Cleos VIP Room

cheetahwind

Senior Member
Joined
Aug 16, 2009
Location
Iowa
Howdy ho folks, just figured I would write a nice long rant about a new found casino I had found.
Cleos VIP room apparently isn't your typical casino site. Apparently they offer you a sweepstakes along with "free" chances to win cash prizes at there online Vegas style casino.
The nice thing about Cleos was the fact, that everything was based in the US. From the support to the payment processing in and out. Your credit card was taken in Miami, your support was out of Delaware, and your so called sponsors were out of Costa Rica and Cyprus (The only out of US part). The major catch so far besides my story? The were only going to aware $10,000,000 worth of "cash" prizes and after that dried up. So did the casino.
So now comes to my story. I made a deposit of only $20 on Monday, figuring why not. There offering me a 200% match bonus. Granted no matter how small or large you deposit, with or within a bonus. All deposits had to be wagered 30x. Alright well I'm used to play 30x my deposit at most RTGs.
Well I had good run on there games, the software worked great, and no real major issues on my first day. I enjoyed the games, and the refreshing feeling that for once. I could use a gift card if I so desired and it would work, because the processor was within the US.
So then I decide to make a second deposit reading about how most of the cash outs went pretty smooth, no real issues in that department. As long as you could send in a copy of your ID. You were good to go on cashing out, and most of the times the check, drawn on a US bank. Would come within 5 to 10 business days. Which for a local check, that's a pretty good turnover time.
So then after I got to getting into the games, I kept on getting a server disconnect notice.
Ok fair enough, they must be working on the software or something. So I contact support, first they tell me to try disabling my anti-virus, firewall both on the computer, and router. Try rebooting, and try the software again.
Ok, so I do so. Software still keeps on an endless server disconnect loop. I contact support again, this time they tell me to uninstall the software then. Reboot, and try installing it again.
So during this process, the software fails to install on 3 different occasions. So I finally get the software to load, after reading a tip in another forum to run in Windows XP compability mode. The software compared the last 3 attempts, loaded rather fast and without any real major issues.
So then I get back in, thinking ok, that must have fixed my issue.
Nope once again, server disconnect notice again mid-spin on there software.
So this time I go back, and complain once more. This time I'm told, well the software only runs on Windows 8. Therefore by alright no matter if I run in Windows 7 Home Premium normally or in XP mode. It shouldn't be working.
So I'm like you guys had me jump thru all of those hoops for nothing?
So then at this time, I'm like well if the software by all rights shouldn't work, then I should be entitled to a refund of at last my deposits then right? Since obviously the software wasn't working right.
Then the guy had the gull to tell me, well you can google Windows 8, and get it for free. I'm like seriously your promoting for me to go out and pirate Windows 8. Just so I could play on your software?
Then after rebelling against that idea, the guy said well since you have over the amount you had deposited in your play balance. You can just a simply "cash out." Then you'll get your money back fair and square. So I can go into the cashier, the software tells me I still have 87% of my wagering left to go before I can hit the cash out button.
So then I go back into chat, by this point I'm furious. Not only am I being told to pirate windows, and that my cash out should be simple. I'm basically being made a fool of by these people.
So the guy doesn't respond much to my ranting and raving (I can't imagine why, especially considering he was the one who told me to simply cash out and I should have no issues).
So now I'm stuck in limbo at this point waiting for an e-mail back, because he wouldn't pass a note along to the tech team or accounting. Knowing my luck, that e-mail is going to be deleted and ignored too.
I guess I'm at a point, where if I don't get any decent resolutions in the next 48 hours. I'm not sure what to do. The idea of having everything in the US sounded appealing. Yet I'm not sure should I want to deal with the consequences of loosing out on money with faulty software.
Gah what a mess I got myself into.
 
A harsh lesson to learn. Thank goodness it was only $20.

It's a timely warning for other members in regards to how to spot a dodgy outfit.
If they say they're based in the US, they are DODGY. I'm really surprised a player of your experience would even download it let alone deposit....but I know you admit you make a boo boo.

As for the software only working on Windows8? What a load of horseshit. Probably, it is deliberately setup to break down so you can't finish wagering and can't cashout....who knows?

Another huge red flag.....the "limit" of $10m total payouts. WTF? All they have to do is say "sorry we have reached our limit. Bye." The worst part? They are gathering credit card details, which may be the actual purpose in the first place.
 
No doubt things are going to get worse once the DoJ start "working on the server".

