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herefornow
30 Mar 12 15:21
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Date Joined: 30 Mar 12
| Topic/replies: 3 | Blogger: herefornow's blog
Hi guys,

please can you give me some help. I am from Belgium and recently the goverment made Paddy Power pull out of the country. I have a account with paddy power and had open bets before this happened. I tried to log in today and they have closed the account. I talked to their support and they reopened the account so I could withdraw the money and they they said they would close it again. This was great. They then told me they were going to cancel all my open bets, now obviously I have some big winning bets which should come in. The 2 biggest are 100 euros on robin van persie to be top goalscorer in the premier league at 10/1 and I also have 100euros on lionel messi to be top champions league goalscorer at 9/4. Currently with paddy power RVP is 1/8 to win his market and messi is 1/3 to win his market. I also have other bets such as david silva to be PFA player of the year all of which have been cancelled, they did cancel some other bets which are probably going to lose but its nowhere near the amount I should get when the bets above come in.

Do I have any chance of taking this further and making paddy power honour the bets they took?
Who could I go and talk to take this further?


Oliver
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Report grumpyjim March 30, 2012 3:46 PM BST
maybe guidelines been  set by  belgium government , that  they should be  made void , all bets as illegal  ,they are not  bumpers ,but support team  should put you straight, as to  what had to happen  . if illegall they  dont have much  choice  ......suggest  transfer to  an account in  ireland if  you know  somebody there  ..  they obviously  took bet in good faith  ...........how to fix it a bit  harder  ...?  tried to ban spain and france ,, for  gambling as well but they  ...  governments  ... renaged on closing   at  that time  and still on going  >
Report razz March 30, 2012 3:47 PM BST
not sure myself, do you know anyone in a country where paddypower is allowed? you could ask them to look after the account if you manage to re-open the bets, until they are all settled.
Report Crisp77 March 30, 2012 3:50 PM BST
Legally you are fecked. Paddy Power love publicity so best contact their PR department...but that may not work because they maybe banned from sending money to Belgium.
Report Crisp77 March 30, 2012 3:51 PM BST
Legally you are fecked*


*I'm not a lawyer so you might not be Blush
Report Biscuit1979 March 30, 2012 4:18 PM BST
Ou tof interest did you get your stake money back on the bets they cancelled?
Report razz March 30, 2012 4:30 PM BST
try and contact trading standards, i'd get a friend or relative from a different country to use the account though, if you can get the bets back.
Report BlueViru5 March 30, 2012 4:33 PM BST
But the accounts have to be for one person, not by proxy; You're screwed! unless you can convince Paddy Power - alternatively, get a UK address (If you have a buddy/relative) in case of proof of address, etc.
GL
Report razz March 30, 2012 4:38 PM BST

Mar 30, 2012 -- 4:33PM, BlueViru5 wrote:


But the accounts have to be for one person, not by proxy; You're screwed! unless you can convince Paddy Power - alternatively, get a UK address (If you have a buddy/relative) in case of proof of address, etc.GL


yep

Report herefornow March 30, 2012 5:01 PM BST
biscuit1979 - they just closed all open bets so I can withdraw all of that amount which would be great if I didn't have 2 big bets which are more than likely going to win.

I got some friends in the UK - they said in the live chat that they wanted me to call them from a landline from a uneffected area, so I would have to travel to the UK to make the phone call?
Report dons83 March 30, 2012 6:34 PM BST
Are they banning Betfair in Belgium? Think I read they were planning it
Report LordBobbin March 30, 2012 8:07 PM BST
That sounds really tough herefornow. I'd guess you're out of luck. You'll really need some support from PaddyPower, and you're unlikely to get it from them since it's not in their interests to help you win money from them. If your country's government have thrown out Paddy, they've got the perfect opportunity to avoid having to pay out. Knowing Paddy as I do, I have no doubt they'll take it.

The legal basis of many bets is a bit uncertain at the best of times. And your government have insured this is far from the best of times.

I feel very sorry for you.
Report LordBobbin March 30, 2012 8:30 PM BST
One thing though, do you know whether Paddy are closing accounts because they were barred access to the Belgian markets?  Or are they choosing to close the accounts themselves?

I ask because I saw something on another forum where somebody in Belgium had had their account closed in February. In the email sent to him by Paddy, he was told that, in light of new regulations imposed by the Belgian government, Paddy's legal advisors had told Paddy to close all Belgian accounts so as to protect themselves from incurring fines.

The new legislation seems to be directed at poker sites, but I assume it's having some effect on general betting as well.  There's something here:

http://www.casinochoice.co.uk/2012/02/21/belgium-begins-regime-of-harsh-online-gaming-regulation

I'd imagine Paddy can argue that they've been barred from Belgium. However, if you could show that they weren't barred, but were instead choosing to bar themselves, then you might have a chance of forcing them to honour the bets. Personally, I think your chances of success are low, however.
Report viva el presidente! March 30, 2012 8:34 PM BST
do you have any other season long bets which look like losers? logically, you can insist on being given your stake back on those too. either all the bets stand or none do.

other belgians/people resident in belgium would also have the same right - a fact which PP may be keen not to have publicised.

what the legal position would be for unsettled bets struck in belgium by people now resident elsewhere is an interesting question.
Report razz March 30, 2012 8:38 PM BST

Mar 30, 2012 -- 5:01PM, herefornow wrote:


biscuit1979 - they just closed all open bets so I can withdraw all of that amount which would be great if I didn't have 2 big bets which are more than likely going to win.I got some friends in the UK - they said in the live chat that they wanted me to call them from a landline from a uneffected area, so I would have to travel to the UK to make the phone call?


if you know the friends well enough, you could give them your details and ask them to ring PP up for you pretending to be you. you could talk to your friend at the same time via Skype or something if he gets stuck on the phone.

Report LordBobbin March 30, 2012 8:46 PM BST
do you have any other season long bets which look like losers? logically, you can insist on being given your stake back on those too. either all the bets stand or none do.

Think he answers that in the last line of the main paragraph Viva. He's had his losing bets refunded as well, but the two big winning bets would more than make up for those. I doubt Paddy would reinstate his bets if it looks like he's going to make a considerable profit overall, even with a few losers.
Report viva el presidente! March 30, 2012 8:53 PM BST
true lordb, should have read more carefully.

I wonder if PP have proactively done the same for other belgian punters with only losing bets, or just quietly kept the money.
Report YOMOMMA March 30, 2012 9:31 PM BST
go to sportsbookreview.com and tell them what paddy power have done. they have to honour your bets as they are  legally binding once struck. in future do no bet with such rubbish bookmakers like paddy power, ladcrooks and bluesquare.
Report youuo March 30, 2012 11:01 PM BST
Yeah try SBR they helped me out when a bookie tried welshing on a free bet, they work pretty hard to help.
Report ph. March 30, 2012 11:44 PM BST
just ask for refund on every losing bet placed.If they retrospectively cancelled long term open bets accepted in good faith then previous losing bets must be subject to the same criteria.
Report aaronh March 30, 2012 11:46 PM BST
^^they are going to refund his losing bets

his issue is that the prospective winning bets would pay more than the refunds of all bets made I think
Report ph. March 30, 2012 11:58 PM BST
they are playing fair tbh,if legislation says the bets are illegal what else can they do? I don't see the punter or PP are at fault but politicians have a way of suggesting the grass is greener .......
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