Casino Complaints 2015

From the desk of Max Drayman:

So! Another year’s PABs are in the bag — mostly — and it’s time to look at the numbers and make a few comments and observations.

When I do these annual reviews of the PABs, I like to cast an eye back over the ground we’ve covered in the year past and (hopefully) extract some sense of what’s happened “in the biz”. In a way the PABs are a form of industry health check-up and I think they have something to tell us about the internal goings-on of both the player’s minds and the casino people, not to mention the shifts within the overall industry.

Ok, the unmissable thing to note this year is a huge shift toward the UK, largely because the UKGC in now well and truly up-and-running. There’s been a significant migration of casinos toward the UK license — especially casinos coming out of Malta — and the PABs reflect that very strongly: almost half of our PABs this year were UK-related and fully 3/4 of the money returned to players this year went to UK players. EU player issues has dropped off significantly, largely I think because of the Malta-to-UK shift.

On the surface this looks like a good thing and I think that for the most part it is. On the other hand there were a large number of PABs generated this year precisely because of the new UKGC policies, specifically those concerning self-exclusion (SE). For this first time in casino licensing history — AFAIK — the UKGC has decided to make a distinction between SEs related to gambling addiction, aka “problem gambling“, and those done for “account management” reasons. Because of this a lot of players who had used SE for reasons other than addiction-related issues found themselves being handled as if they were addiction-related. The result being that many player’s winnings were being cancelled and their deposits returned per the UKGC rules. As alarming as this may at first sound I think it’s really just a “growing pains” issue: as the UKGC rules on SE are finalized and everyone learns them the confusion — and problems — will largely dissipate.

While we’re on the SE subject though I think it needs to be said that the wave of bogus SE complaints that started early in 2014 continued to plague us well into 2015. This is the situation where players are trying to use SE to their advantage where casino groups are not entirely consistent and/or thorough in the application of their SE policies. To explain: player goes to Casino X, eventually self-excludes (often for undisclosed reasons), then goes to sister casino Y to register and play. If they win at Casino Y they take the money and run but if they lose they complain that Casino Y should never have accepted their registration because of the SE at Casino X and, of course, they ask for their deposits at Casino Y to be returned. Pretty scumbag behaviour I’d say but then fraudsters are hardly model citizens.

As to the actual settlements to players there’s not a lot to say. Certainly the totals are down from last year certainly but that’s mostly attributable to a few inordinately big-ticket cases in 2014 that skewed the totals pretty significantly. If anything I’d say that complaints and settlements this year were more prominently mid-range than in previous years — a lot of $1000-5000 cases — and the numbers dropped sharply at both ends of the curve. In particular there were much fewer nickle-and-dime cases, a continuing trend if I recall correctly. As previously mentioned fully 3/4 of the settlements in 2015 went to UK players.

The overall number of PAB cases was down this year and we had proportionally more cases where the complainant was (eventually) unreachable (aka AWOL). I believe the problem here is on me. After 13 years in France I decided that enough was enough so I packed up and moved to the UK. The gargantuan effort that that turned out to be had a direct impact on the PAB process for April, May and June. My apologies to those that were inconvenienced and/or didn’t receive the quality of service they had every right to expect. Of course the word got out that the summer PABs were dragging on and I think we can see the result through the fall: fewer PABs submitted in those months and consequently fewer PABs overall. But I’m settled now, happily so, and things are back on track. The early numbers for 2016 are already looking good.

And finally a bit of reporting transparency: in previous years we’ve reported on the numbers of valid cases attributable to each of the software providers: Microganing had 30 PABs, Playtech had 25, etc. This year I’ve decided to discontinue that bit of the PAB summary. There are two primary reasons and both relate to the fact that the nature of casino software licensing has changed over the years.

Up until a few years ago most casinos ran a single brand of software, so you could say that this casino was Microgaming and that casino was RTG, etc. That has almost completely changed in that most casinos now license and offer games from several providers: what used to be a Microgaming casino is now a Microgaming + NetEnt + BigNewGames + whatever casino. So reporting on providers the way we used to is now very much more difficult and convoluted than in the past.

The second reason is that such reporting is, I think, simply less meaningful than it used to be. Whereas before you could look at the numbers and say “Whoa! Why so many problems at Rival casinos?”, for example, you generally can’t do that now. That same casino now uses most everyone else’s software in addition to Rival’s, again, for example. So there’s simply less info to be gleaned from those numbers now, so why bother? I didn’t.

There you have it, adios 2015. Tighten up your panties and pass the ammunition because 2016 is gonna be a trip!

 

Player Arbitrarion Summary: January though December 2015

Pitch-A-Bitch Cases carried over from 2014 23
Pitch-A-Bitch Cases Submitted 2015 186
► total: cases to process 2015 209
Incomplete: complainant AWOL, case Discarded 19
Duplicate and/or Supplementary PABs 16
Beyond the scope of the PAB process 4
Transferred to other groups or services 10
Casino in the Rogue Pit, “No Can Do” List 12
► subtotal: unprocessable cases 61
Fraudsters: false claims, PAB abuse 12
Closed: complainant AWOL, stale-dated 11
Closed: Terms violations, Player error, etc. 25
Closed: casino dead, gone, MIA 9
“One Free Shot” exclusions 8
PAB Withdrawn 3
Casino non-responsive or uncooperative 5
Warning issued, site Rogued/Pending Rogue 8
Case unsupportable (includes complainant misconduct) 6
► subtotal: resolution not possible or inappropriate 87
Case Resolved, Complainant paid 48
► Total value of Resolved cases = $200,000+ (€180,000+)
Ongoing, Unresolved, etc 9
On Hold, etc 4
subtotal: cases not yet finalized 13

Complaints 2015 Montly Report

December 2015 9 Complaints
November 2015 12 Complaints
October 2015  7 Complaints
September 2015 10 Complaints
August 2015 15 Complaints
July 2015 18 Complaints
June 2015 14 Complaints
May 2015 21 Complaints
April 2015 16 Complaints
March 2015 21 Complaints
February 2015 24 Complaints
January 2015 14 Complaints


January 2015

This is the summary of January 2015’s “Player Arbitration” – complaints submitted to Casinomeister via here.

