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Trading with bookmakers
Since the late 1990s and the introduction and expansion of Internet betting the practice of bookmakers closing winning accounts has I believe reduced. This is because it easier for bookmakers to restrict their clients to ridiculously small betting stakes rather than suffer the bad PR of closing winning accounts.
Prime exponents of this stake restricting practice are firms such as "Bet £3.65", Blue Square, Skybet and Sportingbet. These companies often restrict my stakes online to just a few pence - in effect a closure by another name. Often the stake allowed is as low as 1p - which ironically falls below the minimum permitted stake accepted on an event, thus making even a 1p wager impossible! Here are some examples of joke bets offered!
Ladbrokes boasts about never closing accounts - as they restrict their shrewder clients in this way.
 Somewhere to deposit your winnings. Get in!
The introduction of betting exchanges was a welcome relief for successful punters.
With the introduction of the new Gambling Act on 1st September 2007 it will be interesting to see if the Act has any effect on the above practices.
The Act has created a new offence of cheating. Surely the current practice of operators severely restricting winning customers whilst taking unrestricted bets from punters who regularly lose is a form of cheating? However will successful punters be bold enough to take bookmakers to court for cheating? It will be interesting to see...........................
Here are examples of bookmakers closing some of my successful accounts:
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Bookmakers