bet365 Restricted Your Account? Why This Happened and What You Can Do

A report by the Horseracing Bettors Forum in 2016 found that 81% of their respondents reported having an account closed in the past six months, with "Trading Decision" being the most frequent reason given.

The same report also found that 75% of respondents reported that their accounts had been restricted.

The terms and conditions of most gambling companies state that your account could be restricted or closed at any time, but bet365 has come under scrutiny for widely targeting winning accounts. In 2019 an employee revealed that they used "backdoor algorithms" to analyse gamblers' activity and assign them a risk level which they used to restrict or close accounts.

bet365 denies this and, in a statement, said: "In the same way that a customer can decide whether or not they wish to place a bet, a gambling business is also free to decide who they accept bets from, and on what terms, to manage their business and financial liabilities, just as an insurance company may do when setting premiums."

Examples of customers who've been on the receiving end of this treatment from bet365 can be found in the press.

In 2018 Ian Sharpe told the Daily Mail that his account had been restricted to bets of just 33p after their algorithm detected that his account was making a profit despite most of his bets losing. In 2019 an Australian gambler Daniel Laidlaw found his account restricted. Screengrabs of his account information obtained by ABC News showed the "risk rating" on his account. Going back in time, in 2016, the Guardian reports on a punter who was offered an increase in her betting limit after losing £23,000, only to find her account restricted to £1 bets after making some significant wins. However, she could gamble as much as she liked on gaming products with a guaranteed profit margin for bet365. She requested the withdrawal of her £54,000 balance and was still waiting to receive it two months later.

Following a court ruling against Betfair and bet365 in 2021, companies in Spain are no longer allowed to limit the accounts of winning customers. According to Legal Sports Report, this has led to a sharp decrease in betting revenues and Spanish accounts being a target for criminal groups.

Although the clauses allowing account restrictions and closures in terms and conditions are, in theory, included to avoid fraud, in practice, they are frequently used as a risk management strategy by bookmakers to limit accounts of winning customers. The Spanish example shows the risks of this strategy. While Spanish bookmakers are still legally allowed to close an account if they can prove fraud, Spanish courts tend to side with citizens, making them wary.

In the UK, the All-Party Parliamentary Betting and Gaming Group has urged online bookies to introduce a minimum bet guarantee similar to that found at racecourse bookmakers. This would allow bettors to win up to a certain amount, often £500, on selected markets, even if their account is restricted. Sky Bet was the first UK bookmaker to offer this, and Betfair has also introduced it, but currently, there is no sign of bet365 following suit.

Here we'll cover reasons often given for account closures or restrictions, what restrictions might be placed on your account and what you can do about it.

Why Has My Account been Restricted?

Abuse of free bets or promotions

Accounts that are only ever used to claim bet365's bonus codes, free bets and promotions may eventually find their accounts restricted or closed. Although these offers can be generous, they are ultimately designed to increase the number of paying customers. Only taking advantage of promotions could lead to your account being flagged.

You should also check terms and conditions when using promotions to ensure you don't violate any of the terms, for example, having multiple accounts for a household.

Winning too much

As highlighted above, winning too much is one main reason customers believe their account has been restricted. bet365 is a business; too many big wins will ultimately affect its profits. So, if you're on a lucky streak, you might find that Bet365 restricts the size of the bets you can place to avoid significant losses for the company.

Similarly, if bet365 suspects you are a professional gambler, they may restrict your account for the same reason.

Matched or Arbitrage Betting

Matched betting is a technique gamblers use to ensure a profit by placing a range of bets across different platforms.

Arbitrage betting is forbidden in the terms and conditions of most online bookmakers, so if there is a suspicion you are engaging in matched betting, you are very likely to find your account restricted or closed, not just at bet365 but at many online bookmakers.

Unusual Activity

This broad catch-all term could allow anything different from your usual pattern of play to be flagged. If you usually place one bet a year on the Grand National, and suddenly you start placing weekly horseracing Accas, you probably won't notice any restrictions. If those weekly Accas are big bets that consistently win, you could see your account flagged for review and restrictions placed. This could also cover unexpectedly big bets with no apparent source of income, placing large bets on different or unusual sports and several other circumstances.

