Some Barstool Accounts Still Suspended After Live Betting Glitch

Some Barstool Sportsbook and theScore Bet customers had their mobile sports betting accounts suspended after placing live bets on Sunday’s NFL game between the New York Giants and Arizona Cardinals. And as of Thursday morning, some of those customers were complaining that their suspended accounts have yet to be unlocked.   

Technical glitches occurred on the two PENN Entertainment-owned mobile sportsbooks during the game, as several player props failed to properly update throughout the game. For example, Daniel Jones to score a touchdown wasn’t taken off the board after his first-half rushing touchdown. Sports bettors, noticing faulty lines on the player props, wagered accordingly. 

Some of the wagers were graded as wins for bettors, who then attempted to withdraw their funds. Later that day, however, their accounts were suspended.

During a Massachusetts Gaming Commission meeting Thursday, it was revealed that 10 market types and 14 types of wagers were affected, and that 257 wagers were placed by 59 individuals totaling $47,759.94 in Massachusetts. (Massachusetts is just one of 16 states where the Barstook Sportsbook glitch could have been exploited, while theScore Bet is only live in the Canadian province of Ontario.)

According to information provided to the MGC, the issue happened after an update to PENN’s Barstool and theScore Bet platforms. PENN did not become aware of the issues until hours later because both platforms experienced high volume that affected latency, and it wasn’t until the latency issue was resolved that it became clear that markets were mistakenly left open.

Such mistakes are referred to as “obvious errors” or “palpable errors.” Multiple bettors placed wagers on the open markets after plays were complete, and the issues have not yet been resolved, though PENN told the MGC it can handle the statistics manually and that it expects the issue to be resolved ahead of Thursday night’s NFL game between the Giants and San Francisco 49ers.

The commission voted to allow Barstool Sportsbook and theScore Bet to void the wagers, but PENN did not offer any clarity on when customers would get resolution. Multiple inquiries to PENN were not immediately answered Thursday.

Bettors jump on the mistake

One customer from West VirginiaSports Handle through a direct message Wednesday. The bettor, who uses the handle @JPWVOH on X/Twitter, placed numerous NFL wagers Sunday, including at least four on prop bets during the Cardinals-Giants game. 

The bettor won on Daniel Jones’ total passing yards and his longest pass, as well as Darius Slayton’s receptions and receiving yards. Those prop bets were settled as winners, and the bettor made what the sportsbook deemed as a successful withdrawal at 7:25 p.m. At 8:07 p.m. the player’s account was suspended, according to screenshots shared with Sports Handle. 

The account was locked Sunday night, and until it was unlocked Thursday, customer service representatives had been unable to provide the bettor with a timeline for when access would be available. 

Barstool’s house rules

Barstool Sportsbook’s house rules include information about players winning bets that were obviously available due to technical error. They state that the operator can void wagers if it’s obvious that “bets have been offered, placed, and/or accepted due to an error” or if it’s clear that bets were placed “while the website was encountering technical problems” and those bets “would otherwise not have been accepted.”

In some similar instances, sportsbooks have gone against their house rules and paid out winners. In 2018, FanDuel incorrectly priced a late-game live line between the Broncos and Raiders. A bettor profited $82,000 on their wager, and the sportsbook eventually paid out the winnings. And this past summer, BetMGM found itself dealing with an “obvious error” and voided $214,500 in winnings on a Women’s World Cup parlay made by a teacher in Virginia before paying him out several weeks later.

What makes PENN’s current situation different from, say, the BetMGM mispricing on the Women’s World Cup is that there is no mistaking that many bettors knew they were trying to take advantage of an error by the sportsbook in the former instance. One bettor who spoke to Sports Handle on a condition of anonymity admitted as much.

Some customers aren’t arguing that their bets shouldn’t be voided, but rather that they should have received more clarity on when their accounts would be restored. Barstool Sportsbook’s house rules take this situation into consideration, although that might not be of much comfort to bettors. 

“In order to adjust any inaccuracy in the account holder’s balance following amounts credited due to an error, the operator reserves the right to take any necessary action, without prior notice and within reasonable limits, to adjust the account holder’s balance through the reversal, amendment or cancellation, of any subsequent transaction on the account holder’s account,” the rules read. “The operator reserves the right to suspend access to the account until it completes any investigations it deems necessary.”