Amber Coast Casino not paying winnings

[steveo]

I recently played at AmberCoast casino. Deposited 200 and received a 400 bonus. I then bet the whole 600 on one hand of blackjack and won. I then bet the table max which is 900 and won 2 and lost one. I did this a few times (each time knowing that i could easily bust out) and managed to get my account to over 2,300. I then played video poker to do the turnover required. All of this was in accordance with their terms and conditions. Today i received this email.

"You had recently requested a cash-out on the total amount of 2,370.00 after participating in a promotion and receiving a Bonus or Bonuses.

It is a normal proceedure to audit all accounts before processing withdrawals and in doing so it was discovered that your gameplay follows a classic pattern of bonus abuse. In this case it is our policy to refund your deposit and close your casino account.

For further information regarding this promotion bonus policy please visit our web site's general terms and condition page at <termsofuseurl> or the specific promotion's terms and conditions.

We apologize for any inconvenience."

This has got to be some sort of joke. I played to their terms and conditions and went well over the turnover i was meant to and wasn't betting minimum stakes at all in blackjack or videopoker. They have closed my account so I cannot even get my play logs to verify this. I will offcourse be pitching a bitch. Just wanted to post this to make sure anyone else thinking of playing at this casino doesnt as in my opion they may be rogue.
Thanks
Steve

 

[paul02085]

thats bs. is this RTG site? If so go to Montana.

 

[largeeyes]

Hmmm....Guess I better grab my logs.....

Only withdrew 2 days ago....but this doesn't bode well.

 

[Macgyver]

thats bs. is this RTG site? If so go to Montana.

It's a Playtech site that just opened.

Here's a thread about it already here:

Old URL

 

[jetset]

Spear commented:

"Unable to confirm that this is a legitimate Playtech operation, as there is no mention of it on the Playtech website, and the WHOIS shows that the domains were registered through GoDaddy's proxy service."

We have a query in on this with Playtech.

 

[Annorax]

Add to it that they're based in Curacao. Who's ever heard of a casino there?

 

[pstnpstn]

I am sorry about that steveo
you should have paid all your winning.
cause you had fulfilled their terms and condition.

I know if your winning is small, they will pay to you.
because your winning is big, they spotted you bonus abuser.

what is wrong go all in with bonus?
player have risk lose his all deposit money.
they should have added this terms
"Player must not bet all in with bonus."

hope you will be paid.

 

[jetset]

Playtech have responded to us and will be taking measures, because this is a Playtech powered casino, it turns out. I would recommend that we give it a couple of days and see what happens - this is an operational flaw which can be rectified. If it is not, then Amber Coast is off to a very bad start that will not be good for business.

 

[largeeyes]

Playtech have responded to us and will be taking measures, because this is a Playtech powered casino, it turns out. I would recommend that we give it a couple of days and see what happens - this is an operational flaw which can be rectified. If it is not, then Amber Coast is off to a very bad start that will not be good for business.

What kind of measures does Playtech normally take? From what I heard in the past they usually like to be hands off and have rubber teeth. I tried telling them that......that this is VERY bad for business. We shall see.....

Kinda funny, come out and be a GOOD Playtech with fast payments and you could set the world on fire.....Do this and I guess you could swindle 500k-1mil in a month, but then you're pretty much toast.

 

[ergopro]

Hi steveo!
Were you playing in GBP? They got this rule at their website...
---> Only players from the United Kingdom are permitted to play in GBP. Players from continental Europe are permitted to play in Euros. Players from the United States, Canada, and all other countries excluding the United Kingdom and the continental European nations are required to play in U.S. Dollars. Any player found to be in non-compliance will not be eligible for any bonus money.

