Tips to Avoid Having Your Betting Account Limited or Closed
Understand why betting sites limit & close accounts, learn how to prevent sportsbook limitations and see which UK bookmakers don't limit your profits.
Betting account restrictions are not necessarily about winning too much. Actually, most of the times limitations and bans have entirely different grounds.
Lots of people these days are capable of dire actions like match-fixing to beat the bookies, and a lot of bonus and promotion abuse has been going on during the past decade, so it's not that difficult to understand why bookies developed systems to monitor betting activities and mark suspicious behaviour to keep things under control.
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It is always frustrating to get stake limitations or to be unable to sign in to your betting account because it has been closed, but there's not much you can do about it. What you want instead is to understand what causes the restriction and learn how to prevent it from happening with your other online betting accounts.
In the end, we'll also show you a few bookmakers and betting exchanges that won't close or limit your betting account just because you're one of the winning players.
Quickly navigate to your desired topic:
- Reasons Why Bookies Limit & Close Accounts
- Hints to Avoid Sportsbook Limitations
- Tips to Prevent Your Betting Account Being Closed
- UK Bookies that don't limit players
Reasons Why Bookies Limit & Close Accounts
Online bookmakers wouldn't be able to exist if they weren't allowed to limit or close some betting accounts. There's no such thing as bookies that don't close accounts. They have to be able to stop people and syndicates from placing wagers that guarantee a profit through arbitrage betting or match-fixing. However, some say that bookies have started using these methods to limit successful bettors.
Either way, you want to look at it, these are the most common reasons why online bookmakers limit or close accounts:
- Bonus and free bets abuse – Sportsbook bonuses are marketing assets used to bring in new players. Many had breached the rules to milk the bookies before they were even prepared to deal with it. But things have changed. This man was sentenced to three years imprisonment for bonus abuse. Also, note that most bookies allow just one bonus per household / IP address.
- Matched betting, arbing or hedging – Bookmakers are completely against arbitrage betting, and some even prohibit this technique in their T&Cs. When someone only takes advantage of the gaps between the odds on offer in the online betting realm and backs all possible outcomes of a betting market with the intention generating profit, they are basically taking out the risk factor – which is the core of betting.
- The bookmaker is not allowed in your jurisdiction – There are nations where gambling is illegal. Still, there are also countries where residents are allowed to place bets online only with bookmakers that have been licensed by the local authority. Online bookies that have a UK gambling license are an excellent choice for British residents, as they are offering some kind of protection to players. It may be okay to use a VPN while travelling abroad to place a bet or two, but you may get in trouble if this becomes a habit.
- You're trying to exploit something – Technical vulnerabilities are inevitable, even if they are less frequent these days. However, not long ago quite a few punters were trying to take advantage of delays in live match reporting, i.e., back on the team that will score the next goal immediately after they had scored or seeking bets where the odds are clearly wrong.
- Potential involvement in match-fixing – Bookies have gotten better at spotting suspicious matches. Most of it is done by software, but real humans have to take control when there is confirmation across the network. Not only you will lose the money, but you might even be reported to the police. Keep in mind that insider information can be just as bad – remember the Sturridge fine and suspension for betting on Sevilla move?
- Placing bets on behalf of someone else – The bookies will find out if your account is used as a cover for someone who's not allowed to bet, e.g., underage person or athletes. Syndicate betting is also against the rules. Your winnings may not be paid out, and your stake could be retained, just as it happened with Megan McCann, the student who's betting stake was allegedly provided by a third party.
- You are a professional punter – If you're a long-term winner, then you're not profitable for their business. There are many user behaviour indicators in place so that the pros will be very quickly detected and limited. While it might not seem fair, it is within the bookies' rights to stop taking your bets. However, things may change in the future in the UK (as they have in Australia, where bookies must respect a minimum bet rule on greyhound racing), as Lord Lipsey urged bookmakers to rethink closing down winning punters' accounts.
It's easy to see why both professional gamblers and mug punters can have their bookmaker account closed or limited. If your account has been limited or closed, it is improbable that you'll be able to reverse it.
Unfortunately, the operator's decision is final in most cases, unless you've been limited by software only (in which case you could try to use the account recreationally, placing mug bets), and not by a Risk and Fraud Analyst.
This hardly ever happens with real money casino games, though: you can lose a lot of money before any responsible gambling filters are triggered.
Next, we're going to explain how to stop bookies limiting your account.
