bookmaker disputes

Multi-Accounting, Withheld Winnings & Betting Disputes: Legal Advice for Punters in 2025 with Harry Stewart-Moore

Posted on by Peter Ling

In the latest SBC Podcast episode, we have a returning guest in the form of Harry Stewart-Moore, betting lawyer and partner at Gardner Leader.

Harry came back on to answer your questions and provide some fascinating insight on the toughest legal issues facing bettors in 2025.

You can listen to Episode 90 with Harry now via Apple / Spotify / YouTube and all other major podcast directories (search Smart Betting Club)

MULTI ACCOUNTING CHAT

  • What you really need to know about multi-accounting, runners, and beards
    Why these tactics are under growing scrutiny in the UK, where the legal boundaries sit, and how some bettors are being pulled into cases they never saw coming.
    ​
  • Why civil forfeiture cases under the Proceeds of Crime Act are quietly becoming a big issue
    How funds can be frozen and seized under POCA, what typically triggers these actions, and the steps bettors must take to recover their money.

BETTING DISPUTES

  • Why fewer disputes are reaching court even as complaints surge
    The practical hurdles punters face when trying to litigate against bookmakers.
  • Why overseas firms are so hard to pursue and the loophole that needs closing
    The service-of-process gap that lets some operators stay beyond reach.
  • ID requests, document checks, and withdrawal blocks
    Why guidance remains unclear, leading to repeated standoffs.
  • What happens to withheld funds during a stalemate and the 5 percent account-maintenance fee
    The real-world impact on customers when neither side will budge.
    ​

MONITORING, OMBUDSMAN & BLACK MARKET

  • The realities of betting-shop compliance
    How shop punters are tracked and the thresholds that trigger additional checks.
  • Will the proposed ombudsman deliver genuine change or simply mirror IBAS?
    Harry weighs up the likely scope and limitations of the new body.
  • How a lack of industry solutions is pushing sharp punters toward the black market
    Why better options are urgently needed before the problem grows.
  • Harry’s solutions to fix racing H
    is straight-talking ideas to protect the sport’s integrity and keep savvy bettors engaged.
  • The need for a campaign to warn unsuspecting users of black-market dangers
    Education as the first line of defence against shady operators.
  • Why Harry believes the black market poses an existential threat to legal gambling
    As trust erodes and more money flows outside the regulated space, the long-term health of the licensed betting industry is at risk.

​
Harry also explains why “being in the right” often is not enough when challenging a bookmaker, especially when rules are vague and the firm sits offshore.

You can listen to Episode 90 with Harry now via Apple / Spotify / YouTube and all other major podcast directories (search Smart Betting Club)

You can also support the SBC Podcast by visiting our podcast sponsor, Matchbook. You can get 150 days, commission free with them via this link.

🎧SBC Podcast #85: Your Guide To Bookmaker Disputes – Expert Advice To Help Bettors

Posted on by Josh P

In the latest SBC Podcast, Episode 85, I am joined by Josh to talk about the project that we launched last week to help punters dealing with bookmaker disputes.
​
If you missed that – make sure you download our brand-new FREE guide – designed to walk you through what to do where bookmakers won’t pay out or suspend accounts (and many other issues that bettors suffer currently!)

Click here to get your copy of the SBC Bookmaker Dispute Guide.
​
In this podcast episode, we discuss the whats and whys of the guide, with some of our personal experiences and opinions intertwined into the chat.

It’s the ideal companion to learn more about how bookmakers work, why we are seeing such an increase in complaints and crucially – insight on what to do if you have a bookmaker dispute.

Please feel free to share the guide with anyone you feel could benefit from what is inside – it’s free for everyone and despite being ‘UK-centric’ – many of these firms are international companies and apply similar policies in different jurisdictions.

You can support the SBC Podcast by visiting our brand-new podcast sponsor, Matchbook. You can get ​150 days, commission free with them via this link.

