Good morning players,
In hindsight I should have investigated the casinos before I deposited my money, but cest la vie, we live and we learn.
I deposited $100.00 and took a bonus with Portofino casino. Portofino has video poker games that you can play 100 hands at once. This is precisely what I was doing when my $25 (.25*100) hand of deuces wild dealt me 4 deuces. Certainly the biggest single hand win of my gambling career. A quick run over to the Portofino website to read all the fine print, and back to the casino to start working on the astounding playthrough requirements (had to wager $22,500).
Met the playthrough requirements and requested a withdrawal. I received an email asking for some documentation, front & back of all CC's, ID, bank statement, utility bill, and signed for all deposits made over the previous year and a half. Did it, scanned em all, emailed them off. Two weeks go by and no withdrawal. I emailed the casino, and they said they needed my Social Security card. It wasn't part of the original required documentation, but to the scanner it went.
Another 2-3 weeks, and I log in to my casino account to see if the money has been moved, but there's a problem; I don't have a casino account as it has been blocked. No response to email. Call the casino, gal on phone cannot help. Call back a few days later; guy on phone says account blocked because they think I have multiple accounts. He's not forthcoming as to why they think I have multiple accounts, only mumbles something about they found another account with not the same but a similar email address.
Wrote these folks a nice, clear, professional letter. There is no response. Telephone calls are not returned. Emails are left unanswered. A word of advice for anyone in any industry; unhappy customers are usually not best handled with avoidance and silence.
I wrote them another letter this morning, less nice, less clear, less professional.
*A copy of this letter is below, maybe I'm delusional and they had every right to sieze my funds. Please tell me if I am.
Lesson: Investigate BEFORE you deposit.
But I don't want my fist post to be completely negative, so if you allow, let me speak highly of two other casinos.
First Web Casino has/had a 200% match bonus for new players. Off I went and downloaded, registered, netellered $50 in to my account. I cashed out 2 hours later with $1500.00, which was deposited into my neteller account the foloowing day. A week later they send me an email informing me they had deposited another free $100 in my casino account. Kudos for FWC.
Showdown Casino sent me an email offering a free $25.00 chip. Opened the account and won. Read the fine print on their website. I had already met the playthrough, and just needed to make a real money deposit ($20 min.) prior to any withdrawals. Deposited $50 and requesed a withdrawal. Two days later my $1300.00 winnings were in neteller.
So that's two big thumbs up for FirstWeb and Showdown, and a big thumbs down for Portofino. However I only have two thumbs, so I'll select a different finger for Portofino
Anyhow, all my gaming now consists of Omaha/Stud/Holdem, and according to Pokertracker, I am NOT the biggest loser out there. I'm also having alot of fun playing.
-Dave
Portofino Letter
Good Morning,
I sent an earlier email in November, and I have yet to receive a response.
I will briefly discuss the issues raised in my previous emails.
I opened my account in March, 2003. I played regularly, never exceeding $100.00 per deposit, but I'd make regular deposits, probably averaging twice a month over the 19 month period I played at your casino. I have never contested a deposit (chargeback?), and have never requested a withdrawal. On October 1st, I deposited $100.00 and was fortunate enough to win a nice payout playing deuces wild poker. I had accepted a bonus on my $100.00 deposit, and was required to make some minimum wagers (only on slots). I met the playthrough requirements (wager $22,500.00) and requested a withdrawal.
I was contacted via email and informed that I needed to have some information on file ( a 'faxback' form). I submitted the documents that were requested. After another 2 weeks or so, when I emailed to inquire as to the status of my withdrawal, I was asked to send additional information (Social Security Card) that was not originally requested. I submitted the additional requirements.
Another two weeks, and I check to see if my deposit has left my casino account and discover I have no casino account, as it has been blocked. Another email to discover why my account was blocked goes unanswered. Several telephone calls to get a vague, "you have multiple accounts". I do not have multiple accounts. As I stated in an earlier email, at some point between March 2003 and October 2004, I downloaded the software onto a friends laptop. I don't see this friend often, and have no idea if/when/how she uses the software.
Portofino's refusal to pay out my win isn't just. IF I did have multiple accounts, there is no way I could have used these accounts to give me any sort of edge with the games. If it is Portofino's position that my downloading software through the same ISP that I played my account with constituted a violation of section three of the 'Terms & Conditions', I would invite a closer examination of the wording of the section:
Only ONE ACTIVE ACCOUNT is allowed per person, household, family, household address, e-mail address, credit card number, and environments where computers are shared (university, fraternity, school, public library, workplace, etc.). Winnings will only be dispersed to players having one account. Not abiding by this rule is grounds for forfeiture of any and all winnings.
I have respectfully requested Portofino to review this decision, but apparently Portofino believes the appropriate way to deal with this is silence. Since my telephone calls are not returned and emails are not answered, that leaves me talking/typing to a brick wall. I will seek remediation via alternative avenues.
