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…company says ‘it’s a coordinated attack on our platform, we have paid winning to millions of users’
SportyBet has come under fire from some of its customers, who accused the betting platform of wrongly settling their tickets, making unauthorised cash-outs, deducting funds from their wallets and restricting accounts after alleged big wins.
The complaints, made in separate posts on X, sparked demands for the company to investigate the disputed transactions and pay winnings that the affected bettors claimed were due to them.
However, a company representative attributed the disputed transactions to a system error, saying all affected customers have been paid.
“It was a system error. Everyone has been paid,” the representative said in response to enquiries.
One of the most prominent complaints came from an X user identified as Itzamp (@UnderCartel1), who alleged that SportyBet deactivated his account and logged him out after he reportedly won N23 million from a virtual bet.
The user said he had contacted the company’s customer support but claimed his complaint had not been satisfactorily addressed.
“Sportybet have deactivated my acct and logged me out after I won 23m from Virtual,” he wrote, describing the development as unacceptable and asking the company to respond to his direct messages.
Another bettor, Enny Campbell, alleged that a 34-leg live bet with a potential payout of about N7.3 million was wrongly settled at N0.10.
Campbell said he staked N7,000 on the 34-leg ticket, with Lille versus Paris Saint-Germain as the final fixture.
According to him, 33 selections on the ticket had already been marked successful before the final match, while Lille went 2-0 ahead.
He, however, alleged that instead of receiving the expected settlement, the ticket suddenly showed N0.10.
Campbell questioned how a ticket with 33 selections already marked successful could be settled at such a low amount after the final selection appeared to have gone in his favour.
“The expected payout was around #7.3M, yet instead of settling my bet at the correct amount, I’m seeing #0.10,” he wrote.
He appealed to SportyBet to review the transaction and pay what he described as his legitimate winnings.
“I’m only asking for what I won,” he said.
A similar allegation was raised by another bettor, Aboki (@lanrelndn), who claimed that a ticket on which he staked N1,000 was wrongly settled at 0.10 kobo.
The bettor said he did not initiate any cash-out and urged SportyBet to reinstate the ticket.
Another user, Just Believe, alleged that a ticket involving a N7,200 stake and odds of 13,024, with a potential payout of about N200 million, was settled through an unauthorised cash-out.
The bettor claimed that the ticket was instead settled at N3,565.99 despite insisting that he did not initiate the cash-out.
“I DID NOT CASH OUT, yet my ticket was apparently cashed out for only #3,565.99,” the user wrote.
He questioned who authorised the alleged cash-out and said he had screenshots and video evidence of the transaction.
The complaints also extended to allegations of unexplained deductions from users’ betting wallets.
An X user, Oku (@oku_yungx), accused SportyBet of deducting money from customers’ wallets and called on the company to reconcile affected accounts.
He claimed that after transferring N200,000 to his account, the balance displayed did not correspond with his expectations.
“Dear @SportyBetNG you have been deducting people’s money from their wallet,” he alleged.
The complaints also spilled into the streets, with a video circulating on social media showing a young man wearing a black face cap and black nose mask on a Lagos street, carrying a placard demanding action from the betting company.
The placard reads: “Stop the excuses, stop the unfairness, pay our winnings,” alongside the hashtag #BoycottSportybet.
The allegations largely centred on wrongful settlement of winning tickets, unauthorised cash-outs, unexplained wallet deductions and account restrictions following reported winnings.
SportyBet’s response, however, appeared to link the reported discrepancies to a technical problem rather than deliberate deductions or withholding of winnings.
The company said the incident was caused by a system error and assured users that the affected customers had been paid.
The response effectively addressed the central complaints raised by the bettors, although details of what caused the system error, how many customers were affected and when the disputed payments were processed were not immediately provided.
The development has drawn attention to the importance of transparency and reliability in online betting platforms, particularly in live and virtual betting where automated systems determine odds, settlements and cash-out values.
For the affected users, SportyBet’s assurance that everyone has been paid brings an apparent resolution to the immediate dispute, although questions remain about the technical failure and measures being taken to prevent a recurrence.
The statement from SportyBet shared on X reads: ‘’We are aware of an unwarranted media attack targeting SportyBet, coordinated by a professional organization and leveraging paid social media influencers, rather than genuine Sporty users.
‘’In the past 7 days, SportyBet paid out record levels of winnings instantly to millions of users.
‘’SportyBet is a licensed and regulated betting platform in Nigeria. We are built on trust, innovation, and an unwavering commitment to our users, who have always been at the centre of everything we do. That commitment will not change.
‘’Our customer service remains available 24/7 to resolve any questions you may have.
‘Thank you for your trust in Sporty’’.
