Bonus Complaint G'day Casino confiscated 9k winnings

G1000

Newbie member
PABnononaccred
Joined
Jun 6, 2017
Location
Uk
I recently opened my account at G'day casino part of White Hat Gaming and took a 50pc deposit on a GBP20 bonus totalling GBP10 bonus money.

After having an insane amount of luck managed to get my balance up to 13.5k (A MASSIVE AMOUNT) then it gradually dwindled to 9k before I did then sensible thing and withdrew some of the money.

I have now been contacted by support saying they have confiscated my 9k balance due to a breach in terms below...

7 (vi) The maximum bet allowed while the Welcome Bonus is in play is £5. Should You bet higher than this while the Welcome bonus is in play, the casino reserves the right to confiscate all winnings.

I asked for further details, which were very vague but they have claimed there were some GBP10 bets which I don't remember doing and currently cannot verify until my account is unlocked.

My argument lies in the fact that prior to depositing I checked the T&C's carefully as you should and was aware of the GBP5 max bet, however my overall balance never dropped below GBP10 therefore I thought my bonus was never 'in play' as per there description and I was using my own cash balance.

In there T&C's it states

(xi) For any wagers made, the wager is deducted from the Player's cash account. If there is no cash available, then the wager is deducted from the bonus account

This in essence eludes to them being separate.

I really feel absolutely horrified by this. Even if I were to accept there point -- which I don't -- the breaches in question are very minor and were at the tail end of the wagering. It certainly is not a justifiable response to take 9k balance from my account.

Can anyone please provide me with further information or examples/contacts of people who have taken successful legal action against an operator. I have looked carefully at the consumer protection act and feel that this may have been violated so would really appreciate any advice or guidance that could be given.
 
Unable to offer any accurate legal advice where I can be 100%. Could give examples but I won't to avoid clouding the issue.

However, sadly I feel on this occasion the terms of the welcome bonus / bonus taken will protect the casino.

If a bet over the max £5 was made on that particular deposit whether the bonus was used or not or even after the wager requirement was cleared then that is a breach of their terms which they will use against you.

I like to always take a players side but on this occasion it seems difficult to do so.

Hopefully I will be proven wrong and you get your dosh but I am not so sure you will do on this occasion. Await a few more responses first but you also really need the proof from G' Day detailing the £10 (or over £5) bets first :thumbsup:
 
Yes, if they have a policy of no withdrawals until WR is met, even though cash/bonus are separate balances then you'd likely find as Jono said that rules apply to the cash part too. This why it's always important to refrain from overbetting until you've seen the WR is cleared to avoid all doubt. I still think it's unfortunate though, Gday aren't a bad casino and I don't think they'd do this unless you had definitely breached the terms. :(
 
It all boils down to what "while the Welcome bonus is in play" actually means. Does it mean whilst you progress through the wagering or whilst you have accepted the bonus despite not having touched it?

I take it that this is a parachute bonus scheme, in that you don't start wagering until you hit bonus funds and that if you win before you start the wagering you can cancel the bonus and cash out the winnings?
 
Thank for your reply chaps. I've extensively tried to question this with support but have received only correspondence from their front line staff not casino management which I have asked for. It's a considerable amount of money and has left a rather bad taste in my mouth. It's something I'm determined to pursue to the fullest extent possible. It's a totally disproportionate response given that the bonus was a meagre 10 pounds which I didn't even use.

I feel that if I take this further I will stand a chance of succeeding. Do they have a rep here?
 
Thank for your reply chaps. I've extensively tried to question this with support but have received only correspondence from their front line staff not casino management which I have asked for. It's a considerable amount of money and has left a rather bad taste in my mouth. It's something I'm determined to pursue to the fullest extent possible. It's a totally disproportionate response given that the bonus was a meagre 10 pounds which I didn't even use.

I feel that if I take this further I will stand a chance of succeeding. Do they have a rep here?
Welcome to the forum. There is one here:
https://www.casinomeister.com/forums/members/fullcreamaff.html

This person hasn't logged in since April, so it may be a dead end at the moment. If you feel it's worthy of a PAB, please submit it and we'll get it going for you.

Personally, I have not dealt with this group of casinos - I am pretty sure.
 
It all boils down to what "while the Welcome bonus is in play" actually means. Does it mean whilst you progress through the wagering or whilst you have accepted the bonus despite not having touched it?

