Need some help dealing with sportsbook confiscating funds...

[cards28]

Hey all. Been running into a significant issue with an offshore sportsbook (lets just call this Sportsbook X for now). Wondering if anyone can give me any advice on how to deal with this situation...

On December 8th, I placed a bet on a football game, (Furman vs. Montana), taking the line at +17, a fairly normal football line. This was on sportsbook X. On another sportsbook Y, I saw the line at about 15.5, so I thought why not I will hope for a middle. This was about an hour before the game. At game time, I see the closing odds drift around the ~15.5, 16 range. I put a huge amount on both sides, and a little more on the 17 side, thinking worst case I lose a bit on the -110 vig. Furman covers the 17 by quite a bit, losing by just 7.

Everything seemed fine until about two days after the game ended. To my surprise, all my wagers related to this game were canceled by Sportsbook X, citing a "line error."

My question is how the hell is this a line error? Literally every sportsbook, if you check the odds history of this game (on oddshark or other services), has this line drifting between 14.5 to 17.5 in the day leading up to the matchup. When I placed my bet, I even checked other sportsbooks at the time, and their odds were in the same range (+15 to +17). This makes me doubt the "line error" explanation because the odds were consistent across various platforms. Moreover, this isn't even a significant "point" at all, e.g. if a sportsbook offered a consensus +5.5 game at +8.5 or something instead.

To summarize, the final score of the game had a 7-point difference, which further confuses the issue of the 17-point line being so off. I had a significant amount (many thousands) in this +17.5 line. And like I said to manage my risks, I also placed bets on the opposite side (-15.5) at another sportsbook, with close to that significant amount. But with the cancellation of my bet at Sportsbook X, I've ended up with substantial losses since my bets ONLY counted on sportsbook Y.

Has anyone experienced something similar? How did you handle it? Any advice on how to proceed with Sportsbook X (offsite book) or any steps I should consider taking? This is pretty huge for me and I just don't know how you can cancel a bet like this, especially TWO days after the game.

Thanks in advance for your insights

 

[Ace7550]

IMO, that is not nearly far enough off to be a line error. Sportsbooks have a 1-2 point difference in spreads quite frequently. Furthermore, if they were gonna cancel it they needed to do it before the game started.
Kind of need to know which sportsbook did this to have any further insight. Feel free to PM me.

 

[cards28]

Thank you...pm'd.

 

[djefferis]

Ok - correct me if I am wrong here - but as I read this - I see it as you bet both sides AT THE SAME BOOK - in an attempt to catch a middle.

Now - I’d agree - there is no “line error” - book was just slow moving and got caught hanging a bad line. Only improves your case if you can find places hanging a 17 just before you placed your bet that day.

Now - to my suspicion - if correct - how does it negatively effect you? You bet a large amount on both sides - with a small middle that didn’t hit. Even with a larger bet on one side - this is generally frowned upon in non- bonus RO situations - but allowed as there was a degree of risk.

Betting both sides at the same book on the same day is generally viewed as unfavorable action by a bookmaker. You are trying to middle them with their own money. Similar to betting a team as a dog at a high payout - and then something changes and the fave price drops - so you bet the fave and lock in a guaranteed profit (provided the game is played).

Worse - if you are subject to a rollover on a bonus - this stuff will absolutely get you booted/barred. Your taking no risk (aside from losing one side of the vig) - if your giving back 5% - but clearing a large portion of a roll - book is well within their rights to cancel (most have specific rules about this sort of bonus abuse).

Plenty of people do it - but never at same book (or affiliated books). Way too much risk and you will be caught.

 

[jyumni]

Ok - correct me if I am wrong here - but as I read this - I see it as you bet both sides AT THE SAME BOOK - in an attempt to catch a middle.

Now - I’d agree - there is no “line error” - book was just slow moving and got caught hanging a bad line. Only improves your case if you can find places hanging a 17 just before you placed your bet that day.

Now - to my suspicion - if correct - how does it negatively effect you? You bet a large amount on both sides - with a small middle that didn’t hit. Even with a larger bet on one side - this is generally frowned upon in non- bonus RO situations - but allowed as there was a degree of risk.

Betting both sides at the same book on the same day is generally viewed as unfavorable action by a bookmaker. You are trying to middle them with their own money. Similar to betting a team as a dog at a high payout - and then something changes and the fave price drops - so you bet the fave and lock in a guaranteed profit (provided the game is played).

Worse - if you are subject to a rollover on a bonus - this stuff will absolutely get you booted/barred. Your taking no risk (aside from losing one side of the vig) - if your giving back 5% - but clearing a large portion of a roll - book is well within their rights to cancel (most have specific rules about this sort of bonus abuse).

