Casino Complaints 2016
From the desk of Max Drayman:
After the monster task of wrapping up all the year’s PABs into a neat little bundle and producing the year end summary I like to look back a bit and see if there’s anything to be learned from another year in the trenches.
The single biggest trend in complaints this year was certainly the continued thorn in everyone’s side that self-exclusion (SE) has become. Of course we had our fair share of it but this time around I’ve actually had a chance to poke into the SE-related goings on around the industry and I’ve discovered that we are far from alone with this. eCOGRA, IBAS and ThePogg have all had large numbers of SE issues to deal with.
Indicative of the severity of the situation are the struggles that the UKGC itself has had in trying to formulate a workable strategy for dealing with the rampant SE problem. I think they’ve reformulated their approach to SE three times in two years and that says “big problem, difficult to resolve” like nothing else could. Add to that the blight of having industry players like EveryMatrix basically entrapping players into situations where they’d lose their winnings because of poorly designed and horribly executed SE rules (see Worst Player Experience of 2015) and the whole SE mess has spread like a choking black mold across the industry.
Ah, but there’s a light at the end of the tunnel, yes? Well if you see it let me know because I haven’t. That said we have seen a non-trivial decrease in SE cases this year so maybe something, somewhere is pushing back the darkness.
It will surprise absolutely no one that the US has been a very troubled sector again this year. Payment issues — mosty payment processor problems — are rampant and US players suffered worse from that this year than any year previous as far as I can tell: 80% or more of the “slow-pay” problems we see are out of the US. As indicated by the bequeathment of yet another “Sitting On One’s Hands” award (2015 and 2016) it’s not likely that situation is going to change any time soon.
In the UK there’s good reason to believe that serious change may be afoot in the dispute resolution area. As most readers will know the current dispute resolution system in place for UKGC licensed casinos is the ADR (Alternate Dispute Resolution) process. The ADR model was inspired by the European Online Dispute Resolution system that has slowly been taking shape over the past several years. Well, the whole Brexit thing in the UK has apparently produced something of a sour attitude within the UKGC toward the whole ADR business and more than a few sources have indicated that there’s talk of a possible move away from ADRs in favour of an Ombudsman. Since this is getting us well into the political realm there are precious few facts to be had but it’ll certainly be something worth keeping an eye on as Brexit takes shape.
The EU was fairly quiet this year, comparatively speaking: fewer complaints, smaller claims being made against the casinos, a correspondingly more modest amount claimed back for players. Malta’s MGA continues to mature into the European licensing jurisdiction of choice due to the hard work and applaudable forethought of the good people there. I’m still hoping we’ll see some workable enforcement structure appear within the MGA — something beyond voluntary compliance — but progress is progress and good on them for it.
For those interested in such things our PAB numbers were up about 20% this year, both in terms of cases received and monies returned to players. Cases resolved in favour of the players was up by 30%. We’ve made some tweaks to the PAB process — for instance PABs concerning Accredited casinos are now on a weekly timer — which I think are helping drive the up-tick in those numbers. Better service = more clients, or so goes the theory. We now have a PAB assistant and that’s done wonders to streamline our process.
So, 2017! I’ve got a funny feeling this new year isn’t going to be a bore for any of us.
Player Arbitration Summary: January though December 2016 |
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Player Arbitration Summary Cases carried over from 2014 | 13 | ||
Player Arbitration Summary Cases Submitted 2016 | 242 | ||
► total: cases to process 2016 | 255 | ||
Incomplete: complainant AWOL, case Discarded | 20 | ||
Duplicate and/or Supplementary PABs | 22 | ||
Beyond the scope of the PAB process | 4 | ||
Transferred to other groups or services | 7 | ||
Casino in the Rogue Pit, “No Can Do” List | 9 | ||
► subtotal: unprocessable cases | 62 | ||
Fraudsters: false claims, PAB abuse | 17 | ||
Closed: complainant AWOL, stale-dated | 19 | ||
Closed: Terms violations, Player error, etc. | 40 | ||
Closed: casino dead, gone, MIA | 7 | ||
“One Free Shot” exclusions | 8 | ||
Casino non-responsive or uncooperative | 6 | ||
Warning issued, site Rogued/Pending Rogue | 14 | ||
Case unsupportable (includes complainant misconduct) | 4 | ||
► subtotal: resolution not possible or inappropriate | 115 | ||
Case Resolved, Complainant paid | 62 | ||
► Total value of Resolved cases = $250,000+ (€227,000+) | |||
Ongoing, Unresolved, etc | 16 | ||
On Hold, etc | 0 | ||
► subtotal: cases not yet finalized | 16 |
Complaints 2016 Montly Report
January 2016 12 Complaints
February 2016 14 Complaints
March 2016 15 Complaints
April 2016 15 Complaints
May 2016 15 Complaints
June 2016 13 Complaints
July 2016 17 Complaints
August 2016 19 Complaints
September 2016 28 Complaints
October 2016 17 Complaints
November 2016 32 Complaints
December 2016 20 Complaints
January 2016
This is the summary of January 2016’s “Player Arbitration” – complaints submitted to Casinomeister via here.
Player Arbritation January 2016 |
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DATE | CASINO | SOFTWARE | JURISDICTION | THE PROBLEM | BONUS | COMMENTS | STATUS | LINK |
01 Jan | Paddy power | Playtech, etc | Alderney, UK | The OP claimed that the casino was being overly difficult about KYC documents on a €8600 withdrawal. | ? | The player ignored the PAB FAQ and our advice on how to proceed then went AWOL: case closed. | closed | Public Complaint |
04 Jan | All Jackpots | Microgaming | Malta | Player won €2900 on a reload bonus and asked for a withdrawal. Player’s account was locked and the casino refused to explain or re-evaluate their decision. | Y | Casino provided good evidence of player fraud. | closed | Private complaint |
04 Jan | Grande Vegas | RTG | Curacao | Player had played a free chip, won, and wanted the money. Casino said “no” and cancelled the winnings. | Y | Turned out the player had taken several free chips. Terms say ‘When a customer uses two or more free bonuses without making a real money deposit in between, management reserves the right to void any bonuses and winnings.’ | closed | Public Complaint |
10 Jan | 32Red | Microgaming | Gib, UK | As the player said, “I was not impressed about getting an offer that had expired the previous day. It just not right”. | Y | The player’s complaint was forwarded to the casino, case closed. | closed | Private complaint |
11 Jan | Paddy Power | Playtech, etc | Alderney, UK | Player thought the Terms of a bonus were unclear, assumed they had 7 days to fulfill the WR. | Y | We thought the bonus Terms were clear: deposit, meet the play-through, we’ll give you the bonus money which you have 7 days to use. When in doubt check with Support. | closed | Private complaint |
13 Jan | Casino Cruise | Microgaming, NetEnt, etc | Malta, UK | Player’s first withdrawal was denied because of “max bet” Terms violations but they refunded some deposits. A subsequent withdrawal was denied because they said they’d refunded him too much. | Y | The casino ended up refunding all of the player’s deposits. Although this did not satisfy the player we thought it a fair and reasonable resolution to the problem. | closed | Private complaint |
13 Jan | Jackpot Knights | Microgaming | Curacao | Player had apparently won €7000 but the casino refused the winnings and returned the player’s deposits claiming the player had violated the Terms regarding multiple accounts. | N | Evidence from the casino showed that there was more than enough justification for the casino’s actions against the player. | closed | Public Complaint |
14 Jan | Vinnarum | NetEnt etc | Malta | Player’s winnings were denied because of “max bet” violations, player said it should be the casino’s responsibility to keep the player from making such mistakes. | Y | We disagree, it is the player’s responsibility to play within the Terms of the bonuses they take: case closed. | closed | Private complaint |
15 Jan | Inetbet.eu | RTG | Curacao | Player complained that the casino was making too many demands regarding document verification. | Y | Casino people had some concerns about the player’s activities but eventually paid in full: case resolved. | resolved | Private complaint |
17 Jan | Betano | ?? | ?? | Player claimed that the Terms regarding Free Spins was unclear and unfairly applied. | Y | Casino agreed that the error had been theirs, said they’d pay the player. Player was AWOL when asked to confirm. | resolved | Private complaint |
18 Jan | New Bingo Billy | Parlay | ?? | Player said the site wasn’t crediting winnings properly … or at all. | Y | This player had previous PABs so the One Free Shot rule disqualified this one. | closed | Private complaint |
20 Jan | Casino Cruise | Microgaming, NetEnt, etc | Malta, UK | Player said they’d won €12000 but the casino had confiscated it all and left only the original deposits. | Y | The casino’s records showed the player had repeatedly violated the “max bet” Terms of the bonuses the player had taken. | closed | Private complaint |
Total Complaints = 12 | Bonus related = 83% | * Bonus Issue |
February 2016
This is the summary of February 2016’s “Player Arbitration” – complaints submitted to Casinomeister via here.
