English Harbor Group Casinos to close permanently?

[sandykauf]

I've been reading alot of stuff online about them and it looks like their going to close operations entirely (not just U.S.). I wonder if they'll pay all the HUGE winners they advertise across their websites. It's interesting that RTG can still operate and everyone else is leaving.

Either they have better processors or just don't care about U.S. law.

 

[jetset]

First I've heard of this - can you provide sources for your assertion please?

This is a group that has been around since the earliest days of the industry. Unless a major decision to quit the industry has been made recently I just don't see this - they have customers all over the world.

 

[takethemoney]

When a group like this bails out, it should spell a "writing on the wall" moment. Most people in the USA would be well advised to cash out and uninstall. This is one situation that is going to get far worse before it get's better. I have one casino left on my computer, which never gives any bonuses over 50%, ever. I now have a 100% bonus sent to me by email. I'm not taking this action this time. Something doesn't feel right about it. I'm gonna pass.

 

[jetset]

First I've heard of this - can you provide sources for your assertion please?

This is a group that has been around since the earliest days of the industry. Unless a major decision to quit the industry has been made recently I just don't see this - they have customers all over the world.

Never mind - did my own research and it appears this is correct and dates from May 16th this year.

That one passed me by

I'm truly surprised.

 

[Nifty29]

Never mind - did my own research and it appears this is correct and dates from May 16th this year.

That one passed me by

I'm truly surprised.

Well they're still sending bonus offers.....

What made me stop playing is that they stopped allowing bonuses on neteller and moneybookers....really stupid.

 

[jetset]

Stranger and stranger....do they have a rep here who can clarify the position?

 

[Mousey]

Stranger and stranger....do they have a rep here who can clarify the position?

https://www.casinomeister.com/forums/members/

Thanks for checking on this Jetset.

 

[footdr]

Must have not been effective for all at same time........

Some posts state accounts were closed in May and they were told due to their region not being supported.

Yesterday 7/1 was the first time I was not able to deposit and message in cashier said no deposit methods available. So possibly it took effect gradually?

Anyway, CS didn't advise me they were closing, they said deposit options unavailable for indefinate period. So wish they would clarify this for others. I have already deleted all of their casinos.

 

[AudiManinBoro]

Cant say im so surpised to see this, the management behind this group of casinos has been a few marbles short of a bag full for ages. Who in their right mind prohibits UK customers from signing up? Ill tell you who, THIS group of casinos. I know this may tred on a few peoples toes here but all i can say is poetic justice and the phrase `serves them right` springs to mind bad management = bad business decisions. Case solved.

 

[reda]

What?? english harbor closeing? i still play there. im in the u.s. i play all the tournaments and talk to live chat. i havent heard anything until now on the forum about them closing. i like the free tournaments.

 

[jetset]

https://www.casinomeister.com/forums/members/

Thanks for checking on this Jetset.

The rep doesn't appear to be responding, and so far I have had no response to my emails trying to clarify the position here.

 

[vinylweatherman]

Cant say im so surpised to see this, the management behind this group of casinos has been a few marbles short of a bag full for ages. Who in their right mind prohibits UK customers from signing up? Ill tell you who, THIS group of casinos. I know this may tred on a few peoples toes here but all i can say is poetic justice and the phrase `serves them right` springs to mind bad management = bad business decisions. Case solved.

They thought they had the US market, so neglected to expand into one of the biggest non-US European markets, the UK. The sudden collapse of the major processing options has made it very hard for US players to carry on, but with NO players from the UK, they have no alternative revenue stream. It is too late for them to switch attention to the UK, and build up a player base that will make up for the reduction in their core US market, so they have been forced to give up and close.

They are one of a number of casino groups that have closed (or been sold to Casino Rewards ) since late Spring.

The question now is "who is next?".

At least they are giving notice, but they should also have emailed their players directly, since it seems a few have no idea what is going to happen to their existing accounts in a matter of weeks.

 

[AudiManinBoro]

My heart bleeds for them VWM

 

[footdr]

Check from English Harbor Group Bounced

Received check from EH group and it was returned NSF on 7/6.

Customer support advised they had problems with bank of 6/28 and to redeposit check as funds now in account. Said they would pay me the 12.00 RTF but not sure how they plan to do that. Send me a check? Doubt that.

What a mess.

 

[footdr]

How?