It seems pretty obvious. This is a couple of bods with a server in their basement. The limit on total payouts is their cover story. They are out for the quick buck, knowing that they are certain to be doing jail time if they get found out by the authorities.

The whole thing is probably a scam from the outset, and noone is ever going to receive more than a token payout. Their plan is to hit hard and run, hoping that they can be quick enough to fold the operation before the DoJ or FBI can trace it.

The testimonials, like the "only works on Windows 8", are horseshit. They probably spent a day posting fake reviews on various sites and fora.

"Wholly based in the US" sounds attractive, but it also sounds highly illegal, and thus highly improbable that this is a legit operation.

Since they are clearly a bunch of scammers, you could play "hardball" and threaten to seek help from the local police in retrieving your money, and make sure they know that you will tell the police what they told you about fixing the issues through getting a free copy of Windows 8 from Google. That's an incitement to commit crime, an additional charge for when they get caught. The prospect of a premature end to their scam should see a swift return of your 20 bucks, but once you have it, you should report them anyway, anonymously if you have to.
 
Well as for an update this morning, they said the refund will be processed in there batch tomorrow morning. So I'm going to give them until at least next Friday as requested. Otherwise if I don't see my cash back by next Friday, I think things probably will be going to the police.
Then the new claim from finance was that live chat was horribly mistaken, and all you had to have was Microsoft Internet Explorer 8 or better. Otherwise there games or software didn't work with anything less.
On either note, the refund is on the way, my account is locked, and I'll take this as a lesson learned. Until they bring something legal in the State of Iowa, no use in getting too excited for a US based gaming operation yet.
 
Well as for an update this morning, they said the refund will be processed in there batch tomorrow morning. So I'm going to give them until at least next Friday as requested. Otherwise if I don't see my cash back by next Friday, I think things probably will be going to the police.
Then the new claim from finance was that live chat was horribly mistaken, and all you had to have was Microsoft Internet Explorer 8 or better. Otherwise there games or software didn't work with anything less.
On either note, the refund is on the way, my account is locked, and I'll take this as a lesson learned. Until they bring something legal in the State of Iowa, no use in getting too excited for a US based gaming operation yet.

It does smell of BS. They didn't just accidentally say Windows 8, they told you how to get an unofficial copy of it. If this was a slip of the tongue, they would have told you to download it from Microsoft, which you can do. Why would you use Google to find a "free" copy of Internet Explorer 8 when it is something Microsoft supply free for all their users.

Why also would CS based in the US make such a blunder. Such blunders normally occur when foreign call centres are used on the cheap. If live chat blundered because they were outsourced, then the claim that everything is US based is a lie.

I also don't believe the operation is legal because players can deposit and play games of chance with that deposit. Whether they are winning shopping vouchers or money does not matter, it is still online gambling. It would only be the free promotional part of the site that could be considered legal, as there is no fee to play.

It looks like a casino operator that thinks it has found a way around the law, and are using players as an experimental medium. It'll work fine until they get found out, then the DoJ will make up it's mind as to whether paying to play to win shopping vouchers is a violation of UIGEA.

The most damning factor is that your use of the promotion when paying to play is governed by wagering requirements. This moves it from merely "buying a gift voucher" for $20 to depositing $20 to play games of chance.
 
Well what it is, from what I gathered is.
You pay $20, then you get a $20 gift certificate to there online store.
Then they give $20 free play at there online casino with as they call it an "easy" 30 times rollover, then after that if you have anything left. You can simply cash out that amount as an actual cash prize from there sweepstakes promotion.
The only thing that worries me in the end is the fact you can only be from the US, and can't be from New York, Guam, Puerto Rico, or any other states that would ban such a promotion.
So really what they claim your buying is a gift certificate to there online store. Then there giving away your casino play.
On either note, my refund was already received this morning. Along with a note from security that now I"m deemed a security risk for asking for a refund. Therefore I'm no longer welcomed at there place of business, and that I have forfeited all winnings and gift certificates that I had received.
So yeah this whole place seemed good until the software start acting funky.
Oh well a lesson learned.
 
Well what it is, from what I gathered is.
You pay $20, then you get a $20 gift certificate to there online store.
Then they give $20 free play at there online casino with as they call it an "easy" 30 times rollover, then after that if you have anything left. You can simply cash out that amount as an actual cash prize from there sweepstakes promotion.
The only thing that worries me in the end is the fact you can only be from the US, and can't be from New York, Guam, Puerto Rico, or any other states that would ban such a promotion.
So really what they claim your buying is a gift certificate to there online store. Then there giving away your casino play.
On either note, my refund was already received this morning. Along with a note from security that now I"m deemed a security risk for asking for a refund. Therefore I'm no longer welcomed at there place of business, and that I have forfeited all winnings and gift certificates that I had received.
So yeah this whole place seemed good until the software start acting funky.
Oh well a lesson learned.