Player Arbritation February 2016 |
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DATE | CASINO | SOFTWARE | JURISDICTION | THE PROBLEM | BONUS | COMMENTS | STATUS |
02 Feb | Gala | Amaya, etc | Gibraltar, UK | Player took a generous bonus, won £1200, requested withdrawal but was locked out for “bonus abuse”. | Y | The casino insisted their actions were justified but refused to discuss the issue, told the player to talk to their ADR per the terms of their UKGC license. | closed |
03 Feb | LetsSpin | Betsoft | Curacao | Player won big on a free chip, asked for the max withdrawal of $500. Casino said “deposit first” which the player did. Casino then locked the account. | Y | The casino did not respond to the PAB but they did eventually pay the player. | resolved |
05 Feb | EuroMoon | Betsoft, etc | Curacao | The player’s issue seems to have related to a so-called “cashback” from the casino. Player used it to play but casino confiscated the winnings. | Y | Casino treated the cashback like a bonus in spite of Support having told the player they were no strings attached. Ongoing. | TBD |
8 Feb | Hello | NetEnt, etc | UK | Player claimed that the casino was stalling payment by endlessly asking for documents. | ? | The casino logged the complaint into their system and then said absolutely nothing about the case. | closed (casino AWOL) |
8 Feb | Jackpot Land | NetEnt, Microgaming, etc | Gibraltar ? | Player reported that the casino had locked them out after a €1500 win. | ? | Player’s PAB was incomplete. Casino claimed that deposits had been returned. Casino closed a month later. | closed |
8 Feb | SportingBet | Microgaming, NetEnt, etc | UK, Malta (?) | Player claims to have won €5000 and was locked out by the casino on accusations of chip-dumping. | ? | Ongoing. | TBD |
9 Feb | Chance Hill | Betsoft | Curacao | Player claimed to have won on a bonus but the winnings were denied. | Y | Turns out the player had repeated played the same bonus in violation of the Terms. It was also revealed that the player had been repeatedly insulting and abusive to the casino staff: case dismissed. | closed (bootified) |
10 Feb | Grand Reef | Playtech | Curacao | Player was unhappy at the casino for not paying out on weekends, also “I would also like all casinos to be made to honour weekends as business days.” | ? | Player had previous PABs against non-Accredited casinos, this PAB cancelled per the One Free Shot rule. | NCD (OFS) |
13 Feb | Bitstarz | Microgaming, BetSoft, etc | Curacao | Player claimed the casino had confiscated 6 bitcoins without justification. | Y | Turned out the casino had good evidence that the player was running multiple accounts: player banned and case closed | closed (bootified) |
17 Feb | High Noon | RTG | Kahnawake | Player claimed the casino was being unreasonable about their verification documents. | ? | Casino had good reasons for suspecting the validity of the player’s ID. Player was booted for abusing the PAB service. | closed (bootified) |
18 Feb | Casino Cruise | Microgaming, NetEnt, etc | Malta, UK | Player’s complaint was that €15000 in winnings at Casino Cruise was being denied because of chargebacks at a sister casino. | N | Turned out the player had an extensive history of chargebacks across a number of Every Matrix casinos, very dodgy activity: case closed. | closed |
19 Feb | WinBig21 | Rival | Cyprus ? | Casino had apparently only paid $2000 of a $7500 withdrawal, gave no explanation for the unpaid balance. | ? | The casino never responded, a Warning was issued. | closed (casino AWOL) |
29 Feb | Casino Cruise | Microgaming, NetEnt, etc | Malta, UK | Player claimed the casino was denying a €3150 win because another person in their home was playing at Casino Cruise without their knowledge. | Y | The evidence showed there was no “other” player, only the same player with multiple accounts: case closed and player banned from Casinomeister. | closed (bootified) |
29 Feb | Viks | EveryMatrix | UK | Player complained that a £1750 withdrawal was being denied because of self-exclusion at another EveryMatrix casino. | N | The casino was correct in enforcing the self-exclusion as this is required by their license with the UKGC. | closed |
Total Complaints = 14 | Bonus related = 43% | * Bonus Issue |
March 2016
This is the summary of February 2016’s “Player Arbitration” – complaints submitted to Casinomeister via here.
Player Arbritation March 2016 |
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DATE | CASINO | SOFTWARE | JURISDICTION | THE PROBLEM | BONUS | COMMENTS | STATUS | LINK |
Mar | Casino Cruise | Microgaming, NetEnt, etc | Malta, UK | A re-submit of the 29 Feb PAB | Public Complaint | |||
01 Mar | Casino Cruise | Microgaming, NetEnt, etc | Malta, UK | Player claimed that his girl-friend had played at the casino without his knowledge. Casino confiscated winnings of €3100 . | Y | Evidence from the casino showed this to be a clear case of player fraud (multi-accounting). We supported the casino’s decision and booted the player off Casinomeister for PAB fraud. | fraudster | Public Complaint |
01 Mar | SpinEmpire | NetEnt, Microgaming | Curacao, Malta | The player tried to withdraw €1100 but the balance was confiscated. Casino claimed there had been issues with the verification documents. | Y | The casino refused to discuss the issue with the player and later refused to respond to the PAB: Warning posted. | closed (casino AWOL) | Private complaint |
2 Mar | Exclusive Casino | Betsoft, EveryMatrix, etc | ??? | The player had been told (repeatedly) by Support that there was no withdrawal limit on a promotion yet when the player did withdraw a limit was imposed. | Y | The casino said “Terms apply” regardless of what Support said. A Warning was issued against the casino. | closed | Public Complaint |
2 Mar | Chance Hill | Betsoft | Curacao | The player complained because he had taken a bonus that he received via email but was later told by the casino that he was ineligible and deposits were returned. | Y | It is the Terms not an email that determine the applicability of a bonus. The player knew this because he’d taken the same bonus before and had been compensated for his troubles. | closed | Private complaint |
4 Mar | Ladbrokes | Playtech | Gibraltar, UK | Player reported that the casino was stalling on the payment of a £70 win by endlessly requesting and rejecting verification documents. | ? | Sorry, Ladbrokes is notorious for ignoring player issues. We can’t help because they won’t discuss PABs. | ncd | Private complaint |
4 Mar | WinBig21 | Rival | Cyprus ? | Player took a huge bonus, won large, took the max withdrawal and received nothing in spite of an endless string of promised payment dates. | Y | Yet another in a string of recent complaints about payments at this casino: a Warning was previously issued. | closed (casino AWOL) | Private complaint |
5 Mar | Exclusive Casino | Betsoft, EveryMatrix, etc | ??? | As before, player asked Support “does bonus XYZ have a withdrawal limit?” Support said “no”, twice. Player won, tried to withdraw, casino said “Sorry, you can only withdraw $x per the Terms.” | Y | And as before the casino was adamant: “it doesn’t matter what Support said, bonus Terms apply as written.” See previous Warning. | closed | Public Complaint |
8 Mar | Stargames | Novomatic, etc | Malta | Player took a bonus offered via email, won, tried to WD. Casino said “Your payout request was cancelled and your unjustly earned winnings will be held back.” | Y | Casino replied to the PAB: “we are within our rights to retain unrightfully gained winnings, in particular when the player has already been paid out more than he has deposited on his account.” A Warning was issued. | ongoing | Private complaint |
9 Mar | Buzzluck | RTG | Kahnawake | Player complained that they had been “viciously attacked” by an unusually bad run on roulette, wanted us to investigate. | N | We found the player’s losing streak was not as bad as claimed and that they’d been betting usually aggressively. Player became very abusive and was booted off of Casinomeister. | closed | Private complaint |
9 Mar | Devilfish | Betsoft,etc | UK | Player’s complaint was that the casino had failed to specify that winnings on a NDB were subject to large play-through requirements. | Y | Ongoing. | TBD | Public Complaint |
14 Mar | SlotMadness | NuWorks | Costa Rica | Player reported unacceptable delays in a $800 payment. | ? | Casino apologized for the delays, paid the player in full. | resolved | Private complaint |
18 Mar | WinBig21 | Rival | Cyprus ? | Player reported the casino was using slo-pay and no-pay tactics on a $27,000 winnings balance. | ? | More of the same BS from this casino, see the Warning previously posted. | closed (casino AWOL) | Private complaint |
18 Mar | 3Dice | Proprietary | Curacao | Another report of slow payments, this time on a $42,000 balance. | ? | Casino said they’d process the total as weekly partial payments. They did exactly that and the player was paid in full. | resolved | Private complaint |
20 Mar | Bovada | RTG, etc | Kahnawake | Player claimed the casino was stalling on payment of $20,000 winnings by endlessly asking for documents. | N | Turned out the casino had good reasons to doubt the player’s authenticity. Player ignored the PAB FAQ guidelines so the PAB was closed. | closed | Public Complaint |
25 Mar | VideoSlots | Playtech, Rival, etc | Malta, UK | Player reported an excessive delay on a modest payment request. | ? | The player’s PAB was incomplete: waiting for the necessary info before proceeding. | ongoing | Private complaint |
Total Complaints = 15 | Bonus related = 53% | * Bonus Issue |
April 2016
This is the summary of April 2016’s “Player Arbitration” – complaints submitted to Casinomeister via here.
