[bigboydan]

BetCRIS (SBR rating A+) to move all U.S. player accounts to CRIS-owned website, Bookmaker.com. Effective tomorrow morning, U.S. players will be redirected to Bookmaker.com upon logging in to their CRIS account. U.S bettors are not expected to experience an interruption in service as both websites operate using the same platform. CRIS acquired the Bookmaker website with the purchase of the BetMaker Group in August of last year. The BetCRIS brand will be used to target the the European market.

[Dark Horse]

Where is bookmaker.com located?

[louis]

Almost all of their customers are from the USA. They have spent a lot of time, effort, and money building up the image of their brand, where the line originates etc. etc., to bettors mainly in the United States, and now they are going to change their brand name and have to start from scratch building up an image in a country where it is becoming harder and harder to advertise - very stupid.

What they need to do is develop a new brand for Europeans.

[fathead]

Almost all of their customers are from the USA. They have spent a lot of time, effort, and money building up the image of their brand, where the line originates etc. etc., to bettors mainly in the United States, and now they are going to change their brand name and have to start from scratch building up an image in a country where it is becoming harder and harder to advertise - very stupid.

What they need to do is develop a new brand for Europeans.

Your comments make sense.

Maybe they see a possibility of exiting the US market and would rather sell BookMaker.com off (if it comes to that) and keep the betCRIS brand for themselves.

[Dark Horse]

I'd love to know the reason behind this. Feeling the pressure in Costa Rica? Even if this Bookmaker is located in CR as well, CRIS itself should now be safe from US attacks. Just speculating.

[fathead]

Someone mentioned on another forum that BookMaker's ip numbers correspond to Curacao.

[Dark Horse]

Wow. I just had this experience with bookmaker.

Called them:
-"Hi, could you please tell me where you're located?"
-"Can I have your account number and password, sir?"
-"I'm with CRIS, but since they're moving their accounts to bookmaker, I'd like to know where you're located."
- HANG UP!!!

Somehow I don't like this first impression, to the point where I want nothing to do with them.

Anyway.

Called them again. They're in Costa Rica as well.

[louis]

Fathead, I do believe that is what they are doing - segregating out the Americans so they can be sold off. But the way they are handling this, they are going to turn out just like WWTS, with nothing left that is worth anything. If they like "betcris" so much to want to keep it for themselves, then you can bet their customers like it to, and it is stupid to get rid of it, slashing more than half their organization's value in the process.

Darkhorse, that's the problem exactly, "betcris" reputation does not necessarily carry over to bookmaker, even though rationally it should, so the customer's image of bookmaker is determined by one day's experience, rather than all that betcris has worked hard to create over the long period of its existence.

I can't emphasize enough - those books that managed themselves well during the boom, may not necessarily be the same books that manage themselves well during the bust. Most of the A books are managing themselves well during the bust and will stay around, but I am worried about a few - betcris is one of them.

[JoshW]

BetCRIS is a ****ing US sports betting institution. Unreal that I will no longer have an account with them.

[Dark Horse]

I agree. That is amazing.

I guess we can kiss the BTP contest farewell as well.

[Dead Money]

Two of the big 4 gone in the last couple months!!


If Greek or Wsex do something stupid like this in the future I think it is time to reevaluate our situation in this business.

Just my 2cents.

[Dead Money]

I hope no one has been hording betpoints too.

You might have just been bent rite over.

[durito]

I hope no one has been hording betpoints too.

You might have just been bent rite over.

i logged in at bookmarker with my cris accnt # and password and my betpoints were still there.

same ridiculous fees for withdrawls. same software for betting.

[pags11]

I've got no problem with the move...

[jjgold]

I would not play at Cris anymore , too much uncertainty and might the move might be a way very quietly to sell to some shoddy outfit. We might not even be playng under bet cris anymore.

I will never post up there

[louis]

I can still access my account at betcris.com.

I sent them an email that they do not have my permission to move my funds to another sportsbook, and if they are closing to send me a withdrawal of my full balance promptly.

They told me I could still access using betcris.com

[louis]

I also logged into bookmaker. All betpoints are transferred over.

I do not like this bookmaker website at all. It is way too black and dark and gloomy.

The good news is I think we can continue to log in using the betcris interface if we like.

[Yoshi]

I sent them an email that they do not have my permission to move my funds to another sportsbook, and if they are closing to send me a withdrawal of my full balance promptly.

Something tells me that they dont care

[Bill Dozer]

Guys,

A couple things to clear up...

Where is bookmaker.com located?

Bookmaker is nothing more than a different homepage for your CRIS account. Everything is the same from software to CS to CRIS ownership.

