Thanks very much. I’ve sent a private message but heard nothing back. I have serious concerns over these guys based on my experience over the last ten days in particular.
I first opened an account in mid December as there were endless adverts on Talksport for betmgm uk where we are all being welcomed to the ‘golden age of betting’. Well they had a deposit offer so I thought I’d download, open and take a look. I wasn’t hugely impressed with the software and sports book layout but I did enjoy the golden goals competition promo. I deposited a couple of tenners and didn’t win.
At the beginning of January I thought I’d set myself a budget and have a go on the casino games. I paid by apllepay and had a go on the slots winning (and losing) a few hundred quid then moved to first person lightening roulette. I had a few losers then hit a big 500/1 and won around £5k. After this type of win elsewhere I always press for a couple of spins so I did and two spins later hit 1000/1 with £40 straight up and some splits winning £45k from one spin. Amazing! Of course I pressed two more spins came up with nothing and quit. I then went and made withdrawal requests via Apple pay (my only option) to the tune of £40k. I knew it would take a bit of time to process so a few hours later I showed my girlfriend my win and sitting waiting said I’ll pick some options on Crazy Time had a spin and won a few hundred. I had decided here that I would withdraw the £40k and spin the remaking 8k I had. I made a football bet they reduced the stake i wanted to place and then suddenly my account action was restricted.
Ok no problem I get it, so I loaded chat and asked what’s up. They said they needed to see proof of my virtual Apple Pay card, i had used two from the same bank the first for about £20 and the other for around £1,050. No problem I knew they’d want to see this so I sent it. They said the format was wrong, even though it was in app screenshots. The following day they told me they wanted a proof with the first six digits of the card and last four… I emailed my bank who said under no circumstances do we ever issue any confirmation in this style. I went back to the (shockingly bad) customer service and found out that if I took a screenshot from my pc banking page of the cards and blanked out the middle four numbers and cvc and it showed the logo the web url etc they would accept it. So now 36 hours after the win i did this and they accepted it, i also supplied confirmation of my bank account. Which they also accepted. They immediately released the Apple Pay requests for a total of £40k which were promptly rejected as my bank allows you to deposit via Apple Pay to gaming sites but not withdraw. I contacted customer support again and they confirmed I could get a bank transfer instead. So I verified bank information again. It was accepted and I was told that I needed to wait for the safer gambling team to call me to unrestrict my account at which point I should deposit ten pounds then withdraw the money via that method. Fine, i waited and was called, after a 45 minute and throughly intrusive chat where they confirmed they had credit checked me (important later) I was told within 24 hours I’d be unblocked.
Of course the next day I wasn’t unblocked so I contacted support. This is now three days after the win and the 6th January. I said what is the delay. They said the ‘relevant department’ were looking at it. I said can you expedite i want my money have been credit checked for id and passed all bank verification and told I can have my money by bank transfer. The customer service agent was really difficult and kept saying wait, we can’t tell you anything. Then said however you can just get a bank wire. I said fine let’s do that please confirm to me by email it’s done. At 13.36 on Saturday the 6th I got an email saying withdrawal completed and money on its way but no payment method.
I dived on chat again and asked how was it sent. The agent said, it’s not it’s on hold for review. I said sorry I have been reviewed and they assured me last night I’d get a wire. They said no more info and it’s under review by the relevant department with no timescale. I linked them to ukgc pages that say a withdrawal event cannot be used as a trigger for id checks etc and that with respect i had passed kyc and the payment checks so would require my money especially as they had released it the day before and only the payment method had rejected and I’d proven all this to the relevant team and they had okd it.
Suffice to say I wasted a whole weekend chasing it up to get info and at this point I was blocked entirely from the site. On Tuesday the 9th i went back online having got no information on the Monday and was told to upload passport and proof of address. Again I referred to the ukgc rules and said you are flouting guidance but what the hell ill send it. Both were again approved and I was told to wait for an email. I declined a wait but got told nothing of course except the relevant team are on it and the relevant team will email…. You get the picture here - full on mushroom treatment.