Plenty of people do it - but never at same book (or affiliated books). Way too much risk and you will be caught.

multiple times it says its between 2 different books x and y

 

[Ace7550]

yep two different books. Nothing wrong with that. I do it all the time.

 

[djefferis]

Ok - 2 different UNAFFILIATED books - there is no way to claim line error. Again / I am seeking clarification from the OP - the person reporting the experience. It’s amazing how people can tell a story once - and the remember facts slightly differently the second retelling.

Lots of people bet both sides for arbitrage purposes or bonus scalping - completely normal. But as mentioned when taking shots at a book with their own money is generally a good way to get booted.

Same would go for using affiliated books - for example let’s say BOL and LowVig - if I bet both sides creating an arbitrage - they would likely not be happy as the source of funds is one in the same and no risk. Likewise - if I circumvented limits betting same game at both - same issue.

 

[cards28]

yep, i bet on two separate books. book X bet on +17. my point of bringing up book Y is to just let you know that I lost a TON of money because i was going for a middle. it might totally be my fault too for trusting this idea.

basically +17 was paying out at -105 if i recall correctly, and -15 was at -103 for the other book, so i was like why not ill go for it.

 

[cards28]

when i brought up the case in the sportsbook, i didnt even talk about sportsbook Y of course. my point of bringing up the fact that i bet on the other side was to simply say that BECAUSE sportsbook X cancelled all my +17 bets, i ended up just losing a TON of money on the -15 bet because sportsbook Y of course counted it as a loss.

 

[cards28]

yep also correct, two completely, completely unaffiliated books (e.g. not a lowvig vs. BOL, or justbet vs. bookmaker)

 

[cards28]

Honestly for me, I only see two situations here:

1. This was truly a "line error" (according to Sportsbook X). However, does having a line of +17, compared to +15.5 truly constitute a line error? Is it even that big of a difference? (Note that there were other sportsbooks out there giving the ranges +14.5 to +17.5) Moreover, if the bet had lost, I don't think the sportsbooks would have cancelled the bet at all.

2. The sportsbook was slow to move their lines. In that case, I guess this could be called "chasing steam"? But isn't "chasing steam" used everywhere? Who cancels a bet because you moved your odds more slowly? It literally is baffling to me.

 

[jyumni]

yep, i bet on two separate books. book X bet on +17. my point of bringing up book Y is to just let you know that I lost a TON of money because i was going for a middle. it might totally be my fault too for trusting this idea.

basically +17 was paying out at -105 if i recall correctly, and -15 was at -103 for the other book, so i was like why not ill go for it.

Yeah this is risk of arb betting, betting both sides.
Quite often one sportsbook cancels the bet and you are left alone betting bick chunk of money
on a game you don't know shit about.

 

[djefferis]

Honestly for me, I only see two situations here:

1. This was truly a "line error" (according to Sportsbook X). However, does having a line of +17, compared to +15.5 truly constitute a line error? Is it even that big of a difference? (Note that there were other sportsbooks out there giving the ranges +14.5 to +17.5) Moreover, if the bet had lost, I don't think the sportsbooks would have cancelled the bet at all.

2. The sportsbook was slow to move their lines. In that case, I guess this could be called "chasing steam"? But isn't "chasing steam" used everywhere? Who cancels a bet because you moved your odds more slowly? It literally is baffling to me.

I think consensus opinion of the forum would be a line of -/+ 17 on a game with a widely available number of 15.5 is not a “line error”. Line errors involve an mis pricing of an event greater than 100% (ie a line of -/+ 15 when everyone else hangs a 1.5 or a +1500 moneyljne when it’s +150 elsewhere.

It could be considered “steam betting” if you’re betting the better side of a game that is rapidly changing immediately before the event. It’s not voidable - but will get you booted from most rec books if you have a history of doing it. 1x can happen to anyone - when it happens multiple times in a short period - especially for a new account for example - it’s clear you no longer are a “recreational player”.

File the complaint with BMR if you haven’t - let them investigate and discuss with the book. Again - if unaffiliated books - and the book with the opposite (losing) side of the action took no action to void - you have a solid case based on presented facts.

Very shady on the book voiding wagers - haven’t seen anything like this for quite a while. Most would pay the bet and boot if they thought it was non rec play.

How do you think they know you bet the opposite side elsewhere if unaffiliated? It’s not like books regularly meet/share client files - especially on smaller bettors.

 

[djefferis]

Also - canceling a wager AFTER the event started is a big no-no of course.

It’s permissible (if not a tad shady) for the book to cancel before start - including right up until the start of an event - especially in a line error situation. Again - many occurrences in the “old days” of bookmaking of guys pounding slow moving overnight lines that changed before someone came in for the day and updated. Those days are decades ago though / any book now shouldn’t have this happening.

