sportsbetting.com - a Built-in Excuse not to Pay

[sportshobby]

There are sportsbooks that will chase away players that they believe are sharp, trying instead to build a clientele of total suckers with no chance to win. Typically these books just pay these winning players and close their accounts.

Here's one up: how about a policy that says any player the book even SUSPECTS of being a professional sports gambler can be no-paid. In other words, this book can stiff a player and be totally within their policy, so long as they can simply say that they suspect the player to be a professional.

In my opinion, this policy is unprofessional and setting themselves (the book) up to be dishonest and cheats. It gives them an "out" in their policy that is too easy to invoke. Here's the excerpt from sportsbetting.com's website:

"Professional sports gamblers (Wise Guys) are not allowed membership at SPORTSBETTING.COM. If a suspected professional sports gambler does open an account at SPORTSBETTING.COM, SPORTSBETTING.COM reserves the right to 1) cancel this account at any time without notice, and 2) refund any initial deposits made by the professional sports gambler into the SPORTSBETTING.COM account as SPORTSBETTING.COM's only liability towards any and all winnings the professional sports gambler may have achieved."

[Chilly]

I have been booted from a starnet joint in the past for "winning too much". Does that make a professional? If you win, you are a professional? Nevermind that if you several outs, sometimes you lose heavily in one and win a lot in another, breaking even overall, and all the one books sees is you "winning".

What if I do this for a living? I guess I'd say this would make me a professional gambler, but isn't that different than being a "wiseguy"? Is it based on the amount you win/bet?

Chilly

[sportshobby]

Chilly - good questions. But the point here is that it doesn't matter whether you are sharp, winning, professional, part-time or full-time. The only thing that sportsbetting.com has to do is SUSPECT that you are, and they have the self-declared right to NOT pay your winnings.

What a bunch of crap!

[Mojo]

Sportsbetting.com basically is saying squares and losers welcome. Play here and lose, play here and win and we will close your account and put your winnings back into OUR account.

[Ronbets]

This 'loophole to larceny' absolutely blows my mind. I've been in gaming many years, and can't believe the audacity of these schmucks to consider this. The disclaimer has to come from some p-ussy paralegal they employ to cover their asses in the event of a negative windfall.

Today we live in a society that includes many unstable individuals and prozac patients. I wouldn't want to be a clerk when some of these "wiseguys" run out of anti depressants. Follow me? Ask the nations postal employees.

[sportsbank]

sportshobby,
Did they chase you and keep your money,
or was this something you just came across?


Sportsbank.

[Darwin]

The real mystery is why are they on the
List? With a policy that gives them a
license to steal, Sportsbetting.com should
be in the Clink.

[Alpine]

Sportshobby - Great post! This is exactly the kind of information that makes this forum a "must-read" for offshore sports bettors. I would never even consider opening an account at Sportsbetting.com after reading your post.

Darwin - You took the words right out of my mouth!

[sportshobby]

Sportsbank, thankfully it is just something I came across by reading. I've never had an account there, and I probably never will.

Mojo, Ron, Darwin, Apline and others basically see this as I did - a license not to pay.

[mls]

My thanks also for the post.

I was about to open a 10 dime account with sportsbetting.com.

Especially during football season it seems I either win big or lose big.

So if I win big at this book they simply say I'm a "professional" and don't pay (20 years as an M.D. is my hobby I guess ...) A heads you win, tails I lose deal ...

Incredible ...

[magic8ball]

I have an account at sportsbetting.com If they decide not to respond and change this scam policy Im closing my accout.

[magic8ball]

oh oh, i just realized i've doubled my orginal BR there. Does that make me a pro sports gambler, hardly and yet they can deny my winnings if they SUSPECT it. What a scam

[Fred]

Brian, Jeff

What is your take on this 'rule' of sportsbetting.com's?



[This message has been edited by Fred (edited 09-10-2000).]

[SLAM DUNK]

I guess they are a little worried about that
.18%. Truly pathetic. Would like to see a list of all books that have wiseguy clauses posted. ALL PLAYERS should avoid them. In fact any book with any wiseguy clause should be in the clink as far as I am concerned. One day, it might be you who gets his/her money confinscated because of some ridiculous clause(and maybe for the wrong reason). The more the players let the books get away with, the more they will try to get away with. Take a stand now, before it gets out of hand.

[intheknow]

Hey guys, I don't want to rain on your parade and I think that a book with a policy like that is horrible.

But I have to take exception to the term loser and square that so many of the posters here hang on every other player who doesn't win. Does that mean that every poster here that can't show a winning season is a loser, or a square? How many of you can tell me that you win year in and year out. Doesn't anybody play because it's fun.
Is the only reason to play, to get the biggest bonus and the best line and be damned if it's enjoyable to play at that book or not?
Sure I own a book and it's a business, but I'm also a player and I like to sweat out action and test my skills against the spread like alot of people. I want to talk **** with my customer service rep who knows the game, I want a clerk who I have no problem understanding, I want a cheerful voice answering the phone like they want me to play there, not just take the action and get me off the phone as soon as possible. I want to be able to call anytime I want and not have to be worried about getting a busy signal. I want to be able to cash out without having to tell someone why I want my money. I feel like the days of this kind of book is fading now.
Everybody wants the biggest bonus, and they want you to post numbers that you can't get anywhere else, regardless if that is a bad line or not. They want all these insane props to hammer, because they can be beat easier than the regular lines. And new books have to offer all these things in order to compete. Now, you have to slash your service in some areas to make up for the bonuses and easier lines in others if you still want to make a profit.

Anyway enough crying about it, I'm just glad I'm not trying to break into this business today instead of 5 years ago.

I'd think to hear any thoughts anyone has on this post.