By Jonathan Ugbal
A businessman, Mr. Cletus Uyah based in Calabar, the Cross River State capital, and a betting company, Bet9ja are currently embroiled in a bitter relationship after the gambling corporation failed to pay him over ₦650,000 he won in two bets placed.
The businessman told CrossRiverWatch that he hoped to invest part of the earnings in his business but has been left hanging by the gambling company with no resolution in sight.
When contacted, the betting platform claims Mr. Uyah did not meet the terms and conditions required to pay the money he won.
The Games
Mr. Uyah said he had placed two bets, days leading to his shocking discovery which happened on November 1, 2022.
In his first selection of football games, Mr. Uyah accumulated 1784.29 points, staked ₦200, and won ₦642,344.28. For the second selection of football games predicted, he risked ₦650 for 16.43 points which fetched him over ₦11,749.70.
As of 7:00PM on November 1, 2022, both games displayed green or positive which means his predictions were correct and had won. But, his joy will soon vanish.
How It Started
“I play games (place bets) with Bet9ja via my phone with their app. Sometimes, I win and sometimes I lose and I have always been able to withdraw my money,” Uyah told CrossRiverWatch.
Continuing, he added that “I logged in one day and saw that I have been given a bonus which is something they always do. I used that bonus and staked two slips online and I won. When I tried to withdraw the money, that is, to transfer it from my betting wallet to my account, I could not.
“At first I thought it was a network problem. When I could not succeed, I went to their agent and they told me to call customer care. I dialed the number and explained to them and they told me that the Terms and Conditions mean I cannot withdraw and that the games played after the bonus expired.”
Terms And Conditions
After several efforts spanning over two weeks to get the Bet9ja customer care representatives, Mr. Emmanuel explained that it was unethical for them to discuss customers’ issues with third parties.
“I can’t ask you to give me details of the transaction because I will need his customer ID (a unique numeric code issued to every registered bet customer),” Mr. Emmanuel said.
However, he budged when informed that Mr. Uyah had provided some sensitive information for verification and in trust, explained that Mr. Uyah cannot enjoy his winnings despite it displaying on his dashboard.
“Every bonus has conditions attached to it. This very one was slated for a limited time and the games he played exceeded that time so he cannot cash out. The terms and conditions were issued alongside the bonus to every customer but he played games that matured after the bonus expiry date,” Mr. Emmanuel said.
He added that: “Another condition was that he can only enjoy a maximum of 10 times his stake. If he staked ₦200, then he can only withdraw ₦2,000.”
But, Mr. Uyah feels that was criminally motivated. “If they don’t want you to win, they bring these kinds of stories. Why not stop me from betting beyond the days that you say the bonus will last? These games were played! They showed me that I won and now they don’t want to pay me?”
Uyah, who said betting was an additional source of income, said he is contemplating switching allegiance to another betting platform and exploring other options which may include litigation.