Player Arbitration (PAB)
Total Complaints = 19 | Bonus Related 74% | * Bonus Related Issue
Date Casino Software The problem Outcome
01 Jan *LottoZone Microgaming Player had requested a WD of $1450, received only $75. Casino claimed bonus Terms violations but hasn’t specified anything further, has been unresponsive. Submitted, no reply. Went to MGA and initially they said “no pay” but we asked them to look again and the player got paid: case closed.
04 Jan Real Vegas RTG Player has been trying to get a $900 WD for over a year. Casino keeps saying “rest assured, it’s coming” but nothing ever happens. Unfortunately this casino has long been on the No Can Do list, we can’t help with this one.
04 Jan Jackpot City Microgaming Casino had apparently closed the player’s account because they had self-excluded at another casino, the end result being that $2900 in winnings was being withheld. Casino rep no longer has access to player info. Per the casino’s Terms the player’s only option is to take their case to a UKGC-approved ADR, in this case eCOGRA.
04 Jan *Casino-Mate Microgaming Using a sign-up bonus the player won €4400 but was told they could only withdraw 600. The max withdrawal is in accordance with the casino’s published Terms: case closed.
04 Jan *Casino.com Microgaming, etc Player won £6200 on a “match deposit” bonus, casino denied the withdrawal because of “changes in bet amount during play”. The PAB was submitted, the casino did not respond. Nor did the player when asked for a status update: case closed.
05 Jan *Sahara Sands Rival The player took a bonus, bet, won, submitted a withdrawal, reversed it, played on, won more and then took exception that the casino applied the “max bet” rules of the bonus. The player claimed that the Terms were not applicable to their case, we disagreed. Case closed.
06 Jan *Vic’s Bingo Parlay, etc Player had apparently won over $45k. The casino said they needed to see screenshots as proof. The player provided screenies but the casino continued to deny the winnings, then closed the player’s account. Casino never responded, Warning posted.
08 Jan Prime Slots NetEnt, etc Player reported the casino was stalling on payment of £700, kept asking for extra documents, etc. Unfortunately this casino is in the Rogue Pit, complaints are therefore ineligible for the PAB service.
09 Jan *Hippodrome Playtech Player claims that they’d requested a temporary closure of their account as a “cooling off” period but were able to re-open the account before the lock-out expired. Player settled with the casino offline, case closed.
09 Jan *10Bet Microgaming According to the player “they said i had broken their terms and conditions playing too high bet. So they didn’t pay.” Turns out the player had it right. The casino was particularly strict in applying said Terms but that’s pretty much their call to make. Case closed.
14 Jan *Joyland Playtech Player reported that the casino was not cooperating in terms of finding a workable payment solution for their withdrawal. Unfortunately this casino is in the Rogue Pit, complaints are therefore ineligible for the PAB service.
19 Jan Slotobank Microgaming, NetEnt, etc Player: “€1500 WD request … Support claimed maxbet rule violation … e-mails with vip-host has not helped (she claims the issue is still with “the relevant department”). No reply from representative here at Meister.” Casino never responded but the player told us “they offered me a deal where I got a part of the money”. He took the deal and that ends the case.
20 Jan *Major Tom Microgaming Casino had confiscated the player’s balance, claimed “account discrepancies”. Casino died, OP disappeared. Calling this one DOA.
21 Jan *CasinoRoom BetSoft, NetEnt, etc Player won £57000 on slots but the casino said they were going to confiscate it for “max bet” violations. Casino reversed itself and said they’d pay in full. Player confirmed this then .. silence. Assuming all was resolved as advertised.
23 Jan SportingBet various Player’s account was closed, SB claimed “chip dumping”. Player’s issue was settled in the player’s favour by the MGA.
24 Jan *BingoMania misc Player was having problems getting the site to honour a 5000% bonus offer. PAB withdrawn: player opted to hash things out on the forums instead.
25 Jan *Tradition Rival Player’s winnings had been drastically reduced because the casino apparently has a policy of capping withdrawals at 10x the original deposit. Unfortunately this casino is in the Rogue Pit, complaints are therefore ineligible for the PAB service.
27 Jan *123SlotsOnline Parlay ? Player’s complaint was that the casino accepted the deposit, gave a bonus and accepted the player’s wagers. Only when it came time to withdrawal did they mention that the player’s country was banned. Yup, bummer for the player, would be nice if the casino auto-blocked their country but the Terms did make it clear the player’s country was excluded: case closed.
28 Jan *SlotsMagic Amaya, etc Player’s registration details turned out to be invalid so the casino denied a withdrawal per the Terms. We pointed out the Terms violation, the player got miffy and asked us to close the PAB. Given the player’s pissy attitude we closed their forum account too.
Total Complaints = 19 | Bonus related = 74% | * Bonus Issue

 


 

February 2015

This is the summary of February 2015’s “Player Arbitration” – complaints submitted to Casinomeister via here.

