Black Friday has claimed yet another victim in BetJamaica.com. BetJamaica.com, which has been in operation for 8 years, is shutting down permanently. They are part of the group which operates TheGreek.com where non US players will be allowed to continue betting.
An email was sent to BetJamaica.com players which read as follows:
“It is with great excitement that we announce that BetJamaica is now part of The Greek Sportsbook! The Greek Sportsbook is one of the largest and most respected online sportsbooks in the industry. Your account will now have access to more betting options, 24/7 customer service, easier deposit and withdrawal options, and so much more”.
The statement went on to say that if you are an existing customer at TheGreek.com, you need to email their support with your BetJamica.com username, password and account number for your balance to be transferred over.
However, all US players from both BetJamaica.com and TheGreek.com will have their accounts moved to Heritage Sportsbook which are an invitation only outfit. US players with funds in their accounts will be able to withdraw their funds from Heritage as normal. They are however asked to acknowledge the account transfer to Heritage Sportsbook when they log in to their existing accounts at BetJamaica.com or TheGreek.com.
A statement from TheGreek.com read as follows:
“TheGreek.com is leaving the US market. However, we have arranged for your account to be transferred to the exclusive Heritage Sportsbook. Heritage Sports is a VIP – invitation only – sportsbook. Your VIP status will let you enjoy reduced juice, enhanced re-load bonuses, free weekly contests, one-of-a-kind perks, and the VIP service that Heritage Sports is legendary for. These accounts are well sought after as Heritage is not open to the general public, and only give out a limited number of invitations each year”.
It’s uncertain why BetJamaica.com has shut its door and why TheGreek.com is not taking US players. The increased processing costs and pressure following the Black Friday announcement on the 15th of April is reported to be the reason. On Black Friday, 11 defendants from Poker Stars, Full Tilt Poker and Absolute Poker were charged with money laundering and illegal gambling offenses by the US Department of Justice.
Since then, operators such as Bookmaker.com, DoylesRoom.com and BetEd.com have been indicted by the US DoJ. Many US facing operations have shut down including industry veterans who run VIP.com, BetGameDay.com, Nine.com and EnglishHarbour.com.