I looked it up, dont know where its at but its only rated a B-.
Later

B- was the grade given to Betmaker sister books after they were officially bought from the folks downstairs from CRIS. BetMaker, although owned by CRIS, remained under separate mgt. Bookmaker and sister sites, BetZone and 7Palms redirected to BetMaker and sat at B-. Now that the site is used directly by CRIS it has been moved to A and may match the CRIS rating when wagering proves to be operating as normal.

Someone mentioned on another forum that BookMaker's ip numbers correspond to Curacao.

Same IP as CRIS. The other CRIS sites are in the same IP range. The server hosting company is actually in the CRIS building.

Fathead, I do believe that is what they are doing - segregating out the Americans so they can be sold off. But the way they are handling this, they are going to turn out just like WWTS, with nothing left that is worth anything.

CRIS talked about the plan to use multiple brands a year ago, before there was any kind of shakeup.

Retaining value is important. The CRIS name has a lot of years of prompt payments and a good reputation. If you are going into a new market you want to maintain that image. They probably don't want the non-US players to be confused by the payout times reported from the US market. I'm not suggesting CRIS is fine with the current accounting service but the harsh reality is they can probably pay the rest of the world within an hour using an eWallet. When a player goes into a major forum and talks about how long payments are taking, he doesn't always mention where he is from.

Sites that do not service US players have more processor options. CRIS is a long way from adding a Paypal but they will have more flexibility. CRIS isn't cutting off any business but it needs to grow to stay competitive and remain a leader. The best investment in growth is Euro-market but Bookmaker.com will serve the majority of a very profitable business.

[GPC]

I see the little flags on their home page are Spain, United Kingdom and China - maybe they see those as the main growth markets.

Update: it seems it indicates the 3 languages the site is available in.

[louis]

I can log onto either betcris or bookmaker, using my betcris logon.

I checked out bookmaker again. It is simply another interface to the same server hosting betcris. Everything is the same other than the gloomy appearance.

[Bill Dozer]

I can log onto either betcris or bookmaker, using my betcris logon.

I checked out bookmaker again. It is simply another interface to the same server hosting betcris. Everything is the same other than the gloomy appearance.

Right, no different than a Basic.BetCRIS.com. They pushed back the URL change for US to Thursday. You might have an independent issue.

I agree it is "gloomy". I still haven't gotten used to Bodog's black site.

[pags11]

I'm really dissapointed with CRIS's decision regarding the 2500 betpoints free payout only being for accounts of less than $300...

[knicknut]

I'm really dissapointed with CRIS's decision regarding the 2500 betpoints free payout only being for accounts of less than $300...

And they still haven't fixed their $10k max listed on the website.

I waited 6 weeks for better withdrawal conditions... gave up.
I requested a withdrawal for $9k today (since $10k is the max, right???), they withdrew $4960 from my account. Way to notify me or let me know that they lie on their website.

$240 to get my money out of there... crooks.

[Yoshi]

Time to downgrade em imo, way too many things not A+ worthy right now. As long as noone shows em they will keep screwing players around.

[wpet99]

Same IP as Cris

Someone mentioned on another forum that BookMaker's ip numbers correspond to Curacao.

[pags11]

thanks for the clarification bill...care to comment on the latest decision by CRIS regarding the free payout?...

[louis]

I don't like it - the bookmaker website sucks. Looks like a funeral, initially, and then a bordello with the red later on. I hope the average Joe gambler likes it, so Cris can continue to be healthy financially.

[Bill Dozer]

thanks for the clarification bill...care to comment on the latest decision by CRIS regarding the free payout?...

There was a time when CRIS was like the OLD Grande, Delmar and Pinnacle. It was all big serious action that would have paid a fee just to get in the door. There weren't bonuses or rewards and free payouts. A minimum phone bet might have been $100. Then all the cheap eWallets lowered the op costs making targeting all types of players a no-brainer. Roll out the skill games and free-plays...

That "P" for professional is more relevant than ever. We are back to that time, at least for now. Anyone who deposits post-neteller arrest should be prepared for changing transfer costs. I feel for players stuck with only expensive options.

[louis]

They are not customer oriented at all. I guess in the sportsbook industry it doesn't matter. If my grocer, my barber, my banker, had this attitude that they are doing me a favor to provide the service, I would tell them to stick it and go down the street.

If my banker, drug store, Walmart, refused to disclose fees and prices until after I requested a service I would tell them to stick it.

But BetCris gets away with this crap. I guess they are not going after the same market as Bodog, which seems to operate in a professional and customer oriented fashion.

In my case, having Bet Cris has been very advantageous to me. And unlike Bodog, they never seem to mind having me around. So maybe they are doing me a favor.

Their new bookmaker website sucks, but if noone else cares I'll keep getting paid.

[pags11]

thanks bill...