im depressed, won jackpot at grandaces for nearly $7000 but can only cashout $2000

[hippo925]

hi all,

i posted earlier about winning jackpots playing cleopatra's gold at Bodog's and Grandaces casino. Bodog's was wonderful and sent me my money in 2 days, everything u expect from Bodog's. (everything an online casino should be, IMO)

but a different story at grandaces, though not really their fault. i used a bonus code that they emailed me and made a $200 deposit for a 105% bonus. what i didn't realize, since none of their other bonuses have it, is that there is a winning restriction of 10x the deposit amount (god, i wish they didn't e-mail that). my max cashout is $2000, but my balance is over $6000 now after fulfilling the wagering requirements.

their live chat and phone service was good, but apparently there is nothing that can be done. i was really hoping that they would be understanding considering that it was a progressive random jackpot. i was so disheartened. i am only allowed to withdraw $1000 at a time using firepay, so apparently after i cash-in $2000, the rest will be forfeited. They told me the forfeited money would be put back in the jackpot after i cashout out.

i will not play and lose the "forfeited amount" so that someone else can have a shot to win it when it's put back in the random jackpot. ( i don't see the sense in losing over $4000 back to casino instead of giving someone else a chance.)

the lesson, bonuses are a nightmare, read everything really carefully (they won't actually just say that "if u win big, you won't"). Make sure to know everything u can so that if you win, there is no reason a casino can deny the jackpot. In this case, the fine print was there... a winning limit?

I should have read the email more carefully. i just don't understand why none of my other bonuses ever had that weird restriction of a "winning limit."

at least i still won and collected at bodog's, and i should still be able to cashout $2000 at grandaces.

i hope this wasn't the wrong place to post this because grandaces didn't really do anything wrong, but hopefully it will help someone else to avoid the same thing in the future.

thank u all for letting me rant, lol...

[bpb]

Well, if a max cashout was in the email, then I guess there's nothing you can do. But there sure isn't any max cashout restriction mentioned anywhere on their website. What a lousy situtation.

I think the Wizard of Odds had the right idea when he decided to only advertise for Bodog. Their reloads are small, but you can have those bonuses removed at any time, and there are no restrictions designed to trip you up.

[mitch]

thank u all for letting me rant, lol...

Hi Hippo and welcome.

Just a heads up mate, it's not considered good practise ( and actually breaches the forums rules) to cross post the same issue on different threads.

Sorry your hopes were dashed on the Jackpot win but you can't really complain that the casino misled you.

Just remember in future that 'free' bonus money always has conditions attached to it and make certain you are content with these conditions before accepting it.

Mitch

[phynqster]

Hippo,
As far as I know, there is no way for the casino to put the funds back in the Jackpot. The reason for this is that if you played the entire 200 deposit + the 200 bonus money on that single slot, the jackpot would be increased based on 400 played, it can not diffrenciate between real and bonus money.
I suggest you play out your win, building comp points that you should be able to use at a later date.

Nice wins

[vinylweatherman]

This is a common term in RTG rules, and is found often where casinos give large numbers of coupon codes with high bonus percentages. Making comp points is the only way to go, but see if there is any "wager challenge" promotion on certain games.

It does seem cruel, especially where it is applied to a progressive jackpot. I have seen a similar rule elsewhere, however the $2000 limit was waived if a progressive was won.

If a max cashout was in the terms, and wasn't deliberately made hard to find, then those were the terms of the wager made with the bonus. Taking a bonus is like making a side bet with the casino. The side bet being that the player can beat the bonus, however, the max cashout needs to be checked for, it can be more damaging than a phantom sticky bonus.

[hippo925]

thanks mitch, i didn't realize about the cross post thing. and i agree, ultimately, it is our responsibility to understand as much as we can because we are accepting the bonus and the terms. it pays never to "assume" in regards to so many different types of bonuses.

i just cashed out my $2000 at grandaces and spoke with a representative and all should be in order once the cashout is approved. i can only stare at the remaining balance that was once mine but, hey, i still won something so i can't complain. i have to keep in mind that they did honor their end, so i should be willing to honor mine. They didn't really do anything wrong, and i incorrectly assumed this bonus was the same as my last three.

oh, and i agree, Bodog is really clear and simple. their customer service was fantastic when i called. payout was very quick. and their reputation is excellent.

in regards to the $4000+ i have sitting there,i was assured it would be put back into the progressive. im sure the casino can't just take the money, right? so many people contributed to it so that one player can win it, it wouldn't be right if the casino just took that money, i think. if i play it and lose it on purpose (since it's just play money for me now) then the casino gets it. i'd rather have one of u guys win it, lol.

[Linus]

I've heard a lot of good things about Bodog, and I agree, their bonus is good.

Much better a clear bonus with simple rules, than a big one with hidden catches.

I wonder if anyone's heard complaints against Bodog, because I never have.

[suzecat]

in regards to the $4000+ i have sitting there,i was assured it would be put back into the progressive. im sure the casino can't just take the money, right? so many people contributed to it so that one player can win it, it wouldn't be right if the casino just took that money, i think. if i play it and lose it on purpose (since it's just play money for me now) then the casino gets it. i'd rather have one of u guys win it, lol.

Hi hippo and welcome to the forum.

Phyngster used to manage an RTG so I would take his word about how things "really" work there. Besides, you can build up some comps and have fun doing it!

Great wins!

[chuchu59]

I was just wondering what would now happen if Hippo decides to deposit say $100 at Grandaces. Would he start with a bankroll of $4100+ and even if he did, would any amount in excess of $4000+ be his to keep as winnings?

[suzecat]

I was just wondering what would now happen if Hippo decides to deposit say $100 at Grandaces. Would he start with a bankroll of $4100+ and even if he did, would any amount in excess of $4000+ be his to keep as winnings?

That would be great except that his pending withdrawal must clear before he can make another deposit. The reverse function would show up on the cashier screen until the balance is withdrawn (or in this case some withdrawn, the remainder forfeited).