Player Arbitration April 2016 |
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DATE | CASINO | SOFTWARE | JURISDICTION | THE PROBLEM | BONUS | COMMENTS | STATUS | LINK |
04 Apr | Anna Casino | Microgaming, NetEnt, Play’n GO | Curaçao, Malta | Player said the casino was withholding €5000, claimed they’d been falsely accused of having multiple accounts. | y | Turned out there was good reason to suspect the player and the phantom “other” account. In the end we supported the casino’s decision against the player. | closed | Private complaint |
04 Apr | Park Lane | Amaya, Betsoft, etc. | Curaçao | Player claimed to have won €24000 over several days but the entire amount was confiscated because of “a bug in the system”. | Y | The PAB was incomplete and the player never responded to our request for further info and corrections: player AWOL = case closed. | closed | Public Complaint |
04 Apr | Bet365 | Playtech, Aristocrat | Gibraltar, UKGC | Player reported that £29000+ had been confiscated after an extended disagreement over payment methods. | n | Casino people told us that they were “not player facing” and would not discuss player complaints. The were pulled from the Accredited list and later won the 2016 Casinomeister Fall From Grace” award.” | closed | Private complaint |
6 Apr | Aladdin’s Gold | RTG | Kahnawake | Player expected an $1100 WD but only received $100: casino had limited the WD to a previous free chip. | Y | The casino said the winnings came from free games earned while doing the WR on the free chip so yes, there was a max WD in place. Casino offered the player a little something to ease the pain which the player accepted and played out. | closed | Private complaint |
7 Apr | Planet 7 Casino | RTG | Costa Rica | Player claimed he’d won $11000 and then was promptly locked out of his account. | ? | Turned out the player had multiple accounts at Casinomeister and had done non-Accred PABs before. When confronted with this he tried to blag his way through it. Player, meet curb. | closed | Private complaint |
10 Apr | Casumo | NetEnt, Microgaming, etc. | Malta, UKGC | Player reported having happily followed an email advert to the casino, played and lost. Then they “remembered” that they’d already self-excluded at the casino, wanted their money back. | y | Turned out the player had almost certainly changed enough info on the second registration to fly under the casino’s radar. Sorry dude, it sounds all too deliberate to us. | closed | Private complaint |
15 Apr | Casino Cruise | NetEnt, Microgaming, etc. | Malta, UKGC | The player had won and wanted to WD €3500 but the casino had stopped payment on the grounds of KYC issues. | n | The casino had taken care of things and the player was paid in full. | resolved | Private complaint |
15 Apr | Omni Casino | Playtech | Curaçao | Player said the casino had rejected their WD of €700, claimed document problems during KYC. | y | The casino was just being thorough. Docs were soon approved and player was paid. | resolved | Public Complaint |
19 Apr | Gossip Slots | BetSoft | Curaçao | Player claimed they’d been playing slots, had hit a bonus round, but the game had glitched out and reduced their balance. Same thing had apparently happened again. | Y | The player had originally complained to the casino about the glitch and was compensated. Then they’d falsely claimed the same game had glitched a 2nd time and paid out improperly. Turned out it was the same incident just rewarmed for another try at payment. | closed | Public Complaint |
19 Apr | Marsbet | NetEnt, Microgaming, etc. | Curaçao | An affiliate issue where there was €1800 owed but the account was locked without notice. | n | Casino people said they’d look into it but nothing came of it. Player submitted further documentation but when we inquired further they were AWOL: complainant AWOL = case closed. | closed | Private complaint |
20 Apr | Casino Luck | NetEnt, Microgaming, etc. | Malta, Curaçao | Player reported that a €2000 slots win was being denied because of a single spin over the max bet allowance. | y | The player failed to mention that they’d threatened the casino when they’d asked for a payout. The casino could have waived their one bet error but after the threats they were in no mood to do so. | closed | Public Complaint |
20 Apr | Casino Metropol | NetEnt, Microgaming, etc. | Malta & Alderney (?) | Player claimed that a €6500 balance had been confiscated without reason. | n | The casino people never responded, a Warning was posted. | closed | Private complaint |
23 Apr | Slots.LV | RTG, Rival | Kahnawake | Player said the casino had repeatedly promised a $600 WD but it kept getting cancelled, reversed, etc. | n | Casino people contacted the player and got things ironed out, player reported having been paid in full. | resolved | Public Complaint |
25 Apr | Dunder | NetEnt, Microgaming, etc. | Malta, UKGC | This PAB was woefully incomplete but it appeared that the OP was complaining about £1500 being confiscated and wanted us to “retrain staff”. | n | Player was not available to complete the PAB. There was that problem and “retrain staff” is a bit beyond our remit. Case closed. | closed | Private complaint |
29 Apr | Bitstarz | Betsoft, NetEnt, Microgaming, etc. | Curaçao | Player had apparently won 3.5 bitcoins but the casino refused to pay on Terms violations (bets exceeding “max bet”). | y | Player had been posting vigorously on the forums and continued to do so after submitting the PAB in spite of repeated warnings to read and respect the PAB FAQ: case closed. | closed | Public Complaint |
Total Complaints = 15 | Bonus related = 53% | * Bonus Issue |
May 2016
This is the summary of May 2016’s “Player Arbitration” – complaints submitted to Casinomeister via here.
Player Arbitration May 2016 |
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DATE | CASINO | SOFTWARE | JURISDICTION | THE PROBLEM | BONUS | COMMENTS | STATUS | LINK |
06 May | Gossip Slots | BetSoft | Curaçao | Player claimed they’d had a game malfunction and ended up receiving 1/10th of what was expected when they won on a bonus feature. | Y?? | Turned out this wasn’t the first time the player had had this problem and been compensated. Casino said they had no record of the second win. A Warning was posted. | closed | Public Complaint |
10 May | Spin Palace Mobile | Microgaming, Quickfire (?) | Malta | Player claimed that they’d started a day of play with $100+ in their account, used Play Money throughout the day and ended up with nothing. | n | The casino claimed the records showed that the player had been playing in Real Money mode but offered no supporting evidence. The player was finally advised to go to the casino’s designated ADR. | transferred | Private complaint |
11 May | Bertil | NetEnt, ELK | Malta | Player claimed that he’d been denied the winnings from a NDB under false claims of multiple registrations from his IP. | n | The evidence showed the player had at least two other accounts: case closed and player booted from Casinomeister. | fraudster | Private complaint |
11 May | Betsson | Evolution, NetEnt | Malta | Player reported that their documents had been improperly rejected during KYC and their €650 in winnings denied. | n | Casino reviewed the case and reversed their decision against the player: player’s account and full balance were restored. | resolved | Private complaint |
12 May | Luckland | NetEnt, Microgaming, etc. | Curaçao | Player reported that they’d only been paid a fraction of their €5000+ winnings when their account was locked and balance confiscated. | ??? | Casino said they’d been attacked by “various bonus abusers” including this player. We asked for evidence, they stalled over formalities and finally stopped responding entirely. A Warning was posted. | closed | Public Complaint |
12 May | Smartlive | NetEnt, Microgaming, etc. | UKGC | The casino had publicly stated they wanted to clear their name and would review all old cases. Player’s case was from 2013: they’d had a balance of $32k+ and had been locked out of their account. | Y? | Casino claimed the player had violated Max Bet Terms, we showed those Terms were after the play dates in question. Long story short: Smartlive’s license was soon revoked by the UKGC, they later crashed and burned. | closed | Private complaint |
13 May | 18Bet | Quickfire, Microgaming (?) | Curaçao | Player’s complaint was that winnings were denied and cancelled, casino said the deposits had been made then cancelled (possibly by the player’s bank) | n | The player tried using evidence from previous deposits to prove his case. When I pressed for actual evidence the player went to the forums to complain that our PAB service was not producing results. PAB was cancelled. | cancelled | Public Complaint |
16 May | Inetbet | RTG | Curaçao | Player claimed that a $12k WD was denied by the casino on false grounds of failed deposits. | n | Turned out the player was simply lying: they’d won the $12k, then played it all back and issued a bunch of chargebacks. PAB closed and player banned from Casinomeister. | closed | Private complaint |
16 May | Casino Grand Bay | Betsoft (?) | Malta | Casino had approved and tried to pay a $2000+ WD but failed because of bank issues. Casino later cancelled the WD and refused to pay. | n | Player ended up accepting a settlement they didn’t particularly like but felt is was better than nothing. Case closed. | resolved | Private complaint |
18 May | Betway | Microgaming | Malta, UKGC | Player reported that a £2665 WD had been stopped by the casino because of start bonus “max withdraw” limits, player said it had actually been a deposit bonus they’d received. | Y | The casino initially said the player would have to go to their ADR but we insisted that as an Accredited casino they should be ready, willing and able to deal with us directly. Player then contacted us to say they’d been paid in full. | resolved | Private complaint |
19 May | All Jackpots | MGS | Malta | Player’s complaint was that the casino was stalling on a $300 WD. | n | Casino said it was the player’s fault, something about incorrect WD methods. In the end the player reported they’d been paid in full. | resolved | Private complaint |
19 May | Casino Cruise | NetEnt, Microgaming, etc. | Malta, UKGC | Player claimed their winnings of roughly £1000 had been denied on the grounds that the deposit had been made through Neteller. | n | The Terms actually said that Neteller deposits were fine, just that no Welcome Bonus would be given. Player later reported having been paid. | resolved | Public Complaint |
21 May | All Jackpots | MGS | Malta | Player’s complaint was that they’d won €3000 on a reload bonus but had later been locked out and winnings confiscated. | Y | Casino (eventually) provided evidence that the player was connected to at least ten other accounts. PAB closed and player banned from Casinomeister. | fraudster | Private complaint |
22 May | Grand Fortune | RTG | Curaçao | Player had taken a NDB, won and wanted to WD per the max WD limit. Casino asked for KYC documents twice then denied the winnings. | y | Casino later reversed itself and paid in full. | resolved | Public Complaint |
31 May | Bovada | RTG | Kahnawake | Player had requested a $3000 WD, received part of it, waited but the balance never come through. Casino said “processor issues” but still no balance. | n | Casino people said “blah blah delays blah blah” and eventually paid the player in full. | resolved | Private complaint |
Total Complaints = 15 | Bonus related = 33% | * Bonus Issue |
June 2016
This is the summary of June 2016’s “Player Arbitration” – complaints submitted to Casinomeister via here.
