Ibas have had a busy year. Not necissarily because the bookies have been trying to stiff more betting shop punters, but indeed because Ibas is becoming better known to gamblers.
I have had no cause to call Ibas, but I may just do soon, seeing as they are thinking of getting involved specifically in online gambling disputes with accreditted betting firms who have an online betting operation. We shall see.
Ibas Busier In 2005Ibas Recoup 180,671 Pounds For PuntersPunters received a record £180,671 from disputes with bookmakers settled after reference to the
Ibas Independent Betting Arbitration Service last year.
The number of cases decided by the panel - 1,343 - was also the highest since the body came into being in November 1998.
The details are contained in the first
IBAS annual reports which also publicly reveals the identity of the panel members for the first time.
The increase in numbers is not regarded as evidence of a crisis in customer relations between bookmakers and punters. Rather, it is a consequence of IBAS becoming better known and more visible, backed by a new funding structure introduced last year, that has led to greater efficiency within the organisation. IBAS, which registers bookmakers only if they agree to co-operate with an investigation and comply with the adjudication, received 2,140 requests for claims forms last year, around 450 more than the previous highest in 2002.
