Introduction to the Player ArBitration (PAB) Process
All current and active members of Casinomeister may submit a PAB per the quidelines on our main PAB page.
Assuming you follow those guidelines and abide by the advice given here in the FAQ, you should expect that your PAB will be received and processed within 10 business days, usually within a day or so if you submit it during the regular work week (EU timezones applicable).
Our Process:
- The Player Arbitration process is a private exchange between the complainant, our staff and the casino representatives, staff and management.
- Case information is typically entrusted to us by casino staff with the understanding that it remain private and confidential, we are committed to seeing that it remain so. Our standard operating procedure is that case details are not published, distributed, shared or divulged to anyone at any time. In rare cases where such actions would be appropriate we do so only with prior written permission to proceed.
- Our records regarding PABs, past or present, are ONLY available to authorized Casinomeister staff.
- Complainants cannot expect that information gathered regarding their casino activities or their PAB case will made available to them. As mentioned above that information is private and confidential: complainants have no right to ask for and will not receive case information that we deem confidential.
- It is the PAB user’s responsibility to read, understand and comply with our procedures as described herein. Complainants who fail to comply with these PAB quidelines can expect their PAB to be delayed and/or fail.
The PAB service is offered and operates throughout in English. It is the PAB user’s responsibility to read and understand this FAQ. If you are not proficient in English please get someone who is to help you. If you need assistance finding someone to help you please ask us on fhe forums or via Private Message and we can usually get you the assistance you need.
1.1 Q: What is Player ArBitration (PAB)?
A: Player ArBitration (aka “PAB”) is a service we offer to our members for them to lodge a formal complaint against a casino, poker room, etc. This is typically done when the player has exhausted all other avenues to resolve an issue they have with a casino and need some serious help getting the issue addressed.
The PAB is a formal process, meaning that a detailed and trackable procedure is used to take your issue to the casino management for analysis, comment and (hopefully) resolution. The casinos are expected to respond(albeit privately) to these issues: specific consequences will ensue if they ignore or thwart our attempts to raise these issues with them.
The PAB process is private from start to finish: please see the “Our Process” statement in the Introduction.
The PAB is not a way to make casinos pay. If this is what you are concerned with, then please contact an attorney or government agency that can deal with this. We merely provide a service that can get your complaint viewed by the right people – in most cases of course.
The PAB is specifically not a public announcement service since the details of the PAB are not publicly visible. If you wish to make a public announcement then you should post on our forums where others can read and comment on your issue.
1.2 Q: Under what circumstances would my PAB NOT be accepted.
There are a few things that would keep us from accepting your PAB:
- you already have a PAB in progress. Generally speaking we will only accept one PAB per person at a time.
- your PAB names a string of casinos. In general your PAB should be against a single casino unless there is a clear justification (which you should explain) for doing otherwise.
- the casino in question is listed in the Rogue Pit. Under normal circumstances we can’t accept PABs against Rogue casinos.
- you have submitted a PAB in the past and the casino you want to PAB against now is not on the Accredited Sites list. (see section 2.7 for details)
- the site you want to PAB against is on the No Can Do list; sites on this list are not eligible for PABs.
- you cannot or will not provide the details necessary to process the PAB.
- the goal of your PAB boils down to “I want you to force them to let me play at their casino”. Such issues are not within the scope of the PAB service: if they don’t want you as a customer that’s their decision, we suggest you take your business somewhere else.
- the goal of your PAB is to damage, harm or threaten the casino’s reputation and/or standing in the community. Sorry, we’re here to help resolve disputes. Look elsewhere.
- the purpose of your PAB is to “let other player’s know how bad these guys are” or some variation thereof. Sorry, publicizing your story is not what the PAB service is for. Try posting on the forums.
- the crux of your PAB is “they were mean/rude/disrespectful/unfriendly/curt/abrupt/unneighbourly to me and/or behaved in some other manner I didn’t appreciate. I want you to make them apologise/give me stuff/appease me.” Sorry, relationship counselling is beyond the scope of the PAB process; PABs based on such issues will be rejected.
- your PAB asks us to test a game, verity RTP, or similar validations or verifications. Sorry to say that we simply don’t have the resources to do this kind of thing. Generally speaking we will have to pass on issues of this nature. You are probably better off posting your concerns on the forums to see if other players have had the same issues: if there are enough people in a similar situation the casino will almost certainly sit up and take notice.
- your PAB asks us to take legal action against a casino or person. Please talk to a lawyer or look into Small Claims court. We are not a legal team and cannot help you with such matters.
- your PAB concerns you having been blacklisted in a database somewhere and you want us to fix that for you. Sorry issues of this nature are WAY beyond our scope, we can’t help you.
- you have abused the PAB service in the past and have, in effect, been “PAB banned”. If this is the case we will have made it perfectly clear to you at the time we felt it necessary to bar you from further use of the PAB service. For the record this is quite rare: very few people have ever been “PAB banned”.
- your PAB issue is too old: generally speaking any issue that has gone unreported for 12 months or more is VERY unlikely to be resolvable. Casino management changes, records are lost, Terms are revised and revised again, etc. If your issue is less than 12 months old then by all means submit it to us. If it’s older than 12 months but LESS than 24 months then you can give it a try but depending on the details we may not be able to help you. Older than 24 months and we’re sorry but that ship has most definitely sailed: we can’t help you.
Other than that we should be able to accept and process your PAB.
1.3 Q: How much will it cost me to have you guys handle my PAB?
Nothing. PABs have always been free of charge. No commission is taken nor percentage of your payment withheld. It’s free!
1.4 Q: Who is actually handling these PAB complaints at Casinomeister? What credentials do they have to do this?
There are two people at Casinomeister who deal with the PAB complaintss:
Bryan Bailey is the head man at Casinomeister, and he oversees all the complaints that come through. You can reach him on the forums via Private Message (here) or via email at bryan@casinomeister.com.
As of December 2007, Max Drayman has been our full-time Complaints Manager handling the day-to-day of the complaints process. He receives the PABs, processes them, submits them to the casinos, deals with the casino responses, etc. He is available on the forums as “maxd” or you can reach him via email at max.drayman@casinomeister.com.
In special cases Bryan will step in to assist or even run with the PAB himself.
Our complaints people have all worked in the internet casino industry since it began back in 1997-98. Our complaints service started in 2001 and we have handled over 5500 cases in the 15 years since.
1.5 Q: What happens at the end of a PAB? How is a PAB decision determined?
The final recommendations in a typical PAB are made by the PAB guys — Bryan and Max — after they have reviewed the case details, discussed the issue with the casino and gathered whatever input is required from the complainant.
The primary goal of the PAB process is to have the parties involved resolve the dispute between themselves if at all possible.
If the parties involved can’t or won’t resolve the dispute between themselves then we recommend a course of action based on three things:
- what the complainant has stated they wish to have done about their issue.
- the understanding that the casino’s Terms and Conditions are the rules by which the player has agreed to abide.
- the guiding principle of “fair play” for all.