IBAS - Independent Betting Adjudication Service Reviews 

The now no longer Betdaq queue jumped my lay bet with the aid of an internal bot,quite a serious breach of their terms and licensing conditions. I took the matter to IBAS with my screenshot proof after I closed my account with Betdaq. I found Betdaqs explanation of an anomaly and that the IT team were unsure why my bet was not matched a poor excuse. They bypassed my account closure and paid my bet back to my account thus making the IBAS claim void. The final line from IBAS I found rather strange and a little extraneous...'I should add that we have received no other complaints on the same matter in all the years that Betdaq has operated, possibly suggesting that their bet matching process is widely accepted.' Having said all this the people I have dealt with have all been professional just limited by their powers.

Useless!!!! bookmaker not responding to anything just fobbing me off yet they still keep asking about a final resolution email from the bookmaker and say they cant do anything without it and i.m suppose to waste hours if not days trying to get something from live chat over £40 as the bookmaker chose that to be the only point of contacts.

Found partially in my favour, then awarded me nothing

IBAS agreed that NetBet settled my bet at the wrong price. They ruled it should be paid at 14/1 (15.0) (reduced from 40/1), which comes to £1,500. They then decided I was owed nothing. Their reasoning was that I'd "used" the money, counting stakes on later bets as if NetBet had paid them to me.

I also showed that 40/1 was widely available. I sent them a betslip from another bookmaker at the same odds, placed just 10 minutes before mine, on a pre-match market where prices barely move. IBAS still called my price an obvious error and when I asked whether they had checked how long those odds were available, or how a gap of a few minutes could make a widely offered price "palpable", they ignored the question.

They also missed that NetBet's second "rollback" took winnings from my other bets. NetBet told IBAS those bets were valid. NetBet's own email says the rollback was because one of them was "incorrectly settled", and that email was in front of them. When I raised this, IBAS refused to review the case and said they won't reply to any further correspondence.

In conclusion, NetBet now won't pay out even at the 14/1 odds IBAS said was fair, and IBAS has closed the case. If you have a dispute with a bookmaker, don't expect IBAS to hold them to their own decisions. I'm now taking it to small claims court.

Overall, lots of negligence and lack of care for the consumer.

Problem resolved in a professional manner, all winnings paid

Betfred in Liverpool refused to honour my bet after losing my betting slip.
Eventually after lots of emails from myself and IBAS they finally paid over 3 months after bet was made. Apologies need to correct my review. Betfred took 4 and a half months to honour my bet. I that time I gave copy of my betting slip, passport and for some reason they requested selfie with my passport. They even suggested It was not me the made the bet in Liverpool shop
I know full well I made the bet and asked to see their CCTV my request was refused on numerous occasions. I strongly recommend punters to boycott Betfred. This company treated me with nothing but contempt for 4 and a half months.

Ron was a great help in getting bet paid.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Excellent service

I would highly recommend IBAS. From my very first contact with them, I found them to be professional, helpful, approachable and extremely responsive.

They were always happy to answer my questions and explain the process, and I felt that my concerns were listened to and taken seriously. Their communication was excellent throughout, and whenever I contacted them I received a prompt and helpful response.

I was particularly impressed by how proactive they were when it came to progressing my case. They went above and beyond what I expected and provided reassurance at what was, at times, quite a stressful process.

A special mention to Ron, who dealt with my case throughout. He was exceptionally helpful, patient and professional, and always took the time to answer my questions and keep me updated. I really appreciated his support and couldn’t have asked for a better case handler.

I am extremely grateful for all their help and support and couldn’t be happier with the service I received.

Thank you, Ron, and everyone at IBAS, for your excellent service. Absolutely first-class. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

IBAS were the shining light, the lighthouse sheltering me to safety to the shore from the risky sea of dubious sports betting companies, namely Betfair and Paddy Power. IBAS were able to help me, and intervene, and shore up the funds in free bets promised by the aforementioned who refused to pay up.

Throughout the process, I was kept informed of new developments via both their informative portal and once my formal complaint was deemed credible and with a reasonable chance of success I was assigned with a case manager who was an expert and very professional. Ultimately the middle man between me and the betting companies who managed to get all of my free bets that were originally advertised, promised, but then finally offered. Essentially two of the penalties were both scored, so two wins!!

Thanks IBAS! You're the best.