Website Title: Action Affiliates - Casino Affiliate Program
Response Code: 200
SSL Cert: adv.maximacasino.com expires in 6024 days
Website Status: Active
Reverse IP: Web server hosts 2 websites (reverse ip tool requires free login)
Server Type: Apache (Spry.com also uses Apache)
IP Address: 200.124.131.211 (ARIN & RIPE IP search)
IP Location: - E-commerce Park N.v
Blacklist Status: Clear
Cached Whois: Cached today
Whois History: 5 records stored
Record Type: Domain Name
Monitor: Monitor or Backorder
Wildcard search: 'action-affiliates' or 'action affiliates' in all domains.
Other TLDs: .com .net .org .info .biz .us
X X [4 available domains]

Name Server: UDNS1.ULTRADNS.NET
ICANN Registrar: GO DADDY SOFTWARE, INC.
Created: 2005-03-14
Expires: 2007-03-14
Status: REGISTRAR-LOCK


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Please note: the registrant of the domain name is specified
in the "registrant" field. In most cases, Go Daddy Software, Inc.
is not the registrant of domain names listed in this database.


Registrant:
Domains by Proxy, Inc.
DomainsByProxy.com
15511 N. Hayden Rd., Ste 160, PMB 353
Scottsdale, Arizona 85260
United States

Registered through: GoDaddy.com
Domain Name: ACTION-AFFILIATES.COM
Created on: 14-Mar-05
Expires on: 14-Mar-07
Last Updated on: 30-Mar-05

Administrative Contact:
Private, Registration
Domains by Proxy, Inc.
DomainsByProxy.com
15511 N. Hayden Rd., Ste 160, PMB 353
Scottsdale, Arizona 85260
United States
(480) 624-2599
Technical Contact:
Private, Registration
Domains by Proxy, Inc.
DomainsByProxy.com
15511 N. Hayden Rd., Ste 160, PMB 353
Scottsdale, Arizona 85260
United States
(480) 624-2599

Domain servers in listed order:
UDNS1.ULTRADNS.NET
UDNS2.ULTRADNS.NET

So I guess they are more or less connected to Maxima Casino...

-Ergo-

 

[Vesuvio]

IMPORTANT: Please note that all players suspected of irregular wagering patterns conducive to bonus abuse and fraud will be summarily expelled from the casino without prior notification. Amber Coast Casino retains the right to withhold all earnings resulting from this fraudulent activity. Original deposits made by bonus seekers will be refunded at the sole discretion of the casino's management.

Players identified as Bonus Seekers, Bonus Abusers, or that are suspected of engaging in fraudulent game play and irregular wagering patterns at either Amber Coast Casino or any other online gaming site will not be eligible for bonus money under any circumstances.

Or in short: "you can only cash out winnings from this casino if you lose"

Ergopro, they've been switching terms every few hours, so I'd guess the limit on playing in GBP is another new addition.

 

[steveo]

I read every term and condition before playing and that was not in there. I didn't save the page though. But 6 hours after i played they had changed their bonus offer. Thanks for everyones comments so far. As I cant pitch a bitch until the 30th I guess i'll have to wait and see what happens.

 

[ergopro]

Thanks for the heads-up...This casino sounds really weird...hmm, I think I'll stay away =)

-Ergo-

 

[sirius]

Incredible!

I cannot believe this because I received this message from someone at amberone.com after they signed up to my forum in late March.

Hi,

I am working with a new Playtech Licensee. We are very much interested in hearing about your concerns with other Playetch sites in order to be sure to avoid making some of the same mistakes.

Specifically with regards to bonuses.

We are working very hard in order to ensure we will be offering top of the line customer service and would appreciate your help.

I replied with lots of free advice and even offered to help them with their bonus structure! I can only assume they didn't read my message because they are making exactly the same mistakes as the others. I explained in a *lot* of detail how it was potentially fraudulant to do what they have ended up doing here. If the casino didn't want players to play in a particular way, it should have been in the terms and conditions of the offer, otherwise it's open to abuse by the casino. Not only are they removing bonuses and winnings, but they are keeping the deposits of all the players (more than half) who lost playing in the same way. Some of what I wrote to them in April is below:

"The way to structure the terms and
conditions is so that it leaves no doubt in the player's mind what
would qualify them and disqualify them for the bonuses.