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Hints to Avoid Sportsbook Limitations
Now that you know what may alert bookies, it's time to focus on prevention. If you happen to be a successful punter, the chances are the bookies will limit you sooner or later, so let's talk about how to stop bookies from limiting your account.
Here are a few things you can do to decrease the chances of your account becoming flagged and eventually limited by the bookies:
- Register with all bookies that provide decent odds place your bets alternatively with all of them
- Place silly bets occasionally on every account, such as an 8-fold acca on one of the most popular competitions on the planet and or some goal scorer bets
- Try to wager on underdogs mostly on the exchange markets and stake on the favourites with the bookies
- Avoid betting precise amounts, such as £87.54 or £117, to stay clear of arbing filters and use rounded values, such as £30, £50, £150 etc.
- Split your stake across multiple bookmakers when you plan to place a strange bet on high odds
- Don't always bet on the best betting odds available on the market, and avoid doing so all too often in the first 50 bets with a new bookmaker
- Visit different sections, watch live-streaming, and use features like the acca generator every now and then
- Rest winning accounts and try to place the riskiest wagers with them to reduce the individual profit
- Don't sign in to your account on a public computer or using public Wi-Fi internet
- Avoid eWallets such as Skrill or Neteller as they not only swallow hefty fees, but most criminal organisations tend to use them
- Deposit and withdraw funds only when you need to because the sportsbook has to pay a fee every time you do so, and they really don't like losing money.
Do bookmakers limit players? Yes, they do, but most of the ‘bet365 closed my account' stories on the internet have nothing to do with the ‘bookies close winning accounts' bandwagon. They have to do it; otherwise they would go out of business.
Remember, even if your betting account becomes limited on horse racing betting, you may still have the regular limits on other sports. Also, major competitions such as the Champions League, Premier League, La Liga and so on, typically have the highest limits, as they are very unlikely to feature fixed-matches, unlike the lower leagues in football or less popular sports.
Tips to Prevent Your Betting Account Being Closed
Craig Reid, head of trading for a respectable UK bookmaker, said: “The guys who are factored really well down [heavily restricted] are 2% of our whole database. They are shrewd. We will try to offer them some sort of bet, but they will get restricted.”
Online bookmaking is a billion pounds business.
What did you expect?
It is believed that some sports bettors have been banned from the bookies for winning too much, but some have gotten into such situations due to other reasons. Sharp bettors should take account of these suggestions:
- Avoid backing dodgy selections that might be suspected of match-fixing, events that generate a lot more interest than they should or matches with mysterious dropping odds
- Make your bonus hunting look less obvious and don't just hit and run because you might find a dead end sooner than you thought
- Do not try to take advantage of live betting delays or other exploits
- Do not use the same username, e-mail address and phone number for all your online bookie accounts
- Avoid using public computers or public internet connections when betting, as they might already be flagged, and as a result, you will get marked
- Place your bets during rush hours and avoid patters (such as wagering daily at roughly 08:30 AM) that might separate you from the crowd
- Don't sign in to your account every morning to let the bookies know you're ready to roll – use a different IP address to check odds (mobile data internet) or just use comparison tools
Since we've provided a few factors on how to prevent your account being closed, it's now time to present you a few bookmakers that don't limit players too often.
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UK Bookies that don't limit players
We've put together a list of bookies that don't limit UK winners as much as the others do. Unless you're an arber or a bonus abuser, you'll definitely be allowed to place your bets with the top bookmakers.
These are the sports betting sites we recommend:
These fixed odds bookmakers are winning punter friendly, so to speak, as long as you follow our advice, but don't expect miracles. Betting exchanges are the go-to alternative for successful gamblers, so if you find yourself in a delicate position, consider signing-up with Betfair – the largest betting exchange on the planet.
Professional bettors know that Pinnacle Sports – one of the biggest online bookmakers in Asia – is the closest thing to no limit bookmakers. Still, they had left the UK market before the new gambling laws came into effect at the beginning of 2015. Although it is not forbidden to bet with bookies that aren't licensed in the United Kingdom, we advise you not to take risks. Instead, go with our recommended sports betting sites.
‘Does Betfair ban winners?', you may ask: A sportsbook might limit winners, but betting exchange platforms will allow you to bet as much as the market will enable you to, as there is no other limit. All in all, a Betfair restricted account is unlikely if you are exclusively wagering on the betting exchange.
We hope that this betting guide answered questions like ‘Why is my Bet365 account restricted?' and provided sufficient detail. Let us know if you're still in doubt about something by commenting using the form below.
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