I take it that this is a parachute bonus scheme, in that you don't start wagering until you hit bonus funds and that if you win before you start the wagering you can cancel the bonus and cash out the winnings?

No matey, wagering starts from the very first spin and has to be completed in full before you are able to request a withdrawal. :thumbsup:

9/10 its 35 x Bonus funds / 35 x FS winnings (exceptions are the sub's (usually found in 3 tier across their other skins) where it is then 35 x D+B!)

There are also game restrictions where some games are allowed but only contribute a certain percentage, Twin Spin is one of them among others.
 
Just an update with my issue. I have been advised that prior to taking any further action I need to open a case with an ADR even if it is a formality -- which I feel it will be. I have now done this.

Will keep you posted as to how this progresses.
 
Update. After much back and forth with the casino and literally getting nowhere to the point where they wouldn't even acknowledge my arguments I have decided to go public with my complaint. I feel it's more important than anything else to expose these kind of actions from gambling companies, particularly at the moment.

Have received plenty of interest, in particular from one publication. Will update once I know more. Cheers
 
Update. After much back and forth with the casino and literally getting nowhere to the point where they wouldn't even acknowledge my arguments I have decided to go public with my complaint. I feel it's more important than anything else to expose these kind of actions from gambling companies, particularly at the moment.

Have received plenty of interest, in particular from one publication. Will update once I know more. Cheers
It looks like you haven't gone down the PAB route yet... I VERY STRONGLY advise you to consider doing this before going public.

There is no guarantee of success of course, but Casinomeister & Max have an excellent record of clearing up these types of disputes :thumbsup:

{edit} Sorry - I should have read the opening post again first, before replying :oops:
There is only one thing to establish: did you place ANY bet at ANY time which was higher than £5?
If so - you don't have a leg to stand on :(

KK
 
Another complaint

I also have a problem with this outfit regarding confiscations of funds related to terms associated with the welcome bonus. In my case it is a smaller amount (500 Eur) but still disgraceful IMO.

In short I signed up 3 years ago and took the first deposit bonus. Busted and forgot all about the casino since it didnt make an impression. 3 years later I received an account specific bonus offer, valid for 24 hours. I deposited with Neteller, made a small profit and withdrew to Neteller without problems. A couple of days later I get another account specific reload and took it up once again, deposited with Neteller, cleared the wagering with 450 eur profit and asked for a withdrawal. At that point they confiscated my funds and closed my account referring to the fact that I had broken terms on the welcome bonus (being using Neteller as deposit method).

Like I said, there is 3 years between the first and second deposit and the account specific reloads wasnt part of the welcome package and had different terms which DIDN´T probibit Neteller.

In short, they confiscated my funds using the terms of their welcome package although my account specific offers had their own terms allowing Netellerdeposits. I have of course raised this issue with them several times but it´s like talking to a hand.

Sorry to hijack the thread but good for others to know how this outlet works
 
As others have said. Late to this thread.

I feel that you have no chance. Sorry to say, That is why you should always always always read the terms before you deposit and take a match bonus. Each casino have different rules. And just because some casinos have more relaxed rules doesn't mean they all have the same rules. So as I said. Read the terms before hand at any new casino you signup/deposit at.
 
PAB received and in progress.

@ G1000 : please ensure that you are fully familiar with section 3.12 of the PAB FAQ. Our expectations there are clear and explicit; violations of those guidelines will delay, damage or even kill your PAB.
 
Quick update on this. I went through a very lengthy process where I believed progress was eventually being made, sought legal advice amongst other things. Eventually it was quite clear that Gday was unwilling to budge. The fact they confiscated 9k on the grounds that I broke their T&C’s on a GBP10 bonus still gripes me massively — frankly it’s fucking borderline whether they’re actually legally allowed to do this. However this deeply traumatic experience has since then prompted me to stop gambling anywhere and on anything completely. I no longer have any faith or trust in the industry — especially given this statement of wealth thing. Yet again it’s more bureaucracy to seperate the player from their funds. Anyway bottom line I’m the happiest I’ve ever been since I’ve stopped and everything has totally turned around for me — so in a weird way I’d like to thank White Hat Gaming and GDay for confiscating 9k from my account on the grounds of a negligible technicality as it’s stopped me ploughing anymore of my money into a deeply troubled and suspect industry. With the introduction of stricter rules and things like Gamstop it’s only a matter of time before more people switch off to it and they all hit the wall. At that point i’ll Pop open the bubbly and do a cheers to that.
 
