the stakes not higher than 200 Euro each. If the player bets higher amount than that, the winning is considered illegal.Moreover, in this situation the following applies:
If the player places a bet which is higher than the Max Bet defined and wins, the system will calculate consequently:
• Valid Bet = Max Bet / Bet
• Valid Win = Valid Bet * Win
• Illegal Win = Win - Valid Win
The Illegal Win will be removed and the rest will be transferred as Win (the player will be credited only with the Valid Win)."

You say that when you bet €400 that they should give you the additional €200 over the €200 back. But the reality is that the bookmakers' terms state that if you bet over the €200 maximum, a winning bet over that amount will be considered "illegal" and as per their terms they are allowed to remove your winnings and stake over and above the €200 maximum bet. Their terms don't even cover losing bets so they aren't obliged to return anything over the maximum €200 bet either on losing bets. You may not think this is morally right for the bookmaker to take this action, but these terms say they can do this, and that's the bottom line.

I find it unlikely that they changed the bonus terms just at the time you signed up or during the time when you were betting with them, but if you had screen-shotted all of the bonus terms and conditions before signing up, then there would be no question and you would have it in black and white exactly what the bonus terms were when you signed up. You say you know other people that got paid when betting over the €200 maximum. By the sounds of it, this bookmaker probably manually looks through all accounts on withdrawal and will then pick up on anybody betting over €200 when they've had the bonus. I would have thought that the other people who have got paid out have just simply got lucky that the bookmaker hasn't noticed when checking their accounts that they've bet more than the €200 and you just haven't been as lucky as them as the bookmaker has noticed it on your account.

This situation could have been avoided very simply. If you hadn't gone over the maximum €200 bet then there would likely have been no issues and if you had taken screenshots of the bookmakers bonus terms before you signed up then there would be no argument about whether they had changed the bonus terms or not. Let this be a lesson for next time to take these actions in the future and for you not to get caught out again.