More evidence that they are a scam. If they truly are a 100% US legal site, how come merely asking for a refund for a service that fails to deliver makes you a "security risk". More likely it is the fact that you stood up to them and demanded redress that makes you such a risk. The risk is that you will not be cowed, and would go to the authorities to pursue your claim. If they are legit, this shouldn't bother them in the slightest, as they would be able to put their side of the story as would any other legit US store running a promotion.

Given that this has nothing to do with gambling, how come they can't operate in New York. Are New York residents banned by law from taking part in shopping promotions? Why Puerto Rico, is that owned by the US too? Surely if you have to be from the US, this excludes any other part of the world, so why mention Puerto Rico specifically when they are excluded in any case as not being a state of the USA.

Why is a company from Cyprus running all of this, even if it is on behalf of their sponsors.

If it is simply a matter of buying gift cards for the online store, how come I can't buy one to give to a US friend for Christmas simply because I am in a different country. I can buy anything else from a US store and pay the international shipping costs, and it is up to the UK government whether I can import the item, and how much duty I have to pay.

If they are relying on the whole thing being a "sweepstakes", then the whole casino experience is rigged from the outset, the games can't be random or fair if they are merely the graphical representation of a predetermined sequence of sweepstakes tickets.

With a sweepstakes, why the WR, surely sweepstakes are a series of stand alone tickets, and once played, the winnings are yours to keep.

It may also be worth checking what you actually get for the $20 shopping voucher you get for a $20 payment with the casino element thrown in for free. Can you actually get $20 worth of goods, or are they charging $20 for goods worth $2 so that you are effectively paying to play the "free" promotion.

Someone over at affiliate guard dog has shown that the site for Cleo's is very similar to CasinoVal, and has put the reps involved under pressure to disclose any relationship between them. In refuting the claim, the rep dropped a clanger through an unfortunate slip of the keyboard, bringing the name of yet another questionable operation that was not even mentioned into play.

The similarity is in the home page, namely the woman who stands bottom left and lets forth a sales pitch as soon as you enter the site.
 
Glad you got out, That said, lesson hopefully learned. Which is why I always ask on forums about any new casino i see especially those that serve US players.:eek2: $20.00 lost but could have been a lot worse. That said, i HIGHLY RECOMMEND, cancelling that card as soon as possible since they have that card on file and monitor for unusual activity.
 
This casino is a total joke. I signed up and started with the fun play. After depleting all my fun play cash, I clicked on Cashier. I was shocked to see that these jokers were actually asking for your credit card information and a charge for any additional fun play credits. :what:
 
Just noticing the title and not having read ANY of the thread

:lolup: Just wanted to say, I've never played real money as I dont really understand how they work:confused: but their games look really good! ;) Are there any reputable casino's out there that have the same type of games? :)
 
Cleos VIP Room is legit

I won twice here, both times off a No Deposit Bonus. 1st time was a 15$ code, with which i won 250.00 and the second time was a 10$ code, and i won 450.00. the first check took 11 days to get here, and the second took 7 days. the checks are drawn on JP Morgan Chase Bank
Part of the verification process includes filling out a form so you can be "1099"d at the end of the year, which means you have to pay tax on it at the end of the year.

Im a new member, but I have been coming here for years. My wife has had an account here for years, And Bryan has even helped her with a PAB a few years back. So im no rookie when it comes to gambling, and I give Cleos VIP Room a thumbs up!
 
I won twice here, both times off a No Deposit Bonus. 1st time was a 15$ code, with which i won 250.00 and the second time was a 10$ code, and i won 450.00. the first check took 11 days to get here, and the second took 7 days. the checks are drawn on JP Morgan Chase Bank
Part of the verification process includes filling out a form so you can be "1099"d at the end of the year, which means you have to pay tax on it at the end of the year.

Im a new member, but I have been coming here for years. My wife has had an account here for years, And Bryan has even helped her with a PAB a few years back. So im no rookie when it comes to gambling, and I give Cleos VIP Room a thumbs up!

Well that's nice for you, but there is NO such animal as a legal US online casino.

When you deposit your own cash, and get paid, then we might take it seriously. Getting paid from a freebie isn't unusual....that's how they suck people in.
 
