For the most part, legal online sports betting is typically hassle-free. Sports betting complaints aren’t totally unheard of, however.
It’s important to know what your options are if an issue does arise with a licensed operator in Tennessee. One of the benefits of the regulated market for sports betting is you have recourse for problems that may occur.
Where to direct your sports betting complaints in Tennessee
Sometimes, bettors experience technical difficulties with sportsbook apps and websites. This can be especially frustrating when you’re trying to place a live bet or an event is about to begin.
On rarer occasions, sportsbooks do make mistakes. Usually, when that happens, it’s quite obvious. These instances are called “palps” in the sports betting industry.
Recently, FanDuel recorded a palp with an incorrect point spread listed for a soccer match on its Indiana and New Jersey apps. The soccer app showed a spread of 5.5 goals.
While it was only live for a few minutes before staff caught the error, some bettors staked that line. After the match played out, those bettors went through the proper channels to resolve the situation and collect their funds. We will dive into the eventual resolution a little later.
The first place to raise issues regarding a specific sportsbook, like these bettors did, is with the sportsbook itself. These companies not only staff customer service departments, but also make it easy to access them.
Contacting sportsbooks’ customer service departments
Some issues may be resolved by simply visiting the sportsbooks’ app or website help center. You may be able to find the resolution to your inquiry there.
If you aren’t yet satisfied, the app or website you’re on will have contact details for the operator. Usually, this gives you a text box in which you can describe the situation. The more details you can provide, the better.
You should receive a response via the email address you registered with shortly thereafter. Check your junk or spam folder if you don’t see it, as it may have gone there instead of your primary inbox.
Once you’re in contact with customer service personnel, you should be able to resolve the issue together. Oftentimes, problems result from unclear house rules, or as previously mentioned, technical glitches.
Besides a chat option, sportsbooks usually have a customer service center you can call directly as well.
If you’ve gone through the book’s customer service and you still feel that the problem hasn’t been resolved, that’s when you take it to the next level.
The Tennessee Education Lottery is standing by to help at this point.
Contacting the Tennessee Education Lottery with an issue
The regulatory body for sports betting in the Volunteer State is the Tennessee Education Lottery. It is not only responsible for licensing operators, but also for setting and enforcing rules regarding this form of gambling.
The lottery has the final say in disputes between bettors and sportsbooks in Tennessee. The easiest way to contact them is their online form. Again, include as many details as you can about your problem. This might include:
- Bank records
- Customer service transcripts
- Email exchanges between you and the sportsbook
- Screenshots of betting ticket/markets
Again, check your junk/spam email if you don’t see a prompt response. You can also call the lottery’s headquarters at (615) 324-6500. If you’re in the Nashville area, that office is at 26 Century Blvd., Suite 200.
In the case of the soccer palp mentioned above, bettors first went through the sportsbook to receive their winnings. When that didn’t work out, the problem was escalated to the New Jersey Department of Gaming Enforcement, which forced FanDuel to pay up.
While most issues are easily resolved and don’t require this extra step, in the event of a more serious problem, you’ll be glad that you’re using a legal sportsbook within a regulated market that has protocols for these issues.
