Gamblers complain to Bet365 over outage during Champions League matches
Gamblers complain to Bet365 over outage during Champions League matches
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Online gambling firm’s service ‘issues’ left bettors apparently unable to ‘cash out’ on busy night in European football. The online gambling company Bet365 has been flooded with complaints after it suffered an outage during one of the busiest nights of European football this season.
Customers claimed to have lost out on thousands of pounds owing to what the company called “issues with our service” during the second half of Wednesday night’s 18 Champions League games. The outage could prove particularly embarrassing for Bet365, run by the multi-billionaire Denise Coates, because the Stoke-based company is an official sponsor of the Champions League – club football’s most prestigious competition.
Customers were apparently unable to “cash out”, an option that is in effect a compromise between bettors and the company on an open bet. Cashing out allows bettors to settle a wager before the final whistle for a smaller prize than they would get if the result stayed the same until the end of the match. This guarantees a return for the customer, but means the operator does not have to pay out as much as it would if the score remained unchanged.
For gamblers, this option can be particularly attractive on “accumulator” bets, where money is staked on the score in multiple games, meaning outcomes can change rapidly from a large payout to nothing at all. Bet365’s technical problem meant customers seeking to cash out while the result was favourable to them were unable to do so. Many customers said results had swung against them by the time the issues were fixed, meaning they missed out on winnings through no fault of their own. It is also possible that some customers won more than they would have done, had they cashed out early.