Player Arbitration June 2016 |
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DATE | CASINO | SOFTWARE | JURISDICTION | THE PROBLEM | BONUS | COMMENTS | STATUS | LINK |
01 Jun | Lion Slots | Rival | Curaçao | Player won using a NDB and requested payment. After several rounds of KYC the casino denied payment on the grounds that the player had another account “on the Rival platform”. | Y? | Casino never responded to the complaint, a Warning was posted. | closed | Public Complaint |
06 Jun | Grand Fortune | RTG | Curaçao | Player said they’d requested self-exclusion and explicitly told the casino it was for “problem gambling†reasons. Weeks later they were able to re-active their account and play again. | n | The casino publicly announced that there had been some confusion at the time of the player’s SE request but that his accounts were now closed permanently. | resolved | Public Complaint |
7 Jun | Gala | Amaya, IGT, etc. | Gibraltar, UKGC | Player reported that they’d won on a bonus and been denied the winnings on the grounds that they’d exceeded max bet limits which they denied. | y | Casino refused to discuss the issue, said the player had no choice but to go to their ADR. Casino was removed from the Accredited section. | closed | Public Complaint |
8 Jun | Redbet Casino | NetEnt, Microgaming | Malta, UKGC | Player claimed that he had repeatedly requested self-exclusion at the casino and had repeatedly been allowed to reregister. | n | Turns out the player was almost certainly trying to scam the casino into returning deposits: the SE requests were always vague and when asked to confirm that he wanted to be barred from the casino he’d never responded. | closed | Public Complaint |
10 Jun | 123vegaswin | Betsoft Gaming Ltd, XproGaming | Costa Rica | Player had won on Welcome Bonus and requested WD, casino verified the KYC and said “24-48 hoursâ€. After months of waiting and over 40 calls to the casino they still had nothing. | y | Casino never responded to the complaint, a Warning was posted. | closed | Private complaint |
10 Jun | Chancehill | Microgaming, NetEnt, SoftSwiss, etc. | Malta, UKGC | Player claimed the casino was stalling on payment of roughly £2000, giving only excuses. | n | The PAB was incomplete and full of errors, the OP never responded to requests for corrections and additional info. | closed | Private complaint |
11 Jun | Lucky Star | NetEnt, Betsoft | Curaçao | Player claimed that they’d set a loss limit at the casino but because for mishandling she was able to lose $196k in winnings. | n | Turned out the player had assumed “loss limit†meant “lost bets total†while the casino implemented it to mean “lost net deposits”. Never assume. | closed | Private complaint |
20 Jun | Betcoin | Betsoft , Endorphina | None?! | Player had screenshot evidence showing that their win on a slots jackpot should have been around 1M credits rather than the 1k they received. | y | Casino first said “ineligible because it was a bonus spin†except the Terms said no such thing. Then they said “jackpot only occurs if the max bet is made at the highest denomination” which again didn’t apply because the jackpot changes with the denomination played. Finally they said “it is Betsoft’s problem not ours” at which point we posted a Warning and closed the case. | closed | Private complaint |
20 Jun | InetBet Euro | RTG | Curaçao | Player said they’d made a €925 WD but only received €250. | Y | Turned out the player had violated Max Bet rules so the casino had cancelled the winnings and returned the deposit. We supported their actions. | closed | Private complaint |
20 Jun | InetBet Euro | RTG | Curaçao | Player claimed that his WDs where being unreasonably delayed. | n | Casino had good evidence that the player was running multiple accounts: case closed. | closed | Private complaint |
27 Jun | Always Cool “AC” casino | Pirated Netent, Playtech and Novomatic | Unlicensed | Player reported problems getting the casino to pay a $900 WD. | n | Yup, that’ll happen at clapped-out Rogue clip-joints like this place. See Rogue by affiliation | in the pit | Private complaint |
28 Jun | BGO | IGT, Net Entertainment, Microgaming, etc. | Alderney, UKGC | Player claimed the casino has given her bad information regarding Max Bet on a slot game and thereby cancelled her £5000 winnings. | y | Turned out the player had repeatedly contacted Support to ask about the Max Bet thing until they found someone who gave the wrong answer. Then they played. That’s shifty business on the player’s part: PAB closed. | closed | Private complaint |
29 Jun | Slots Plus | RTG? | Panama (for.eu site) Costa Rica for US? | Player said they’d been getting the run-around on a $400+ WD request. | n | Player had had a string of PABs against non-Accredited casinos. Reminded them of the One Free Shot rule and sent them on their way. | closed | Private complaint |
Total Complaints = 13 | Bonus related = 46% | * Bonus Issue |
July 2016
This is the summary of July 2016’s “Player Arbitration” – complaints submitted to Casinomeister via here.
Player Arbitration July 2016 |
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DATE | CASINO | SOFTWARE | JURISDICTION | THE PROBLEM | BONUS | COMMENTS | STATUS | LINK |
01 Jul | Leo Vegas | NetEnt, Playtech, etc. | Malta, UKGC | Player claimed that their game of choice was faulty and only had an RTP of 33%. | N | We passed the player’s complaint on to the casino but RTP issues are beyond the scope of our PAB service. | closed | Private complaint |
01 Jul | Sporting Index | NetEnt, Microgaming, etc. | UKGC | Player reported that deposits and winnings were confiscated because of self-exclusion “at a sister site”. | ? | Casino said “the action taken was well within the parameters of both ours and EveryMatrix account operating rules.” However the player was fully refunded their deposits. | resolved | Public Complaint |
4 Jul | Grande Vegas | RTG | Curaçao | Player claimed that the casino had “without any reason closed my account and revoked my winnings”. | y | The OP turned out to be a fraudster: bootified! | closed | Public Complaint |
6 Jul | Cherry | NetEnt, Microgaming, etc. | Malta | Player’s issue was that two years previously the casino had confiscated winnings of €2000 for “max bet” violations. Player claimed that at the time there was no such Term. | y | Casino showed that the Term had been in place four weeks before the player had signed on and played. Player accused us of “helping casino to avoid paying players†but no counter evidence was provided and the case was closed. | closed | Private complaint |
6 Jul | Quasargaming | Novomatic | Malta | Player had been given a birthday bonus chip, played it and tried to withdraw but the casino imposed a Max WD limit. Player said that no such limit was in the Terms. | y | Player later reported that their balance had been restored and successfully withdrawn: case closed. | resolved | Private complaint |
9 Jul | Lucky247 | MGS | Malta, UKGC | Player took a bonus, “kept winning so kept upping my bet”, eventually racked up winnings of £4700+ which the casino later cancelled for “max bet” Terms violations. Player said they’d never heard of such a thing. | y | Ignorance of the Terms is no excuse for breaking them, case closed. | closed | Public Complaint |
10 Jul | Lucky Club | NuWorks | Curaçao/Cyprus? | Player had taken a NDB, played and won €180. WD was denied on the grounds that the player was from a restricted country. Player claimed there had been no such restriction when they’d signed on. | y | Casino showed the restriction against the player’s country had been in place for four days at the time the player took the bonus. Case closed. | closed | Public Complaint |
16 Jul | All Australian | NetEnt, Amatic | Malta, UKGC | Player claimed that they’d won an AUD$86000 jackpot, had requested a WD which had been confirmed, continued to play and ended up with a balance of zero. | ?? | Turned out the player had not requested the full WD but had simply inquired about WD Terms and had continued to play, made a few smaller WDs along the way, and played the balance away. | closed | Private complaint |
16 Jul | Royal Vegas | MGS | Malta | Player had apparently burned through their $100 deposit in 15 minutes and felt ripped off: “it just seemed dodgey”. | y | Unfortunately game analysis is beyond the scope of the PAB process: no can do. | closed | Private complaint |
17 Jul | Everygame | EveryMatrix | Malta, Curaçao | Player’s complaint was that they’d had a bunch of loyalty points but when they’d gone to redeem them there were none. | y | Player had had a previous PAB weeks before and this one was not regarding an Accredited casino: Sorry, please mind the One Free Shot rule. | closed | Private complaint |
20 Jul | Cool Cat | RTG | Costa Rica | Player reported a stalled $350 WD. | n | See above re One Free Shot. | closed | Private complaint |
22 Jul | Jetbull | NetEnt, Microgaming, etc. | Malta, UKGC | Player reported £1300 in stalled WDs. | n | Casino paid part of the player’s WD, claimed “payment provider … technical issuesâ€. Two months later they’d still not managed to pay the player. A Warning was posted (since withdrawn). | closed | Public Complaint |
28 Jul | Virgin games | Evolution, Gamesys, IGT, etc. | Gibraltar, UKGC | Player had apparently won £2000 which was cancelled because she’d apparently self-excluded at a “sister casino”. | n | The casino initially said they wouldn’t discuss the case, then that they’d only discuss it as a Subject Access Request under the Data Protection Act. Player had since received deposits back and they’d had enough: case closed. | closed | Private complaint |
28 Jul | Slottyvegas | NetEnt, Microgaming | Malta, UKGC | Player claimed that winnings in excess of €16000 had been improperly denied for bonus Terms violations including having no invitation to an invitation only bonus. | y | Player made claims but was unable to provide proof that they had received the required invitation: case closed. | closed | Private complaint |
29 Jul | 123vegaswin | Betsoft, NetEnt, Evolution, etc. | Costa Rica | Player reported that the casino was stalling on a £550 WD, wasn’t responding etc. | y | The casino never responded to us either, and then they apparently did a runner. Casino AWOL, case closed. | closed | Private complaint |
30 Jul | Slots Garden | RTG | Costa Rica | Player’s issue was that a £2500 WD was apparently tied up in an argument over Terms | y | Not yet concluded. | ongoing | Private complaint |
31 Jul | Planet 7 | RTG | Costa Rica | Player reported that a £300 WD was stalled and they wanted outside help to get paid. | n | Player did get paid but somewhat less than expected because bonuses are non-cashable. | resolved | Private complaint |
Total Complaints = 17 | Bonus related = 59% | * Bonus Issue |
August 2016
This is the summary of August 2016’s “Player Arbitration” – complaints submitted to Casinomeister via here.
