No GUTS/RIZK/BETSPIN/NETENT for Canada

[vinylweatherman]

2 of my Netents gone, still have 3 I am playing at, spot on VWM, just like a couple years back, something I commented about earlier in the post.

Genuine I hope

Still, Canadians were supposed to have been IP blocked from "tomorrow", and it was "across the board", not merely at Guts, Rizk, etc. Now we have the same situation as last year. Canadian players of Guts and Rizk have been sent an email telling them that NetEnt is no more, and it's across the board, yet "the day after the day after tomorrow", Canadian players are STILL able to play NetEnt at 3 sites, probably more. This, like last year, will have Canadian players feeling that Guts and Rizk have lied to them, and this isn't a NetEnt thing, but merely a decision by an individual operator to block Canadians from it's NetEnt games. This will mean that Canadian players, feeling they have been lied to, will not feel much loyalty towards the casino that blocked NetEnt when "It didn't really have to", which will mean that those who still offer NetEnt to Canadians will have a competitive advantage. This is the same problem Videoslots faced last year, having blocked NetEnt, their Canadian players started to drift away because they could play NetEnt "everywhere else", and at the time this included the accredited Guts, who said at the time that there was no such directive forcing operators to pull NetEnt from Canada, and that Guts would be offering NetEnt for the foreseeable future. Now Guts will get a taste of how Videoslots felt last year now that they have finally pulled NetEnt from Canada, only to find that a significant number of other sites have not, and NetEnt are not doing anything to enforce it.

It will only be a level playing field if all operators are FORCED to remove NetEnt for Canadians. Playtech and Microgaming can enforce their policies, so they have true "zero tolerance" because they can enforce it and the operators have no choice in the matter. It seems NetEnt have no ability to enforce, so if an operator decides to disobey the directive, NetEnt cannot "pull the plug", they have to take a long winded legal route, which can take years.

 

[Steviedoo]

Genuine I hope

Still, Canadians were supposed to have been IP blocked from "tomorrow", and it was "across the board", not merely at Guts, Rizk, etc. Now we have the same situation as last year. Canadian players of Guts and Rizk have been sent an email telling them that NetEnt is no more, and it's across the board, yet "the day after the day after tomorrow", Canadian players are STILL able to play NetEnt at 3 sites, probably more. This, like last year, will have Canadian players feeling that Guts and Rizk have lied to them, and this isn't a NetEnt thing, but merely a decision by an individual operator to block Canadians from it's NetEnt games. This will mean that Canadian players, feeling they have been lied to, will not feel much loyalty towards the casino that blocked NetEnt when "It didn't really have to", which will mean that those who still offer NetEnt to Canadians will have a competitive advantage. This is the same problem Videoslots faced last year, having blocked NetEnt, their Canadian players started to drift away because they could play NetEnt "everywhere else", and at the time this included the accredited Guts, who said at the time that there was no such directive forcing operators to pull NetEnt from Canada, and that Guts would be offering NetEnt for the foreseeable future. Now Guts will get a taste of how Videoslots felt last year now that they have finally pulled NetEnt from Canada, only to find that a significant number of other sites have not, and NetEnt are not doing anything to enforce it.

It will only be a level playing field if all operators are FORCED to remove NetEnt for Canadians. Playtech and Microgaming can enforce their policies, so they have true "zero tolerance" because they can enforce it and the operators have no choice in the matter. It seems NetEnt have no ability to enforce, so if an operator decides to disobey the directive, NetEnt cannot "pull the plug", they have to take a long winded legal route, which can take years.

And I've been playing some netent games at these casinos thinking...I should get my fill in now before we get cut off.....

 

[vinylweatherman]

And I've been playing some netent games at these casinos thinking...I should get my fill in now before we get cut off.....

Canadians should look around and see if at the end of next month there is an across the board block, and then again over the Christmas promotion season. If there is still NetEnt widely available, it'll be the same as last year with some casinos obediently pulling the games, only to find they are at a competitive disadvantage so they put them back again because NetEnt won't level the playing field by enforcing the ban.

Be careful of the fakes though, it seems this is another area where NetEnt are more vulnerable than other game providers.

 

[Captain Rizk]

Canadians should look around and see if at the end of next month there is an across the board block, and then again over the Christmas promotion season. If there is still NetEnt widely available, it'll be the same as last year with some casinos obediently pulling the games, only to find they are at a competitive disadvantage so they put them back again because NetEnt won't level the playing field by enforcing the ban.

