Every day Betfred has the difficult job of ensuring that the millions of users active on its platform do not engage in illegal behaviour, destabilize the website, or otherwise violate its terms of service.
As a result, Betfred makes use of specialized artificial intelligence that can identify when an account is offside, and red card it if necessary.
In this article we’ll help you to identify the potential causes of Betfred account closure or restriction, as well as steps you can take to get your account back if you believe your account restriction was an error.
Types of Betfred account restrictions
Betfred actions against user accounts flagged as problematic fall into three categories.
Restricted accounts
Restricted account holders will lose access to certain functions or privileges in their accounts. This can range from being unable to access bonuses and promotions to having stake limits placed on the amounts bet at this bookie.
Account closures
Your Betfred account may be closed altogether in some situations. In these cases, you will be unable to log into your account once access has been suspended.
Suspended accounts
You will be unable to log into your Betfred account if you opted to self-exclude from the platform in the past. If this is the case, your account is suspended and you will only be able to access it again once the self-exclusion period has ended.
Reasons for Betfred account restrictions and closures
Betfred will usually send you an email if your account is restricted or closed for some reason. However, they won’t always tell you what the reason for the closure or restriction is. Here are the most common reasons for account restrictions at Betfred.
Account restrictions
Account restrictions are typically put in place when punters operate accounts that Betfred considers to be too profitable. These accounts will then be throttled in some way to limit how much account holders can earn at this bookmaker.
Account closures
There are several reasons Betfred may close a user account. For a start, it is reported on some online forums that Betfred will close profitable accounts rather than simply restrict user access.
However, closures are more likely to result from a violation of the Betfred terms of service. These violations can include:
- abusing promotional offers
- providing false personal information when setting up an account
- engaging in arbitrage (sure betting)
If you’re engaged in flat out illegal activities, this will result in instant account closure once identified.
Illegal activities include:
- money laundering
- underage gambling
- payment fraud (using third party payment details to fund your account)
- capitalizing on, or participating in, match fixing.
How to get your Betfred account back if you did nothing wrong
If you broke the law on your Betfred account, have consistently won a fortune with your sports betting activities or attempted to circumvent the company’s security procedures, chances are your account will not be restored to its former state.
However, if you believe a mistake has been made, the good news is that Betfred has well defined complaint and dispute guidelines and procedures.
If you would like to dispute your account closure or restriction you can contact Betfred customer support to lodge your complaint using one of the following channels.
You can review the full Betfred complaints procedure here.
What to do if Betfred will not lift restrictions on your account or reactivate it
If Betfred does not lift restrictions on your account after reviewing your complaint you can refer your complaint to an alternative dispute regulator like IBAS, the UK’s independent betting adjudication service.
Alternatively, you can submit a complaint with the Gambling Commission of Great Britain if you are in the United Kingdom, or the Gibraltar Gambling Commission if you are outside of the UK.
In many cases you will find it easier to simply relocate your account to another major UK bookmaker.
The following bookmakers offer services comparable to Betfred:
How to avoid having your betting account restricted in future
You can avoid having your betting account closed in future by:
- reviewing and adhering to the terms of services of your bookmaker
- avoiding any illegal activity on a betting website
If you find your accounts being closed for profitable betting, your best option is to spread your betting activity between several bookmakers to try to stay under the available.
Can Betfred legally suspend your account?
Betfred can legally suspend or restrict your account at any point.
However, if you believe that Betfred has violated applicable regulatory policies in the process of suspending your account you can take this up with either an independent adjudication service or the relevant regulator.
Betfred account restriction and closure FAQ
Does Betfred close winning accounts?
There are anecdotal reports online that Betfred closes winning accounts instead of simply restricting them.
Can you reopen a closed Betfred account?
If you previously closed your Betfred you will need to open a new account if you wish to use the bookmaker again. If Betfred has closed your account and you believe this was an error, you will need to contact Betfred’s customer support and submit a complaint.
How do I reactivate my Betfred account?
You will need to contact Betfred customer support and ask if they are able to reactivate your account. Whether or not this is possible will depend on the reasons for your account deactivation.
Can I open a new Betfred account?
If you previously held a Betfred account, you would need to contact customer support and enquire whether you can open a new account. The answer to this question will depend on the reason your previous account was closed.
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