Grand Royal Casino and Winners Playground - Looks like they folded

[smolinar]

I have played at Grand Royal Casino (an RTG) but not winners playground because of their bad reputation. Well A friend of mine has accounts with both. Winners Playground has ignored her cashout requests for three months.

To make a long story short, she has been unable to contact ANYONE and the casinos now give the old familar "The casino is temporarily unavailable" message when you try to log in.

Anyhow, just a heads up. I think they have folded and my friend is out about $1000 in unpaid winnings.

She did enter a complaint at the montana website about a month ago, but no movement on it.

Later,
S

 

[Macgyver]

To make a long story short, she has been unable to contact ANYONE and the casinos now give the old familar "The casino is temporarily unavailable" message when you try to log in.

I'm assuming you mean the problem is in the downloaded software because I just accessed both websites (through affiliate tags, no less) without a problem. That doesn't address the problem of not being able to contact support, though ...

 

[tunisianswife]

the sad part is...the cashier seems to work I posted a new thread in the online casinos section just today. I am only playing on a n/d bonus coupon which i was able to redeem, and received an email confirming that the coupon had been redeemed. Games won't load....only says that it can't communicate with server.

I feel badly for those that are depositing d/t the cashier section working just nicely but then not able to play their deposit.

 

[schankwart]

I am owed ~$1700 by W.P. for over two months as well.
I'm almost a hundred percent positive that they are the next RTG to close their doors.

 

[jetset]

I'll ask around at RTG, and I've sent the management a request for comment, too. More if and when it is to hand.

 

[evoid]

I am owed a bit over 1k by Winner's Playground. Like smolinar's friend, I contacted Montana Overseas a few weeks ago. Two weeks ago, they sent me a brief message saying they were giving the casino a chance to respond to my complaint. I haven't heard from them since. For about two months it has been impossible to reach support, now emails bounce.

 

[jetset]

RTG Response

From RTG:

"Winner's had some temporary downtime, but they are back up now. Players should be able to deposit, play, and request withdrawals as normal. Montana let me know that there are about 10 claims that are currently open with this group, but that they will all be resolved after investigation and due process has been followed."

 

[tunisianswife]

Grand Royal's Emails are now being bounced back. I just don't understand how they can leave the cashier section working fine and yet the games cannot be played and emails are bouncing. There is no phone #, only a fax #, no live support either.

 

[smolinar]

Still not open correctly

From RTG:

"Winner's had some temporary downtime, but they are back up now. Players should be able to deposit, play, and request withdrawals as normal. Montana let me know that there are about 10 claims that are currently open with this group, but that they will all be resolved after investigation and due process has been followed."

Unfortunately, this is not so. I just checked. You can log in, but no games can be played at either casino. "unable to communicate with server" error on all games.

Sonya

 

[jetset]

Uh-oh - looks like that "temporary downtime" is more than just an isolated technical malfunction, then.

I've contacted RTG again, but I doub t that they will respond until after the weekend. In the meantime it might be a good idea to treat these operations with great caution.

 

[jetset]

I'm not sure if the right hand knows what the left hand is doing at RTG. Earlier comments in this thread from them made no mention of a close down, yet in response to our latest enquiry we have just received the following (bear in mind that Montana is an offshore arm of RTG):

QUOTE:I think that was just a support issue and should now be fixed...although when we checked, we only noticed it happening on GrandRoyal.

Also, for public consumption...

----------------------
Montana Overseas has informed us that they are initiating close-down procedures on the properties known as Winners Playground Casino, Grand Royal Casino and GiantVegas Casino. All outstanding player liabilities will be paid during the liquidation. This process will start on March 1st, 2005 and players will receive notification of their options for withdrawal. UNQUOTE

We've asked for more detail, including whether Giant Vegas (which you will recall was part of Brian Goodman's Kiss Casino group) was taken over by WP and GR's owners.

This is a strange affair - only late last year WP was boasting about a new approach with a new management but the same owners, and there was a sudden spurt of overdue payments being made.

The bottom line is that WP and GR are closing, all players will be paid through Montana and the process starts.....TODAY.

Watch your emails for information on this which will presumably be going out soon.

 

[chuchu59]

Jetset,

I have not been able to login Portofino casino for the past few days. No response at all. Is it possible that they are sharing the same fate and is closing down.

 

[jetset]

Strangely enough, I have been picking up unofficial rumours from several sources this week that a change of ownership (yes, another one!) may be on the cards soon. But this is far from confirmed information.

I'll fly it past our RTG contacts and see what they have to say.

 

[Casinomeister]

Strangely enough, I have been picking up unofficial rumours from several sources this week that a change of ownership (yes, another one!) may be on the cards soon. But this is far from confirmed information.

I have the same rumor stashed away as well

 

[ortega]

Was anyone paid either during/post these guys shutdown? I sure wasn't from either Winner's or Grand Royal.

Thanks,
ortega

 

[jetset]

Have you lodged your claim with Montana yet? If not suggest you do so as RTG have said that Montana will handle all closedowns like this.

 

[suzecat]

Jetset,

I have not been able to login Portofino casino for the past few days. No response at all. Is it possible that they are sharing the same fate and is closing down.

I played at Portofino today, no problems.

 

[jetset]

Hampton and Portofino have had an interesting time of it since the Pirate days, going to Connect To Casino and then being offered earlier this year to Doloplex, where Warren Cloud declined the deal following the due diligence phase (or so we are reliably informed)

Apparently they were then taken by World eGaming, and if you Google that you'll see a familiar name - Avi Goldman of ADLM and Windows Casino fame.

This was all in Casinomeister News a few weeks ago btw:

CASINO CHANGES

RTG-powered casinos were in the thick of things this week with the news that the unidentified owners of Cool Cat Casino had taken over Palace of Chance and Club Player, both of whom have been the subject of players complaints. Other than a rather gushing and not very informative release from Cool Cat, a pall of silence surrounded who was involved in the deal and how much cash changed hands. CC Manager Bianca Fox will apparently manage all three operations.

Members of the Royal Casino Group, which includes Ruby Dragon, Casino Extreme and Casino Heat were shocked at the short closure notice that suddenly appeared on a dead site this week. Software provider Real Time Gaming has not responded to enquiries, but the brief closure notice advised players that they would be paid in full within the next 14 days.

Connect To Casino has advised that effective 1 March it no longer has any relationship with either Portofino or Hampton casinos, having sold its interest to World eGaming. Googling that title reveals that the new owner is Windows Casino partner Avi Goldman. The software remains RTG.

 

[evoid]

Winner's Playground still owes me

Was anyone paid either during/post these guys shutdown? I sure wasn't from either Winner's or Grand Royal.

Thanks,
ortega

I haven't been paid either even though I contacted Montana Overseas months ago, a long time before these casinos closed. Montana ignored my one or two requests for information as to what's going to happen.