Australian Gambling – A global online betting firm, which is believed to owe Australian customers in excess of a million dollars, has shut up shop and “can’t be contacted”. Gamblers from Australia, UK, India, Eastern Europe and Canada have been unable to access thousands of dollars in winnings since late last year.
The company in question, Canbet, said in December the issue was due to a computer glitch and promised to pay customers as soon as it could. But angry punters, with over $20,000 owed to them, have contacted AustralianGambling with complaints about the company, which is licenced with the UK Gambling Commission.
One tally at an online forum has Canbet owing customers over AUD $1 million. Justin B from Tamworth, said he is owed over €150, and is unable to contact the troubled bookmaker via their website, which has been taken down, or email and no longer has any faith that he will get his money back.
“I am not owed much, but it would be a good night out for us,” he said. “When I couldn’t get my money out I had no idea why. They have just shut it down and have taken the money – I don’t know how they can get away with it.”
Canbet’s parent company Interactive Gaming and Sports Group is based in Melbourne, but despite constant attempts by AustralianGambling to contact them our calls and emails were not returned.
The last public comment from Canbet, was in January from Australian Director Peter Lord, who told the ABC that the company “was working on a solution” to pay customers the money they were owed”.
The UK Gambling Commission released an update on April 15 which said that Canbet had failed to receive additional funding from its Australian parent company.
The report said that Canbet is “now looking to sell assets within the company to raise the cash needed to pay their creditors.”
But Shannon C, from Melbourne, said he has his doubts that he will ever see the AUD $5,000 he is owed by Canbet.
He said the alarm bells began ringing for him when he requested a withdrawal in December and couldn’t access his money.
“I’m obviously not happy about it,” he said.
