Can someone from Betfair address this situation...

**lawnmower** · 11 December 2010, 4:50 pm

On Saturday the 13th of November between 9pm and Midnight Betfair ran a promotion in their casino giving a 50% bonus on deposits of £200. This promotion was unlimited for every deposit made during this promotion. The promotion then allowed 12 hour from receiving the bonus to clear the wager requirements associated with the bonus.

<...Picture of T&Cs to follow...>

Note that term 5 again states that all deposit during the promo hours will receive a bonus.
Term 7 explains that bonuses will be queued. That is you may deposit more than once, receiving a bonus each time.
Term 10 notes that you have 12 hours to complete the wagering.

During the promotion I made many £200 deposits, receiving the bonus each time. I played out the wager requirements on Casino Holde’m Bonus game at £10 a hand.

At approximately 12:45am some £800 worth of bonuses were removed from my account. Some 11 hours before they were due to expire. At this point I cashed out my profit of £4000 from the casino back into my BetFair Exchange wallet.

On Monday the 15th of November my BetFair exchange account was closed. I received no notification of this action. I emailed BetFair, and received no response; I rang BetFair but could not get through.

After 2 days, I got the following email from BetFair
Dear XXX
We recently ran a Casino promotion called Casino Happy Hour in which you participated. The promotion was live during the weekend of 13 and 14 November 2010.
During and after the promotion, we suspended certain customers’ Casino accounts after it was alerted to some irregular and unusual gaming and depositing activity. Your account was one of those suspended.
Certain customers attempted to profit from the promotion through adopting gaming patterns and activity in contravention of Betfair Casino’s Standard Terms and Conditions. As a result, we have withheld both bonus funds and winnings derived from such activity on those customers’ accounts, of which yours is one.
We have taken steps to make sure all of your actual deposits have remained in your account, and your account will be reopened within 48 hours. You are of course then free to continue to use your deposited funds to play in the casino, or to withdraw them at any time.
We appreciate this has been an inconvenience to you, but are happy to have the situation resolved and to make your deposited funds available to you again.
Kind regards
Betfair Casino

The highlighted paragraph gives some indication that they suspected me contravening their terms and conditions, without explaining what I had done. I emailed them for further explanation, but have received none.

I was then able to log into my BetFair exchange account again to find that the had reversed a cash out and also removed my winnings of £4000.

As I did not contravene any of their terms and conditions I have emailed BetFair several times to explain why they took my money and asking them to return it to my account. I have had no reply.

**lawnmower** · 11 December 2010, 4:54 pm

Sorry the formatting is a bit messed up!

**GFPC** · 11 December 2010, 5:22 pm

I suspect within days...

GPWA, AGD,CAP and many webmasters will ban them. They are simply stealing and hurting players - this is worse then theft from affiliates..

**thepokerkeep** · 12 December 2010, 3:56 am

I've followed Casinomeister's lead and blacklisted Betfair. They have been added to my blacklist on ThePokerKeep.com already and Betfair will also be added to my Rogues listing on AffAid.com this week.

**lawnmower** · 12 December 2010, 4:21 am

Thanks for keeping with this. But I feel that BF have taken thier possiton and no amount of roguing will change things.

I will be starting legal proceedings next week.

On, and if you have not checked the thread out at CasinoMeister, then go and have a look. On guy had €32k reversed out of his bank account. He is in Portugal and under their law this is an illegal action.

**lawnmower** · 13 December 2010, 3:49 pm

Well I contacted corporate to get them to clarify the position. Nice reply:

We refer to our e-mail to you of 22<SUP>nd</SUP> November 2010, which explains our final decision in this matter. <O

</O

<O

</O

You do have the option of contacting the Lotteries and Gaming Authority in Malta if you would like to take this matter further.<O

</O

<O

</O

I would also like to remind you that Betfair shall not enter into any further correspondence with you, and we now consider this matter closed.

Anyone recommend a good UK Lawyer who might be interested in the case?<O

</O

**nielsenj** · 14 December 2010, 6:04 am

I am amazed that a company like BetFair cannot see what harm they are doing to themselves and their brand by acting like they do in this matter. I am sure that the long term damage they will suffer from this is much greater than the short term losses they would take if they paid the players who accepted the bonus offer in good faith.

