Main Street Group confusing terms!

[soflat]

CROGO, If you don't mind, can you tell us what country you signed-up and played from?

And, of all the casinos out there, how did you end up playing at two casinos within the same group?

There is an edge in the value of the currency - but there is not necessarily any additional edge from playing (ie. you can't bet 75 pence units at blackjack, only 1 pound units).

If they can justify the reason for taking of 5% (currency exchange) then they really ought to apply this across the board. If they cannot justify this then there is no reason that anyone should be charged 5% no matter what currency they play in.

If GBP depositors get 70% more than USD, that is a decent edge.

I don't think it matters why they have the rule. Is it because of bonus 'abuse' or currency conversion fees? The casino can set whatever fees they wish as long as they state it in their T&Cs.

 

[derelict]

They probably could make the 5% fee more apparent but I think I tend to think this isn't that big a deal and maybe you should let it go. I've played at a couple properties of theirs and my impression is that they are basically honest if sometimes lacking in their handling of customers.

I do think it would make more sense to disallow people from using currencies other than that of their home country. Really they're only hurting themselves by allowing players to claim bonuses in GBP while hitting them with a withdrawal fee. With all the other options out there, who's going to want to play somewhere that hits you with semi hidden fees?

On the topic of reputable Playtechs, I would seriously like some suggestions. It's my favorite software but I still haven't found one that inspires confidence. Main Street isn't bad but they tend not to read my emails before they reply. Not to mention the pants shit worthy email they send out when you make a withdrawal.

 

[GrandMaster]

But there is a "pound edge" if you're claiming a bonus, isn't there?

Why is it beyond most casinos' capabilities to give 60 or 55 instead of a $100 bonus?

 

[scrollock]

Has anyone bothered to PM VSummer, Mainstreet's rep here?

Well, I have - and I anticipate an explanation hopefully sometime today.



Shocked? C'mon, give me a break. No need for an unwarranted slam of a casino. No one mistreated you, hung the phone up in your face, or stonewalled you. Mainstreet is one of the best Playtech groups, if not THE best Playtech group of casinos in the business. I really don't think they are intentionally hiding terms, acting unprofessionally, or practicing deceit. They have a representative who makes herself available in this forum to answer questions or clear up problems like this. Please have the courtesy to contact these individuals when posting a complaint. This is clearly stated in the Forum Rules:
https://www.casinomeister.com/forums/help/

2. Posting Complaints

2.1 - Complaints against casinos or pokerrooms will only be posted in the "Online Casino and Poker Complaints" forum.

2.2 - Do not post a complaint without notifying the appropriate casino representative by either PM or email. The casino representatives are listed here.

2.3 - Ensure your complaint is free from offensive or abusive language, and that the complaint is tactful and truthful. Making false claims are grounds for banishment or drawn and quartering.

The reason for this rule (2.2) is so that we can come to a resolution quickly. And that's what we want, right?




The credit card difficulties only apply to credit cards issued in the US. I have no problem depositing via MasterCard.

right i will have to be guarded on my response to this group, as i have never had any dealings with them in either a player capacity or a professional capacity so i will be upfront about this.

i have heard enough on other forums not to play here,and thats excluding the playtech factor.

so i would love to hearryans explanation why they are included here, when not a single non-betting person in the UK has ever heard of them, yet even lesser operations without highstreet presence (like getminted,virgin etc) are household names.

i stand to be corrected, but it has been mentioned on these boards before, is any of these operations are they just companies who are in cheap offices above some shops who could dissappear at minutes notice, that is certaibly the impression i get.

but as i said i have never had any dealings with this group at all,whereas bryan says that any group he allows onboard here,that he has personally vetted them, so whats the lowdown on this group (obviously within reason with what you can say)

 

[scrollock]

right i will have to be guarded on my response to this group, as i have never had any dealings with them in either a player capacity or a professional capacity so i will be upfront about this.

i have heard enough on other forums not to play here,and thats excluding the playtech factor.

so i would love to hearryans explanation why they are included here, when not a single non-betting person in the UK has ever heard of them, yet even lesser operations without highstreet presence (like getminted,virgin etc) are household names.

i stand to be corrected, but it has been mentioned on these boards before, is any of these operations are they just companies who are in cheap offices above some shops who could dissappear at minutes notice, that is certaibly the impression i get.

but as i said i have never had any dealings with this group at all,whereas bryan says that any group he allows onboard here,that he has personally vetted them, so whats the lowdown on this group (obviously within reason with what you can say)

actually forget all that,put it simply, no reputable UK webmaster would promote this group above other Uk ops, so why is it promoted here ?