Player Arbitration (PAB)
Total Complaints = 22 | Bonus Related 55% | * Bonus Related Issue
Date Casino Software The problem Outcome
01 Feb Poker Rebel ScionNetwork Player claimed the casino had spent a year stalling payment of $300+. Player had had previous PABs, we declined this one per the One Free Shot rule.
03 Feb Leon Gaming Microgaming, etc Player reported that the casino had locked his account, claimed his documents were forged. The PAB was incomplete and the OP went AWOL: case closed.
04 Feb Paradise Win NetEnt, etc The player complained that the casino had unreasonable Terms prohibiting the play of more than one game at a time. No response from the casino, Warning posted. Casino is “pending rogue”.
08 Feb Secret Slots Dragonfish, etc Player reported having winnings of £380+ confiscated because they had previously registered at another Cassava casino. Cassava is notorious for this kind of thing but, as it happens, they paid this player. Happy days!
09 Feb Eypobet Microgaming, NetEnt, etc Player reported having troubles getting paid on a €1400 withdrawal. Player later reported that the casino had paid in full.
09 Feb *DublinBet Microgaming, BetSoft, etc Player claimed that their WR on a bonus had been reset when new management took over the casino. Casino did not respond, player posted “they fixed it” on the forums: case closed.
10 Feb *Slotastic RTG Casino decided to restrict the player’s bonuses, player claimed this was unfair because it created “different classes of player”. PAB was incomplete, player AWOL. That said no player is entitled to a bonus the casino does not want to give: case dismissed.
11 Feb *Silver Oaks RTG Player reported having problems getting a $2000 withdrawal, casino said “processor problems”. Player reported having been paid in full although “it took them forever.”
11 Feb *InterCasino Amaya, etc Casino had denied player winnings of €38,000, claimed the player was running multiple accounts. Player said it was all untrue. In the end the casino provided more than enough evidence to support their claims: PAB was closed and player booted off the site for PAB fraud.
11 Feb *Casinoco BetSoft, etc Player’s account at LlamaGaming was bumped over to sister casino Casinoco. Player played and won $1100 but casino started the slo-pay shuffle. Eventually player reported the casino had payed in full.
12 Feb *King’s Chance Rival Player said they were having problems getting paid, casino claimed to have “negative information”. 😮 Unfortunately this casino is on the No Can Do list.
12 Feb *32Red Microgaming Player claimed the RTP at 32Red was borked, wanted the casino to “apply some good will”. The casino declined. PAB was woefully incomplete, player was AWOL: bin-o-rama for this one.
13 Feb LadyDream Proprietary ? Player said “been waiting for $100 WD since 2013, I want my money”. Sorry, this casino has been on the Rogue Pit list for ages, can’t help you.
16 Feb *Vic’s Bingo NetEnt, BetSoft, etc Player won $40k over two separate sessions but the casino refused to pay on the grounds that the player didn’t have screenshots to prove the winnings. Casino issued “ticket” numbers, did nothing. Later promised on chat to “solve the problem”, did nothing. Warning issued.
16 Feb Crazy Spins Microgaming, BetSoft, etc Player was being deluged with spam from the casino, wanted us to help make it stop. We passed the player’s request on to the casino, not much else we can do.
19 Feb Dr Vegas Proprietary, etc Player said they’d won over £16,000 but casino wouldn’t pay, they claimed “the maths don’t add up”, etc. Casino ignored us but player reported they were negotiating a settlement, player went AWOL.
19 Feb Vegasberry Microgaming, NetEnt, etc Player reported that the casino had ignored his self-exclusion, prompted him to use alternate deposit methods. Player later reported that the casino had refunded his deposits.
25 Feb Karamba Amaya, etc Player claimed that he had been locked out after a game crash, ignored thereafter by casino Support. Player’s PAB was incomplete but he was unavailable to provide the necessary info: AWOL and closed.
26 Feb *Ringmaster RTG Player said the casino had promised to pay $2100+ in withdrawals but no monies ever arrived. Player needed to confirm some of the PAB info, never replied: AWOL.
26 Feb *Noxwin Malta, Curaçao, UK Player claimed they had not received the proper bonus amount, Support had been unhelpful and rude. This player has had several PABs against non-Accredited casino: Sorry, “No Can Do” per the One Free Shot rule.
26 Feb *Lesa Casino Playtech Player claimed non-payment on winnings from a NDB, casino said “Terms violations” but was not specific. PAB was seriously incomplete, player did not respond to requests for further info: AWOL.
27 Feb *Gala Amaya, etc Casino denied player’s £750 winnings, claimed the player had used an excluded game, showed Terms that said as much. The casino dragged this on for months, and in the end there was good evidence that the Terms excluding the game had not been in place at the time of play. The casino settled with the player.
Total Complaints = 22 | Bonus related = 55% | * Bonus Issue

 


 

March 2015

This is the summary of March 2015’s “Player Arbitration” – complaints submitted to Casinomeister via here.

Player Arbitration (PAB)
Total Complaints = 19 | Bonus Related 37% | * Bonus Related Issue
Date Casino Software The problem Outcome
01 Mar Go Wild Microgaming Player claimed the casino was denying $20,000+ in winnings because of a simple confusion over credit cards. Turns out the player had a history of “simple confusions” related to their deposit methods including chargebacks and using someone else’s cards.
02 Mar iNetBet RTG The player called himself a big spender and VIP at the casino, said he wanted better service. Player’s request was passed on to the casino people to do with as they saw fit.
02 Mar Fenix Microgaming, etc In the fallout of Fenix having purchased CasinoForMe a player reported that €52,000 in winnings had been confiscated. Casino claimed the player’s winnings “did not exist” because they’d had to honour the player’s original balance from CasinoForMe with their own money. A Warning was issued.
04 Mar *Club777 Amaya, etc Player had won €200 on a NDB and tried to withdraw. Casino cancelled the winnings, claimed violations of their “max bet” rules. PAB was incomplete and garbled (Google translator?). Player soon went AWOL and the PAB died there.
04 Mar *Twist Casino Novomatic, etc In the player’s words: “I do not want to withdraw the earned bonus 44.98”. Full stop. WTF? Another Russian player using Google Translate. Issue was forwarded to the casino and left in their hands.
04 Mar SlotsMagic Amaya, etc Player claimed that his winnings had been denied for no specific reason, just “Terms violations”. Turned out the player knew full well why his winnings had been denied: he’d played excluded games on at least two bonuses. Case closed.
09 Mar *MoneyGaming IGT, etc Player took a bonus, played some roulette and wanted to play slots but asked Support first. Support said no problem, “half of the wagering in roulette and the other half on slots”. Player was partway through the WR, up about €9000, but the casino closed the account, refused to discuss the issue. Issue was transferred to Alderney.
09 Mar *Anna Casino NetEnt, etc Player claimed that the casino had unfairly cancelled winnings from a Welcome Bonus. Turns out the player had ignored the Bonus Terms and taken it more than the once allowed. Winnings cancelled and case closed.
10 Mar NexxEdge NetEnt, etc Player had requested a €350 withdrawal, submitted documents but the WD was denied: casino claimed the docs were fake. It took a bit of CS musical chairs but we got there in the end: docs were approved and the player was paid.
14 Mar Stargames Novomatic, etc Player had deposited roughly €2500, took a few withdrawals and then their account was locked. Support said “it was auto-banned, wait a few days”. 2 weeks passed. Case never responded but after a couple months the player did report that accounts had been settled.
17 Mar 123VegasWin BetSoft, etc Player reported a stalled withdrawal, no response from CS. Casino neither responded nor paid: a Warning was posted and the casino is flagged as “pending rogue”.
17 Mar Slotnuts RTG Player claimed to be getting stalled on the payment of $6000, was told for weeks that it was “waiting management approval”. The casino people never responded but that didn’t matter much because the player disappeared, no response to emails.
22 Mar *ExclusiveBet Microgaming, etc Player complained that he casino was stalling a €100 payout on a ND bonus. Said the casino was rejecting his KYC docs. Turned out the player had priors re failed PABs for bad docs, went AWOL. Case closed.
24 Mar *Rembrandt NetEnt, etc Player claimed the casino was cheating him out of €60k+ by claiming there had been a “max payout” clause in place while he said there had not. Player claimed he had proof that different Terms were in place when he took the bonus but evidence from the casino strongly contradicted this. It came down to a judgement call and we decided in favour of the casino. Case closed.
24 Feb Golden Lady Rival Player claimed the casino was stalling on a $250 WD. The player has had several PABs in the past and this casino is not Accredited: “No Can Do” per the One Free Shot rule.
24 Mar *Golden Lady Rival Player reported that the casino was not processing a $400 WD request, weeks had passed without action or response from the casino. Months after the initial complaint the casino reported that the player had been paid, player was unavailable to confirm.
30 Mar Treasure Island Jackpots BetOnSoft Player had been trying for 13 weeks to get the casino to pay a €2000 withdrawal. Unfortunately this player had previous PABs so this one was declined per the One Free Shot rule.
30 Mar iNetBet RTG Player claimed the casino was slo-paying on an €8000 win. Turned out the player was running multiple identities (poorly). Case closed and player booted from Casinomeister.
Total Complaints = 19 | Bonus related = 37% | * Bonus Issue