There must not be any 'discretion' involved .... probably
unenforceable in any court of law

When a player follows the terms of the offer, they must be paid. If you want
players to play certain games or certain betting levels (minimum bet
sizes) you simply must put this in the terms and conditions for the
offers....

The mistakes casinos have made in the past is send out promotions and
players have deposited and even wagered in response to the promotion
but not received the bonus or the bonus was removed for the very same
reasons I'm talking about (sometimes winnings are voided). The players
followed all the rules but find themselves literally robbed of the
winnings or bonus for unverifiable reasons....

Whenever a casino evokes this 'promotion abuse' clause (or equivalent
BS clause) it also usually indicates that the casino is hurting
financially and has made mistakes in the bonus structure that is
costing them too much money... or .....that the casino is 'getting back' at the promo players after discovering they have cost the casino more than
expected...

What the casino can do is block certain players from receiving further
offers once they have determined thay are not profitable. Determining
this is not clearcut either but if the player is sent a promotion and
takes it up, then the player must be paid in full if he follows the
terms and conditions. The casino can't fraudulantly refuse the bonus
for unclear reasons after a player has been offered the promotion and
deposited for it. This has happened a few times at other Playtech
casinos to many players (usually the bonus is either not given or
removed from the cashout despite the player abiding by the terms)! I
hope you understand how this is open to abuse by the casino and cannot
be tolerated!"

 

[KasinoKing]

I've recently been looking at the T&C's of ALL the Playtechs, and surprise surprise, nearly all of them have this "any play the casino deems to be 'bonus abuse' will forfeit your winnings/bonus/deposit" horse-sh*t!

It's outrageous. If they don't spell out EXACTLY what it is that you can not do, how are you ever supposed to make sure you don't break their rules???

Hope this long-awaited Playtech mediation service is not too far away....

 

[largeeyes]

There really is no other way to play those gigantic sticky bonuses than with huge bets. I mean, what's the point of playing $5 black jack or $5 slots if you have an $800 balance, $400 of which isn't real? I fell all the way to $75 but managed a sizable withdraw.....will be very interesting to see how it goes!

 

[sirius]

Players identified as Bonus Seekers, Bonus Abusers, or that are suspected of engaging in fraudulent game play and irregular wagering patterns at either Amber Coast Casino or any other online gaming site will not be eligible for bonus money under any circumstances.

Before they went live they asked under a pseudonym on my forum what a 'bonus seeker' was so they obviously didn't really know what they were doing.

What is a bonus seeker really?

--------------------------------------------------


I've been hearing the term alot. Is there really such a thing as a "bonus seeker" a guaranteed winner?

Most bonuses have wagering requirements and excluded games from what I can see... so, what is it a "bonus seeker" has got that makes him so threatening to a casino?

 

[largeeyes]

Before they went live they asked under a pseudonym on my forum what a 'bonus seeker' was so they obviously didn't really know what they were doing.

Now you tell us

 

[Easycoins]

This is just like someone opening a casino without knowing what is Roulette.

What do they think? An Online Casino is in any way winning so much that they can throw around with money?

Seems to be a strange crowd.

 

[largeeyes]

I keep getting the feeling I could make an ungodly amount of money if they let me run one of these places.........

 

[kiolka]

I just got paid from them. I bet 100 per hand and made 10 000 worth of wagers. They do pay out sometimes.

 

[largeeyes]

Very interesting. Lets hope it's just a matter of someone playing in a currency not natural to their residency(though still not acceptable if it wasn't in the rules...)