In hindsight I should have investigated the casinos before I deposited my money, but cest la vie, we live and we learn.
I deposited $100.00 and took a bonus with Portofino casino. Portofino has video poker games that you can play 100 hands at once. This is precisely what I was doing when my $25 (.25*100) hand of deuces wild dealt me 4 deuces. Certainly the biggest single hand win of my gambling career. A quick run over to the Portofino website to read all the fine print, and back to the casino to start working on the astounding playthrough requirements (had to wager $22,500).
Met the playthrough requirements and requested a withdrawal. I received an email asking for some documentation, front & back of all CC's, ID, bank statement, utility bill, and signed for all deposits made over the previous year and a half. Did it, scanned em all, emailed them off. Two weeks go by and no withdrawal. I emailed the casino, and they said they needed my Social Security card. It wasn't part of the original required documentation, but to the scanner it went.
Another 2-3 weeks, and I log in to my casino account to see if the money has been moved, but there's a problem; I don't have a casino account as it has been blocked. No response to email. Call the casino, gal on phone cannot help. Call back a few days later; guy on phone says account blocked because they think I have multiple accounts. He's not forthcoming as to why they think I have multiple accounts, only mumbles something about they found another account with not the same but a similar email address.
Wrote these folks a nice, clear, professional letter. There is no response. Telephone calls are not returned. Emails are left unanswered. A word of advice for anyone in any industry; unhappy customers are usually not best handled with avoidance and silence.
I wrote them another letter this morning, less nice, less clear, less professional.
*A copy of this letter is below, maybe I'm delusional and they had every right to sieze my funds. Please tell me if I am.
Lesson: Investigate BEFORE you deposit.
But I don't want my fist post to be completely negative, so if you allow, let me speak highly of two other casinos.
First Web Casino has/had a 200% match bonus for new players. Off I went and downloaded, registered, netellered $50 in to my account. I cashed out 2 hours later with $1500.00, which was deposited into my neteller account the foloowing day. A week later they send me an email informing me they had deposited another free $100 in my casino account. Kudos for FWC.
Showdown Casino sent me an email offering a free $25.00 chip. Opened the account and won. Read the fine print on their website. I had already met the playthrough, and just needed to make a real money deposit ($20 min.) prior to any withdrawals. Deposited $50 and requesed a withdrawal. Two days later my $1300.00 winnings were in neteller.
So that's two big thumbs up for FirstWeb and Showdown, and a big thumbs down for Portofino. However I only have two thumbs, so I'll select a different finger for Portofino
Anyhow, all my gaming now consists of Omaha/Stud/Holdem, and according to Pokertracker, I am NOT the biggest loser out there. I'm also having alot of fun playing.
-Dave
Portofino Letter
Good Morning,
I sent an earlier email in November, and I have yet to receive a response.
I will briefly discuss the issues raised in my previous emails.
I opened my account in March, 2003. I played regularly, never exceeding $100.00 per deposit, but I'd make regular deposits, probably averaging twice a month over the 19 month period I played at your casino. I have never contested a deposit (chargeback?), and have never requested a withdrawal. On October 1st, I deposited $100.00 and was fortunate enough to win a nice payout playing deuces wild poker. I had accepted a bonus on my $100.00 deposit, and was required to make some minimum wagers (only on slots). I met the playthrough requirements (wager $22,500.00) and requested a withdrawal.
I was contacted via email and informed that I needed to have some information on file ( a 'faxback' form). I submitted the documents that were requested. After another 2 weeks or so, when I emailed to inquire as to the status of my withdrawal, I was asked to send additional information (Social Security Card) that was not originally requested. I submitted the additional requirements.
Another two weeks, and I check to see if my deposit has left my casino account and discover I have no casino account, as it has been blocked. Another email to discover why my account was blocked goes unanswered. Several telephone calls to get a vague, "you have multiple accounts". I do not have multiple accounts. As I stated in an earlier email, at some point between March 2003 and October 2004, I downloaded the software onto a friends laptop. I don't see this friend often, and have no idea if/when/how she uses the software.
Portofino's refusal to pay out my win isn't just. IF I did have multiple accounts, there is no way I could have used these accounts to give me any sort of edge with the games. If it is Portofino's position that my downloading software through the same ISP that I played my account with constituted a violation of section three of the 'Terms & Conditions', I would invite a closer examination of the wording of the section:
Only ONE ACTIVE ACCOUNT is allowed per person, household, family, household address, e-mail address, credit card number, and environments where computers are shared (university, fraternity, school, public library, workplace, etc.). Winnings will only be dispersed to players having one account. Not abiding by this rule is grounds for forfeiture of any and all winnings.
I have respectfully requested Portofino to review this decision, but apparently Portofino believes the appropriate way to deal with this is silence. Since my telephone calls are not returned and emails are not answered, that leaves me talking/typing to a brick wall. I will seek remediation via alternative avenues.
