888 witholding my money

How much does £300 matter to you?  I ask because getting it back is likely to cost enough of your time you could earn it stacking shelves for the same hours instead.

Either swallow your pride and give them what they want - and I know many won't - or have a go at chasing them through the courts (what used to be called "the small claims court") - there's decent help online from the gov.uk website.  You'll need to pony up the fee (£35 I think) in advance.

How much does £300 matter to you?  I ask because getting it back is likely to cost enough of your time you could earn it stacking shelves for the same hours instead.

Either swallow your pride and give them what they want - and I know many won't - or have a go at chasing them through the courts (what used to be called "the small claims court") - there's decent help online from the gov.uk website.  You'll need to pony up the fee (£35 I think) in advance.

You have committed the cardinal sin of winning. If you'd just 5punked £300 you wouldn't be in this position and you could have continued to deposit indefinitely without any of these requirements being triggered. Losing is permitted, winning is not.

By winning, you have forced them to invoke their "terrorist protocol". They can now pretend that they think you are a terrorist or a money launderer - and (because they are licensed and regulated in the UK) they can also pretend that the Gambling Commission are forcing them to take these actions. But only on winners!

Longbridge is about right in his advice unfortunately. I

f you want to avoid this happening again in the future all you need to do is avoid nearly all the bookmakers that advertise in the racing post and/or on oddschecker and also all the one's that sponsor a football team.

Here is my list of bookmakers that won't do this to you if you win:











A very fine list if I say so myself.

In all seriousness you are fecked - you don't really have much recourse - unless (as Longbridge states) you want to waste an awful lot of time and effort.

And the reason your are fecked is because they are licensed and regulated in the UK, so they can do whatever they like and pretend the regulator is forcing them to do it to you under AML/Anti-terror rules. Although they don't apply any of this to losing accounts obviously!

Your basically being forced towards the so-called Black Market (reputable Asian bookmakers that aren't licensed or regulated in the UK) - where you will find plenty of real bookmakers that would allow you to bet and to withdraw your winnings no problem.

Maybe write a letter to the Racing Post? But I think you'd be p1ssing in the wind because the Racing Post only want to know about instances where affordability checks are driving customers towards the Black Market (so that they too can blame it on the regulator).

They aren't interested in a) winning customers being forced towards the Black Market b) Instances where UK bookmakers are abusing/twisting the regulations/protections to their own advantage or to deliberately screw winning customers.

Thanks for your input. I am aware of the BS they spout about regulations. Currently in back and forth contact and they just spout complete B0llocks, I have pointed out every flaw in their explanations. I wont let it drop, I beat WH in an IBAS case a few years ago and they wont get away with it. Couldn't care less if it costs me ten times £300 they owe me. It's a matter of principle. I have 15 accounts, most of which are in profit long term, have never been asked for anything like this before. Only questions I have ever been asked was from BV who asked me my profession and income, lied through my teeth and that was that.

"asked me my profession and income, lied through my teeth"

and you wonder why they ask you for documents as evidence?

But they're not lying through their teeth - when they pretend they have to do this to people in order to comply with the regs around Money Laundering & the funding of terrorism?

How many Hamas operatives are opening accounts with 888 and betting a score per race on the horses iyo?

Fair enough if they have to Know Their Customer (KYC) but surely that has to happen at the point where the account is opened before you have profiled as a winner or a loser.

Leaving it to wait and see if you win or lose and then applying it (excessively) to only people that have won is a blatant (and now widespread) tactic. Essentially they are taking a process that is designed to protect the customer and using it to abuse the customer.

Lets be honest - even if the OP were to comply with what has been requested by them, they won't accept it. They will draw the process out for as long as possible by requesting more details and further documents. If he then provides those and finally manages to withdraw the balance that he has won fair and square - they will still close his account!

They're pretending they think he's a money launderer or a terrorist - once he proves he's not a money launderer or a terrorist - they still close his account! Thus proving that he was actually targeted solely because he won.

Back to longbridge point about lying to BV, Yes I lied about job and salary because WTF has my job and salary got to do with them, none of their business. I don't even have a job, I am retired.
To update about 888 mafia, their complaints team now on it and i have asked for list of my transactions. They are still demanding the documents and even more laughable, I am supposed to show these with me holding them. In their email they even say it should be a "selfie" not quite sure how they are going to see the details if I am holding it from 3 feet away. It's all quite laughable really, but the bastards wont win.

Before you take the selfie - remember that winning £300 quid is enough for them to pretend they think you are a terrorist or a money launderer - so be sure to take off your Palestinian keffiyeh and make sure that your IS Flag isn't in shot on the wall in the background.

In all seriousness - don't get mad, get even! GL

I had to do the "selfie holding ID" thing a few years back - I think for PP - I imagine so that they can check the photo ID matches the purported owner who is using it?

As for the lying/none of their business bit - plenty of press reports of bookies being fined for taking punters' word for it what their income and source of funds is without checking, so not surprised if 888 are not being as relaxed as BV were.

888 know a bonus abuser when they see one.

WTF are you on about. They offer thirty quid of free bets on sign up. I do so, lose, then deposit and lose some more, then I deposit and win some. A net win of £100 on £200 deposit. How the F is that bonus abuse

Anyway, ignoring that twaddle.
Update is, it was 8 weeks since my official complaint last week. I sent them an email giving notice of action. I have also asked several times for details of me account. They have not responded to that either.
I will make a complaint to the relevant authorities and will take them to the "Claims Court" The bastards will not win

Personally I'd have sent them the stuff, but can understand the bank statement refusal.  They are bullying and abusing you and I applaud anyone standing up to bullies.  Don't get mad get even.  Small claims court is last resort and doesn't get you even.  Only thing that gets you even is contacting the Gambling Commission and getting your story in the press.  For a start, go on review sites and truthfully relay the story.  Maybe the GC will be useless, but if everybody did it they'd soon sit up and tackle this abuse.  Good luck.

Thanks. They are still not sending me my bet history, but have finally responded and have now sent it up the chain to get a deadlock reference, which I need to go to the next complaints stage. You cant complain directly to the GC, which begs the question WTF are the gambling commission for.
I will never send the documents. It is a matter of principle. I have offered to prove my identity and address but will never send them bank statements. They have 300 quid, but TBH thats peanuts to me. I am sick and tired of them saying its money laundering and fraud checks but refuse to tell me what triggered it. I have NEVER asked to withdraw, so it is all bollXXks