 


 

April 2015

This is the summary of April 2015’s “Player Arbitration” – complaints submitted to Casinomeister via here.

Player Arbitration (PAB)
Total Complaints = 16 | Bonus Related 56% | * Bonus Related Issue
Date Casino Software The problem Outcome
01 Apr Sportsbook.ag Betsoft, etc Player reported that a $2500 WD had been delayed for weeks. Further details were required but the player never replied: AWOL. Case closed.
05 Apr *Lucky247 Microgaming Player claimed that they’d long been a customer but the casino was now repeatedly demanding the same KYC docs over and over. PAB was incomplete, player never responded when asked for updated info.
07 Apr Mermaid’s Palace Saucify ? Player had been promised an $8000 WD in $2000 installments but they never arrived. Casino ignored the player’s requests for info on the missing payments. Casino said “Our customer has been informed on status and approval of his withdrawal requests” and nothing else. Further attempts were ignored. Warning posted.
08 Apr *Slotter RTG Player complained the casino wasn’t honouring a $2500 WD. Player took his issue to the forums, became a monster raging PITA, got himself banned for no less than six violations of the Forum Rules: case discarded.
10 Apr *Casino Cruise Microgaming, NetEnt Player reported that the casino wasn’t paying €2300 in winnings. Turned out the player had violated the “max bet” clause on the bonus, later admitted the casino’s decision was reasonable. Case closed.
11 Apr Golden Lady Rival Player: “Won $5000.00 .. they refuse to pay me.” Player’s PAB was incomplete, they didn’t respond to our request for info: AWOL and case closed.
13 Apr *iNetBet RTG Player reported that roughly $1100 in winnings had been denied because a slots game they had played was wrongly classified as “excluded”. Casino had been juggling it’s game classifications and the player had apparently got caught in the middle. Player was paid in full: resolved.
13 Apr *Roxy Palace Microgaming Player claimed the Terms related to “max WD” on a Welcome Bonus were unfair because they were “hidden”. “Hidden in plain view” maybe. Sorry, the Terms were there and clear: case closed.
16 Apr *Tropicana Gold Topgame Player complained that the casino kept requesting the same documents over and over, thought they were stalling on a €900+ payment. This player had previous PABs against non-Accredited casinos, this PAB rejected per the One Free Shot rule.
19 Apr PlayMillion Microgaming, etc Player claimed to have won over €220,000 on a new slots but the casino cancelled the winnings due to “technical issues”. The MGA and software provider investigated, removed the original version of the game from play, and ruled against the player. It did appear that the “technical issue” was real and per the Terms the winnings were legitimately denied.
20 Apr iNetBet RTG Player claimed that they were unable to withdraw from their account, the casino had falsely identified him as having multiple accounts. Turned out the player was bogus, his grandson was using his identity to run multiple accounts: case failed, player banned.
21 Apr *Tivoli Microgaming, etc Player won €2000 on a Welcome Bonus, casino cancelled the winnings. The player had violated the “max bet” Terms of the bonus by a substantial portion no less than 31 times: sorry, case closed.
21 Apr *Slotty Vegas Microgaming, NetEnt Casino had denied £1800 in winnings for Terms violations: more than one player per household. The evidence supported the casino’s decision and the casino was set on applying the Terms as written: case closed.
25 Apr MayPlay Microgaming, EveryMatrix Player claimed that he had waited days for payment of €750, nothing received. Casino said the payment have been delayed over a weekend, had been deposited to the player within 3 business days. Player has confirmed this.
25 Apr WildJack Microgaming Player wanted the casino to return $2200 because he had been able to play after previously self-excluding at a sister casino. Player had never specified SE for addiction reasons which is the condition under which the casino had said the SE would be propagated to sister casinos.
30 Apr *Lucky247 Microgaming Player claimed the casino had not properly paid a $800 WD since no money had been received. Casino claimed otherwise. Player was unavailable for further discussions: AWOL = case closed.
Total Complaints = 16 | Bonus related = 56% | * Bonus Issue

 


 

May 2015

This is the summary of May 2015’s “Player Arbitration” – complaints submitted to Casinomeister via here.

