by Katherie Sayre, Wall Street Journal
Customers have filed thousands of complaints against the biggest U.S. online sports-betting operators in recent years, many of which reported delays or glitches in withdrawing money, according to a review of Better Business Bureau records.
About 2,400 complaints naming the big-three operators have been lodged in the U.S. in the past three years, according to the bureau. A large number of the complaints focus on dayslong or even weekslong wait times for taking out winnings.
FanDuel Group, DraftKings Inc. DKNG 4.79%increase; green up pointing triangle and BetMGM combined have an estimated 77% of the online sports-betting market in the U.S., according to Eilers and Krejcik Gaming, an industry research firm.
BetMGM is a joint venture between Las Vegas-based MGM Resorts International and British gambling firm Entain PLC.
The complaints reveal how sports bettors, many new to the activity, are trying to understand the workings of the new online gambling industry in the U.S. Operators have used splashy ads and promotional offers to try to woo gamblers, but some bettors have reported confusion over issues such as how to redeem such offers or cash in their winnings.
The Better Business Bureau sends complaints to the companies, and the organization grades the companies on whether they respond to those complaints through the BBB, among other factors. FanDuel has an “A-minus” grade, DraftKings a “B-minus” and BetMGM an “F.”
About 1.5% of companies—or 81,000—in the Better Business Bureau’s database have an F rating, according to a spokeswoman. The nonprofit rates about 5.4 million companies based on their responsiveness to customer complaints.
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