 

[soflat]

so i would love to hearryans explanation why they are included here, when not a single non-betting person in the UK has ever heard of them, ...

What is the UK, like the center of the gambling universe or something?

 

[scrollock]

What is the UK, like the center of the gambling universe or something?

erm no not yet, but is getting that way.

if we are talking "mainstreet" uk casinos, this group is certainly not mainstreet.

 

[The Dude]

The Mainstreet group of Playtech casinos are run by Marty Jensen who has been in the online gaming business for a good number of years. He has a high profile and runs his operation in a fair and professional manner. I had observed these casinos for a long period of time before bringing them on, and I am convinced that I made the right decision:

1. They run their own service and support unlike most othe Playtech casinos.
2. Complaints are virtually non-existant.
3. The operator is accessable and is commited to this industry.

no reputable UK webmaster would promote this group above other Uk ops, so why is it promoted here

What makes you say this? I could probably count the complaints that these casinos have generated over the past several years on one hand - and each and every one of them was resolved. Compare this to William Hill's vaccuum chamber of customer support and the comparison is alarming.

Just because a casino is located in the UK doesn't mean it has its shit together.

 

[vinylweatherman]

Shit Together.

These "UK Casinos", are actually regulated in places like Gibraltar. They are run under licence from the household names. William Hill are not the only reputable UK betting shop brand that has a casino with "vacuum chamber" support; Littlewoods are even worse. Intercasino UK at least has the option to E-mail Jane Bentley (and actually get a meaningful reply) if the normal Cryptologic support centre seems lacking.

Perhaps an explanation of this issue of the 5% fee to discourage use of the pound, when it doesn't actually seem to give a player an edge on bonuses, would help to clear this up and show that this is one of the few Playtechs that can be trusted.

 

[VJennifer]

General Note Regarding 5% Fees for Withdrawals

Dear Players

Apparently, there has been some confusion with regards to when the 5% fee will be applied to withdrawals. Based on the feedback we have received, we have reorganized our banking page to better explain when the fee will be applied. Please note that this applies for all our withdrawal methods.

We trust that this will clarify when the fee will be applied. This information is now available under our Special General Note section which speaks to minimum wagering requirements and withdrawals made by players outside the Eurozone or the UK for Euros and Pounds (respectively).

We apologize for any misunderstanding or inconvenience this may have caused. Feel free to contact our Support Team at any time with any questions or comments you may have.


Thank you for your continued support!

Regards,

Main Street Vegas group

 

[Vesuvio]

We trust that this will clarify when the fee will be applied. This information is now available under our Special General Note section which speaks to minimum wagering requirements and withdrawals made by players outside the Eurozone or the UK for Euro’s and Pounds (respectively).

So the only change you've made is to add a "Special General Note" heading and possibly add Euros to the currencies where you're charging the fee? (or were Euros included before?)

There's no particular reason to assume the 5% part comes under the new heading anymore than that it came under Overnight Express, though it's true no-one's going to make that mistake now. Perhaps you could standardise font sizes.

You've still got this nonsensical text at the top of the page:

We accept deposits in any currency. Player accounts are tracked in US dollars so deposits made in currencies other than US dollars will be converted at the current bank exchange rate.

Even if this is the case (which seems extremely unlikely) it's completely irrelevant to players. Perhaps you could consider leaving it out and if you want to have a note on currencies at the top then make it a note about the fact that if you play in the "wrong" currency you'll be penalised. The fact that any deposit needs to be wagered 5 times to avoid fees could also do with some extra prominence.

 

[The Dude]

Admin note

Renamed thread from "is deceitful" to "confusing terms".

 

[kreome]

I have to say that nowdays I have only good eperience with this group of casinos.

My question to the Casinomeister is how far in history did he check ?

I know that in the past this group of casinos voided payment of Danish players with no reason or something like Bonus abuse reason.

Do you judge a casino only for the past 2 years then they are absolutely ok (atleast with me and I have not seen any real complaint of no pay that was not resolved) or do you judge by past history too and then there might be a problem to approve them.

The information I have is from bet2gamble.com and also some forums I remember from the past

 

[nektar4d]

just 2 tips

I dont know about their past but I am a satisfied player for the last 2 months that I have joined this group. I think there are a couple of matters that could improve the overall image:

1) Perhaps its time to re-consider the above mentioned withdraw fees. Competition is hard out there and although there are a few reliable playtech casinos, most of them don't apply such fees.