Player Arbitration (PAB)
Total Complaints = 21 | Bonus Related 52% | * Bonus Related Issue
Date Casino Software The problem Outcome
05 May *Leo Vegas Microgaming, etc Player’s issue was that the Terms were unclear: wagering on Roulette was supposed to “not count” towards Bonus play rather than being a Terms violation. Casino and player reached an agreement, case closed.
05 May *PlayBet24 Kaya ? Player reported €700 in unpaid winnings, casino unresponsive. It seems the casino closed with out settling player accounts. Not much to be done about it.
06 May Fenix Microgaming, etc Casino accused player of “abusive play” and withheld winnings of £2700. It took a couple months but the casino settled with the player.
08 May WinBig21 Rival Player reported problems getting paid on a $300 withdrawal. Player went AWOL the same day they filed the PAB, case closed.
08 May Monte Casino B3W Casino denied player’s £500+ winnings, returned deposits saying the player had previously self-excluded. Player disputed that SE Terms were in place. Casino’s Terms had clear and obvious SE clauses: case closed.
10 May *Betspin Microgaming, NetEnt, etc Player complained that he hadn’t received his SUB. Turned out the player had already closed his account: case closed.
14 May Monarch’s Top Game ? Player said they “want to be able to submit a request for payout” but gave no details, didn’t complete the PAB form, etc. Third fubar’d PAB from this person and still they hadn’t managed to read the PAB FAQ and follow basic instructions. Then they went AWOL! Case closed. :/
14 May *BetsKing NetEnt, etc Player claimed that Support had waived their “max bet” rule, was miffed when they enforced it. We asked the player to provide proof that Support had waived the rule, no reply: AWOL.
14 May EvryBet NetEnt, etc Player’s complaint was that since they were self-excluded at one EveryMatrix casino they shouldn’t have been allowed to sign up at EvryBet. Player said they were going to take their issue to the MGA in Malta: case transferred.
15 May Lucky247 Microgaming Player reported that his wife was having problems with £7500 in winnings payments. Turned out the player was being a little impatient, after a couple days the casino had run it’s verifications and paid in full.
18 May *Roxy Palace Microgaming Player deposited, was given a SUB, played, won £1600 but the casino denied most of the winnings because of a new — and unannounced — “max withdrawal” clause. The casino refused to reconsider, paid only 7% of the winnings and confiscated the rest. The casino and related properties were removed from the Accred list.
20 May Downtown Bingo Vista ? Player reported being locked out of the site, casino gave a string of bogus excuses. PAB was incomplete, player did not respond to our requests for the necessary info: AWOL.
21 May Golden Galaxy Playtech Player reported the casino had become non-responsive leaving €700 in winnings stuck in limbo. Other players reported similar issues with this casino, casino did not respond and seemed to have pretty much gone off the air: casino AWOL, case closed.
21 May *Roxy Palace Microgaming Another “max WD” case, see previous. See previous Roxy Palace case, same result.
22 May iNetBet RTG Player claimed $2700 had been improperly withheld because of badly written “max bet” Terms. This had apparently happened 5 months previously. There was only a slight discrepancy between the General Terms and what had been sent out to players with the original Bonus. Players should ask Support if they have questions.
22 May *Lucky247 Microgaming Player said they “didn’t expect” the max-withdrawal Terms and wanted their full winnings of £600 paid in full. PAB was seriously incomplete, OP was AWOL: case closed.
23 May iNetBet RTG Player’s complaint was that a $115 deposit hadn’t been properly processed. The player turned out to be an abusive SOB who was probably responsible for the problem in the first place: case closed.
23 May *Golden Lady Rival Player was disappointed when their balance was removed during play-through on a bonus, casino said “bonus expired.” PAB was incomplete, player was unavailable: AWOL.
26 May *Grand Fortune RTG Casino had denied $11000 in winnings due to an alleged chargeback several years previously. Casino claimed to have sufficient information to justify their actions. About a month later the player announced that they had offered a settlement he was happy with.
29 May *Crazy Luck Rival Player reported having been paid only half of her $4000 winnings, casino had been stalling for months on paying the balance. PAB was incomplete, player did not respond to our requests for the necessary info: AWOL.
31 May *Slots Magic Amaya, etc Player wanted the casino to refund £5000 in deposits, claimed to have self-excluded when the casino had been Jackpot Party. Player’s self-exclusion claims were exaggerated at best. Casino acted in accordance with their licensing requirements, Player was directed to eCOGRA.
Total Complaints = 21 | Bonus related = 52% | * Bonus Issue

 


 

June 2015

 

This is the summary of June 2015’s “Player Arbitration” – complaints submitted to Casinomeister via here.

Player Arbitration (PAB)
Total Complaints = 14 | Bonus Related 50% | * Bonus Related Issue
Date Casino Software The problem Outcome
04 Jun *Pink Casino Microgaming The casino had cancelled a £9000+ win on the grounds that the player had violated their “max bet” Terms. Player’s argument was “I don’t think it should be necessary to read absolutely all the general terms just to play a bonus offer.” Sorry, that’s not the way it works: case closed.
03 Jun *MegaCasino SkillOnNet, etc Player’s issue was that winnings at this casino — £1700 — had been cancelled because of the player having previously self-excluded at another casino. Turned out the player had multiple identities and was scamming several casinos: PAB forfeited because of nefarious deeds.
09 Jun *Ruby Fortune Microgaming Player’s winnings of £6500+ were cancelled on the grounds they’d violated “max bet” Terms. Player said they’d asked Support and been given permission to proceed. We asked the player for proof of their agreement with Support, never heard back. Player hasn’t been back since so .. case closed.
10 Jun *Lotus Asia Saucify Player claimed that a $150 win had been denied because of “bonus abuse”. Player has been at Casinomeister for years, done PABs before, should know the One Free Shot Rule by now: case dismissed.
10 Jun *Slot Fusion Pirated? Same player as above, this time $150 denied for more bonus issues. As above, One Free Shot Rule says “case dismissed”.
13 Jun Casino Adrenaline Microgaming,NetEnt Player wanted prior deposits returned on the grounds that they had self-excluded at other casinos. Turned out the player had run this scam on other casinos in the past, tried to do it twice simultaneously this month: case dismissed, player booted for PAB fraud.
15 Jun *Global Live VueTec, etc Player claimed to have won €30,000+, said the casino “casino dragged my soul out trying to make me the bad person”. Turned out the casino was giving the player a hard time because the player was using bots, had multiple accounts, lied about the country they were playing from and had a bad habit of abusing the casino staff. PAB fraud = case closed.
17 Jun Boyle Sport Playtech, etc See Casino Adrenaline case above: same player, same scam. See Casino Adrenaline case above: same player, same scam.
17 Jun MegaCasino SkillOnNet, etc Player complained that over €40,000 in winnings had been denied “for using bots and software”. Turned out the player was using bots, not to mention multiple other Terms violations: case closed and player banned.
18 Jun Lucky Spins RTG Player reported problems getting paid $2000+ in withdrawals, casino had promised payment by snail-mail but apparently nothing ever arrived. Casino didn’t respond to this issue nor another like it, eventually they simple went off the air: case closed, casino AWOL.
19 Jun MB24 NetEnt Player tried to withdraw their balance — roughly €11,000 — but the casino was not cooperating. In May the casino claimed to be “under maintenance” but never returned to normal operations, appears to have gone off the air shortly thereafter.
22 Jun NetBet Amaya, etc Player claimed to be having troubles getting paid £12,000+. Casino said they’d tried several times to complete the players KYC, never succeeded. Player didn’t respond to email so that’s that: case closed.
28 Jun 5Dimes Betsoft, etc Player had apparently been informed by the casino that they were on a blacklist due to CC problems (charge-backs?), wanted us to help him clear his name. Casino said it was out of their hands and ours too for that matter, such a request was beyond the scope of the PAB process.
30 Jun *Lucky247 Microgaming Player said the casino was refusing to pay €7700 because of “irregular betting patterns”. In our investigations the player lied and then stopped responding: case dismissed.
Total Complaints = 14 | Bonus related = 50% | * Bonus Issue

