Sportsbook ‘Scams’ Users After NFL Injury
One of most-used sports betting apps in the United States came under intense criticism over a prop bet related to 49ers star running back Christian McCaffrey.
Bet365 Sportsbook offered props on McCaffrey and 49ers No. 2 RB Jordan Mason in a Week 1 matchup against the Jets. McCaffrey, who was listed as questionable in the days before the game, was scratched from action just an hour before the game.
As a result, sports bettors who had bet on Mason to exceed his rushing total of 13.5 yards were sitting on a profitable betting ticket. However, Bet365 apparently wasn’t willing to pay after Mason ran for 147 yards in a breakout performance.
So, the sportsbook retroactively changed the odds on the Mason prop bet from -110 to -5000, according to numerous angry sports bettors on social media.
In other words, Bet365 wasn’t willing to honor the bets it took. However, after the backlash, Bet365 relented and announced that it would pay out on the Mason yardage prop.
“This is like if someone robbed a bank and found out afterward they were caught on camera,” said one sports bettor who had wagered on Mason’s yardage. “So they brought the money to the police station and said sorry for any confusion.”
Another bettor responded that Bet365 “tried to scam” its customers.
There were many other similar comments.
It doesn’t appear any other online betting platform in the U.S. followed Bet365 in this move.
The backlash appears to have started when a sports gambling content creator named Matt Williams posted a screenshot of an email from Bet365 regarding the bet. Bet365 claimed that betting the Over on Mason’s prop at -110 were “incorrect odds” and that “in accordance with its rules” it would settle the bet at “revised odds of -5000.”
On a $100 bet, the new odds would pay out just a $2 profit compared to $91 in profit at the -110 odds. Essentially, Bet365 was voiding the Mason yardage bet.
Williams’ post generated more than 1.2 million impressions on X.
It wasn’t the first time Bet365 paid out less than bettors were entitled.
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