So it gets to Thursday and i tried to log in as manual verification in chat is ridiculously stupid and slow and totally totally insecure. It let me in but here’s where it gets interesting. I am blocked for everything action wise . Although there is a request for open access to my bank account. I took the opportunity to check my account as the balance was zero and found a new tab called corrections under history. In this tab on Saturday the 6th at 13.41 (just five mins after the withdrawal was booked) there is an entry that says debit withdrawal reversal, then at 13.42 an entry that says credit deposit reversal. The Upshot being there were no funds in my account, no email regarding these ‘corrections’ etc. I chose then to make a full automated sar request in app and went to chat to speak to cust serv.
Being as excellent as they are they told me a bank wire was on its way and would be there in 15 days. I said ok left chat and said please email me. Of course I didn’t get an email so jumped back in chat and asked for a payment proof. I was told it takes 5 working days this time and to wait. I said ok email me please, i don’t believe you but send me payment proof. Of course no email so I go back and now get told it’s ten days for the withdrawal to process as it’s a wire. I asked if it’s uk to uk or international. They can’t tell me. I’m starting to get really angry and inform them I have no interest in doing an affordability check with them. The clogs they are placing are unlawful. They try to rely on their tcs and cs. I refer them back to ukgc guidance regarding withdrawals and terms and conditions with the October 2023 updates. They tell me (totally and clearly a lie) that the ukgc has approved their terms and conditions. Ironically the page i linked them to says the ukgc does not approve any terms and conditions and the operator must work in line with guidance and uk consumer law. They laughed at me and said it’s tough.
The following day the Friday I got an email from John in verifications, he must have had a day off from the ‘relevant department’ he asked for proof of income and three months bank statements saying they needed to check my affordability. I sent a long but not impolite reply that said, i don’t share that information with anyone let alone by insecure email which is what he was asking me to do and reminded them again that these clogs at a withdrawal event are not permitted. Besides they’d released the money already and had approved five separate documents in the precise format they requested even when my bank advised the format they requested was totally out of the ordinary. I also said hey I get you have safer gambling checks let’s just agree a £50 a month deposit limit and i can have the odd bit of fun. Of course john must have been called back to the ‘relevant department’ as I am yet to receive a reply.
I went online again to chase it up that evening and Lo and behold i am totally blocked from my account again. I asked why and was told I am not allowed to be told which department is dealing with my review there is no timescale and to be a good boy and go away and wait. I said no. I have refused to do an affordability check, just close my account because you are clearly acting against ukgc guidance, you have no respect for gdpr and i do not want to be a customer of yours as you have confiscated my money as it is not in my online account and not in my bank account and there are two spurious correction entries post withdrawal confirmation by email. They said they’d close it, i asked for email confirmation which of course was never sent.
Oh, I forgot so yesterday I got my sar request email. It’s password locked and the app says they will supply a password by sms. In one of my convos yesterday I was finally told it takes 24 hours to arrive after the emailed file. Today I went on to ask for the password and was told it takes 30 days to arrive. I said hang on the file has a time limit on it are you sure she said wait and came back put a password in the chat. If they can do that why bother having the email and sms process…? Anyway I asked her to wait whilst I opened it and all it contains is a schematic for how they gather information, i.e. whether it’s from me or credit agency or other party. Then a spreadsheet with my names address etc and a short overview of my action. No response by spin data no deposit or withdrawal data by date and amount just an overview and of course zero information about what other info they hold, if they’ve done credit checks, how my supplied private information is stored etc etc. I told the agent I want the full sar file of what they hold about me and the full specifics of deposit, play by play etc and what they hav en on file and kept about me. For example did they keep my card proofs my passport my bank confirmation etc. She said that will take 30 days….
Anyway the same agent told me my money is sent - yippee. Just another 15 working days to wait for the wire to arrive - but this is up to, should be much shorter. I said great send me a payment proof. She refused. I reminded her that ibas says try one more time before you go to adr so she finally after 90 minutes agreed to give the old ‘relevant department’ a message. To her surprise but not mine they came back and said that no money was sent. It was held and under review and I had to wait like a good boy for an email with no timescale and no point of contact and frankly no hope.
Tldr: I deposited a total of around £1,100 hit a big win then a massive win, verified all details, money released but bounced back due to my bank not taking Apple Pay withdrawals from gaming. Betmgm start creating clogs and vanish my money from my player account!