Player Arbitration August 2016 |
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DATE | CASINO | SOFTWARE | JURISDICTION | THE PROBLEM | BONUS | COMMENTS | STATUS | LINK |
01 Aug | Smart Live | ? | Malta, UKGC licence surrendered | Another case of SmartLive stalling payments. This time the player had tried to WD over £5000 in two installments. | n | Smartlive stalled on this one until they turned into a pumpkin and nobody got nothin’. Wankers! | closed | Public Complaint |
01 Aug | Dreams Casino | RTG | Costa Rica | Player reported that the casino was stalling on payment of $1000. | n | Casino reported having had “processor issues” but the rep was on the ball and got the player paid in full. | resolved | Private complaint |
1 Aug | Mr Green | Microgaming, NetEnt, etc. | Malta, UKGC | Player said they’d set a £5 loss limit, had it confirmed by Support, but had then been able to come back and lose £3000+. | n | Casino reviewed the case, decided that they were in error and reinstated the player’s pre-loss balance. | resolved | Private complaint |
2 Aug | Leo Vegas | Net Ent, Evolution, IGT, | Malta, UKGC | The casino had closed player’s account and confiscated his balance of €150 because he’s had a previous account. Player said he didn’t remember that. Casino said the confiscation was “to make you remember and get help”. | N | Casino wouldn’t discuss the case details but the player soon reported that their balance had been restored and withdrawn. | resolved | Private complaint |
3 Aug | Betchan | NetEnt, Quickfire | Curaçao | Player said the casino had been giving him a hard time with his bonuses, wasn’t paying on WDs in proper time. | y | Turned out the casino had good evidence that the player was running multiple accounts and was simply trying to bully the casino with frivolous complaints. Case was thrown out, player was banned from Casinomeister. | fraudster | Private complaint |
6 Aug | Casino Royal Club | Rival | Curaçao | Player reported having tried for three months to get a $6000 WD processed and paid. | Y | Casino never responded to the player’s case: a Warning is due. | closed | Private complaint |
10 Aug | Thrills | NetEnt, Microgaming | Malta, UKGC, Curaçao | Player reported that the casino had confiscated his £400 balance because he had self-excluded at a sister casino. He also said “I do not have time to read through all the terms and conditions of a casino website”. | n | Player has no time to read Terms? No worries, we have no time to waste on pointless complaints. Case closed! | closed | Private complaint |
11 Aug | Virtual | RTG | Costa Rica | Player said they’d had problems with a WD but the PAB has errors that needed to be corrected before we could proceed. | n | Player went AWOL, never responded. Case discarded. | closed | Private complaint |
13 Aug | Mygocasino | ? | ? | Player says they had taken a bonus, won, completed WR and wanted to WD but the casino demanded further WR. | Y? | The case was incomplete and the player was frequently AWOL. Eventually we had to close the case for lack of necessary info. | closed | Private complaint |
13 Aug | Play7777 | NetEnt, Yggdrasil… | Curaçao | Player had tried to WD €10000 but the casino denied it saying the player had played restricted games. | y | Wayback showed the player’s games were not restricted 24 hours before they played. Asked the casino for a specific date and time on the relevant Terms changes and they would not respond. | pending rogue | Private complaint |
15 Aug | Slotastic | RTG | Costa Rica | Player claimed the casino was stalling on a €180 WD. | n | Player turned out to be a fraudster: case closed and player kicked to the curb. | closed | Public Complaint |
16 Aug | fonecasino | Saucify | Curaçao | Player reported the casino had denied a €150 WD claiming the player had accounts “elsewhere in our group”. | y | Casino never responded to the player’s case: a Warning was posted. | closed | Private complaint |
21 Aug | Park Lane | Fake | Malta, Curaçao | Player was having problems with a €3000 WD. | y | Sorry, this casino is listed in the __Roge Pit__ and therefore this complaint is not eligible for the PAB service. | in the pit | Private complaint |
26 Aug | ChanceHill | Endorphina, Microgaming, NetEnt… | Malta, UKGC | Player reported having problems with a £1000+ win. | y | Player was posting on the forums at the time of submitting the PAB, ended up posting that the problem had been resolved. Case closed. | resolved | Private complaint |
27 Aug | ComeOn | NetEnt, Microgaming | Malta, Curaçao | Player claimed that the casino was not paying a €1000 WD, described problems with bank cards etc. | n | The casino Support people weren’t particularly helpful but their affiliate manager was able to get them to take a second look at the players case and apparently payment was made. The player had goen AWOL by this time and was unable to confirm the payment. | resolved | Public Complaint |
28 Aug | Videoslots | Yggdrasil, NetEnt, IGT… | Malta, UKGC | Player claimed the casino was dragging its feet over a €70 WD. | n | Turned out the player had spelled their own name wrong. The casino’s rep on our forums was able to get things straightened out. | resolved | Private complaint |
29 Aug | Diamond Reels | RTG | Curaçao | Player claimed to have won almost $5000 during a tournament but the casino later said the winnings were capped at $100. | n | After a lot of back and forth the casino offered the player a $1500 settlement with apparently was taken and played away. The player confirmed this: case closed. | resolved | Private complaint |
30 Aug | Supernova | Betsoft, Rival… | Curaçao | Player complained bitterly about casino mistreatment over a $150 WD. | n | It turned out the player had been rather impatient with the casino and had charged-back all of their casino deposits _before_ they’d filed the PAB: case closed and player booted out the door. | fraudster | Private complaint |
31 Aug | Betive | NetEnt, Quickspin… | Malta, Curaçao | Player’s complaint was that €2500 was denied because of “max bet” violations. | y | The casino’s General Terms cited “max bet” on promotions at €10 but the player’s specific bonus had further limited that to €5. Player didn’t read the Bonus Terms. Casino returned the player’s deposits but the player was now unavailable to confirm that. | closed | Public Complaint |
Total Complaints = 19 | Bonus related = 42% | * Bonus Issue |
September 2016
This is the summary of September 2016’s “Player Arbitration” – complaints submitted to Casinomeister via here.
