The cause of restrictions or limitations
The best way to avoid restriction is to stay off the bookmaker radar. There are a variety of ways to do that, but how can you know them if you aren’t even
aware of the things that will see you limited/restricted in the first place?
Perhaps the most frustrating thing is that the bookmaker is doing something that seems so morally wrong (and it is), but yet is breaking zero laws in the
process. If you are detected and limited once, that’s end game with that bookmaker. Most bookmakers do not welcome multiple accounts and even if you
close and later re-open, you’ll possibly be flagged up and limited quickly again.
Betting patterns and limitations
See, it’s about betting patterns and your potential to beat the starting price as much as it is just winning. A bookmaker would more than welcome a hefty one for a new punter who places largely accumulator bets, because they know that their chance of retaining that member is high and once they’ve played through their winnings – they’ll probably start depositing more and over time, lose money.
I’ve read stories about several horse racing punters – both professional and casual – who have been limited and I personally happen to have a friend who has been harshly limited when beating on horses.
I’d say the most intriguing thing about him is that he was limited within a month of opening a new account, despite the fact he only posted a 1.4 Unit profit that month. Although he wasn’t winning, the bookmakers could see the type of bet he was targeting and they also spotted his potentially to shrewdly beat the start price which is a big red flag to them and a sure-fire way to get restricted.
In the old days, such punters would be used to help shape the market, but now you’re limited in a heartbeat. And when we say limited, we mean your betting account being restricted to as little as £2.50 bets in some cases.
Monitoring systems
Bookmakers have very clever systems managed by just a handful of people, and they tend to flag up anything from a big win, to betting patterns to just a bet being placed on a lesser known market/league
Perhaps most shockingly, in our guides we will also be looking at the software that allows bookmakers to spy on your computer activity when scrolling through odds comparisons and data sites to select your bets.
Common reasons to have your account restricted
Bet Size
Starting with some of the more obvious reasons, a bookmaker can potentially read a lot in to the size of your bet. If you’re betting very regular,
consistent, flat and large amounts such as £200 per bet – you’re a red flag. Equally very varied and specific amounts, such as £15.54, £79.81 or £104.19
can indicate that someone could be arbitrage betting.
Free Bets & Bonuses
If you’re serious about betting and you understand bookmakers, then you probably understand that most new member offers are often not the best and
even when you do get those winnings out, you’ve risked plenty of your own money and gotten no value in the process. Serious gamblers don’t entertain
the types of bets needed to achieve bonuses or in-play free bets.
Bet Type
I personally like to bet on nothing but singles. I don’t feel the need to pair games up and neither do the vast majority of serious bettors. If you’re
betting accumulators – even if you’re making fair amounts of money – you’re not as on the radar as someone placing sensible and consistent singles.
I think the bookmakers, much like ourselves, believe there’s no real long term money in accumulator betting, and even if you do profit, you certainly
aren’t getting any amount of value.
In-play betting and live action streaming
One of the biggest game changers in online gambling is the introduction of in-play betting and the streaming of live action. Bet365 are no doubt the
king of this, especially when it comes to Horses and Football. Whilst you might catch a seasoned pro hanging around for the odd game, the bookmakers
know how long you’ve spent logged in and exactly what you’ve been doing, and they know that if you log in, place your bet, don’t stick around to watch
any action and just return to check on your winnings – you’re more likely to be a seasoned pro.
Do you make money?
This one is quite obvious, make a lot of money and you’re likely to be on the bookmaker radar. Interestingly, making money doesn’t automatically see
your account limited or restricted, it just gives them a reason to take a closer look at your account. A person winning £5,000 in a month on thought
out, flat stake singles is a likely to have their account limited, whilst a person who does the same through wild accumulators is more than safe as
they are like someone who will likely lose money in the long term. So winning big could see you monitored and restricted, but the winning its self
is not actually the biggest restrictor.
Type of games/events
Do you spend a large proportion of your week betting on televised games? You’re likely a casual punter as far as a book maker is concerned. Now televised
games are generally big games with big markets, so they can be harder to call, but they can also be a good bet for professionals with much bigger margins.
That said, they’re often well priced. The value is going to come in betting on smaller markets and niche leagues, such as Major League Soccer, where
there is value to be found every week.
Beating the SP
This relates to horse racing and refers to the start price. If you’re regularly getting your bets in early before a shift in odds and beating the
start price then it’s likely you’ll be considered a very shrewd gambler, with the knowledge to make long term profits. You don’t even need to win,
you can make a loss and the bookmakers may still restrict you to avoid what they believe to be a future threat.