 

[cards28]

Yeah this is risk of arb betting, betting both sides.
Quite often one sportsbook cancels the bet and you are left alone betting bick chunk of money
on a game you don't know shit about.

yeah agree, i've learned my lesson. but it just makes so little sense to me why a book would just simply cancel your bet, but I guess i've learned why... Especially if it is a smaller market.

 

[cards28]

I think consensus opinion of the forum would be a line of -/+ 17 on a game with a widely available number of 15.5 is not a “line error”. Line errors involve an mis pricing of an event greater than 100% (ie a line of -/+ 15 when everyone else hangs a 1.5 or a +1500 moneyljne when it’s +150 elsewhere.

It could be considered “steam betting” if you’re betting the better side of a game that is rapidly changing immediately before the event. It’s not voidable - but will get you booted from most rec books if you have a history of doing it. 1x can happen to anyone - when it happens multiple times in a short period - especially for a new account for example - it’s clear you no longer are a “recreational player”.

File the complaint with BMR if you haven’t - let them investigate and discuss with the book. Again - if unaffiliated books - and the book with the opposite (losing) side of the action took no action to void - you have a solid case based on presented facts.

Very shady on the book voiding wagers - haven’t seen anything like this for quite a while. Most would pay the bet and boot if they thought it was non rec play.

How do you think they know you bet the opposite side elsewhere if unaffiliated? It’s not like books regularly meet/share client files - especially on smaller bettors.

Oh I definitely don't think they know I bet on the other side, and I don't think it's the reason either. When I spoke to them, their dispute team simply said they had a line error of 17, instead of 15. Their claim was that 17 should be odds of -180 or -200 or whatever odds they said, not -110. So either it was a line error or an odds error. Anyhow, it is quite ridiculous.

I've already filed with BMR over two months ago and no response....they kept saying to give them a couple days and heard nothing back...

 

[cards28]

Also - canceling a wager AFTER the event started is a big no-no of course.

It’s permissible (if not a tad shady) for the book to cancel before start - including right up until the start of an event - especially in a line error situation. Again - many occurrences in the “old days” of bookmaking of guys pounding slow moving overnight lines that changed before someone came in for the day and updated. Those days are decades ago though / any book now shouldn’t have this happening.

Yeah it is really ridiculous. I also bet on the game 3 hours before it started. And even after I bet on it, a couple hours after I kept monitoring the odds and they had not changed it either. At no point did they cancel it either before the game or thoruhgout the game.

Then, two days later, they after the game had won, they said it was a line error. Ended up with huge huge losses for me that I'm trying to recover from.

 

[djefferis]

Oh I definitely don't think they know I bet on the other side, and I don't think it's the reason either.

I've already filed with BMR over two months ago and no response....they kept saying to give them a couple days and heard nothing back...

Ok - then how does the fact you bet the same game / opposite side even factor into the story ? If it’s not part of the issue - just makes the story more confusing. Just say I bet “x” at book X and they canceled the bet 3 days later.

You couldn’t have disputed 2 months ago - today is 1/28/2024 - you list game as occurring 12/8/23 (Friday night) - that’s 7 weeks. I get what you mean - it’s been a long time - but watch what you say as it can and will be interpreted in the strictest sense.

And the closer was Montana -14.5 so FURMAN +17 would not be an obvious line error.

At this point - why not post the ticket and name the book ? No need to protect the guilty here.

 

[cards28]

Ok - then how does the fact you bet the same game / opposite side even factor into the story ? If it’s not part of the issue - just makes the story more confusing. Just say I bet “x” at book X and they canceled the bet 3 days later.

You couldn’t have disputed 2 months ago - today is 1/28/2024 - you list game as occurring 12/8/23 (Friday night) - that’s 7 weeks. I get what you mean - it’s been a long time - but watch what you say as it can and will be interpreted in the strictest sense.

And the closer was Montana -14.5 so FURMAN +17 would not be an obvious line error.

At this point - why not post the ticket and name the book ? No need to protect the guilty here.

Ok sorry. yeah almost two months ago. The point of saying that I bet on the opposite side at another book was just to say that this was a huge loss for me. Sorry.

I went through the book's dispute hotline and they said if I post their name then any dispute process would be ended...not sure what to do. I have never been in a situation like this so really confused right now.

 

[djefferis]

The books dispute hotline ?!? How many books have a hotline for when they screw up - and why are they screwing up so much they need a hotline ?

Again - I get a book saying “don’t say anything public” while we review - but at 7 weeks and upon notice of a 3rd party service intervention - I’d say they have spoken as to their willingness to investigate and make it right.

Obviously there does need to be some investigation and there may be differences in viewpoints here - but doesn’t seem that the book is open to resolve - and unfortunately that’s one of the downsides to offshore. Short of a regulatory authority - no one can make a book do anything.