*Resolved* Anyone following this Bovada story?

[Reload]

Edit by BMR Staff:
Update - We understand that Bovada has graded this bet as a win and paid the $87k ticket.

___

$87k involved here…

Bovada SCAMS VIP customer out of $87k on US Tiktok Ban bet

A listener to Poker Fraud Alert Radio has alerted me to the fact that Bovada has scammed them out of an $87k payout, regarding a very straightforward bet about TikTok being banned in the US sometime in 2025. I have been in contact with this user for weeks, and can verify that this has indeed...

pokerfraudalert.com

 

[thefix]

People bet on anything....

 

[BMR Forum]

Thank you for sharing, taking a look. Did anybody bet that prop elsewhere and was it already graded? Didn't see the wording attached as to when their market will be graded.

 

[crusherrr]

Scammed? If someone bet $87k on this crap they were probably trying to scam Bovada out of the money. How did they end up betting $87,000 on a tiktok ban anyways. I'd be shocked if Bovada took more than $250 on something like that

 

[djefferis]

Interesting- reminds me of the whole debacle when 5D offered odds on what will happen with LeBron in “the decision” - one of the options was “traded” - which technically he was in a sign/trade between the Cavs and Miami (after he made the decision to go to Miami and notified the Cavs he would not resign and stay) - 5D tried saying it wasn’t the “intent” of the trade option.

This one - there was certainly a suspension of service of TikTok - and I’m certain Bovada is going to similarly argue “intent” - meaning their intent was that that TikTok would be permanently taken down for US customers - not temporarily suspended and later reinstated.

Regardless - they are “technically” within their rights to wait until 1/1/2026 (and of course a permanent ban may take place before then). However - I also feel that on 1/1/2026 the bet as written should be graded a winner based on the suspension of service. It does not state will TikTok be available to customers on 12/31/2025 - it simply says will TikTok be banned AT ANYTIME DURING 2025 - technically no requirement it be a day, a week or any length of time - just that ANY suspension of the service occur.

Book is within their rights to make the player wait until the end of the event (2025 calendar year) - just like they would if it were a season long over/under total for example that won before the season officially concluded - but ultimately it should be graded a winner.

 

[crusherrr]

Interesting- reminds me of the whole debacle when 5D offered odds on what will happen with LeBron in “the decision” - one of the options was “traded” - which technically he was in a sign/trade between the Cavs and Miami (after he made the decision to go to Miami and notified the Cavs he would not resign and stay) - 5D tried saying it wasn’t the “intent” of the trade option.

This one - there was certainly a suspension of service of TikTok - and I’m certain Bovada is going to similarly argue “intent” - meaning their intent was that that TikTok would be permanently taken down for US customers - not temporarily suspended and later reinstated.

Regardless - they are “technically” within their rights to wait until 1/1/2026 (and of course a permanent ban may take place before then). However - I also feel that on 1/1/2026 the bet as written should be graded a winner based on the suspension of service. It does not state will TikTok be available to customers on 12/31/2025 - it simply says will TikTok be banned AT ANYTIME DURING 2025 - technically no requirement it be a day, a week or any length of time - just that ANY suspension of the service occur.

Book is within their rights to make the player wait until the end of the event (2025 calendar year) - just like they would if it were a season long over/under total for example that won before the season officially concluded - but ultimately it should be graded a winner.

Yeah after looking into it I'm torn on how it should be graded. Should it be graded like you are betting a double double in basketball +250 and then the 10th rebound gets taken down/corrected after the game? I'm not sure.

One thing I do know, is the bet should not be graded yet. If they are saying Tiktok hasnt been banned then the bet should still be pending.

 

[btcfan]

Should have been worded better. Seems like they left some ambiguity as an out.

I am having an issue with that dollar amount. I guess being a VIP, maybe they would let him get that kind of action on that prop but still seems high. I was limited awhile back there so I could have piled on that one for $2 to pick up $5. No love lost on that shop....