 


 

July 2015

This is the summary of July 2015’s “Player Arbitration” – complaints submitted to Casinomeister via here

Player Arbitration (PAB)
Total Complaints = 18 | Bonus Related 67% | * Bonus Related Issue
Date Casino Software The problem Outcome
01 Jul Slots Inferno RTG Player claimed the casino was stalling on paying $4000. Within a week or two the player had wandered off and did not respond to emails: AWOL = case closed.
02 Jul Tivoli Microgaming, etc Player said they’d tried to lock their account to protect themselves from spending their winnings of €2500, wanted the meney returned because they’d been able to play it away shortly thereafter. Player admitted to having not read the procedure for locking their account, said they were on medication that made concentration difficult. Maybe so but how is that the casino’s fault? Case closed.
03 Jul Propawin Playtech, etc Player reported that the casino had blocked their account until they returned to their home country. Once there the player won and the account was blocked again. Casino never responded to the PAB.
06 Jul *CrazyWinners Betsoft, etc It seems the player won $1200 on some free spins, was asked to deposit in order to release the winnings for withdrawal, did so but never got paid. The PAB was incomplete and was eventually closed.
09 Jul *Casino Royal Club Rival Player reported that they’d received $2000 of their $3200+ winnings before the casino started making excuses and stopped paying. This casino is on the No Can Do list: sorry, can’t help you.
12 Jul *Royale24 TomHorn ? Player’s winnings were denied on the grounds that they had exceeded the casino’s “max deposit” rules. The casino’s “max deposit” rules were not included in the Terms, nor made reference to by the Terms. They were off in another section of the casino site entirely: a Warning was issued.
13 Jul CardPlayer Various Player claimed that CardPlayer wasn’t paying out on winnings from tournament play. The player’s case was not at all clear and when we asked for further details the player did not reply: AWOL = case closed.
14 Jul *UptownAces RTG Player reported problems withdrawing $16,000+ in winnings. Player later asked that the PAB be cancelled.
15 Jul Party Poker Amaya Player claimed his account had been closed without justification. We know from past experience that PP won’t discuss player issues, recommended to the player that they take it to eCOGRA, the casino’s designated ADR under their UK license.
15 Jul *Casino Club Gtech Player’s winnings of €25,000 had been cancelled, casino claimed “max bet” Terms violations. Player said they’d been “unaware” of Terms prohibiting large, high-risk bets during bonus play. Maybe so but that’s not the casino’s problem: case dismissed.
17 Jul *Spartan Slots TopGame Player said the casino had cancelled €800+ winnings for “max bet” Terms violations. Player described how they’d exceed the “max bet” Terms then claimed it was unreasonable that such bets should be considered violations: case closed.
18 Jul *Amor Bingo Various Player had won £100+ on a free spins offer but the casino denied the winnings. Terms said “Only winnings after a deposit can be withdrawn”. A Warning was issued but we couldn’t help the player because those Terms, however questionable, were in place when they signed on.
19 Jul *Ruby Slots RTG Player’s winnings of $15,000+ were denied because they had multiple bonuses at the time of play. The Terms say “The Player may not consecutively redeem multiple no-deposit bonuses.” Player says “I was unaware”. No worries, now you know.
20 Jul *Real Deal Bet Microgaming, NetEnt, etc Player received a NDB and won $2000. Casino did the KYC thing with the player, all seemed good and they agreed to pay. No payment was received. The casino did not respond to the PAB.
25 Jul *32Red Microgaming Player wanted the balance of their account paid and the account closed. Turns out the player had deposited using someone else’s card and 12 years later — yes, 12 — they were not in contact with the cardholder to have them complete the KYC process. Tough nuggies! Case closed.
27 Jul *Real Vegas Online RTG Player reported non-payment of a $2000 withdrawal. Unfortunately this casino is part of a group that is notorious for non-payment issues. See our long-standing Warning against them. PAB = NCD.
28 Jul Casino Titan RTG Player’s account had been locked with a balance of $1250 and an unpaid $2000 withdrawal. This casino is in the Rogue Pit: sorry, can’t help with this one.
28 Jul Sin City Microgaming, NetEnt, etc Player claimed they were being stalled on payment of a £750+ withdrawal. The casino paid in full.
Total Complaints = 18 | Bonus related = 67% | * Bonus Issue

 


 

August 2015

This is the summary of August 2015’s “Player Arbitration” – complaints submitted to Casinomeister via here.