Be careful of the fakes though, it seems this is another area where NetEnt are more vulnerable than other game providers.

This pretty much hits it on the nose. As per VWM's previous post it is as frustrating for us as an operator when other casino's are allowed to drag their feet but I have been promised by Net Ent that those that have not withdrawn their games from the Canadian market can expect "cease and desist" letters pretty quickly from Net Ent and if they still dont comply then their contract with Net Ent will become threatened.

 

[dionysus]

This pretty much hits it on the nose. As per VWM's previous post it is as frustrating for us as an operator when other casino's are allowed to drag their feet but I have been promised by Net Ent that those that have not withdrawn their games from the Canadian market can expect "cease and desist" letters pretty quickly from Net Ent and if they still dont comply then their contract with Net Ent will become threatened.

To be fair Cap'n, this has gone both ways. Back a couple years, other operators viewed GUTS this way, when they banned Canadians from NetEnt while GUTS didn't and in order to compete had to open the doors. I realize you weren't around at the time (in regards to Rizk), but this has been a waffly mess for some time lol.

I appreciate you're being compliant and that you've walked into a well, shitstorm lol. Canadians are the ones caught in the whilwind of the whole affair (could play here, can't play there, now can't play here, but can play there).

 

[BrianGhattas]

To be fair Cap'n, this has gone both ways. Back a couple years, other operators viewed GUTS this way, when they banned Canadians from NetEnt while GUTS didn't and in order to compete had to open the doors. I realize you weren't around at the time (in regards to Rizk), but this has been a waffly mess for some time lol.

I appreciate you're being compliant and that you've walked into a well, shitstorm lol. Canadians are the ones caught in the whilwind of the whole affair (could play here, can't play there, now can't play here, but can play there).

You would be surprised to discover what Canadians can play on the Euro sites. One casino allowed me to play the old Aristocrats such as Lucky 88, Miss Kitty and Red Baron. Another allowed me to play Novomatic slots such as Lucky Lady's Charm, Book of Ra and Katana Shogun. Seems to me that only IGT (except on PlayOLG.ca in Ontario) and WMS actually enforce the block for Canadians. Every casino has a different selection. Ultimately, it's the Leo Vegas model that everybody could be forced to have.

 

[dionysus]

Yup, different casinos let us play different providers. We just....cough....dont mention them.

 

[fun4all]

We just....cough....dont mention them.

Nothing to see here, every1 back to the winner screenshot threads as per usual please.

 

[vinylweatherman]

This pretty much hits it on the nose. As per VWM's previous post it is as frustrating for us as an operator when other casino's are allowed to drag their feet but I have been promised by Net Ent that those that have not withdrawn their games from the Canadian market can expect "cease and desist" letters pretty quickly from Net Ent and if they still dont comply then their contract with Net Ent will become threatened.

Exactly what the procedure was last time around, didn't work then, won't work now. NetEnt lack the ability to "pull the plug" from their end. I recall one operator rebutted the attempt by NetEnt to use legal means to shut out Canadians by issuing a counter argument that they had a binding contract that NetEnt had no power to alter unilaterally mid term, hence they would be offering NetEnt to Canadians for the foreseeable future.

It seems that the only way NetEnt can enforce this is to ensure that when contracts are renewed, the ban on offering the games to it's list of restricted countries is included. Part of the problem is that this isn't down to a change in Canadian laws, hence it is no more illegal now that it has been before to offer the games, so legislation can't be used as a reason for forcing compliance. In effect, it's merely a change of company policy at NetEnt from allowing the games to be offered in Canada's grey market, to a policy of issuing a ban ahead of the lawmakers. As such, providers can argue the toss for however long their current contract has left, which could be a couple of years.

This could be a slow process, and a total ban may take another couple of years as providers' contracts expire, and NetEnt specifically includes a Canadian ban in all new ones.

We may even see some casino who have pulled the games putting them back again because of frustration that NetEnt are failing to enforce their policy across the board, and them still running under a current contract that does not specify Canada as a banned country.

 

[slotmaster]

Exactly what the procedure was last time around, didn't work then, won't work now. NetEnt lack the ability to "pull the plug" from their end. I recall one operator rebutted the attempt by NetEnt to use legal means to shut out Canadians by issuing a counter argument that they had a binding contract that NetEnt had no power to alter unilaterally mid term, hence they would be offering NetEnt to Canadians for the foreseeable future.