Quick update on this. I went through a very lengthy process where I believed progress was eventually being made, sought legal advice amongst other things. Eventually it was quite clear that Gday was unwilling to budge. The fact they confiscated 9k on the grounds that I broke their T&C’s on a GBP10 bonus still gripes me massively — frankly it’s fucking borderline whether they’re actually legally allowed to do this. However this deeply traumatic experience has since then prompted me to stop gambling anywhere and on anything completely. I no longer have any faith or trust in the industry — especially given this statement of wealth thing. Yet again it’s more bureaucracy to seperate the player from their funds. Anyway bottom line I’m the happiest I’ve ever been since I’ve stopped and everything has totally turned around for me — so in a weird way I’d like to thank White Hat Gaming and GDay for confiscating 9k from my account on the grounds of a negligible technicality as it’s stopped me ploughing anymore of my money into a deeply troubled and suspect industry. With the introduction of stricter rules and things like Gamstop it’s only a matter of time before more people switch off to it and they all hit the wall. At that point i’ll Pop open the bubbly and do a cheers to that.

I was thinking this, they've probably done you a favour in the longterm and saved you more than the 9k. The stupid thing about the way some of these casinos behave is there are a finite number of people who want to play slots etc.., treating customers the way you were is shooting yourself in the foot as an industry, you were given £10 bonus money and because of the term breach they confiscate £9,000. If they have a max bet level with a bonus, Im sure I have seen some casino sites pop up a message to remind you or even block the stake increase. anyway onwards and upwards.
 
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What is beyond me is how short sighted some of casinos are and lose marketing opportunity like that. Throw a newsleter "Player blabla won 13.5k from 20$ deposit, here are 5fs to celebrate and 50% bonus on top"
 
Absolutely, it’s very short sighted. In truth I probably would have given that 9k straight back to them given how I was playing back then, along with more. Still I’m very happy with the result. Wouldn’t surprise me in the slightest if all these cases come back to haunt them eventually. All it takes is one landmark case to go through and then it’s PPI all over again.
 
Good on you they did you a favor! I had nothing but trouble with this group when I played at them. Closed all my accounts for the next 100 years a long time ago. Bonus terms like this are terrible and something I hope the UKGC crushes. Not that it effects me anymore as since I got the SOW B/s from Rizk my deposits are down to £20 to £30 per month at videoslots only as I enjoy the free rolls / battles. And yes very short sighted by Gday casino. Cant they see the bigger picture ? Nope they go for short term gain. Good for you on quitting :) ...
 
Not to reopen the dispute as the op has moved on, but why couldn't a casino in a case like this put your balance to where it would be without the £10 spins, i.e. remove any winnings from the £10 spins and add the wagering back on etc.. if this was the policy for a first offence because it was a genuine mistake, wouldn't this be fairer? To me it relates to 'in good faith' which google defines as:

"In contract law, the implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing is a general presumption that the parties to a contract will deal with each other honestly, fairly, and in good faith, so as to not destroy the right of the other party or parties to receive the benefits of the contract."

The casino have presumed the player was not acting in good faith when he increased his stake above their limit rather than he made a one off mistake, possibly because the term is not prominently displayed or emphasised by the casino.
 
You raise a valid point. Essentially these companies gamble on the fact that people do not take it any further and they can therefore act with impunity. You’ll notice that now companies like Gday and White Hat Gaming casinos have dramatically changed their T&C’s regarding bonuses meaning they can no longer confiscate funds on account of breaking a max bet rule or some other minor infringement. This was prompted by a review by the CMA who basically said it’s legally in a very VERY grey area whether they can actually do this on account of the consumer protection act. George Lustys speech is available on the UKGC YouTube channel well worth watching. In my case I raised all this with multiple people at White Hat Gaming none of which had any real interest in my complaint and simply kept sending back their T&Cs that I allegedly broke. They were totally uninterested and I got the distinct impression they do or certainly did as they please. Anyway glad it worked out as it did, I’ve definitely won more than 9k in the long run
 
Wow! Has anyone else in the UK been contacted about having these types of disputes?
 

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