Sincerely,

JP

I had an issue with an online gambling business in the UK (regulated by the UKGC). I felt as though Ibwas unfairly treated in the sense that I gambled whilst self excluded which is not the issue I had. The issue was that the conpany in question denied my withdrawals but accepted by deposits and then closed my account a few hours later and sent me back just my unused deposit. They kept the rest. After exhausting their internal complaints procedure, I referred it to IBAS who were so helpful at the outset and told me what I needed to do to submit a claim. Jim was very helpful and informative and my case manager James kept me updated and was so easy to deal with. Even after the decision was made there was an issue with receiving the funds and James chased them up and within one hour it was resolved. It is such a great team and they are fair, they look at the facts and always updated me promptly. Definitely a fantastic service with really nice people working for IBAS.

I had a long running dispute with William Hill Bookmakers who were refusing to pay out winning bets in a shop because they wanted photo ID such as a passport, Driving Licence or citizens card which i have never possessed. I contacted IBAS who were simply brilliant, especially a woman named Chevelle who was exceptional.

My experience with IBAS has been nothing short of shocking. I submitted a straightforward self‑exclusion enforcement dispute, supported by clear evidence, operator admissions, and a full chronology. Instead of investigating, IBAS simply refused to engage with the case. They confirmed in writing that they had not requested any evidence from the operator, had not reviewed any material, had not assessed the dispute, and had not followed their own published process. Despite this, they attempted to dismiss the matter with a vague claim that it was “outside their remit,” even though self‑exclusion enforcement disputes are explicitly within ADR scope and fall directly under the UKGC’s consumer protection framework.

IBAS’s conduct breaches the ADR Regulations 2015 and the UKGC ADR Provider Standards. They failed to gather evidence, failed to assess both sides, failed to provide a reasoned outcome, and failed to act transparently or independently. Their contradictory statements and refusal to carry out even the most basic elements of adjudication show a complete breakdown of their responsibilities as an ADR provider. In my case, IBAS acted as an obstacle rather than a resolution service, avoiding the dispute entirely instead of performing the role they are accredited for.

This is not an ADR service. It is procedural obstruction.

Thank you for responding. However, your reply does not reflect the actual scope of my complaint.

My submission to IBAS was not a “failure to prevent an individual from gambling” complaint. It involved several issues that fall within ADR scope, including:

unexplained discrepancies in my registration details

a complete failure by the operator to comply with a lawful DSAR request

£4,100 in deposits accepted on an account the operator later confirmed should not have been active

refusal by the operator to provide any evidence or account information

a transactional dispute regarding deposits, account operation, and customer service failures

These are financial, procedural, and data‑rights issues, not a safer‑gambling assessment.

IBAS confirmed in writing that no evidence was requested from the operator, no material was reviewed, and no assessment was carried out. Your public reply does not address these points.

I will be escalating this to the Gambling Commission for review of ADR handling and procedural compliance.

Only work for gambling operators not independent at all I have previously 2 dispute with boylesports both with wining docket but my bets make it split into half winning because the operators doesn't want to pay and the I bas is agreed to them

No help whatsoever

If I can give 0 start that will be. I'm sorry if there are any professionals doing there job right, but the manager which I meet is really a frustrated person what gets payment for really nothing. They doesn't know even if the case is for them... What else to expect...

I had a dispute with BetFred.
Basically instead of putting Southwell 2.07 I wrote Southwell 2.05 No 2 - 3/1 BOG on a multiple bet.
The local shop staff did not hesitate in settling the bet as a winner but BetFred security did not agree and voided that element of the bet. I was very disappointed that with BetFred being a regular client but IBAS were great. One letter on their website with a copy of bet slip and my bet was paid out within 30 days. What I would say also is that I was patient and I am not sure if everyone would be patient.
THANK YOU IBAS

Betfred shop staff were very helpful about giving me IBAS details etc.

Don’t waste your time they drag you round in circles it’s ran by little kids by the looks of it .

Fails to Meet Basic Standards of Independent Adjudication

I referred a dispute to the IBAS and my concern is not with the outcome, but with the fairness and transparency of the process itself.

The decision appears to rely on evidence that is not fully disclosed to the customer, preventing any meaningful opportunity to review, test, or challenge the material considered. This creates a clear imbalance between the parties and is inconsistent with established principles of procedural fairness, including the expectation of “equality of arms.”

In the context of dispute resolution within the regulated gambling sector, there is a reasonable expectation—aligned with standards overseen by bodies such as the Gambling Commission—that adjudication processes will be transparent, evidence-based, and supported by sufficiently detailed reasoning. Where relevant material is withheld and explanations are limited, those standards are not met.

The position is analogous to a tribunal in which one party is required to answer a case without being permitted to see or respond to the evidence against them. In any credible system of adjudication, such a process would be regarded as fundamentally unfair.