Self Exclusion

This one might seem obvious, but it can catch people out, as you don't have to exclude yourself from bet365 directly. bet365, as a responsible Gambling operator, is listed with GamStop. This means if you have used GamStop as a self-exclusion tool, your Bet365 account will be one of those restricted.

What Restrictions Might Be Placed on My Account?

Account Closure

The most obvious restriction is to close your account completely. Although bet365 reserve the right to close accounts for any reason, in reality, this measure will most likely be because of a breach of their terms and conditions.

Duplicate accounts, bankruptcy, fraud or a dormant account with a zero balance are all reasons given in bet365's terms for account closure.

Limits on Bet Size

A common restriction reported by big winners on Reddit and in press reports is their maximum bet size. Bettors placing large winning bets threaten profits, so consistent winners may find their bets restricted to £5 or lower.

Limits on Winnings

Similarly, you might find the restrictions placed on the maximum you can win instead. bet365 already has limits for maximum winnings for each sport, but you may find lower limits on your account if you consistently win.

Market Restrictions

If you consistently bet and win on specific sports, you may find your ability to bet on them restricted. Threads on Reddit suggest this is likely to happen when betting on less profitable, more obscure markets.

How to Avoid Account Restrictions

Obviously, you should avoid breaching bet365's terms and conditions to avoid account closure or restrictions. But there are other ways suggested by gamblers to avoid having your account restricted.

Limit the Size of Your Bets

Keeping your bets consistent and small is frequently mentioned by Reddit users as a way to avoid having your account flagged. Sudden large bets, particularly if they are winners, could lead to your account being flagged.

Don't Make too Many Withdrawals

Frequent withdrawals lead to additional processing costs for bet365 and could lead to restrictions. Even though bet365 has limits on maximum withdrawals, you should keep your withdrawals to once a day.

Avoid Betting "Systems" or Tipping Services

The traders at bet365 are very familiar with tipsters and betting systems. If your betting patterns suggest you are trying to beat the system, you will likely find restrictions added to your account.

Keep Your Deposits Consistent

Sudden large deposits can lead to your account being reviewed and restrictions being applied. If you haven't used your account for six months and have previously only deposited £10 at a time and you suddenly deposit £1,500, this will raise flags on your account and could lead to it being reviewed.

How Long will my Account Be Restricted?

The time it takes for restrictions to be lifted will vary depending on the reasons for the restriction and what restriction was applied. It could be only a few days while the review takes place, it could be weeks, or it could be permanent. Particularly in the case of account closures, you are unlikely to be able to get your account reopened, and any new accounts you open are likely to be identified due to the verification process.

In the meantime, you can contact bet365 Customer Services and make sure you provide any information you are asked for quickly.

What else can I do?

If you truly feel your account has been closed or restricted without justification, then your final resort is to make an official complaint. If you are not happy with the resolution of your complaint, then you can obtain a complaint reference from bet365 and raise the issue with the Independent Betting Adjudication Service (IBAS) or The Gambling Commission. The Gambling Commission and IBAS also recommend using the Resolver service to resolve your complaint.

Alternatives to bet365

If your account has already been restricted, or even closed then there are alternatives.

• Switch to another mainstream bookmaker - This is the obvious option. Just because bet365 has closed your account doesn't mean that all bookmakers will. Check out our bonus codes and grab yourself a new welcome offer at a bookmaker like William Hill or Ladbrokes.
• Use a betting exchange or tote bets - Betting exchanges such as Betfair won't restrict your account as bets are placed peer-to-peer rather than against the company, and tote bets generally provide a natural limit to win sizes. This means you won't find your account banned for placing large winning bets. However, it may also mean less profit.
• Use an alternative bookmaker - There are bookmakers out there with a reputation for dealing with professional gamblers. They often have higher maximum bet limits, and will rarely limit accounts simply for winning. Pinnacle is the most often recommended site, but we have also seen recommendations for Bookmaker.eu.
• Bet in person - The final alternative is placing your bets at race courses or betting shops. Placing your bets in cash means any online bans won't be connected to your real-life bets.

Useful Links

• help.bet365.com/en/my-account/complaints-procedure - bet365 Complaints Procedure
• help.bet365.com/en/terms-and-conditions - bet365 Terms and Conditions
• ibas-uk.com - Independent Betting Adjudication Service
• www.gamblingcommission.gov.uk - The Gambling Commission
• www.resolver.co.uk/rights-guide/gambling - Resolver