2) Partial withdraws (where the deposit is returned firstly and then the winning separately after 3-5 business days).
I have experienced next day withdraw from your casinos in my first withdraws and I was satisfied. What may be the need to change this now to the partial-withdraw model? (again competition may help)

If many players complain about these 2 details, situation may change.
Then the forums and these casinos will get more happy players.

'Happy players' love simple terms

 

[The Dude]

I have to say that nowdays I have only good eperience with this group of casinos.

My question to the Casinomeister is how far in history did he check ?

I know that in the past this group of casinos voided payment of Danish players with no reason or something like Bonus abuse reason.

Do you judge a casino only for the past 2 years then they are absolutely ok (atleast with me and I have not seen any real complaint of no pay that was not resolved) or do you judge by past history too and then there might be a problem to approve them.

The information I have is from bet2gamble.com and also some forums I remember from the past

I go back to the beginning. And actually, the Danes who were involved with this were paid. This is an excerpt from an interview that Brian Cullingworth did with Gambling911 two years ago:

Brian Cullingworth Question: The Danish bonus and winnings disqualifications two or more years back created a great deal of hostility to MSV among Danish folks and the playing community in general. In more recent times we understand that you have admitted this was a mistake, and that you have now paid all claims made within your deadlines for this incident? Are Danish players now welcome at your casinos, or are any "special" conditions applied to them (ie no bonuses or heavier wager thru' requirements?)

Marty Jensen: The Danish players are welcome but....there are higher player requirements for this particular group for them to receive and cash out any type of bonus.

 

[kreome]

If this is the case then I find them reputable and much better than many casinos I know, not to mention who.

Playtech runs a honest software and once the casino pays it is enough to play there and this group pay ok.

They also have good weekly bonuses.

 

[The Watchdog]

Playtech and Mainstreet

I really enjoy following Brians work... He really is something on spotting bad businesses and evil casinos.

Playtech, for me, is the best gaming software available. They might not have as much sites as microgaming or Rtg... but check it for your self. Their games are nice, their payouts are great and their software can not be compared to other.

They recenlty went public on the London Stock Exchange and are doing awesome. By the 2nd day on the LSE their site was updated and some new casinos have been launched since.

Regarding the Mainstreet group, I work in Costa Rica and have some knowledge of the industry. The Mainstreet Group, regardless what anyone say, runs a legit and honest business. They are always on top to make sure their customer service staff provides the best service and make sure to satisfy all their customers needs.

I have always said that Playtech should be more on top of casinos who give a bad reputation to their brand. Is a shame that such a good software is considered by some people to be bad or a scam only because some companies believe they can run a decent operation.

If you call any Mainstreet Vegas Group casino through chat, email or phone you will always receive a professional answer, never a busy dial tone, and their chats are always answered regardless the time of the day within seconds.

I am not an online casino fan, however this will be a site I will make business with. All you need to do is contact them and see for your self the service.

Somethings, as in all companies, are not right. Their payouts procedure is not the best, however they will pay any amount won fair and square. They do match up deposits first, and then like 2 days later winnings. However you can be sure that their operation is a legit one. You don't have to listen to me, just take a look what the Meister said.

 

[CROGO]

Well this complaint is NOT resolved.

Mainstreet is still refusing to cough up the commission they charged me on my winnings.

The change in terms is too late for them to apply this to my account retroactively. In fact, changing the terms after the fact is an admission that terms were not sufficient to form a valid agreement between us. I NEVER AGREED TO THIS! These Terms and Conditions form contracts between the parties, and I cannot, under the law of contract, be found to have agreed to what Mainstreet group’s rep now admits were “confusing” terms.

So then what has Mainstreet done to deserve to charge me a commission on my winnings?

Please let me explain you that the charge is issued because our main accounts are in US Dollars and every time we make currency exchanges to EUROS & Great Britain Pound we have to pay an overprice in the exchange rate it is used for the conversion.
Unfortunately, we are not able to refund you the amount deducted because of the reason stated.
Kind Regards,
Summer Blair

Maybe the “main” accounts are in $US, but she didn’t say they didn’t have accounts in GB pounds or euros! The problem with this cover story is that Mainstreet group doesn’t NEED to pay an overprice on currency exchange rates, it CHOOSES to pay an overprice on the exchange rate. The Mainstreet group casinos in question both state:

“Financial transactions are processed through RX Advertising Limited, 48 Bedford Road, Ruislip, Middlesex, HA4 6NA, UK; owner of this casino.”