Player Arbitration September 2016 |
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DATE | CASINO | SOFTWARE | JURISDICTION | THE PROBLEM | BONUS | COMMENTS | STATUS | LINK |
01 Sep | PlayGrand | NetEnt, Betsoft | UKGC, Curaçao | Player reported problems with £700+ WD: promised it would be paid in days but weeks had passed without payment. | y | The player had not yet sent their complaint to the casino. We asked that they do so. That was the last we ever heard from them: complainant AWOL = case closed. | closed | Private complaint |
01 Sep | Platincasino | Blueprint, Edict | Isle of Man | Player simply stated that the casino was withholding their winnings. | ? | Turned out the player was running multiple accounts and the casino had good evidence to prove it. Case closed and player banned from Casinomeister. | closed | Private complaint |
1 Sep | SlotsInferno | RTG | Costa Rica | In the player’s words: “”I have a withdrawal request of $7000.00 that I have not received as of yet and it has been over a year since I requested it.” | n | Sorry, this casino is listed in the Rogue Pit, this disqualifies the complaint from our PAB service. | In The Pit | Private complaint |
1 Sep | 21 Casino | Microgaming, NetEnt, NYX | Curaçao, UKGC | Player reported that their balance of roughly €2000 had been confiscated without explanation. | Y | Because of the casino’s UKGC license we recommended the player try their ADR (eCOGRA). Unfortunately we never heard from the player again. | transferred | Private complaint |
2 Sep | SlotsGarden | RTG | Costa Rica | Player complained that they were having troubles getting paid on a $5000 jackpot win. | n | The PAB was incomplete and the player was unreachable to get things straightened out: player AWOL = case closed. | closed | Private complaint |
2 Sep | SlotNuts | RTG | Curaçao | Another tale of woe where a player had been fighting for over 10 months with this Curgam Malta casino to get a $800 WD paid as promised. | y | What can we say? Curgam Malta casinos are serious trouble for players and we’ve been saying so for ages: see the Warning. Sorry, can’t help you. | In The Pit | Private complaint |
7 Sep | gtbets | Betsoft | Curaçao | Player reported problems getting an $1100 win paid out. | n | Another case of “player go poof!”: PAB had errors + player unreachable and never on-site = case closed. | closed | Private complaint |
7 Sep | Planet7 | RTG | Costa Rica | Plaer reported problems with Wds totalling $240 but their PAB was incomplete. | n | Player was unreachable for PAB info. And yes, once again, it’s the sad story of a PAB that went to the dogs: player AWOL = case closed. | closed | Private complaint |
9 Sep | Fly Casino | Playtech | Curaçao | Player said they hadn’t received payment from the casino even though the casino had apparently sent it weeks previously. | n | The casino chased the problem with the player’s bank. The player reported shortly thereafter that payment had been received in full. | Resolved | Private complaint |
9 Sep | Planet7 | RTG | Costa Rica | Player reported having chased the casino for almost three months to get a $400+ payment. | n | The casino people got back to me with details of the player’s full payment but the player was AWOL and could/would not confirm: player AWOL = case closed. | Resolved | Private complaint |
10 Sep | Freaky Vegas | Yggdrasil, NetEnt | Malta | Player submitted a lengthy chat transcript (2000+ words) and said they wanted €1000 from the casino. | y | PAB FAQ says “please describe your problem in 50-100 words”. Player was unavailable to do so. Player AWOL = case closed. Again. | closed | Private complaint |
10 Sep | Royal Vegas | MGS | Malta | Player had a large balance, $100k+, that they wanted to WD. Confusion over the WD limits cause several WD requests to be cancelled and returned to the player’s account. Player says this caused them to lose $20k in “misplaced” WDs. | n | It turned out the player had been playing heavily during their WDs and had ended up playing away half of their balance. The casino proved this via play and WD records. Player was unavailable for comment. | Resolved | Private complaint |
12 Sep | Spinstation | Microgaming, NetEnt, NYX | Curaçao, UKGC | Player submitted a long, garbled PAB that had apparently gone through Google Translate’s rinse cycle a few too many times. It seemed the player wanted the casino to pay €4000 In winnings. | y | The player started posting like crazy on the forums and ignored our requests not to given that there was a PAB in progress. Eventually she posted that the casino had settled with her so … case closed. | Resolved | Public Complaint |
13 Sep | Manhattan Slots | RTG | Curaçao | Player complained of getting hit with multiple undisclosed processing fees. | n | PAB was incomplete and player was not around to provide the necessary details: player AWOL = case closed | closed | Private complaint |
14 Sep | Club World | RTG | Curaçao | Player said the casino had closed his account without reason. | n | The player had been paid in full and the casino no longer wanted his business so … them’s the breaks. | closed | Private complaint |
16 Sep | City Club | Playtech | Curaçao | Player reported that the casino was asking for notarised ID but that, apparently, was not legal in the Czech Republic. | n | Sorry this casino is in the Rogue Pit, can’t help you. | In The Pit | Private complaint |
16 Sep | Risk | Net Ent, Microgaming, Play n Go | Malta, Curaçao, UKGC pending | Player claimed that after almost completing his WR the games stopped loading properly on his computer. | y | The PAB was incomplete and the player didn’t want to read the PAB FAQ. Eventually things worked out and he was paid in full. | Resolved | Public Complaint |
17 Sep | Always Cool | Betsoft | ? | Player reported that they’d been waiting months for a €3200 WD but the money finally disappeared from the account and the casino claimed they’d played it away on games the player said they’d never heard of. | y | Sorry this casino is in the Rogue Pit, can’t help you. | In The Pit | Private complaint |
17 Sep | All Jackpots | Microgaming | Malta | Player claimed the casino was slow-paying on a €2700+ payment. | n | Two days later the player had been paid in full. | Resolved | Private complaint |
21 Sep | Sportingbet | Microgaming, Netent, Evolution | Malta, UKGC | Player reported having gone through a complicated KYC process on a WD, was finally approved for WD and then suddenly locked out. | n | This turned out to be the first of two cases regarding SportingBet where the the player had filed the complaint at IBAS and then … nothing happened. These cases are still dragging on and IBAS hasn’t responded in months. | ongoing | Private complaint |
22 Sep | DrueckGlueck | Microgaming, Cryptologic, Netent | UK , Malta, Denmark, Schleswig Holstein | Player wanted their account closed without having to self-exclude | n | The casino explained their position on locking rather than closing (deleting) player accounts and that seemed satisfactory to the player: case closed. | Resolved | Private complaint |
25 Sep | Boss | Microgaming, Netent, Oryx | Curaçao | Player reported troubles getting a €120 payment because apparently the only option available was payment to Neteller (because of their country). | n | The Terms did spell out the payment restrictions applicable. Player was paid in full within a couple days. | Resolved | Private complaint |
27 Sep | Planet7 | RTG | Costa Rica | Player complained of problem receiving a $1750 WD. | n | It took a while – player was in Bulgaria so payments were not being handled reliably – but we got there in the end: player paid in full = case closed. | Resolved | Private complaint |
28 Sep | AlmightyVikings | Microgaming, NetEnt, Oryx | Curaçao | Player reported having tried for months to get a €300 WD paid. | y | Almighty Vikings is toast, they won’t be paying anyone. | closed | Private complaint |
28 Sep | Vegas Fiesta | Rival | Curaçao? | Player reported having received only €250 of a €500 WD. | n? | This was the player’s second PAB against a non-Accredited casino: sorry, no-can-do (see the One Free Shot Rule) | closed | Private complaint |
29 Sep | High Noon | RTG | Curaçao | Player took a NDB, won, wanted to cash out the max WD. Casino was only going to return the deposit. | y | Casino tried to do KYC but the player’s data didn’t match that provided when they registered. This breached the Terms and so the player’s winnings were withheld. Player had left the building. | closed | Public Complaint |
29 Sep | Planet7 | RTG | Costa Rica | Player reported having problems getting the casino to pay $1100. | n | The player confirmed having received a partial payment ($700) but was AWOL by the time the casino reported having paid the final $300: player AWOL = case closed. | Resolved | Public Complaint |
30 Sep | Omni | Playtech | Curaçao | Player reported that the casino didn’t want to pay €1000+ winnings because of play on restricted games. | y | Terms were clear, player violated them. The excuse they gave was that it “was only a few spins and I didn’t win anyway”. Sorry, doesn’t change the fact that the Terms were broken. The casino wasn’t willing to let it pass so case closed. | closed | Public Complaint |
Total Complaints = 26 | Bonus related = 38% | * Bonus Issue |
October 2016
This is the summary of October 2016’s “Player Arbitration” – complaints submitted to Casinomeister via here.
Player Arbitration October 2016 |
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DATE | CASINO | SOFTWARE | JURISDICTION | THE PROBLEM | BONUS | COMMENTS | STATUS | LINK |
01 Oct | 7bitCasino | NetEnt, Betsoft | Curaçao | Player complained that their €9000 balance was being withheld over ambiguous “country of origin” Terms. | ? | The player later said they’d prefer to post on the forums: PAB cancelled. | closed | Public Complaint |
03 Oct | Mr Ringo | Microgaming, Evolution | Malta | Player claimed a €500+ payment had been stalled for weeks. | ? | PAB was incomplete, player did not respond when we asked for the necessary info: player AWOL = case closed. | closed | Private complaint |
6 Oct | EuroLotto | NetEnt, MicroGaming, Play N Go | Malta,Curaçao | Player wanted the casino to return all their deposits, their argument was that the casino should have examined their play patterns and seen they had an addiction problem. | y | The casino had already given the player some compensation which was taken (and played). They were not inclined to do so again and the player had never said a word about gambling problem issues before now. Case closed. | closed | Public Complaint |
6 Oct | PartyCasino | Amaya, bwin | Gibraltar, UKGC | OP reported excessive delays every time they requested a WD, wanted a recent request for $300 expedited. | n | PAB was incomplete, player did not respond when we asked for the necessary info: player AWOL = case closed. | closed | Private complaint |