 

[steveo]

I'm from Australia, so which currecny should I choose? We are a british colony. (but that term was deffinantly not there when i signed up)

 

[KasinoKing]

Hi steveo!
Were you playing in GBP? They got this rule at their website...
---> Only players from the United Kingdom are permitted to play in GBP. Players from continental Europe are permitted to play in Euros. Players from the United States, Canada, and all other countries excluding the United Kingdom and the continental European nations are required to play in U.S. Dollars. Any player found to be in non-compliance will not be eligible for any bonus money.

This currency thing is a matter of interpretation.
I read the above as saying:-

You can't play in GBP unless you live in the UK. But if you are in the UK, you can use any currency you wish.
You can't play in Euros unless you live in Europe. But if you are in Europe, you can play in Euros or $US.
If you live anywhere other than Europe or UK (which is in Europe by the way! ) you can ONLY play in $US.

I hope I've got this right - because when I sign up there I want to play in $US!

 

[Threep]

I also played at Amber Coast and received the welcome bonus of 400$, played more than the minimum wager requirement and cashed out.

Then i got the same email as steveo, where they refused me to pay me my winnings of 537$

 

[GrandMaster]

This casino could set a record for the shortest time from starting up to being rogued.

 

[largeeyes]

Received my $1540 cashout today, just about 96 hours on the nose.

 

[BCarlisle]

I'm from Australia, so which currecny should I choose? We are a british colony. (but that term was deffinantly not there when i signed up)

Australia in it's current settled form was a colony, but isn't now. It's fairly standard to deal in US dollars as the default currency online.

For what it's worth the double or nothing approach with these kind of bonuses is the only way to gain any value from them at all, in fact a player gains a lot of value by throwing it all on the line. Otherwise the bonus only weighs the player down via WR.

That being said if the casino doesn't like players playing this way it needs to implement policy or mechanics that provide for this view. That or it needs to attract enough players that don't all-in first hand that then stay and lose over time to make up for the loss to mathematically minded players.

 

[steveo]

I recevied a call from them this afternoon and a few emails after I sent them a link to this forum. The guy I talked to was most apologetic and said I would be paid and also everyone else and went on to say they are a new casino and it may have been over zealous security personnel. Anyway, I just have to send in some id and fill in a form and everything should be ok. I'll do this now and keep everyone updated on that matter.

Hopefully thats all it really was, them being new and being bombarded with new players (which I would think would be a good thing for a casino not a bad thing).

 

[jetset]

Inept and/or inexperienced management is a not uncommon operational flaw at online casinos - not just start-ups. It is inexcusable but a fact of life, I'm afraid, and that's where a responsive provider can make the difference in persuading the licensee to sort himself out.

Hopefully that is what is happening here and the Amber Coast people are getting a crash course in how to run an online casino properly and before it goes down in flames from a bad rep.

Glad to hear some sense seems to be prevailing.

 

[steveo]

After sending in my documentation I have now been paid in full. My only concern now is all the people who received the same email as me but did not know about these type of forums. I hope they too will be paid.

I would just like to thank everyone for their support on this matter.

 

[Tdoggy]

just got it

Just received the e-mail! To funny...I will not even waste my time with these guys...Thanks for the heads up and glad you finally got paid :notworthy

 

[nektar4d]

Bravo!

nice to hear the good news!
It seems the forum or somebody has helped sort this out.

 

[Lukas85]

I made a deposit of 200$ on may 13th trough finding out
too late about their change in their sign-up offer and
the complaints here. Thats why I decided no to take any bonus/play at this place so I withdrew my 200$ via Neteller without having played.

Up to now I havent recieved my money although they state to pay within 4 working days....

 

[all4greed]

Received 2 phone calls a week ago verifying address etc. Then received an email asking for the usual docs which I returned to them last Thursday. I've asked for but haven't received any confirmation that the docs were even received and I've sent several emails.

Live chat is down and calling just puts you in a circle (the person isn't answering so it resorts back the initial greeting).

 

[all4greed]

Left a message via live chat, paid within 1 hour. Alls good.