Online gambling operator Bet365 is being publicly shamed by a disgruntled punter who says she can’t get her winnings off the site.
On Tuesday, The Guardian published the story of an unidentified female punter who claims to be having difficulties convincing Bet365 to fork over her £54k account balance. The punter claims to have had it with Bet365’s delays and has determined that legal action is her only remaining option.
The unnamed punter reportedly opened her Bet365 account on April 16 and deposited £30k the following day. Her first series of horseracing wagers that day were spectacularly unsuccessful, leading to a loss of £23k and a same-day notice from Bet365 that her maximum bet limit had been raised.
On April 18, the punter hit a hot streak, running her remaining £7k up to £54k. That same day, Bet365 informed her that it had made a “trading decision” to restrict her maximum race betting stake to a mere £1. However, Bet365 said she could continue to wager as much as she liked on their online casino products.
Bummed, the punter asked for her account balance to be transferred to her debit card. The punter received an email from Bet365 on April 27 saying her identity had been “fully verified” but the money has yet to be transferred.
The punter subsequently engaged in a prolonged email and phone correspondence with Bet365, including complying with a Bet365 request to submit bank statements to confirm the source of her funds. (In Bet365’s defense, the UK Gambling Commission has of late been rapping the knuckles of operators who don’t take a suitable level of interest in the source of their players’ income.)
Her bank has since assured her that they have no cause to suspect her account is being used for nefarious purposes and the punter noted that Bet365 had been sufficiently unconcerned to allow her to continue using her funds in their casino. Bet365 declined comment when contacted by The Guardian.