I have enjoyed betting though BetFairs betting exchange for years and I liked their new casino software when I tried it recently. In fact I was thinking about becoming a affiliate for the casino before this came to my attention. That is not gonna happen now.

**RBS** · 14 December 2010, 9:37 am

This is just too much !

How on earth can they take money out of players BANK ACCOUNTS

That would be pretty illigal if you ask me, i simply don´t understand that it´s possible.

Betfair, you made a mistake with this promo, not players fault. Just eat it this time, these players lose everyday, and 1 day they win and Betfair goes into folks bank accounts and withdraw money.... WHAT !

**lawnmower** · 15 December 2010, 10:25 am

Originally Posted by lawnmower

Anyone recommend a good UK Lawyer who might be interested in the case?

Seriously guys (and girls), if you know a laywer that is familar with gambling I would appriciate it as it looks like the only way that I can get my money back is via the courts.

And since I can easly get another dozen people in the same boat as me I'm sure it would be a worthwhile case.

**Squigley** · 30 December 2010, 8:35 am

I assume there has been no response to the GPWA yet, but I just thought I'd ask anyway.

**MichaelCorfman** · 30 December 2010, 8:42 am

Originally Posted by Squigley

I assume there has been no response to the GPWA yet, but I just thought I'd ask anyway.

No, there has not. I plan to follow-up with them again after the holidays.

Michael

**lawnmower** · 30 December 2010, 9:02 am

I'm still pursuing with the LGA who have (they say) asked BF for an explanation of the T&Cs I have broken.

Put a complaint into the Gambling Commission, they say it is nothing to do with them and that I should contact the LGA.

It really worries me that IBAS and the GC just washed their hands of this.

If I was a lone punter who had actually done something wrong then fine.

But I am not a lone punter - there are hundreds of people done over by BetFair.

What the hell is the point of regulatory bodies if they don't do anything but pass the buck

Will start legal proceedings 5 Jan.

**lawnmower** · 11 January 2011, 5:59 am

Originally Posted by MichaelCorfman

No, there has not. I plan to follow-up with them again after the holidays.

Michael

Any News?

I have started my court case. They must respond by 25 Jan.

**Squigley** · 19 January 2011, 7:05 am

No update yet. Aren't sponsor programs required to respond promptly to issues like this?

**Squigley** · 26 January 2011, 9:40 am

Originally Posted by lawnmower

Any News?

I have started my court case. They must respond by 25 Jan.

Any response Lawnmower?

**lawnmower** · 26 January 2011, 9:58 am

Sort of. They are going to defend the case, and have issued an 'acknowledgement of service'. This gives them an extra 14 days - so now looking at the 6 Feb. The AOS can be applied for under various situations, one of which is where the defendant does not beleive the court has jurisdiction over the matter. So I recon the will go to the court saying it is a matter for Malta. What a bunch of tossers.

Anyone been to ATIE and ICE this week? Any talk of this matter?

**Squigley** · 9 February 2011, 10:06 am

Have you had a response now Lawnmower?

**lawnmower** · 9 February 2011, 10:13 am

Yes, they have submitted thier defence to the court (at the last possible moment). I await the letter.

**Squigley** · 9 February 2011, 10:15 am

Thanks for the update. Please do keep us informed.

**lawnmower** · 23 February 2011, 4:24 am

Advertising Standards Authority have against Betfair on the Happy Hour promotion:

http://www.asa.org.uk/ASA-action/Adj...ADJ_49797.aspx

My court proceedings are progressing nicley. There defence is basiclly the FU clause in there T&Cs:

22. If Betfair becomes aware of a customer who, in the course of participating in a promotion or offer, has become able to guarantee wins and/or profits with no or only minimal risk, and/or benefits from a promotion or offer by participating through more than one Betfair account, and/or displays irregular or unusual playing or betting patterns which Betfair deems to be abusive, Betfair may in its absolute discretion elect to do any one or more of the following: (i) close the customer’s account(s); (ii) invalidate the transactions or game play which was in contravention of this term; and/or (iii) withhold the customer’s winnings from such transactions or game play.

Since I did nothing irregular or unusual in my play (flat betting on Casino Holdem) I cant wait to see how the court views this.

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