VIP Sports players await final payment; new sportsbook surfaces?

[SBR Lou]

Fourteen VIP Sports players report being owed $9,382.

A security team and CS team rep have answered SBR's emails thus far by saying that players who did not request their balances in the allotted time would not be paid. We've been following up with them every day, and haven't received a response since Thursday. We're hoping that VIP makes good on the small amount of funds owed, and that this is simply poor execution of CS and miscommunication on their part.

Interestingly, "GT Bets.com" has surfaced with the same customer service number as VIP, an almost identical website layout and one former VIP player forwarded a marketing email that included the account username he held with VIP. As it looks now, either VIP has sold its customer list or it has simply re-branded. We'll update as we know more.

[mighty maron]

Gtbets.com has no poker room. I thought VIP had a poker room on the merge network..

[gregm]

The part about the players funds is bad news, I used to treat my sportsboook accounts like a bank account and forget about them for awhile. Not anymore. This closing was very sudden, I bet alot of people never heard about it.

I did get an email from Vip about the closing on one of my old email accounts.

Is gtbets.com out of curacao? The web site layout looks exactly like VIP, I loved the vip rewards and they always had a great cash bonus right before football season, I would love to hear more about this gtbets outfit when possible.

[Kindred]

GTbets has same website and same promos VIP used to offer. I tried logging in with VIP account info and it didn't work.

[SBR Lou]

Greg,

They share the same server for their subdomains, same customer service number (still busy), and list themselves as being registered to operate out of the Netherlands Antilles just like VIP.

We're trying to reach the owner of VIP for comment on the exiting players funds, and what exactly is going on. It could be a company restructure or it could have been a sale, either way VIP's not ranking really well in the PR department. A headscratcher so far.

[Kindred]

Is gtbets.com out of curacao? The web site layout looks exactly like VIP, I loved the vip rewards and they always had a great cash bonus right before football season, I would love to hear more about this gtbets outfit when possible.

If you click on "terms and conditions" on the bottom left of the website you get a popup with the following info:

Company is fully licensed and authorized to operate in Curacao, Netherlands Antilles; therefore, to ensure complete legality, all transactions and wagers will be considered originating from and governed by the laws of the Netherlands Antilles.

[Kindred]

Gtbets.com has no poker room. I thought VIP had a poker room on the merge network..

The casino doesn't seem to be up yet either, if you click blackjack on the casino page you get "not found"

http://info.gtbets.com/content/casino_tablegames.asp?skin=casino

And the rewards, like VIP rewards page says coming soon so looks like they aren't quite up and running yet.

http://www.gametimerewards.com/

Would be nice to see another option for American players, but until all VIP players are made whole I wouldn't touch them.

[Ruifgalmeida]

Fourteen VIP Sports players report being owed $9,382.

A security team and CS team rep have answered SBR's emails thus far by saying that players who did not request their balances in the allotted time would not be paid. We've been following up with them every day, and haven't received a response since Thursday. We're hoping that VIP makes good on the small amount of funds owed, and that this is simply poor execution of CS and miscommunication on their part.

Interestingly, "GT Bets.com" has surfaced with the same customer service number as VIP, an almost identical website layout and one former VIP player forwarded a marketing email that included the account username he held with VIP. As it looks now, either VIP has sold its customer list or it has simply re-branded. We'll update as we know more.

why do they want to re-brand ??

[Santo]

If it was a VIP/GTBets rebranding then surely this puts cancelled futures in a new light also?

[Sd76er]

Didn't this happen before with them? I could have sworn VIP was once betongames.com?

[LMAOFISH]

But do they accept Canadians?

[nyplayer33]

i hope people get there money..wasnt it clear u had to withdraw by a certain date though.........

[jackkkk2009]

I think Players who are owed money will get paid Since VIP.com is a recommended site before..

[SBR Lou]

VIP Sports says players will be paid

A former VIP Sports (SBR rating B-) operations manager has contacted Sportsbook Review today stating that players who did not request payment in the allotted time—the August 1st deadline—would be paid. The manager explained that the two individuals SBR had communicated briefly with were no longer servicing exiting VIP players inquiries and that their mailboxes were not being monitored. The manager stated that he would be contacting players on SBR's list to inform them that they would be paid soon. SBR questioned VIP as to the relationship with GTbets.com (SBR rating C), the newly surfaced sportsbook that shares VIP servers, software and customer support. The manager denied a business overlap from an ownership perspective, but conceded that former employees of VIP Sports are managing the new brand.

Players that did not request payment from VIP sports prior to the August 1st deadline where VIP Sports, Nine.com and BetGameDay announced their closure are advised to write to help@sportsbookreview.com with their account usernames and balance information.

[bobbywaves]

VIP cut me off from reload bonuses & loyalty program after winning a lot of $$$. I signed up today with GT Bets in hopes they're not affiliated with VIP in any way, so I can qualify for their 50% cash bonus sign up offer.

[Frank]

VIP Sports says players will be paid

A former VIP Sports (SBR rating B-) operations manager has contacted Sportsbook Review today stating that players who did not request payment in the allotted time—the August 1st deadline—would be paid. The manager explained that the two individuals SBR had communicated briefly with were no longer servicing exiting VIP players inquiries and that their mailboxes were not being monitored. The manager stated that he would be contacting players on SBR's list to inform them that they would be paid soon. SBR questioned VIP as to the relationship with GTbets.com (SBR rating C), the newly surfaced sportsbook that shares VIP servers, software and customer support. The manager denied a business overlap from an ownership perspective, but conceded that former employees of VIP Sports are managing the new brand.

Players that did not request payment from VIP sports prior to the August 1st deadline where VIP Sports, Nine.com and BetGameDay announced their closure are advised to write to help@sportsbookreview.com with their account usernames and balance information.

On what basis did SBR initiate a "C" rating if ownership is not known?

[Mastertvtech]

I never heard of GT before now and been active for many years. It sure looks as if VIP will finish up honorably anyway. They were very efficient in cashing everybody out and didn't make many enemies if any.

Myself and 4 others never got emails from them....I found out here and passed it on....So I can see how some were unaware, (I was expecting more frankly) and still have funds there.

On a side note, one friend who was not notified, had about $60 in there and in 2 weeks turned it into $980 in the casino and then realized he had some cash rewards, which more than offset his check fee.

They also allowed another friend to play both sides and lose the vig in order to meet his bonus rollover in time.

[PD77]

Wow Game Time Bets just put their name in where VIP used to be. As for the casino they will have to find another provider because Vegas Technology no longer allows US deposits. Sometime back VIP used RTG casino software. Has anyone ventured to sign up? FWIW I played here for years, and never received an email stating they were closing shop. They did solicit me in June for a 100% fathers day bonus. Customer service couldn't comprende so I never deposited. VIP really lost contact with their customers towards the end.

[bayman]

I was a member of VIP.com, but didn't catch the notice on their site until a few days after the deadline expired. I sent an email to the support email address, but heard nothing...until yesterday. My balance was too small to send a check (threshold was $145, I was at $127), so they created an account for me at gtbets.com...with same ID/password. The site is a replica of the old VIP.com site.

[bayman]

To be clear, they moved my $127 to the new site.

[nyplayer33]

if u were paid you should play on the new site...just saying

[nyplayer33]

When a business goes to shutdown..they dont honor gift certificates etc after closing..vip was classy in extending the payment of players