Pitch a Bitch
Total Complaints = 15 | Bonus Related 53% | * Bonus Related Issue
Date Casino Software The problem Outcome
02 Aug *Ladbrokes Playtech Player claimed they were invited by Support to take two SUBs, winnings were later cancelled for having taken two SUBs. The player did not respond to emails, left the site a few days later never to return. AWOL = case closed.
02 Aug *18Bet Microgaming Player reported that €1100+ had been unfairly confiscated, casino said “bonus manipulation”. Player contacted us to say that the balance had been restored and paid.
03 Aug All Star Slots RTG Player wanted the casino to honour their 25% cash-back offer on her losses. Claimed that in the 20 years she’d been gambling online she’d never had such difficulties with a casino. The player’s losses did not qualify for the cash-back offer, per the Terms: case closed.
06 Aug *Yako EveryMatrix The players issue related to real VS bonus money in their account and whether a given bonus was forfeitable or not. The player cancelled the PAB.
06 Aug *Sin City Microgaming, NetEnt, etc Player said they were having problems with a €2700 withdrawal, the casino kept saying “email the cashier” but no payments were forthcoming. It took a while — 2 months — but the player was paid in full.
14 Aug *Lucky Spins RTG Player claimed a bonus, played and won $900, the casino reduced that to the “max WD” amount of $260 and then didn’t paying it for a variety of excuses. See the Warning, turns out the casino quietly closed up shop and bolted leaving players unpaid.
15 Aug Indio Playtech Player apparently won 3.5M INR (approx £40K) but the casino cancelled it all, claimed “technical problems”. Unfortunately this casino is a Rogue, not much we can do here.
15 Aug Planet 7 RTG Player had won $5000 in a tournament but the casino said that only $1000 could be taken via withdrawal. Casino paid the player in full.
17 Aug *All Slots Microgaming Player claimed he was getting the run-around from the casino over a $400 withdrawal. This PAB was incomplete, player never responded. AWOL = ase closed.
17 Aug Casino Cruise Microgaming, NetEnt Player had won £1700 but the casino cancelled that on the grounds that the player had self-excluded (SE) at another licensee within the casino group. Player said “I self exclude from sites if I don’t like the site” but that is a problem within UKGC casinos because they are expected to enforce SE as was done by this casino. Tough break but them’s the UKGC rules.
18 Aug Redbet Casino Microgaming, NetEnt, etc Player claimed that the casino was interferring with their system play by interrupting their games with technical problems. The casino has no policy against system play hence no incentive to trouble the player with bogus technical issues: case closed.
18 Aug *Casino Action Microgaming Casino had bonus-blocked the player, player didn’t like it and wanted the decision reversed. Casino made a counter-offer which we passed on to the player: no reply and the player never returned to the site: AWOL = case closed.
19 Aug *Energy Casino Microgaming, NetEnt Player complained that €1500 had been cancelled due to “accidental” violations of the “max bet” Terms. Turns out the player “accidentally” violated the Terms no less than 14 times. Big accident. Sorry, the Terms are there for a reason: case closed.
22 Aug Sin City Microgaming, NetEnt, etc Player’s issue was that the casino was excessively delaying payment of a £1000 withdrawal. Casino never responded, the rep left the company because there was a change of ownership and voila! The player was paid in full.
29 Aug Slots Of Vegas RTG Player reported excessive delays on a $1400+ withdrawal. Player was paid in full.
Total Complaints = 15 | Bonus related = 53% | * Bonus Issue

September 2015

This is the summary of September 2015’s “Player Arbitration” – complaints submitted to Casinomeister via here.

Player Arbitration (PAB)
Total Complaints = 10 | Bonus Related 60% | * Bonus Related Issue
Date Casino Software The problem Outcome
01 Sep Stargames Novomatic, etc Player tried to withdraw winnings, they blocked his account. The casino didn’t reply, the player went AWOL … ugh! Case closed.
02 Sep *123Bingo Online Parlay Player claimed the casino was being negligent in paying $13,000. Turned out the player had played mostly Keno and Poker on a “Slots Only” bonus. Player booted from Casinomeister for BS-ing on his PAB.
05 Sep *Gibson Casino Rival Player said the casino was unfairly withholding a €380 withdrawal, casino’s reason was “max bet” violations but the player claimed there had been no bonus. The casino did not prove the bonus issue but the player repeatedly refused to complete the KYC process, eventually everyone’s patience ran out and the case was closed.
09 Sep *Crazy Luck Rival Player claimed the casino was refusing to pay winnings derived from a %600 bonus. This was the fourth consecutive PAB from the player concerning non-Accredited casinos. Dude, read the PAB FAQ with special attention to the One Free Shot rule.
11 Sep *Crazy Winners Betsoft, etc Player’s complaint was that the casino was not paying the €100 max payout on winnings from free spins. Player later posted that the issue had been resolved.
13 Sep *Moon Games 888, etc Player reported that the casino was refusing to pay £1600 because the player had self-excluded at another casino owned by the 888/Cassava group. This group is notorious for this type of activity yet refusing to disclose all the casinos in their group. There is a long-standing Warning so sorry, no can do.
18 Sep *Sky Vegas Amaya, etc Player’s issue was that the casino was refusing to pay £2500+ winnings for undisclosed reasons. The casino said they would not discuss the case with us under any circumstances. A Warning was posted to alert players to the casino’s non-cooperation.
23 Sep Cupcake Bingo 888, etc Player tried to withdraw £500, was told the balance was forfeit because the player had self-excluded at another of the group’s casinos. This is 888/Cassava again. See “Moon Games” above, same comments apply.
30 Sep BGO Playtech Player had played Super Monoploy and won £40. Casino removed the game (temporarily) and cancelled the winnings, claimed game error. We thought it best to advise the player to take their case to BGO’s designated ADR: case transferred.
30 Sep Casino Midas RTG Player received a £2000 partial payment of £7200 winnings but the casino locked the account and confiscated the remainder claiming the player had used “technical methods”. At first the casino said they’d respond to the player’s case within 24 hours but nothing came of it. Several reminders produced zero results. A Warning will be posted.
Total Complaints = 10 | Bonus related = 60% | * Bonus Issue

 


 

October 2015

This is the summary of October 2015’s “Player Arbitration” – complaints submitted to Casinomeister via here.

