Does anyone out there know what happened to SportsBetOnline.com? The online sportsbook has been taken down and customers who want their money back are complaining that the operators are unreachable.
At least two players have already filed complaints about the sportsbook with the Interactive Gaming Council. The operating company, Star Games, also operates Instacash Casino, which is still up and available for play. Nonetheless the Council has been unable to contact owner Stephen Garry. The IGC's Keith Furlong told Interactive Gaming News that players were told by a company representative that the bookmaker had lost thousands of dollars--including outstanding payouts--and was going out of business.
The two sites applied for membership to the IGC last year, although the status of their membership remains unclear. "We're reviewing their membership status," Furlong explained, "and reviewing the two complaints we have received. We're also trying to contact the owner for his response to the complaints."
Trying to pin down where and whether the site is licensed to operate has also been difficult as well, although a search at Network Solutions places the administrative and billing address in Belize. Garry's address, meanwhile, is in Canada. The only jurisdiction within Canada's borders to issue online gambling licenses is the Kahnawake Mohawk nation outside Montreal. Furlong, assigned to the Council's Seal of Approval program, confirmed that Star Games wasn't licensed there.
It's a frustrating situation, says Furlong, and especially sad for the affected players. "This happening points out the need for strong government regulation of the industry," he said. In the meantime, the IGC is working to assist the unhappy players in bringing their case before the proper regulatory authority.
If the players' accounts are accurate, SportsBetOnline.com wouldn't be the first Internet sportsbook to close down without settling active accounts. The most publicized case has been that of Sports International, a Caribbean operation that folded in 1997. Owner Interactive Gaming & Communications Corp. of Pennsylvania later sold the sportsbook to International Gaming Corp. of Vancouver, which attempted unsuccessfully to re-launch the business in 1998. To date, several customers have still not received money owed to them.
It should be noted, however, that accounts of Star Games going out of business remain unconfirmed.