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So the reality here is that I deposited in GB pounds, I wagered in GB pounds, and I was paid in GB pounds by a British company. It appears that RX Advertising Limited, a British company and the owner of these casinos, is the party profiting from this “confusion” by selectively overcharging the patrons of its subsidiary casinos. Since RX Advertising Limited has unfairly profited at my expense, how can I file a complaint against this company with British authorities?

And no Bryan, I still don’t understand why this group of casinos is on the recommended list here. Their rep here appears to think I am stupid, and she is very mistaken. The problem is not that they are “unable” to refund the commission on winnings they charged, the problem is that RX Advertising Limited, the owner of the casinos, REFUSES to pay me what I won!

 

[vinylweatherman]

UK Addresses

These UK addresses are only processing companies. A few other casinos use these too.
I can now speak from experience, and in theory there DOES appear to be an opportunity to "abuse" the currency edge as the bonus on sign up is $125 or 125. Although the casino charges this 5% if you are not UK resident, my withdrawals are in GBP rather than USD, so there is no conversion charge at Neteller.

I do believe, however, that the issue of how currency is handled at some casinos needs clarification. Often what you see is not what you get due to behind the scenes currency exchanges.

I have just tried Intertops, and GBP is allowed for me. When I deposited, it exchanged the currency to the base account USD, however, my Neteller was deductd in GBP and no "leakage" of funds was experienced.

If you are to be charged 5% for having the account in GBP, it might be better paying for the exchange at your end and registering to play in USD. Main Street will not then take a 5% cut, and you will pay around 2.5% at your end, maybe less if you open an eWallet account in USD and pay the exchange fee once when funding it for all USD casino accounts.

It's a shame I can't have two Neteller accounts, one in GBP and one in USD, it would save a little in exchanges as I like to keep my money on the move as this seems to make the casinos a little hotter.

I am impressed by the Playtech slots, I have been playing slots only and have not lost a dime, in fact I am ahead! This would be pretty unusual at MG without a big hit or two. The only downside is the software occasionally freezes solid for no apparent reason, usually on slots autoplay.

 

[CROGO]

These UK addresses are only processing companies. A few other casinos use these too.

So then why does Mainstreet group list them as the owner of the casino? (It is the same address listed at each casino.)

Something is very wrong here!

 

[vinylweatherman]

Worth a look

Might be worth a look, this is possibly a holding company, but if the casino is actually based there they would need a UK licence, which are not available till 2007.

Try looking them up on the UK Companies house website (I may try this). If they are a PLC, then it should be possible to get an annual report out of them to see exactly what they do, and how much they make and on what. Far better than being based in Belize where it is impossible to find out anything useful.

 

[CROGO]

No I don't think the casino is based there, but they appear to be using the holding company to double charge high exchange fees. If you deposit in pounds they convert it into dollars, charge a fee, and if you win they change it back and charge another fee. Its just a good way to charge a fee to a subsidiary and move the profits around. This would be fine if they kept to themselves, but they appear to be using this to punish certain customers at the casinos.

This is unacceptable.

If I deposited 100 GBP why should I pay a 5% fee to withdrawal it?

I never had the choice of collecting the winnings in dollars, and I would have preferred that.

 

[GrandMaster]

Financial transactions are processed through RX Advertising Limited, 48 Bedford Road, Ruislip, Middlesex, HA4 6NA, UK; owner of this casino.

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Companies House information:
RX ADVERTISING LIMITED
48 BEDFORD ROAD
RUISLIP
MIDDLESEX HA4 6NA
Company No. 05103364


Status: Dissolved 17/01/2006

This is not good.

 

[vinylweatherman]

Oh Dear

This had better just be a lack of a website update!
As Bryan has them listed, perhaps he can find out if this is the case as he seems to know the owner(s).

My withdrawal from Diamond Deal appears to be being processed properly, deposit refunded in a day or so, and a five day audit for winnings. A pain, but better than waiting 5 days for both deposit and winnings! The returned deposit can be put to immediate use!

 

[CROGO]

Companies House information:
RX ADVERTISING LIMITED
48 BEDFORD ROAD
RUISLIP
MIDDLESEX HA4 6NA
Company No. 05103364


Status: Dissolved 17/01/2006

This is not good.

Look at these too:

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Each of these Mainstreet casinos states that it is owned by a dissolved company that is processing the financial transactions!

Again, they charged me hidden fees and misrepresented who owned the casino and who was processing my payment!

Why are these casinos on the approved list here?