Player Arbitration (PAB)
Total Complaints = 7 | Bonus Related 71% | * Bonus Related Issue
Date Casino Software The problem Outcome
09 Oct South Beach Bingo TopGame, Rival, etc Player reported non-payment, SBB said “its not a win if you’re playing on mobile” which the player had been. SBB never responded to the PAB, player never heard a peep from them. We’ll be flaging these guys as “non-responsive” (see Casinomeister Warnings).
14 Oct *Spin Palace Microgaming Player had apparently won $33,000+ on a SUB, casino later said “sorry, max withdrawal is 6x your deposit” or, in this case, $150. Casino requested that the player take their case to eCOGRA, case transferred.
14 Oct *Malibu Club Rival Player used a SUB, wanted to receive the winnings by a method not offered by the casino. The casino is in the Grey Zone, the best we could do is pass the player’s info on to them which we did.
17 Oct *Casino Gates Microgaming, etc Player reported some complicated snafu related to play-through requirements on consecutive bonuses, wanted the casino to just give them some money. Casino did not reply to the PAB so we recommended they take it to the casino’s designated ADR (UKGC).
19 Oct Kaboo NetEnt Player’s account was locked with a £550 balance stuck in limbo, casino said they needed to enforce the UKGC rules regarding self-exclusion. Player and casino reached a settlement, case closed.
27 Oct *Silver Oak RTG Player complained the casino wasn’t paying $2000, filed the PAB because he wanted to “tarnish their reputation”. Sorry, “tarnishing reputations” is beyond the scope of the PAB process. Player then went ballistic on the forums and got themselves banned: case closed.
30 Oct *Spin Casino Microgaming Player reported that their account had been locked and the balance of £500 was inaccessible. Player took the case to the casino’s designated ADR (UKGC), that puts it out of our hands: case closed.
Total Complaints = 7 | Bonus related = 71% | * Bonus Issue

 


 

November 2015

This is the summary of November 2015’s “Player Arbitration” – complaints submitted to Casinomeister via here.

Player Arbitration (PAB)
Total Complaints = 12 | Bonus Related 50% | * Bonus Related Issue
Date Casino Software The problem Outcome
02 Nov Betsocial BetSoft, etc Player said they had three withdrawals approved but no payments received, “sent numerous emails which have all been ignored and telephone calls are not answered”. Ongoing.
03 Nov BGO Playtech Another case of slo-pay/no-pay problem at BGO. The PAB was incomplete, OP never responded: AWOL = case closed.
05 Nov *Casino Cruise Microgaming, NetEnt Player was having trouble with a $1300 withdrawal, received conflicting information about what the problem was and whether he would or would not receive his money. The player was paid in full.
06 Nov Slotaway Microgaming Layer reported that the casino was being overly difficult about their KYC documents as part of their withdrawal request. Casino said the docs were approved and withdrawals were paid, player eventually verified this.
06 Nov *Betfair Playtech Player claimed to be having problems with the casino’s games, wanted compensation. Player later asked us to cancel the PAB. No problem, case closed.
09 Nov BGO Playtech Another player with problems related to Super Monopoly Money. The casino’s responses were repeatedly vague and uninformative, conduct unbecoming to an Accredited casino.
10 Nov 21.co.uk Microgaming Player had requested “no bonus” but he casino applied one anyway, player played it, won £2500 which the casino cancelled and apparently confiscated the lot, deposit included. PAB was incomplete, player did not respond to info requests: AWOL = case closed.
12 Nov *Lucky247 Microgaming Player took a bonus, exceeded the “max bet” rules, won £2100 and wanted the casino to pay, said it was their responsibility to enforce the “max bet” rules. Sorry, it would be nice if the casino enforced “max bet” automatically but they are not obligated to do so: case closed.
12 Nov SlotsPlus RTG Player said the casino was slo-paying a $500 withdrawal, kept saying “in a few days”. In a few days the casino paid the player in full.
16 Nov *SinCity Microgaming, NetEnt, etc Player had apparently been a long time customer of SinCity, took a deposit bonus in June 2015 and had a big win. Casino said “At our discretion, all bonuses and subsequent gaming activity may be revoked and voided, and deposits returned”. No response from the casino to date, ongoing.
18 Nov *Osiris Betsoft, etc Player had won €5000+ on a variety of bets and bonuses, casino refused to pay and cancelled the winnings. Turned out the player had massively violated the casino’s “max bet rules”, insisted on claiming that the “max bet” should be based on the sum of their deposits. Sorry, creative interpretations of the Terms doesn’t magically make the violations go away. Case closed.
25 Nov *BGO Playtech Yet another no-pay complaint against this casino, this time €2700 was denied for first one reason and then another. As ever the casino stalled, obfuscated and never properly addressed the player’s issue. See above for more of the same.
Total Complaints = 12 | Bonus related = 50% | * Bonus Issue

 


 

December 2015

This is the summary of December 2015’s “Player Arbitration” – complaints submitted to Casinomeister via here.

Player Arbitration (PAB)
Total Complaints = 9 | Bonus Related 67% | * Bonus Related Issue
Date Casino Software The problem Outcome
02 Dec *Betclic Amaya, Microgaming, etc Player reported that their playthrough had been ignored and £1400 was stuck in limbo because of “max bet” violations. Player disputed there were any violations. Player later reported the casino resolved the play-through issue, case closed.
08 Dec AffLuck Machine n/a An affiliate complaint where $7000 in earnings was not being paid. The casino owing the affiliate fees did a runner: not much to be done so case closed.
09 Dec *Marsbet724 Microgaming, NetEnt, etc Player reported that the casino was stalling on a $200 payment. Casino said the player had been paid, player did not reply to confirm this: AWOL = case closed.
09 Dec *Casino Adrenaline Microgaming, NetEnt, etc Player claimed the casino was using bogus charges of “multiple accounts” to avoid paying $500. Casino shared evidence that showed the multiple account accusations were valid: case closed and player booted for PAB fraud.
12 Dec Curgam Malta Casinos RTG Player reported that over $6500 in winnings was being withheld by Curgam Malta casinos. Sorry, these casinos have been black-listed at Casinomeister for some time.
13 Dec *Bovada RTG, Rival, etc Player said that a $300+ balance was being denied because of a game glitch. Casino reported back that it wasn’t a game glitch, it was an accounting problem. They say they paid the player but the player did not reply to confirm: AWOL = case closed.
15 Dec *Mad Slots Microgaming, NetEnt, etc Player claimed €6200 had been wrongfully confiscated, said “max withdrawal” rules had been incorrectly applied. Casino rep has been unavailable, case is ongoing.
18 Dec *Chomp Casino Nektan ?? Player said their account access had been suspended after they’d requested a total of £2700 in withdrawals. Casino has not yet replied to the PAB: ongoing.
30 Dec GR88 Microgaming Player said the casino was not responding to a payout request. This player had a previous PAB, this one was rejected per the One Free Shot rule.
Total Complaints = 9 | Bonus related = 67% | * Bonus Issue