By Alloycious David
Some protesting customers of Liberia’s sports betting company, Winner’s Incorporated besieged some staffers and others at the company’s central Monrovia headquarters on Tuesday, over its alleged refusal to pay 1 million Liberian dollars they claimed to have won.
The aggrieved customers held hostage for several hours some of the Winners staffers in their Broad Street Offices, preventing them and other customers from leaving the facility.
They told this reporter that their action was intended to compel the company to pay them the L$1 million they had allegedly won on Monday, February 13, 2018.
Anthony Beh, one of the protesters disclosed that they won various amounts ranging from L$100, 000 to L$150, 000.
Beh said that he won L$157, 090 after betting with L$5, 200 and disclosed that they are about 100 customers who won.
Another customer, Wallace Saongbae expressed disappointment over Winner’s refusal to pay them and said “the company paid other people this morning”.
Saongbae threatened that they would intensify their protest if the sporting betting company continuously failed to pay them.
Also speaking, Samuel Sarfie said he believe that the company’s action is deliberate to denied them money that they won legitimately from Monday’s game between Al Ahly and Al Mokawloon.
According to him, the company is overwhelmed with the amount of money and is unable to pay, but we can’t compromise.
Winner’s Marketing Manager, Fallah Braima, who was prevented from entering his office, said the company can’t pay money being demanded by its customers because mistake was detected on tickets printed.
Braima disclosed that the total winning odds was mistakenly placed at 30. 21 instead of 1.27 and argued that it was system error.
He said Winner’s Inc, would pay at 1.27 and not at 30.21 and challenged customers who have problem with its decision to seek redress through the legal system or its parent’s organization, Liberia National Lottery.
Quoting Winners’ terms and conditions, Braima said the company assumes no responsibility for typing, transmission and evaluation errors.
According to him, Winner’s Inc, maintains the right to correct apparent errors that occur during betting odds filing and to cancel bets where apparent odd error occurs and do it also after the event completion.
“Cancellation of the bets with incorrect odd shall apply to all customers who file a bet during period of incorrectly put up odd regardless winning or losing bet,” Braima said.
He disclosed that its term and conditions were circulation across the country with forums held to educate customers on the sports betting rules and regulation.
Braima called in a team of police officers to bring the situation under control. when tension intensified.