It’s not worth betting on the Special Olympics.
Unregulated offshore bookmaker BetOnline began offering betting markets this year on the Special Olympics, held in Berlin from June 17-25, but the controversial venture has turned into a disaster of mixed results and stalled payouts.
The problematic launch has raised wider questions about whether an event like the Special Olympics, which is meant to provide a platform and supportive environment for children and adults with intellectual disabilities, should have gambling.
Special Olympics bettors said they gaped at winning bets for several weeks, and some bets were classified as losers before the contestants even had a chance to perform.
One weightlifting event in particular caused problems.
The question for many bettors was which of the listed group would lift more weight.
Bobby Hill was initially tipped as the winner by the oddsmakers, with 70kg lifted, while Ryan Kealey was flagged as a loser bet despite the Canadian lifting nearly double that, at 135kg.
“Several days before Ryan Kealey competed, BetOnline classified the bet as a loss,” one punter told The Post in a direct message.
Punters have contacted The Post for compensation after they felt their complaints about incorrect pricing had been ignored by BetOnline’s customer service team.
“After I complained the second time they said they were ‘repaying’ the good faith bet but I was like did I win???” a second punter told The Post via direct message. “I have forwarded this to their management team for the third time and am still waiting for a response; it’s been about three days and no response.
One bettor believes the bookmaker was ignoring his customer service escalations to avoid the issue.
“Kealey opened at something like +1400 and closed around -300, so they’re at a huge disadvantage,” said another punter.
However, the liability could only be so high; maximum winnings were capped at around $550 per bet.
Even the bookmaker refers to its inaugural year of Special Olympics betting as a headache.
Edward Knight, Brand Manager at BetOnline, said judging the Special Olympics was more challenging than we expected.
Knight said the problems in the men’s bench press gold medal championship occurred “because two of the competitors we had listed for the men’s event appeared to have won the gold.”
“As far as Special Olympics goes, our goal has never been to make a profit,” Knight said in a statement to The Post. “We aimed to create mass awareness of the Special Olympics and our pioneering introduction of quotas for the World Games, which has been accomplished in a remarkable way. …
“In two years, we will again be offering odds for the Special Olympics. We will be better prepared in the evaluation process and we hope this viral movement will inspire the organization to improve the distribution of clear and comprehensive information on the results of the competition.”
BetOnline encouraged anyone with outstanding issues with Special Olympics betting grading to contact “one of our Twitter accounts or customer service”.
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The backdrop for the hiccup was an article published by Forbes – which received widespread outrage online – which portrayed BetOnline as heroic for offering Special Olympics bets.
“This would appear to be a win-win for everyone except those complaining about a hobby or profession,” the article states.
The irony of portraying events as win-win when the winners haven’t even won is the norm when it comes to unlicensed gambling
The cost of doing business with an unregulated sports betting operator is just that; no one is there to fight for you as an impartial third party if things go wrong.
In the US, if you were to bet on an exotic market, such as “Next Team Odds” or “Gatorade Color” during the Super Bowl, you are protected and supported by state organizations that regulate and license every bookmaker.
And in the end, the reality is that the Special Olympics are about showcasing the beauty of competitors rather than definitively decreeing winners and losers.
“Special Olympics’ mission is to provide year-round athletic training and athletic competition in a variety of Olympic-type sports for children and adults with intellectual disabilities, providing them with ongoing opportunities to develop physical fitness, demonstrate courage, experience joy and participate in a sharing of gifts, skills and friendship with their families, other Special Olympics athletes and the community,” the organization’s mission statements read.
Special Olympics did not respond to multiple requests for comment on the betting markets.
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