What?? english harbor closeing? i still play there. im in the u.s. i play all the tournaments and talk to live chat. i havent heard anything until now on the forum about them closing. i like the free tournaments.

Did you have a balance left in your account? Check the cashier page and see if you can still deposit.

Please post answer here. Thanks

 

[The Dude]

I've shot an email off to the operators to see what's up. I know they had closed the door to new accounts, but I was under the impression that they were still in business with the current players.

I'm signing off for the day, but if and when I get a response I'll post it.

 

[EHCasino Team]

Hello,

We just wanted to clear the air that EHCasino's is still operating for its customers. Yes some changes has happened over the past couple months with no longer accepting registrations. We are also faced with the same challenges every operator is faced with and that is reliable deposit options for our players. We are continuing to work through this period with hopes of getting some alternatives soon. Until then customers are able to continuing playing with their balances or request cashouts if they choose. We are not blocking our customers from their funds.

If you should have any further questions you can also contact support for further clarification.

Thank you for you understanding

EHCasino Team

 

[vinylweatherman]

Hello,

We just wanted to clear the air that EHCasino's is still operating for its customers. Yes some changes has happened over the past couple months with no longer accepting registrations. We are also faced with the same challenges every operator is faced with and that is reliable deposit options for our players. We are continuing to work through this period with hopes of getting some alternatives soon. Until then customers are able to continuing playing with their balances or request cashouts if they choose. We are not blocking our customers from their funds.

If you should have any further questions you can also contact support for further clarification.

Thank you for you understanding

EHCasino Team

Any new options are likely to face the same problems, and this will make the US market unprofitable. With no new players being accepted, and more existing ones giving up on the struggle every time they find they can't reliably get paid, the group WILL close, it is just a matter of when.

The processing problems for the US are not there for much of the rest of the world, so ignoring this market altogether was a bad move. Many other operators "saw it coming" a couple of years ago, and made the effort to build a non-US player base that would replace the shrinking US player base. Many relocated to a UK whitelisted jurisdiction to make expansion into the EU much easier.

EH has missed the boat, and even with a change of focus now, they would have to catch up with the rest.

Not every operator that shifted focus away from the US made it through either, this year has seen a wave of operations going out of business, despite them having expanded into the non-US markets.

 

[DiamondGeezer]

EH has missed the boat, and even with a change of focus now, they would have to catch up with the rest.

Well they ought to have a lot of boats seeing as they are a Harbour.

I won't be making English Harbour my next port of call

 

[gid88]

They are one of a number of casino groups that have closed (or been sold to Casino Rewards ) since late Spring.

The question now is "who is next?".

So VWM, who in your opinion will be the casino groups that would be close to closing ?

 

[becksfun]

so are they closing soon or what?

Hello,

We just wanted to clear the air that EHCasino's is still operating for its customers. Yes some changes has happened over the past couple months with no longer accepting registrations. We are also faced with the same challenges every operator is faced with and that is reliable deposit options for our players. We are continuing to work through this period with hopes of getting some alternatives soon. Until then customers are able to continuing playing with their balances or request cashouts if they choose. We are not blocking our customers from their funds.

If you should have any further questions you can also contact support for further clarification.

Thank you for you understanding

EHCasino Team

So does that mean they are NOT closing the end of July???

 

[DiamondGeezer]

So VWM, who in your opinion will be the casino groups that would be close to closing ?

Personally I don't think it's cool to name names because none of us know. Also it's not good as regards peoples jobs and also players with funds in casinos. Rumours can spread quickly and such things can end up becoming self fulfilling.

 

[footdr]

Not sure about EH statement

Hello,

We just wanted to clear the air that EHCasino's is still operating for its customers. Yes some changes has happened over the past couple months with no longer accepting registrations. We are also faced with the same challenges every operator is faced with and that is reliable deposit options for our players. We are continuing to work through this period with hopes of getting some alternatives soon. Until then customers are able to continuing playing with their balances or request cashouts if they choose. We are not blocking our customers from their funds.

If you should have any further questions you can also contact support for further clarification.

Thank you for you understanding

EHCasino Team

When I logged in on June 29th and cashier said" there are no deposit options for your area at this time", I contacted Chat and was told that "no deposits for an indefinate period of time", also, EH has previously had various options disappear from time to time but always at least one remained. Plus their problems were very short lived.

