What do I do if my bookmaker refuses to pay out my winnings?

[ 28.10.16 ]

It’s quite uncommon that a bookmaker cheats bettors or limits their possibilities in some dishonest or mean way. High-profile and reliable bookies try to build trust with their client base. The only thing that may trigger some drastic action is obvious financial manipulations.

Nonetheless, such nasty cases are an integral – although undesirable – part of sports betting online. This article educates bettors on what to do if your bookmaker is acting suspicious.

What do I do is my bookie turned out to be a rogue?

First and foremost, you need to figure out whether your bookmaker is a fly-by-night company. The best way to do this is to talk to sports betting community on specialized forums. If you find out that you are not the only who suffered from the bookie’s dishonest behavior (e.g., the bookie delays or fails payouts, changes winning amounts, cancels winning bets, etc.), then you must have come across a rogue.

Unfortunately, you can hardly do anything about the situation. Negotiations, demands, and threats are mostly useless. First, you need to tell other bettors about your situation to warn them. Second, you need to contact a hosting company which provides services to the dishonest bookmaker. If you manage to gather a large group of deceived players, you can make state authorities to block the bookie. Although your chances to get your winnings back are pretty slim, you may at least save trouble for other bettors.

Can I recover my winnings in a dispute with a reliable bookie?

Your chances to succeed are higher if you’re dealing with a trusted bookmaker with good reputation. It should be said that most clients prefer reliable companies with established names.

First, your problem may be a result of a technical bug. Don’t waste time and contact user support immediately. Try to be polite and reserved. Prepare to describe your problem to several different people. Think of what you’re going to say in advance. This will save you much time and effort.

If an operator failed to help you, ask them to contact you with the manager. In the best scenario, your problem will be solved. Or at least you will receive exhaustive explanation on why a bookmaker took certain actions towards you.

How to challenge the decision

It’s not uncommon that the decision fails to satisfy both parties. This is the right time to contract a lawyer, especially of you have evidence proving you’re right (email/chat screenshots, personal cabinet screenshots, copy of user agreement, etc). If this is not the question of life and death or you can’t hire a lawyer for some reason, you can still undermine the bookmaker’s reputation. To do this, you need to go beyond betting forums.

File a complaint with sportsbookreview.com. There is hardly a bookmaker that ignores this respectable online resource. Furthermore, contact the organization that issued the bookmaker’s license and provide it with a detailed account of what happened. If your bookmaker is a member of any international organizations (look for respective icons on the website), be sure to contact them as well.

If your problem has to do with missing payments, contact the payment system you used to make them.

If the bookmaker’s license was issued in your country of residence, file a complaint with the local regulatory body. This may be the most effective way to draw the bookmaker’s attention to the situation.

Contracting a seasoned lawyer with experience in handling similar cases is your best option. At the same time, a bettor can accomplish much even without a lawyer’s help, especially if their opinion is backed up by facts and hard evidence.

If you were cheated by a bookmaker that has its own sports betting network, the plan of actions stays the same. Furthermore, you can take pleasure in telling the bookmaker manager everything you think of them.