Oh did I mention, apparently now that I have done some further digging. They want your "full" social security number. So now don't they only have a possible credit card number, with address, expiration date, etc. They have your full social security number with date of birth. What a wonderful harvesting operation they are. (FYI, the only want your full social and date of birth, after you've actually won and want some of there $10 million)
Yes after I went thru my last headache, I reported them anyways. Haven't heard anything, was honestly hoping they would have been shut off by now, but apparently aren't. Either A, there a real crafty organization or B the DOJ is "waiting" for enough reports.
 
cleos

I fell for it too! If you are in the US, we will try some things hoping it works out. I deposited $75 and then found out that I had a wagering requirement, yet I didn't claim a bonus. Never heard of such a thing. I just emailed them saying if they don't refund my money I will report them.
 
These are called sweepstakes promotion cafe's and they are legal in the US on a federal level as well as almost all state levels the way they work is you are not making a deposit to gamble with you purchase something from their site for instance the local sweepstakes cafe's ( Actual land based gaming centers much like a casino ) around here sell you credits to a online music site where you can purchase downloadable MP3's with your credits. Once you insert money and confirm the purchase it prints out a receipt with your code to input at the site that adds the credits you bought into your shopping account. asfter printing the receipt it it opens the slot based game you chose to play and credits you with an amount of credits equal to your purchase of music credits. Each credit is equal to 1 cent US. and is a sweepstakes promotion to play the machine for free. If you win with the promotional credits they pay you what amount of credits you win in cash on the spot. In order for it to be a legal sweepstakes it has to have a maximum designated and stated total prize give away which is why it says max payout for the sweepstakes is 10 million dollars. Once they pay that out the sweepstakes for that promotion end and the next one starts. the payout percentage at these cafe's is often horrible but technically they are giving you the play credits for free so what do you expect from a freebie. Although these places operate on what I call the scandalous side of legal they are actually legal. They must have a posted set of rules for the promotion that they must follow to the "T" legally they should also have a posted notice of how much the sweepstakes has given out of the total winnings for that promotion that is updated regularly ( usually weekly )

This is how Cleos VIP room can be US based and as far as the DOJ is concerned they dont like these operations but legally cant stop them as long as the promotion follows legal guidelines for a promotion. so although shady if you win at these places you will get paid as they wont give the feds a reason to stop them from taking in all the money they make.....however you will likely go broke before you win. I hope this helps you to better understand what places like cleos are as surely more and more will flood the online world in the near future as they are popping up everywhere and at a fast rate.
 
The cheesy name alone reeks of rogue

Come on, Cleo's VIP Room?

It reminds me of Ms. Cleo, the TV psychic that ran infomercials in the 90s raking in ungodly amounts of cash through a 900 number. Finally, the Justice Department busted the operation and shut them down.
 
This is how Cleos VIP room can be US based and as far as the DOJ is concerned they dont like these operations but legally cant stop them as long as the promotion follows legal guidelines for a promotion. so although shady if you win at these places you will get paid as they wont give the feds a reason to stop them from taking in all the money they make.....however you will likely go broke before you win. I hope this helps you to better understand what places like cleos are as surely more and more will flood the online world in the near future as they are popping up everywhere and at a fast rate.

Cleos is not US based, they are Cyprus based. They allow US players just like lots of other casinos.

The DOJ has their hands full when pursuing a foreign online casino. It is typically the payment processors that they are able to get with some ease. There is nothing legal about their casino whether it is a promotion or not. They use this "legal promotion" to make people comfortable and make them think that it really is legal.

Being afraid of the DOJ has nothing to do with paying out, please don't let this fool you, they can stop paying whenever they want. The DOJ could careless whether they payout or not. They actually have really bad terms, they string people along for weeks and pay out a max of I think $2000 at a time. This is the same thing that the shadiest of RTGS do eq. slots jungle, winpalace.

Legal gambling venues in the US that operate under the guise of a promotion, fund raiser, or charity are actually legal and have been appropriately licensed at a local and federal level. Cleos has not been given approval to legally operate.

In conclusion Cleos is not legal, they are not US based, and they have a target on their back with their boasting of it being legal. I really have not seen an online casino shutdown by DOJ other than the main poker sites, again its mostly processors that they are able to pursue. Maybe DOJ will get cleos. I certainly don't like their roguish behavior of making people think its legal, and their roguish payment procedure of taking weeks to pay with small limits.

Btw if you look at their webpage they have two counters, one for products shipped and one for amount paid out so far in the so called promotion. Both numbers are a crock of shit because they always start at the same amount.
 

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