 

[Reload]

Scammed? If someone bet $87k on this crap they were probably trying to scam Bovada out of the money. How did they end up betting $87,000 on a tiktok ban anyways. I'd be shocked if Bovada took more than $250 on something like that

Yes it’s surprising they would take this large of a wager from one account. Even if they are a VIP.

I would normally think a maximum of $500 or less. Especially without offering a “No” side of the wager.

 

[pragmatic]

"Given that this bet was great value, the player bet almost $25k on TikTok getting banned in the US in 2025. The bet would win them over $62k (plus their $25k back), for a total of $87k in their account if they were to win."

Never understood why people need to specify this in their no-pay/dispute stories. That the bet was great value. Who cares? Is it relevant? If the bet was poor value, does the situation change?

 

[djefferis]

Should have been worded better. Seems like they left some ambiguity as an out.

Agree - ambiguity is key here.

Most basic principle of a contract of adhesion (where one person writes the contract and the other only can say yes or no to the deal - like when a bookmaker writes a line) is ambiguity is ALWAYS found in the side of the party who didn’t write the contract.

Now Bovada is going to probably argue some generic T&C in their rule book - but bottom line - it wouldn’t have taken much more to tighten this prop up. You can’t cover every angle - but just saying TikTok to be active 12/31/2025 in the USA would have been sufficient to avoid the situation of a temporary shutdown in a political show before dems lost control. Bottom line it’s their wording that kills the case - but English is not everyone’s first language either - so it’s there this gets trickier than it needs to be.

 

[btcfan]

"Given that this bet was great value, the player bet almost $25k on TikTok getting banned in the US in 2025. The bet would win them over $62k (plus their $25k back), for a total of $87k in their account if they were to win."

Never understood why people need to specify this in their no-pay/dispute stories. That the bet was great value. Who cares? Is it relevant? If the bet was poor value, does the situation change?

Spot on. Maybe the great value is more of a justification for the wager/amount before the result. This situation is just getting stiffed on a winning play. Completely different. Could be the worst bet on the board, but if it won, needs to be settled as a winner.

 

[Pimike]

My question is how did they accept 25 k on a prop bet?

that seems off

 

[BMR Forum]

Update - We understand that Bovada has graded this bet as a win and paid the $87k ticket.

 

[Reload]

Update - We understand that Bovada has graded this bet as a win and paid the $87k ticket.

That’s nice to hear!

 

[Ace7550]

Update - We understand that Bovada has graded this bet as a win and paid the $87k ticket.

Excellent.

 

[KVB]

Edit by BMR Staff:
Update - We understand that Bovada has graded this bet as a win and paid the $87k ticket.

Can't believe he got that much down, but this is a good resolution.

Now let's talk about whether or not this is even a true story.

lol

Is there any proof this bet was actually made?

 

[Reload]

Can't believe he got that much down, but this is a good resolution.

Now let's talk about whether or not this is even a true story.

lol

Is there any proof this bet was actually made?

Would say it’s all legit because PokerFraudAlert was involved in resolving this. He wouldn’t have socialized the situation otherwise. There were emails back and forth from Bovada seen and reviewed.

I do feel it’s bizarre they would have allowed that much on this kind of prop. But if he was a VIP then perhaps he plays a lot on other kinds of bets.

 

[djefferis]

Glad they paid.

As to the bet amount - keep in mind it’s Bovada. There’s a reason people use them - and it’s all because they will sometimes take bets no one else would touch at a limit far in excess of norms.

Still the risk you take playing this stuff at those levels - books love to push the boundaries on rulings it seems and only back down when it’s clearly going to cost them more in lost revenue.

 

[btcfan]

Good to hear. Take the bet and settle it correctly.

Never had an issue with them before I was limited. Had a few props incorrectly graded but always corrected quickly. Payouts were always blazing quick. Just didn't want my action.

 

[Ace7550]

As far as bet size and Bovada goes (all joking aside) I have personally seen them offer huge limits. Even much bigger than Bookmaker at times. I've seen them give 8k limits on ncaab 1st half totals.
That all being said, 25k on a random tik tok prop is absurd