In light of these issues, I do not consider this service to meet even the minimum standards expected of an ombudsman-style body within a regulated sector. The lack of transparency and procedural balance represents a fundamental flaw, and I would not recommend it to those seeking a fair, impartial, and accountable dispute resolution process.

Not fit for purpose

I made a complaint to IBAS because Bet600 would not pay me my winnings after almost a year and having sent them five different forms of ID including personal ID and proof of source of funds.

IBAS ruled that if Bet600 were not satisfied with my ID (for whatever spurious reason) then I had broken their terms and therefore Bet600 did not have to pay me.

There are three major issues with IBAS

Firstly, The operator does not have to prove to IBAS that you have broken their terms. Unproven suspicion is enough.

Secondly, IBAS make no ruling as to whether the bookmaker terms are fair.

Thirdly, IBAS are funded by payments from bookmakers !!

The gambling industry is crying out for an independent ombudsman and IBAS have stated that they would be interested in that role.

They are unfit for that role

----------------------------------------------------

IBAS replied to my review, but their response reinforces exactly why they are not fit for purpose.

They claim decisions are based on “all evidence from both parties” and the “balance of probabilities.” What they fail to mention is that customers are not given full disclosure of the information submitted by the bookmaker.

In my case:

I was not told the specific allegations made against me
I was not shown the evidence relied upon
I was given no meaningful opportunity to challenge the bookmaker’s claims

So the reality is simple: one side can submit information in private, while the other is expected to defend themselves without seeing it.

Calling this a “balance of probabilities” is misleading. A process cannot be balanced when one party is allowed to rely on undisclosed material.

IBAS also state they consider whether terms are unfair. However, they continue to enforce bookmaker terms without requiring robust, transparent evidence from the operator. Assertions appear to be enough.

The result is a process where:

The bookmaker controls what information is shared
The customer cannot properly respond
And IBAS accepts one-sided submissions behind closed doors

That is not independent adjudication. It is a closed process that lacks transparency and accountability.

This is not about losing a case — it is about a system where the customer is placed at a structural disadvantage from the outset.

Until IBAS require full disclosure and allow customers to properly respond to the case against them, their claim to independence will continue to be open to serious question.

Told me they wont help as William Hill CLAIM i haven't exhausted all procuderes. i sent clear evidence of The FINAL RESPONSE And was sent this
Please do not send any more details from your communications with William Hill.



This will be the final instruction on the below.

Refusal of service once shown evidence. Asked 18 times for a different staff member due to my neurological condition was discriminated against for having a ASD condition

I recently went through the IBAS process regarding a dispute with a bookmaker, and the experience has been extremely disappointing.

The core issue is not simply the outcome, but the way the decision was reached. In my case, IBAS concluded that a bet was settled correctly at revised odds, yet provided no statistical evidence, pricing model, or market comparison to support what they described as the “correct price.” There was no explanation of the underlying base price, no assessment of the promoted “boosted” price, and no transparent methodology used to justify their conclusion.

When I raised this in an appeal, the response was even more concerning. IBAS stated that they are not required to provide detailed evidence or modelling, and instead rely on their own judgment and “industry experience” to determine whether a price is an “obvious error.”

This effectively means:

No requirement to evidence how a price is calculated

No obligation to demonstrate what the correct price should have been

No transparency in how conclusions are reached

In my case, no supporting evidence was presented by the operator, and IBAS accepted their position without providing independent verification or analysis.

In my view, this undermines confidence in the fairness of the process. An independent adjudication service should be able to clearly demonstrate how it reaches its conclusions, especially in disputes involving significant financial outcomes.

The process felt one-sided, with heavy reliance on operator assertions and minimal scrutiny of how those positions were supported. Key aspects of the case, including the nature of a promoted “boosted” price and even a goodwill offer made by the operator, were not meaningfully addressed in the final reasoning.

If IBAS is to be considered a truly independent adjudicator, greater transparency, accountability, and evidential standards are essential.

Very frustrating experience and not what I expected from an independent dispute resolution service.

I raised a case to IBAS on the 26th December 2025
It has taken just short of 3 months to finally get a final decision.

Sky bet basically banned me after my bet had started from using the acca freeze promotion. The whole bet came in including the team I wanted to freeze who then conceded an equaliser in the 92nd minute. Full return was £2800.

IBAS reviewed the case agreed sky bets procedure was wrong and that they should have to communicate to me as soon as I’m banned from using the promotion.
3 months on ive still not been told I am banned.

The fact an adjudicator can agree with you but still make a decision in favour of the gambling company is crazy an just proof that IBAS is in the pocket of the gambling company’s.

Gimps