As reported by the Racing Post, the Independent Betting Arbitration Service recovered a record £257,000 in disputes with bookmakers in 2005.
The betting watchdog dealt with 1,812 disputes last year, an increase of 35 per cent on 2004.
“When we started, we dealt predominantly with retail disputes, but now, as well as retail, we take in the online market and betting exchanges, and we’ve just completed a six-month pilot scheme on e-gaming,” said IBAS Chief Executive Chris O’Keeffe.
“Remarkably, the breakdown hasn’t changed much, with horseracing and football dominating, but the number of disputes has soared, because of the expansion of betting opportunities, and the growth in fields of betting activity and the new customers they attract.”
“The variations have come within the categories. Horseracing and greyhounds are well established markets, where the rules have mainly been in place for years, but the growth of sports betting has produced extra markets with new slants on rules.”
“We’re also getting more disputes from abroad, as betting increasingly crosses frontiers, and this area is sure to grow even more.”
Calculators
