By Chinenye Anuforo
Nigerian online sports betting platform, SportyBet, has been facing criticism after attributing its refusal to pay customer winnings to a cybercrime syndicate using “bot technology” and “fake odds.” This claim has been refuted by both local and international IT and Cybersecurity experts.
SportyBet released a statement attempting to justify not paying out winnings, alleging an “international cybercrime syndicate” manipulated the system using bots and fake odds. However, this explanation has been met with skepticism from industry professionals.
“Considering SportyBet utilizes Cloudflare, which safeguards websites from unauthorized content injection, their claim of fake odds being introduced is implausible,” said Michael, a cybersecurity expert at Amazon, who provided evidence of SportyBet’s Cloudflare protection predating the customer bets in question.
Artem, a veteran in the iGaming and Sportsbook industry with 15 years of experience supplying software to betting companies across Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, expressed similar doubts. “It’s hard to imagine how a syndicate could manipulate odds. Major international sportsbook providers supply the odds, and most have around-the-clock security monitoring for fixed games. Even then, these individuals have no influence on the provider’s feed. Introducing ‘fake odds’ is highly improbable, and even if attempted, wouldn’t benefit them much,” he explained.
Franklin Ugwu, a UK-based IT professional with over 12 years of experience, added, “The possibility of an external entity creating fake odds on Sportybet’s platform is extremely low. Accessing the backend to create odds is impossible without the necessary credentials. Unless SportyBet is implying collusion with their own staff, it’s highly unlikely. Furthermore, SportyBet employees wouldn’t even have access to the odds since they come from international suppliers via API connections. Any attempt to alter this would be logged and expose any infringement.”
Tunde, a sports betting influencer, addressed SportyBet’s claim regarding multiple users placing similar bets. “Many users who don’t know each other often bet on the same odds. Betting influencers and tipsters frequently share bet codes on social media platforms like Twitter, leading to thousands of people placing identical bets. SportyBet’s response sets a troubling precedent for the Nigerian betting industry. What prevents other bookmakers from claiming every win is due to fake odds they themselves didn’t create? Where does that leave the customer?”
This incident highlights the critical need for transparent communication and robust consumer protection measures within the online gaming industry. The responsibility lies with SportyBet to ensure fair treatment for all their customers.
