I don't like this! Account transfer

[Mousey]

Just got this in an email from Pantasia (aren't they part of the 400 Group? DaVinci's, etc.?)

Important Changes to your Account
Dear xxxxx,

Due to recent legislation in the US, several casinos have stopped taking American players. These include Breakaway, Connect2Casino, and Sci-Fi casino.

Fortunately, an agreement has been made to transfer your account xxxxxxxx to Pantasia. Pantasia has arranged for the secure transfer of your account information from the aforementioned casinos. Your data remains completely safe, and you can access your casino account by logging in to Pantasia with your account xxxxxxxx and your existing password.

If you have forgotten your password, please contact Pantasia support toll-free, or use the live chat feature

Excuse me? If I wanted an account at Pantasia I'd sign up for one. I guess it's my SciFi account being 'transferred' as I played there the most. I may have only played at Breakaway a couple of times -- if I even had an account there. And it isn't that I distrust Pantasia... It's just that I don't see any reason for my account (and my personal info) to be 'transferred' anywhere. I quit playing at SciFi last year for a reason -- which had nothing to do with SciFi dropping US players -- and it certainly wasn't because I forgot my Login info.

So.... what's up with this?

[Nifty29]

I must agree with Mousey.

It is unacceptable for any casino to automatically transfer your account to another casino without your express permission.

The idea is a good one (to allow US players another option to keep playing), but it MUST be OFFERED to the player and not imposed upon them.

(Pantasia is a good casino BTW )

[RobRival]

Hello Mousey,

As far as I know, those casinos left the US market and transferred their player database to Pantasia. I understand your unease, but rest assured it is a common enough transaction these days and that your information is secure on the Rival servers. No banking details (credit card, bank account, Neteller, etc.) were transferred. Aside from this transaction, there is no connection/affiliation between those casinos and Pantasia.

If you have any concerns please contact the customer support staff at Pantasia. They will gladly look after your account and deactivate/unsubscribe it should you wish.

Rob
Rival Technical Support

[Nifty29]

Thanks for the reply Rob - on the ball as usual - you're setting a good example that other casino reps would do well to heed.

The part that actually concerns me is this:

Aside from this transaction, there is no connection/affiliation between those casinos and Pantasia.

I would be far more concerned that a casino sends my info to another completely unrelated entity than if it was to another casino in their group/owned by them.

Again, it is not a sleight on Pantasia at all - its a great casino - its more about the whole idea of unsolicited account transfers.

[silkprint]

To me ...
What is wrong with good old fashioned 'asking first' ?

[Mousey]

Thanks, CocoaRob. I thought you'd be here.

As I stated in my opening post, I don't distrust Pantasia (I've got accounts at other Rival casinos -- DaVinci's and Paradise 8 -- and have no complaints). It's merely the fact that SciFi (RTG) gave my account name, password, name and address, etc. to another (Rival) casino. I don't take it too personally, I know other players are receiving this same email. I suppose it just makes me feel rather like cheap 'merchandise'. And like Silkprint just said: "What's wrong with asking first"?

I'm not up in arms about it -- I just don't like it.

[Mike031]

It's merely the fact that SciFi (RTG) gave my account name, password, name and address, etc. to another (Rival) casino. I don't take it too personally, I know other players are receiving this same email.

Hi!

The same thing happens to me and i was very confused about this methode, because i certainly couldn't remember, that i'd register any account on pantasia8 and it's really not okay for me, that another RTG Casinos (SciFi or Breakaway, i don't know exactly, which one it was!?) transfer all my personally datas to another casino, even from another group!

It's okay, when they would ask me before, or send me one spammail, to register there, but this is not okay for me and so i never will play there with real money, this is 100% sure for me!

[jetset]

I'm with Silkprint and Nifty here - I know this sort of *transfer* happens, but it should only be done after first consulting the players involved.

To do otherwise shows a lack of respect for choice - not all players will be happy about the transfer of their personal details and business to an online casino they know little about, and to just bull ahead and do it, presenting the player with a fait accompli indicates a lack of player sensitivity by the transferrer.

[Casinomeister]

I'm with Silkprint and Nifty here - I know this sort of *transfer* happens, but it should only be done after first consulting the players involved.

To do otherwise shows a lack of respect for choice - not all players will be happy about the transfer of their personal details and business to an online casino they know little about, and to just bull ahead and do it, presenting the player with a fait accompli indicates a lack of player sensitivity by the transferrer.

Spot on Jetset. This is the player's account and it is up to the player to allow the casino to provide this information to third parties. The player should have been given the option first to make this decision.

Funny thing is that I've received a complaint from a South African player who is having his account changed over to Pantasia as well. He too didn't like not being asked about this ahead of time. I recommended that he should simply close his account and move on to another casino.

[jetset]

Something's tugging at my memory here, and I can't chase it down through the search function on the Casinomeister News section.

Breakaway, Sci-Fi-Casino and Connect2Casino are all RTG powered and owned by the Norwegian group PlaySafe Holding AS, working through a licence in the Netherlands Antilles.

There was a news item about these guys continuing to serve US players (I can't recall the detail) whilst other operations using Playtech software bugged out. From this it appears that that decision has been reversed. I wonder if this is something to do with the mysterious change of ownership at RTG???