It seems that the only way NetEnt can enforce this is to ensure that when contracts are renewed, the ban on offering the games to it's list of restricted countries is included. Part of the problem is that this isn't down to a change in Canadian laws, hence it is no more illegal now that it has been before to offer the games, so legislation can't be used as a reason for forcing compliance. In effect, it's merely a change of company policy at NetEnt from allowing the games to be offered in Canada's grey market, to a policy of issuing a ban ahead of the lawmakers. As such, providers can argue the toss for however long their current contract has left, which could be a couple of years.

This could be a slow process, and a total ban may take another couple of years as providers' contracts expire, and NetEnt specifically includes a Canadian ban in all new ones.

We may even see some casino who have pulled the games putting them back again because of frustration that NetEnt are failing to enforce their policy across the board, and them still running under a current contract that does not specify Canada as a banned country.

This is a good post except it is not even a grey area here, Their is (still) no legislation or anything even going on here in regards to online gaming. I don't have any idea or understand the panic from casino's and game operators and I have said this since the 1st panic began what like 8 years ago.

 

[Steviedoo]

This is a good post except it is not even a grey area here, Their is (still) no legislation or anything even going on here in regards to online gaming. I don't have any idea or understand the panic from casino's and game operators and I have said this since the 1st panic began what like 8 years ago.

Yes and why exactly is Canada on a blacklist.... have we pirated copies of netent games....are netent games available at our casinos...is it our proximity to the USA?

An answer to why we are blocked would be appreciated. ..we understand why the other game providers like wms and co are blocked and that is because of a deal with our land casinos....anyone know why netent games are being blocked?

 

[slotmaster]

Ya with wms at least they gave a "excuse" which is still stupid,lol. Oh people won't go to live casino's to play our games but oh wait you mean we will still make money if we offer our games online.

A higher percentage of play is netent for me so this sucks. Mind you I never played netent before I came here it was either microgaming or RTG which looks like it will be again soon or just go to live casino.

One casino here wants to do a expansion and Fallsview made almost A BILLION in revenue cause everyone is staying close to home due to our dollar. The casino's are not hurting.

 

[me_and_ed]

I do know that the issue with IGT and WMS sit with licensing, our B & M casino's in Canada are chock full of both.

 

[Harry_BKK]

Yes and why exactly is Canada on a blacklist.... have we pirated copies of netent games....are netent games available at our casinos...is it our proximity to the USA?

An answer to why we are blocked would be appreciated. ..we understand why the other game providers like wms and co are blocked and that is because of a deal with our land casinos....anyone know why netent games are being blocked?

The game provider are best at one thing....giving no or very vague answers!!!

Last December WMS blocked Thailand, which surprised me. I sent an inquiry to them and never received an answer. And there are no laws whatsoever in Thailand prohibiting online gaming. Go figure!!!

 

[Steviedoo]

The game provider are best at one thing....giving no or very vague answers!!!

Last December WMS blocked Thailand, which surprised me. I sent an inquiry to them and never received an answer. And there are no laws whatsoever in Thailand prohibiting online gaming. Go figure!!!

I sent netent an email. No response. Shocker.

 

[Nate]

I sent netent an email. No response. Shocker.

Tell them you found a glitch in one of their slots which results in over payments and tell me how quick they will respond

Nate

 

[Steviedoo]

Tell them you found a glitch in one of their slots which results in over payments and tell me how quick they will respond

Nate

Hahahahhaahha

 

[Jasminebed]

Offers (or rather lack of offers)

The email Guts sent us when they withdrew NetEnt from Canada stated:

All future casino promotions in Canada will feature fantastic games from other top-notch providers that still have the ability to offer their games for your pleasure.

To be fair, the Monday and Thursday deals do offer us a game we can play (I don't play every week).

But they have a Daily Free Spins promo on, just a "your country is blocked". They offered a wagering promotion for free spins on the newest NetEnt Theme Park release, no alternative for us.

I've yet to receive an email offering me anything special for Canada.

I was asked at the Amsterdam conference why I would choose a casino other than Guts to deposit at on any given day.

I understand that they can no longer offer NetEnt to us. In fact, I know I have did very well since they stopped, and I can't fault support or payments (although I would enjoy more flexibility in choosing my withdrawal method).

But to feel you are getting LESS than so many ofther countries, well...

It would be nice too if they offered the Play & Go in our currency instead of euros too. It's not the same at all sites, so it can be done.

