The Isle of Man-based parent company of online gambling operators 12bet, 138.com, Fun88 and TLCBet is denying that the sites have unjustly closed accounts and refused to pay winning wagers on this year’s Cheltenham racing festival.

On Friday, angry customers of the aforementioned sites reported receiving emails saying their accounts had breached the sites’ terms and conditions regarding bonus abuse and fraudulent activity. Bettors were told that their winnings had been cancelled and that their deposits would be refunded, after which the customers’ accounts would be closed.

A growing number of customers have taken to social media to refute the accusation that they’d engaged in any unauthorized activity. The bettors claimed they’d simply taken advantage of the sties’ free bet offers during the Cheltenham festival and that their requests to withdraw their winnings had been stalled long before they received emails from the sites.

On Saturday, Garth Kimber, CEO of TGP Holdings Ltd, the parent company of the four gambling sites, was quoted on Iomtoday.com defending the sites’ actions. Kimber said the company had “processed a refund of deposits, voided all bets (winning and losing) and closed” all accounts that the company’s investigation had identified as being in breach of their T&C’s.