11 Oct | Bovada | Betsoft, RTG | ? | Player reported that they’d been trying for several weeks to have their $2500 WD request paid, casino claimed “processor problemsâ€. | n | The casino reported that the player had recently been paid in full but the player never replied when we asked for confirmation: assumed resolved per the casino’s last report. | resolved | Private complaint |
12 Oct | SpinStation | Microgaming, NetEnt, NYX | Curaçao, UKGC | Player wanted £3000 returned to their account after it had been confiscated and the deposit returned. The casino had found the player to have re-registered after previously self-excluding. | y? | The player claimed that they’d divulged their previous self-exclusions but the chat record showed that they’d withheld information and purposefully altered their registration info to escape detection. | Fraudster | Private complaint |
13 Oct | Red Star | Betsoft, Microgaming, NetEnt, NYX | Curaçao | Player claimed that a self-exclusion request had been ignored and they’d been allowed to re-register and lose $500. | n | The casino agreed that they had not been diligent enough and refunded the player’s deposits. | resolved | Private complaint |
15 Oct | Black Diamond | Rival, Betsoft | Antigua and Barbuda? Curaçao? | Player’s winnings of $18000 had been confiscated because of multiple accounts, player denied the accusation. | y | It took a while but in the end we were able to gather good evidence that showed a history of account manipulations including chargebacks, etc: case closed. | closed | Private complaint |
17 Oct | GoldenRiviera | MGS | Malta | Player was unhappy at being locked into the WR on a DB, argued that they hadn’t asked for the bonus so why should they be trapped into it. | y | Player and casino came to an agreement and the player confirmed they were satisfied with the outcome: case closed. | resolved | Private complaint |
17 Oct | Spin Prive | Microgaming, NetEnt, Next Generation | Malta, UKGC | Player reported having received a cheque for $1100 but the bank later rejected it saying the sender’s account had been frozen. | n | The casino freely admitted there had been an error and said they’d pay the player by bank transfer. The player was unavailable to confirm: assumed resolved. | resolved | Private complaint |
18 Oct | Vegas Palms | Microgaming | Malta | Player was trying to get a WD processed, needed to upload documents but that kept failing. | n | Casin had processed the player’s docs and paid in full within 2 days. Player confirmed payment. | resolved | Private complaint |
19 Oct | 21.co.uk | Microgaming, NetEnt, NYX | Curaçao, UKGC | Player reported that £1100 in winnings had been cancelled and deposits returned. Casino claimed the player had self-excluded at a sister casino. | y | Player claimed they’d not been informed that 21 was a sister casino. When asked where they’d originally done the SE the player was unavailable: player AWOL = case closed. | closed | Private complaint |
26 Oct | Planet7 | RTG | Costa Rica | From a $120k+ in winnings player had requested $90k in WD. Casino had said $2500 per week but player said no payments had been received. | y? | The casino had been slow to start payments but they did do so and those payments have been issued steadily ever since. | resolved | Public Complaint |
28 Oct | 32 Red | Microgaming | Gibraltar, AAMS, UKGC | Player said they had experienced some strange behaviour with their games and they they were worried this had adversely affected their balance. | n | The casino explained to the player how the game worked and how that resulted in the balance seen. The player was satisfied with this: case closed. | resolved | Private complaint |
28 Oct | Go wild | Microgaming | Malta | Player had requested a $1900 WD but had been told that 14 previous deposits had been cancelled and that payment of the WD was subject to these old issues being resolved. | n | We contacted the casino and they said they were working with the player to resolve things. The player then reported that a settlement had been reached. | resolved | Private complaint |
29 Oct | Playamo | Microgaming, Net Entertainment, SoftSwiss | Curaçao | Player’s account and balance frozen, casino said they’d already had an account. | n | Player had previously submitted a PAB so the One Free Shot rule applied here: only the first PAB can be against a non-Accredited casino. | ncd | Private complaint |
31 Oct | Oceanbets | NetEnt, Novomatic, Thunderkick | Curaçao | Player’s winnings had been cancelled because of “max bet” violations, deposits returned. Player asked “is this the norm?”. | y | PAB was incomplete so we asked for the missing info. Player said “if you can’t get my money then forget it”. We explained again that we were only looking for the missing info but never heard back: player AWOL = case closed. | closed | Private complaint |
Total Complaints = 17 | Bonus related = 41% | * Bonus Issue |
November 2016
This is the summary of November 2016’s “Player Arbitration” – complaints submitted to Casinomeister via here.
Player Arbitration November 2016 |
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DATE | CASINO | SOFTWARE | JURISDICTION | THE PROBLEM | BONUS | COMMENTS | STATUS | LINK |
03 Nov | LeoVegas | Net Ent, Evolution, IGT, Play-N-Go | Malta, UKGC | Player had had a few WDs at this casino and it never seemed to smoothly. Player wanted to know what the problem was and how to get it cleared up | n | The casino contacted the player to discuss the problems. In the end the player was satisfied with the outcome of their chats. | Resolved | Private complaint |
07 Nov | 7sultans | Microgaming | Malta | Player reported having $12k locked in their account for almost a year, casino would only reply “your account is under investigation.” | n | PAB was incomplete, player did not reply to our requests for further info: player AWOL = case closed. | closed | Private complaint |
7 Nov | BWIN | Microgaming, NetEnt, Evolution | Gibraltar, UKGC | Player had €4800 tied up in their account which had been locked by casino management. | n | No meaningful contact from the casino people to date: ongoing. | ongoing | Public Complaint |
8 Nov | Casino Extreme | RTG | Curaçao | Player complained that a WD was being stalled without justification. | y | Turned out the casino had asked the player for documents during KYC and the player hadn’t responded. We found the same, player not available for further comment: player AWOL = case closed. | closed | Private complaint |
9 Nov | Spinit | Microgaming, Net Entertainment, Nyx | Malta, UKGC, Curaçao | Player reported that a €2000 balance was unavailable because the casino had locked his account. Reason given was “account at a sister casino”. | n | Player had previously submitted a PAB so the One Free Shot rule applied here: only the first PAB can be against a non-Accredited casino. | NCD | Private complaint |
10 Nov | Lucky Star | Microgaming Systems, NetEnt, Pragmatic Play | Curaçao | Player claimed they had $1000 tied up at the casino but could not WD because of “max bet” violations. Player claimed to not know about “max bet” rules. | y | PAB was incomplete, player did not reply to our requests for further info: player AWOL = case closed. | closed | Private complaint |
10 Nov | All Jackpots | Microgaming | Malta | Player claimed the casino was being unreasonably picky in their document requests on a $1500 payment. | n | Casino was just being cautious which was justified given that the player was a US citizen living and playing abroad. Once the documents had been received and accepted the player was paid. Payment was confirmed by the player. | Resolved | Private complaint |
12 Nov | Betmotion | Amaya, Betsoft, ELK | Curaçao | Player claimed the casino was being unreasonably slow in payment of €1000 WD. | y? | PAB was incomplete, player did not reply to our requests for further info: player AWOL = case closed. | closed | Private complaint |
13 Nov | Casino Ventura | Betsoft, Evolution, Microgaming | Curaçao | Player said they’d won but the casino was denying their WD request because of “bonus abuse”. | y | The casino had good evidence that the player was colluding with other players to obtain extra (disallowed) bonuses. Case closed. | closed | Private complaint |
14 Nov | Park Lane | Amaya Gaming, Betsoft, ELK | Curaçao | Player ‘s complaint was that winnings of €40k had been disallowed because of “bonus abuse”. | n | This casino is in the Rogue Pit so sorry, can’t help you. | In The Pit | Public Complaint |
15 Nov | Circus | Microgaming, NetEnt, Novomatic | Belgium? | Player reported that their WD was being delaying because the casino had intentionally entered incorrect data into the account. | n | Casino confirmed that bad data had been the problem but apparently that had been the player’s error not the casinos. In any case the casino reported having paid the player. Player was no longer available to confirm. | resolved | Private complaint |
15 Nov | Windows Casino | Playtech | Curaçao | As the player put it: “I won at this casino and my withdrawal is not being sent.” | n | The casino was apparently closing its doors which was why the WD process was bogged down. Casino reported all payments to the player had been sent but the player was no longer around to confirm. | resolved | Private complaint |
17 Nov | Thrills | Netent, Microgaming, QuickSpin, Evolution, NYX | MGA, UKGC, Curaçao | Player complained that the casino had confiscated his balance because of multiple accounts. | y | Player claimed it was “me and my brother” playing from the same IP (an obvious Terms violation) but the casino had stronger evidence to support their decision: case closed. | closed | Private complaint |
17 Nov | Mr Ringo | Microgaming, NetEnt, Novomatic | Malta | Player complained that after waiting 100+ hours their WD of £1700 had not been paid. | y | PAB was incomplete and the player did not respond to our requests for further data. Eventually the player came back to report that they’d been paid. | Resolved | Private complaint |
17 Nov | Casino Extreme | RTG | Curaçao | Player claimed they’d been locked out of their account with €2000 still on balance. Casino had said “technical errors” but after a reasonable time the “errors” seemed to have persisted. | n | Turned out the player had forgot their password and the casino was unable to recover it. Casino reported that they simply ended up paying the player the balance. Player was unavailable to confirm. | resolved | Private complaint |
18 Nov | Casino Cruise | Microgaming, Netent, NYX | MGA, UKGC | Player wanted his $5400 balance paid to him because the casino “use term and conditions in an abusive way”. | n | Turned out to be multiple accounts from a single household = obvious Terms violations. Case closed. | closed | Private complaint |
18 Nov | Spinit | Microgaming, Net Entertainment, Nyx | Malta, UKGC, Curaçao | Player received an email from the casino saying that their balance would be confiscated “because of fraud†and their account closed. | y | The casino had very good evidence that this player, and others, were part of a syndicate of fraudsters: Case closed and player banned from Casinomeister. | closed | Private complaint |