It has been too long now to assume they will offer a new option in the near future and they are losing money.

I suspect that is why the last check they sent me on 6/28/2011 recently bounced.

I redeposited at their direction and hope it will not bounce a second time.

Hopefully I am wrong regarding their looking for new deposit options.

 

[jetset]

Hello,

We just wanted to clear the air that EHCasino's is still operating for its customers. Yes some changes has happened over the past couple months with no longer accepting registrations. We are also faced with the same challenges every operator is faced with and that is reliable deposit options for our players. We are continuing to work through this period with hopes of getting some alternatives soon. Until then customers are able to continuing playing with their balances or request cashouts if they choose. We are not blocking our customers from their funds.

If you should have any further questions you can also contact support for further clarification.

Thank you for you understanding

EHCasino Team

Whilst I appreciate this semi-clarification, I have to say that this thread alone should have alerted management to the fact that there are serious communication issues with your long established group, which is really surprising.

The fact that there was so much confusion over EH Group's policy and position, and the mystifying perception that the group is disinterested in markets other than the US imo indicates a need to better inform both the industry and the players (and possibly affiliates too) on the operator's policies and intentions.

I think in your position I would be considering an active initiative to better explain what your company's policy really is and its intentions going forward.

As VWM points out "The processing problems for the US are not there for much of the rest of the world, so ignoring this market altogether was a bad move."

I have to agree with that.

 

[vinylweatherman]

So VWM, who in your opinion will be the casino groups that would be close to closing ?

I would expect groups that derived a large percentage of revenue from US players to be the ones most likely to close. Even if they find new processors, US players have lost their money THREE times in the space of a year, and this might encourage many to give up trying.

First, we had EWX going down with players' funds on board, and no player has seen any of it back. Some players then moved to QT, which AGAIN went down, with some players being told QT are not liable for their monies because they were seized from a US bank, and the rest have been given a near impossible method to retreive their balances.

On top of this, we have 3 big Poker operators being shut down, and Full Tilt took players' balances with it, and the rest have had to put together a plan to return monies to US players.

As well as this, we have an inconsistent approach from the US authorities, with on the one hand the poker rooms being REQUIRED to send money back to US players, yet EWX NOT being "required" to do anything about returning players' balances, and QT claiming the US authorities simply won't let them send the money directly back to their US customers, making it necessary to concoct a repayment plan that uses offshore Euro bank accounts.

Some US players got burned all three times, and these are the ones least likely to carry on with the next new processing option that appears.

Operators that don't yet have a worthwhile non-US player base are going to struggle to build one, and may have to offer "unaffordable" welcome offers to lure players in, which could backfire on them if their launch is followed by complaints of non-payment because too many players beat the welcome offers.

 

[jetset]

This EH situation is getting more and more confusing.

On July 8 and in this very thread the rep gave an explanation which left important questions unanswered, and now today I found the following on the (.com) website:

"We recommend that you play out your balance or request a payout prior to August 1st. In the event that you have any questions please contact customer support."

That seems to imply a shutdown for keeps, yet there is no further clarification. I also notice that many information portals are now advising that EH (and presumably its stable mates) are closed.

This is to my eyes something different from the situation back in May this year, when the position was that "E.H. Gaming Ventures closed all of its casinos to new player registrations on May 16, 2011. The casinos remain open to existing players."

Adding interest to the situation is the news that VIP.com, BetGameDay.com and Nine.com have decided to close their doors - with almost identical wording on the website notices.

And still no official and public statement from EH? That truly is strange and disappointing.

 

[Seventh777]

This EH situation is getting more and more confusing.

On July 8 and in this very thread the rep gave an explanation which left important questions unanswered, and now today I found the following on the website:

"We recommend that you play out your balance or request a payout prior to August 1st. In the event that you have any questions please contact customer support."

That seems to imply a shutdown for keeps, yet there is no further clarification. I also notice that many information portals are now advising that EH (and presumably its stable mates) are closed.

This is to my eyes something different from the situation back in May this year, when the position was that "E.H. Gaming Ventures closed all of its casinos to new player registrations on May 16, 2011. The casinos remain open to existing players."

Adding interest to the situation is the news that VIP.com, BetGameDay.com and Nine.com have decided to close their doors - with almost identical wording on the website notices.

