Can Betting Sites Ban You?

Can betting sites ban you is a question we often get asked and the answer is – YES! Betting sites can ban punters for lots of reasons, including cheating, not adhering to the rules, and being rude or offensive to staff. Of course, the reason that we most worry about being banned for is winning too much money too often, but there are lots of ways you can try and stop this from happening.

Being Banned From Bookmakers For Cheating

You can be banned from bookmakers for cheating for a couple of reasons. The first of these is by trying to fix the outcomes of horse races or other sporting events to make a profit. If found guilty of cheating, you’ll be warned off by all bookmakers. You may also find that you could face criminal charges. But lots of punters also try and cheat bookmakers on a smaller scale, often regarding the misuse of welcome offers.

Being Banned From Bookmakers For Breaking The Rules

Lots of punters are banned from bookmakers each year for breaking the rules. One of the main terms & conditions of welcome bonuses from bookmakers is that you’re a new player that has previously not held an account with them. However, lots of people that have worked out how they can make free money from welcome bonuses try to abuse this rule.

Many punters have tried to get additional accounts by opening them in the names of their family members or friends. Bookmakers have tried to reduce the number of people that try this with terms and conditions such as only one account per payment method and IP address, but some punters still try and get round it. However, you’ll be banned if you’re caught and you’ll have all bonuses and any winnings from them confiscated if you break this rule.

Being Banned From Bookmakers For Abusing The Staff

We’ve probably all had a disagreement with a bookmaker over the years about a bet we’ve had with them, but that doesn’t give you the right to abuse the staff. Let’s face it, would you like people to come into your place at work and start hurling abuse at you?

If you’ve got a genuine disagreement, ask the staff nicely if they can sort it out. If you put your bet on in a betting shop and the staff can’t or won’t help, then take your complaint to the head office of the bookmakers. If this still doesn’t work, have a chat with the Independent Betting Adjudication Service (IBAS) who will do their best to resolve the matter on your behalf.

If you’ve placed your bet online, then the best option is to get in touch with that bookmaker’s customer support team by live chat, phone, or email. Again, if you don’t get any joy, contact IBAS. Under no circumstances, should you ever verbally (or worse physically) abuse bookmaking staff in any way.

Remember we are all human beings at the end of the day and mistakes can and do happen, give the benefit of the doubt and always be calm and respectful – you’ll be surprised how much it will help your case too!

Can Bookmakers Ban You For Winning?

Yes, bookmakers can ban you for winning. But in most circumstances, you’ll have to prove that you’re winning lots of money and often before they ban you. Put yourself in the shoes of a bookmaker. They want as many punters as possible gambling money with them, so they won’t ban you unless they think you’re a liability.

Imagine you were a bookmaker, and you had a punter that was winning loads of money off you. You’d have to ask the question whether you thought the punter would continue winning money off you or was there a great chance that you’d get some or all that winnings back. Let’s face it, most punters fall into the latter category.

So, you can see the dilemma that bookies face. Therefore, before banning winners completely, they may limit the amount of money they can have on single selections. They may also remove concessions such as best odds guaranteed.

Can Professional Punters Get Bets On?

Professional punters used to get banned by bookmakers much more quickly than they do now, and that’s because the world of online gambling makes it easier to blend into a crowd of literally millions of punters putting bets on.

Professional punters have also devised a variety of measures that stop them from getting flagged up by lots of bookmakers. Pro punters will have several people that can put bets on for them, but they must be careful that these don’t all put the same bets on with the same bookmakers all the time, as patterns like this are soon detected in a world run by computers and algorithms.

Pro punters are careful to spread their bets around many bookmakers, meaning winnings are paid out in smaller amounts, which tends to mean they won’t get flagged up in the same way that a big winning bet would. They also alternate the patterns of which bookmakers they bet with each time, as bookmakers do take to each other about potential professional punters.

When punting on their own selections becomes difficult because the bookies have closed their accounts, many professional punters also become professional tipsters. This allows lots of people to profit from their advice, with monthly subscriptions replacing money they used to win betting themselves.

How Do I Avoid Being Banned By The Bookies?

If you’re profiting from picking your own winners or by following the tips of a professional tipster, there are a variety of ways you can limit the chances of them banning you.

Step one is to open several betting accounts to make it easier to spread your bets around. If you have £30 on a 33/1 winner with one bookmaker, this will go unnoticed. However, if you repeat this trick several times in a short period, a bookmaker will sit up and take notice. It’s much better to have £10 bets with three different bookmakers, as a £330 win will go under the radar much easier than a £990 win.

By opening lots of betting accounts, you’ll give yourself hundreds of combinations of bookmakers you can use to place bets on any one selection. For example, Bet365, Betfred, and Paddy Power may be offering the best odds about a bet one day, while Ladbrokes, Coral, and William Hill could be offering the best odds for your next selection.

Sign Up To Betting Exchanges

Bookmakers also have the problem that they must compete for the custom of punters against betting exchanges such as Betfair and Betdaq. You may be a winning punter but, if you’re betting on horses that others aren’t and that balances the books, bookmakers won’t ban you as they know you’ll simply bet with the exchanges.

But you should still get out in front of the game and sign up to betting exchanges, as these are just more places you can mix your bets on and take advantage of the best available odds.

How much can you win before bookies ban you?

There is no specific amount that triggers bookmakers to ban a customer. However, some bookmakers may limit a customer’s account or betting activity if they consistently win large amounts of money or engage in suspicious betting activity. The exact threshold for limiting or banning a customer may vary between bookmakers and depends on various factors, including the customer’s betting history and the bookmaker’s risk management policies.

Can you get banned for arbitrage betting?

Some bookmakers may limit or ban customers who engage in arbitrage betting, as it is a strategy that involves placing bets on all possible outcomes of a game through two or more sportsbooks to guarantee a profit. However, it is not illegal to engage in arbitrage betting, and not all bookmakers ban customers who use this strategy. Bookmakers typically limit or ban customers who consistently win large amounts of money or engage in suspicious betting activity, regardless of whether they use arbitrage betting or other betting strategies.

Can I get in trouble for matched betting?

Matched betting is a legal activity in many countries, including the UK and Australia, as it is a form of gambling that involves using free bets and promotions offered by bookmakers to guarantee a profit. However, some bookmakers may limit or ban customers who engage in matched betting, as it is a strategy that involves using free bets and promotions to guarantee a profit and may result in losses for the bookmaker.

Can a betting shop ban you?

A betting shop can ban a customer if they violate the shop’s terms and conditions or engage in suspicious or illegal betting activity. For example, a customer may be banned if they use abusive language or behaviour towards staff or other customers, attempt to cheat or defraud the shop, or engage in underage or illegal gambling.