You can listen to Episode 85 now via Apple / YouTube / Spotify and all other major podcast directories (search Smart Betting Club)

 

In this chat, Josh and I talked about:

  • Why are we here?
  • Just a UK problem?
  • Withdrawal woes & loose T & Cs
  • Big Brother Is watching you!
  • Prevention
  • Disputes – how to handle them
  • Showing you know what you’re doing
  • ADRs – are they worthwhile?
  • Considering court action
  • Court claims for larger amounts
  • Other tips & tricks
  • The guide & final thoughts

Plenty of punters have already downloaded the guide and we have already had some feedback (mostly ‘I wish someone had done this sooner’!) so please get in touch if you have any comments or questions!

SBC Punter Support: Help With Issues Around Bookie Disputes, Banking & More

Posted on by Josh P

Here at the SBC we are frequently contacted by members and non-members alike asking for advice around things like banking, missing balances, incorrect bet settlement and general bad bookmaker practice when it comes to things like ridiculous requests for documents and frustrated withdrawals.

With that in mind, we are going to create some resources that will be freely available to everyone to help with this. Those resources will be available soon but in the meantime, here are two examples of issues raised by our members this year, with our responses below.

 

Follow Or Sign Up For More Information

We often highlight issues that punters have with bookmakers, banks or adjudication services on Twitter/X and in our member and non-member emails. Following us at @SBCInfo and registering as either a free or paid member (here) will ensure that you never miss any of that.

We regularly publish these ‘Q & As’ in our SBC Magazines so that awareness of possible issues (and solutions) can be shared far and wide.

If you would like to see more (alongside several examples of other things we have published since January) then please click on this link – Free Smart Betting Club Magazine.pdf – to see a bumper sample magazine that also includes examples of:

  • Our Latest SBC News posts over the last 10 months
  • Our Intelligence pieces where we discuss tips and tricks, new developments and wider news from the gambling world
  • Tweets and our commentary on some of the most strident gambling opinions
  • Podcasts with major guests, all with practical gambling at their heart
  • SBC Video Guides where we take a look at specific strategies or services
  • Reviews – we include three full reviews in this sample, with horse racing, golf and football all covered

We will be back with news of our new punter resources soon. In the meantime, if you would like to sign up to full SBC Membership, you can find out more here or sign up here!

If you would like to discuss any issues in private that you think we can help with then please drop us a DM or email in to pete@smartbettingclub.com or josh@smartbettingclub.com and we will do our best to help!

New podcast With Richard Hayler of IBAS about bookmaker disputes

Posted on by Peter Ling

In the latest SBC Podcast Episode I was joined by Richard Hayler, the Managing Director of the betting dispute organisation, IBAS, to answer questions on his service and the current setup of the industry to adequately tackle the growing number of bookmaker complaints.

If you are one of the many punters with issues as regards bookmaker behaviour and IBAS’s role handling disputes, you won’t want to miss this episode!

You can listen to this episode now via Apple / Spotify / Google and all other major podcast directories (search Smart Betting Club)

ABOUT THIS EPISODE

IBAS is one of the best known dispute resolution services operating in the UK and Richard came onto explain how his team helps to overview and adjudicate on the very many types of disputes that take place these days.

We explored the people that make up the IBAS adjudication panel, their funding model, case numbers and how it works from both the customer and bookmaker point of view.

Bookmakers have come in for heavy criticism in recent times especially from punters who feel letdown by the failure to tackle the increase in disputes and problems that arise these days and Richard talks frankly about this from his perspective, including how some of this is outside IBAS’s remit and the need for improvement to the processes and system in place currently.

IBAS has also been regularly criticised in terms of their relationship with bookmakers and their funding model and Richard is good enough to tackle all of these concerns head on – including those from punters who have little faith in the current system.

Over this hour long interview, Richard shares plenty of insight into the current setup as per bookmaker disputes and his hopes for what might transpire in the much delayed new gambling legislation, including the potential of a new industry ombudsman, a role that IBAS is rumoured to be very interested in.

​Check out all the episodes of the Smart Betting Club Podcast