- Joined
- May 4, 2024
- Location
- UK
Agreed, as long as you tell the truth and state facts to the bank they generally take the side of their own customers. If you make several deposits within a short time with illegal casinos, the names appear on bank statements all differently under unusual names sometimes under Russian/Chinese names which causes red flags with banks and they can see something is not right with the transactions as they would come under a single legitimate business name. All you need to tell them is the name of the website and they'll see themselves they are not registered to take gambling payments within the UK.Firstly, this thread is more than two years old.
Secondly, that's a very hazy view of the reality:
- Historically (as the rules are currently changing) Curacao casinos operated legally in a grey area - it was legal for them to offer services, it was legal for UK players to play there. They are unlikely to be subject to UK law if they have no footprint in this country - despite the ongoing mumblings of the UKGC and others.
- You are forgetting there are two sides to this transaction, and if you've used a one-time password (e.g. 3D Secure) then the liability has probably shifted from the casino to your bank. Since the liability shift, banks have understandably wised up on this and are more likely to push back - so customers should be especially careful of not saying or doing something that could also be considered payment fraud.
- "I do not recognise the transaction" - this would probably be a lie, and the bank can dispute this with 3DS evidence.
- "I played at a casino that I've learned is not regulated in this country" - this would be true, and the bank will be able to identify the merchant code masking (which is forbidden in VISA/MC terms and conditions), however the bank still has discretion here because you willingly performed the transaction.
In the unlikely event you lose you then have the safety net of the case getting passed over to Visa/Mastercard which I hear once again give priority to consumers in refunds. You can also drop game developers a quick email to ask if they're aware there software/games is been used on this illegal sites most will say no and this is a brilliant defence for the consumer. It's very similar to buying a pair of expensive trainers online to find they are counterfeit, the retailers refuses to refund and the bank in most cases will refund.