 

[dionysus]

The email Guts sent us when they withdrew NetEnt from Canada stated:



To be fair, the Monday and Thursday deals do offer us a game we can play (I don't play every week).

But they have a Daily Free Spins promo on, just a "your country is blocked". They offered a wagering promotion for free spins on the newest NetEnt Theme Park release, no alternative for us.

I've yet to receive an email offering me anything special for Canada.

I was asked at the Amsterdam conference why I would choose a casino other than Guts to deposit at on any given day.

I understand that they can no longer offer NetEnt to us. In fact, I know I have did very well since they stopped, and I can't fault support or payments (although I would enjoy more flexibility in choosing my withdrawal method).

But to feel you are getting LESS than so many ofther countries, well...

It would be nice too if they offered the Play & Go in our currency instead of euros too. It's not the same at all sites, so it can be done.

Ya, tbh, I've been really envious of those posting free spins trivia (and you and I both play trivia daily and would play lol).
They might be smaller rewards, the FS, but they do equal a bit of playtime between deppos.

I was a bit more surprised to not get any FS for either spinions for Fire Joker as others had. Especially, being Canadian, those are 2 games I CAN still play.

To the Play N Go, I do remember once being told that the settings is in Eur and can't be anything but - but like you, I do have the CAD option for these games elsewhere.

Still a great casino - Yits did me a solid earlier - so not saying they aren't. But do remember us Canuckleheads when promos and FS roll out. I recall that email 'All future casino promotions in Canada will feature fantastic games from other top-notch providers' as well, so hoping to see some come our way

 

[bebo67]

How is it that VS is still able to provide NetEnt, while others aren't?

 

[dionysus]

How is it that VS is still able to provide NetEnt, while others aren't?

they aren't to, so sssh and enjoy while you can

 

[bebo67]

Mum's the word. Figures the one gaming provider I like, doesn't like Canada. Everyone loves Canada. what are they thinking???? lol

 

[Harry_BKK]

The email Guts sent us when they withdrew NetEnt from Canada stated:

To be fair, the Monday and Thursday deals do offer us a game we can play (I don't play every week).

But they have a Daily Free Spins promo on, just a "your country is blocked". They offered a wagering promotion for free spins on the newest NetEnt Theme Park release, no alternative for us.

I've yet to receive an email offering me anything special for Canada.

I was asked at the Amsterdam conference why I would choose a casino other than Guts to deposit at on any given day.

I understand that they can no longer offer NetEnt to us. In fact, I know I have did very well since they stopped, and I can't fault support or payments (although I would enjoy more flexibility in choosing my withdrawal method).

But to feel you are getting LESS than so many ofther countries, well...

It would be nice too if they offered the Play & Go in our currency instead of euros too. It's not the same at all sites, so it can be done.

Ya, tbh, I've been really envious of those posting free spins trivia (and you and I both play trivia daily and would play lol).
They might be smaller rewards, the FS, but they do equal a bit of playtime between deppos.

I was a bit more surprised to not get any FS for either spinions for Fire Joker as others had. Especially, being Canadian, those are 2 games I CAN still play.

To the Play N Go, I do remember once being told that the settings is in Eur and can't be anything but - but like you, I do have the CAD option for these games elsewhere.

Still a great casino - Yits did me a solid earlier - so not saying they aren't. But do remember us Canuckleheads when promos and FS roll out. I recall that email 'All future casino promotions in Canada will feature fantastic games from other top-notch providers' as well, so hoping to see some come our way

Welcome to the "CLUB of non-focus countries"

How does it feel to be in the "wrong" country??

Ever since i registered with them in Dec 2014 and they run a promo i get the message "this promotion is not available in your country" when i try to access it. And Netent is available in Thailand. Any substitutes for missing out on all those goodies?? ... pffft, wishful thinking

That is the main reason why they don't see more of my deposits, to be honest, although i do like them as they were my first account with multi-platform casinos but these selective marketing for some "focus" countries is putting me off.

Forgot to mention, been quite lucky with them. They are one of the few accounts where i withdrew in total more than i deposited.

 

[dionysus]

Just wanted to say, nicely done Rizk.
There were free spins in my rewards section, but because it was to a restricted game - NetEnt - I was prompted to go to support to exchange for an allowable slot.
Nice job accommodating your Canadian players.

 

[marcsudbury]

I just deposited at Trada casino and I can't play net ent games, just played there last week I think. Which really sucks especially since I only deposited for the 180 free spins on gonzo.. This sucks..