18 Nov | Bonus Bingo | ? | ? | Player had received a payment from the casino which was only a fraction of their balance and was told “we will close your account”. Player wanted to be allowed to continue to play there. | y? | Player later received the rest of their balance but the casino never responded to the issue of the player’s account being closed. Since no further monies were due it was “case closed†from our point of view. | resolved | Private complaint |
18 Nov | Intercasino | Amaya, Cryptologic | MGA, UKGC | Player complained that they’d been playing through a bonus but had stopped to wait to hear back from Support and the bonus had timed out. | y | Casino offered compensation to the player which was accepted: case closed. | Resolved | Public Complaint |
20 Nov | BETAT | NetEnt, Microgaming Leander, NYX | Malta, UKGC | Player reported that they were “worried sick” over a £600 WD that was being withheld. | y | Ongoing. | ongoing | Private complaint |
21 Nov | Genting88 | ? | ? | Player had tried for months to get a €2500 WD, no joy. | n | Turned out the casino was an old-school rip join: unlicensed software, faked seals, bogus accreditation, etc. a Warning was posted and Genting88 was shitlisted. | closed | Private complaint |
21 Nov | Casinomed | Betgames TV, Evolution Gaming, NetEnt | Curaçao, Malta | Player said “I won, they blocked my account … I want my $3052 balance.” | n | We sniffed the player out as a fraudster: bootified. | closed | Private complaint |
22 Nov | CasinoPalace | ? | ? | Player reported getting screwed around on a $300 WD because of $0.86 that had been left on account from a previous bonus. | y | PAB was a mess and the player was not available to make things right: player AWOL = case closed. | closed | Private complaint |
23 Nov | Butlers Bingo | Microgaming | Malta, UKGC | Player said their winnings of £6500 was being wrongfully withheld, casino had said “duplicate accounts”. | y | Casino initially said “escalated to our ADR” and would not discuss the case. Apparently the ADR refused the case so we asked to proceed. The casino’s accusations were justified since there were duplicate accounts linked by multiple factors. | closed | Private complaint |
23 Nov | Spinit | Microgaming, Net Entertainment, Nyx | Malta, UKGC, Curaçao | Player claimed that they’d been robbed of £2700 and falsely accused of “fraud and collusion”. | y | Turned out the accusations were 100% true: case closed and player bootified. | closed | Private complaint |
23 Nov | Cool Cat | RTG | Costa Rica | Player’s $2300 WD was having a tough time getting through KYC procedures. | n | Ongoing. | ongoing | Private complaint |
24 Nov | 24bettle | 1X2gaming, Microgaming, NetEnt | Curaçao | Player said the casino had promised a deposit bonus but had not honoured the offer. | y | PAB was incomplete, player did not reply to our requests for further info: player AWOL = case closed. | closed | Private complaint |
24 Nov | Raging Bull | RTG | Curaçao | Player believed the casino had been unreasonable in their treatment of the player’s WD request after winning on a coupon code. | y | Ongoing. | ongoing | Public Complaint |
24 Nov | Codeta | NetEnt and Play ‘n Go | Malta, Curaçao | Player believed the casino had wrongfully flagged his account which resulted in him being suspended and losing out on a rolling top-up bonus. | y | Casino reviewed the account and compensated the player for the lost bonus money. | Resolved | Private complaint |
28 Nov | Bingo Knights | Parlay, RTG | Costa Rica | Player reported problems with a $1000 WD. | n | When we contacted the casino people they said the player’s account had been cleared and that payment would be forthcoming shortly. Player was AWOL so … case closed. | resolved | Private complaint |
28 Nov | Spinit | Microgaming, Net Entertainment, Nyx | Malta, UKGC, Curaçao | Player reported having been waiting overly long for a £500 WD. | n? | Casino said the player’s account had been under investigation but that all had checked out fine and they player had been paid in full. | resolved | Private complaint |
30 Nov | The Grand Ivy | 1X2gaming, Amaya, Aristocrat | UKGC, Curaçao | Player had been banned from the casino’s group with £164 left in account, player wanted that money returned. | y | The casino paid out the balance. | resolved | Private complaint |
Total Complaints = 32 | Bonus related = 47% | * Bonus Issue |
December 2016
This is the summary of December 2016’s “Player Arbitration” – complaints submitted to Casinomeister via here.
Player Arbitration December 2016 |
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DATE | CASINO | SOFTWARE | JURISDICTION | THE PROBLEM | BONUS | COMMENTS | STATUS | LINK |
01 Dec | Spinit | Microgaming, Net Entertainment, Nyx | Malta, UKGC, Curaçao | Player claimed they had been allowed to re-register after self-excluding for reasons of gambling addiction, wanted all deposits back. | n | Turned out the player had never self-excluded, only requested their account be closed because of “poor RTP”. Furthermore the re-registrationS had used markedly different details in order to avoid detection. | closed | Private complaint |
02 Dec | Mr Green | Evolution, IGT Interactive, Microgaming, NetEnt | Malta, UKGC | Player was having problems completing KYC on a £600 WD, said the casino was asking for documents that were not possible to obtain. | n | PAB was incomplete, player was unavailable to provide the required info: player AWOL = case closed. | closed | Private complaint |
2 Dec | Club World | RTG | Curaçao | Player had been given information from chat Support that turned out to be wrong (tourney winnings were to be added to the game score not to the player’s account). | n | The casino proposed a settlement which the player accepted. | Resolved | Private complaint |
3 Dec | Slots Garden | RTG | Costa Rica | Player claimed they’d been waiting “2 or 3 months” for a $2000 WD request to be fulfilled. | n | Ongoing. | ongoing | Private complaint |
4 Dec | Casino Cruise | Microgaming, Netent, NYX | MGA, UKGC | Player complained that the casino was withholding £10,000 in winnings because of Terms violations – multiple accounts – but they had previously approved those accounts. | y? | Ongoing. | ongoing | Public Complaint |
5 Dec | Trada Casino | Microgaming, Pariplay, Netent | Isle of Man and UKGC | Player had won £700 on bonus play but the casino denied the winnings on the grounds of “max bet” Terms violations. | y | Player freely admitted to the Terms violations but said they hadn’t won on those bets so the casino should pay anyway. Sorry, that’s not how Terms work. Live and learn little grasshopper. | closed | Private complaint |
7 Dec | Lucky Red | RTG | Curaçao | Player claimed they had “many examples” from six months of play showing “the site is not fair”. Wanted us to warn other players. | n | Sorry, per the PAB FAQ games verification is beyond the scope of the PAB process. | closed | Private complaint |
8 Dec | Dreams Casino | RTG | Costa Rica | Player claimed that the casino had twice reduced their balance per the “max win” clause of a free chip. | n | Sounds like a simple Terms issue but the casino hasn’t fully responded yet: ongoing. | ongoing | Private complaint |
9 Dec | PKR | Evolution, Kiron, Microgaming | Alderney, UKGC | Casino was denying a £10k WD request on the grounds that “max bet” Terms had been breached. Player said the Terms hadn’t been visible, hidden under a pop-up. | y | Ongoing. | ongoing | Public Complaint |
9 Dec | Mr Ringo | Microgaming, NetEnt, Novomatic | Malta | Player had been informed by the casino that their winnings were in jeopardy because they’d detected another account; player was offered either a return of their deposits or escalation of the matter to the MGA. | y | Casino reported that they’d reviewed the case and decided to pay the player. Player confirmed payment received. | Resolved | Public Complaint |
11 Dec | Spinit | Microgaming, Net Entertainment, Nyx | Malta, UKGC, Curaçao | Player reported that the casino was not paying a £150 WD. | y | Turned out the casino had just been doing KYC, said they’d pay the player in full. Haven’t yet heard back from the player that payment is confirmed. | resolved | Private complaint |
12 Dec | Slotocash | RTG | Curaçao | Player had apparently been blacklisted at this casino group and wanted to know how to clear their name. | n | That’s a tough one. We can asked the casino to help out with this but there are no guarantees: ongoing. | ongoing | Private complaint |
16 Dec | InetBet | RTG | Curaçao | player claimed the casino had unjustly confiscated winnings and lied about KYC procedures. | n | I’ve worked with this casino for almost a decade and have seen zero justification for the player’s accusations. Furthermore the casino does have Terms related to acceptable delays in fulfilling KYC requests which the player repeatedly broke. Sorry, the casino’s actions were justified: case closed. | closed | Public Complaint |
19 Dec | Jackpot Paradise | ELK, Microgaming, NetEnt | MGA, UKGC | Player reported that after a very glitchy run on Aloha (they’d been offered Free Spins but they never showed) she’d requested her account closed. The casino did so but apparently took her £56 balance in doing so. | y | The casino said they’d offered compensation and the player had accepted. Ongoing. | ongoing | Public Complaint |
20 Dec | Rubyslots | RTG | Costa Rica | Player reported being stalled by the casino on a $190 WD. | n | Ongoing. | ongoing | Private complaint |
20 Dec | Betsson | Evolution, Jadestone, Leander, WMS | Malta | Player thought the casino’s web page concerning responsible gambling was misleading and short on facts. | n | The player’s suggestions have been passed on to the casino. | resolved | Private complaint |
22 Dec | Mr Ringo | Microgaming, NetEnt, Novomatic | Malta | Player claimed the casino had changed the Terms after his betting and thereby denied his winnings. | y | Ongoing. | ongoing | Public Complaint |
27 Dec | Intertops | RTG | Kahnawake | Player’s claim was that the casino had cancelled $5800+ in winnings on the grounds that the player had violated the Terms regarding deposits required in order to claim deposit bonuses. | y | The player had tried to beat the deposit requirement by simply moving his money back and forth between casino and sportsbook: bad idea. Case closed. | closed | Private complaint |
27 Dec | Rizk | Net Ent, Microgaming, Play n Go, Quickspin | Malta, Curacao, UKGC pending | Player claimed that their account had been locked after they’d reported a faulty payout from roulette. | n | Ongoing. | ongoing | Private complaint |
30 Dec | Maple Casino | MGS | Malta | Player reported that a $900 WD had been processed but the money had never arrived. | n | Turned out to be a problem at the player’s bank. Player provided an alternate payment option and received full payment. | Resolved | Private complaint |
Total Complaints = 20 | Bonus related = 40% | * Bonus Issue |