And still no official and public statement from EH? That truly is strange and disappointing.

There is this from their website.....

You do not have permission to view link Log in or register now.

 

[jetset]

Yes, I saw that, but "We recommend that you play out your balance or request a payout prior to August 1st. In the event that you have any questions please contact customer support" is hardly the professional public announcement one would expect from a company that was one of the industry pioneers.

However, I have since learned that EH's .co.uk website is still in full operation, suggesting that the .com shutdown is related to the American problems, and that the company has not entirely closed its doors.

 

[KasinoKing]

However, I have since learned that EH's .co.uk website is still in full operation, suggesting that the .com shutdown is related to the American problems, and that the company has not entirely closed its doors.

That's pretty stupid of them though - they should spell it out.
May be they ARE closing down completely but just FORGOT to update the .co.uk version of their site.
Anyway, most people in the UK would automatically go to the .com version of sites IMO, as most of the "big boys" use that; even 32Red.com and Ladbrokes.com who don't even serve the USA.
In fact, I would have picked KasinoKing.com for my site if it hadn't already been taken.
(It's just a parked domain - not in use - but to buy it would cost $1000s )

KK

 

[SPADEAHOLIC]

And still no official and public statement from EH? That truly is strange and disappointing.

When you log into any of the EH group casinos the first pop up add is saying closing August 1st

 

[daveboz]

I would expect groups that derived a large percentage of revenue from US players to be the ones most likely to close. Even if they find new processors, US players have lost their money THREE times in the space of a year, and this might encourage many to give up trying.

First, we had EWX going down with players' funds on board, and no player has seen any of it back. Some players then moved to QT, which AGAIN went down, with some players being told QT are not liable for their monies because they were seized from a US bank, and the rest have been given a near impossible method to retreive their balances.

On top of this, we have 3 big Poker operators being shut down, and Full Tilt took players' balances with it, and the rest have had to put together a plan to return monies to US players.

As well as this, we have an inconsistent approach from the US authorities, with on the one hand the poker rooms being REQUIRED to send money back to US players, yet EWX NOT being "required" to do anything about returning players' balances, and QT claiming the US authorities simply won't let them send the money directly back to their US customers, making it necessary to concoct a repayment plan that uses offshore Euro bank accounts.

Some US players got burned all three times, and these are the ones least likely to carry on with the next new processing option that appears.

Operators that don't yet have a worthwhile non-US player base are going to struggle to build one, and may have to offer "unaffordable" welcome offers to lure players in, which could backfire on them if their launch is followed by complaints of non-payment because too many players beat the welcome offers.

What was EWX?

 

[Diane]

What was EWX?

e wallet express

Online ewallet like Quick Tender that went out of business, tying up player funds.

Diane

 

[sandykauf]

They really are going out with a bang. Charged $60 for a check sent...hope it doesn't bounce.

 

[footdr]

Agree.....

They really are going out with a bang. Charged $60 for a check sent...hope it doesn't bounce.

They were charging $35.00 and without any notice suddenly started charging $60.00.

They had players over a barrel. Pay the fee or don't get paid. Since they knew they were going out business they obviously don't care about players.

The last check they sent me bounced and I was charged $12.00 returned check fee, they advised to redeposit as they had "problems on the day my check was printed", so far so good, think it would have bounced by now.

But, despite emails, they haven't credited my casino account with the $12.00. Keep asking for more and more documentation eventhough they are aware their check bounced the first time I deposited it.

Good lord, it is just $12.00 and they are making me jump through hoops.

Good luck to those they owe money to.

 

[jetset]

double post

 

[jetset]

When you log into any of the EH group casinos the first pop up add is saying closing August 1st

I know that - but a brief and short-notice website advisory of that sort is hardly a professional way of notifying business and the public at large that you are bowing out.

And that encourages speculation, because people are not informed of the real position by the company itself.

I've been looking at other EH Ventures websites like Millionaire Casino, VIP Slots, Slots Galore, Silver Dollar Casino, Super Slots and Caribbean Gold Casinos, and they all have the same notice up - identical to those referred to earlier in this thread regarding VIP.com et al - so it looks as if this is an initiative involving the entire group.

The difference is, it doesn't look as if any of these operations are shifting to .co.uk or .eu domains like English Harbour Casino itself. Perhaps they are using this move out of the US to rationalise operations and drop less successful brands?