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[ROGUE] HippoJo Casino - Five weeks and still waiting for payment

H

hitobito2005

Meister Member
PAB Experienced CM Veteran (10yr+)
Joined
Nov 6, 2005
Location
-
I signed up to the new RTG casino "HippoJo" in April this year after reading about it here and noticing that it was "Pending Accreditation" at Casinomeister (which it still is) - thus conveying that this casino is more than likely a reputable one:

https://www.casinomeister.com/forums/threads/hippo-jo-online-casino-launches.17298/

I played there several times in the following weeks and made three sizeable cashouts which were paid in reasonable time to Neteller. However, my most recent cashout of June 18th (a fairly large sum of money by most peoples standards) has failed to materialize.

Support are responsive and efficient in replying to emails (rarely taking more than a few hours) and the official line is that there is some kind of technical problem with their merchant Neteller account preventing them from paying. The first email advising me of this problem was sent on July 5th - more than two weeks have passed since then and a solution has not yet been found. HippoJo also seem unwilling to pay me by any other method, citing "delays". They are unable to provide me with any idea of a turnaround time, but assure my withdrawal will be processed in due course. I'm skeptical. :eek2:

I have been in contact with Bryan over this issue as well as regular contact with casino support and their rep here at CM - I hope this post is OK with all parties concerned. I just feel that players should be aware of any problems since the majority of posts I find about HippoJo are positive.
 
I think that after 5 weeks of no progress on the technical problems they should use an alternative method as a one-off until the problem is sorted.

I wonder if this "technical problem" is the same one that Playtech had a while back, it was not so much "technical", but a ban on funding their merchant account imposed by Neteller, and payments had to be made from deposits by other players into the merchant Neteller account.
If it was "technical" in the sense of computer problems, it would have been fixed by now, but if it is "policy" that is the problem, it will need one side to budge before anything is fixed.
It may not affect all accounts, perhaps only those in UK Pounds.

I had a true technical problem with the Jackpot Factory, but although it kept recurring, once I complained hard enough it was pushed through manually, and the longest delay was just short of a fortnight.

These problems should be taken seriously, if NO players can be paid for a 5 week stretch, word starts to get around, just as it did when US members kept asking if anyone had actually received their check from Neteller while Neteller were pretending they were actually processing them, rather than admitting the cash has been seized.

HippoJo should enlighten us as to the nature of this technical problem, or we might believe it is not worth depositing or joining up till a post appears to say all is well. This could mean the casino surviving on reduced deposit activity while players believe there is an ongoing problem of 5 weeks and counting with withdrawals.
 
Just for the record, they are no longer being considered for accreditation at Casinomeister. My apologies if this appeared as an incentive to become one of their players.
 
Casinomeister said:
Just for the record, they are no longer being considered for accreditation at Casinomeister. My apologies if this appeared as an incentive to become one of their players.
Click to expand...

I believe this WAS material in decisions to try them out.
Their explanation just speaks volumes for their competence, they are only NOW getting around to having their Neteller account operative, but have been taking deposits for months!
 
I had the same slowpay problems with them, i waited for a 2500euro neteller withdrawl over 2 months now and they alwys told me they habe problems with neteller.

Yesterday i asked them if they can send me the money over another payout method, and they confirmed me that click2pay is possible.

So i send them my click2pay details this morning and quess what, the 2500euro are already in my click2pay account. :thumbsup:
 
liquuid_fusion said:
I had an email from them on the 13th saying that their Neteller account is still not funded, and suggesting that a part payment may be made next week if the situation does not improve...
Click to expand...

Perhaps they have nothing to fund it with:rolleyes:

Else why the problem with other payment methods?

If they REALLY had the fine credentials as detailed on the "about us", this would simply NEVER have happened. Nearly 2 months to pay puts them well into "rogue territory", it's pretty much a technical non-payment due to the frequent stalling tactics followed by broken deadlines.
They have completely shredded any credibility they may have worked for before and during launch, and will now have to earn it back the hard way, as though they were a rogue just put on probation.

I am glad I was patient, and wanting to wait for them to be fully accredited before depositing - this has saved me a little money, and a whole lot of hassle.
 
Just thought I would update on my HippoJo saga.

I was promised a part-payment to Neteller (still no answer on Click2Pay) by the end of last week, but have not heard anything or received any money since the email letting me telling me this a week ago. I emailed them after the deadline had passed, but have not received a reply.

I have now been waiting 10 weeks and 1 day. :eek2:
 
To bad seeing a nice casino go down the drain...

They started out with a nice different image...but must have hitted some big winners.

Hope you get your cash!

GI Joe
 
Last edited by a moderator:
I received the following email in response to my latest enquiry after the deadline (Friday 24th, almost two weeks ago) had passed for a partial-payment of my cashout.

Hi liquuid_fusion

I can see you have been discussing this with Katrina. She has been away this
week sorry, but will be back in the office on Monday and will get back to you
then.

Kind Regards
Victoria
HippoJo Accounts
Click to expand...

It is now the early hours of Wednesday in Australia and I have not heard back from Katrina, despite sending another email to them this morning. The email appears to have been personally written but was in fact circulated round their entire cashout-pending database (probably most of the casinos customers!) as far I as can tell, as several people have posted exactly the same email on other forums!

The following link to the WOL forum describes another customers troubles at HippoJo, which seem to be similar to mine:

You do not have permission to view link Log in or register now.


I have now been waiting 11 weeks and 1 day. I have had many missed deadlines and broken promises from HippoJo, and absolutely nothing resembling a cashout, a partial payment, or a timescale for payment has materialised. They owe me just over 3700.
 
liquuid_fusion said:
I have sent a message to the HippoJo rep here, requesting that he replies publicly to this thread.
Click to expand...

This is looking more and more like a "can't pay" situation. Trying to fob someone off with a PARTIAL payout after 10 weeks is most telling.
Given that MANY players now have this problem, this is not just a freak technical hitch. There should be NO PROBLEM paying a BRITISH player in a timely manner, there are no "authorities" to hide the transactions from, it can all be done above board.
They might be giving priority to players who used credit cards to deposit, as these have more "clout" by disputing the charges - especially so where their net cashouts are less than net deposits. HippoJo marketed directly to the UK players with a GBP version of the software, and could have picked up quite a few GBP players who used a credit card.

Neteller may have banned this casino from holding a merchant account (high risk of insolvency), and this might be why they are "unable to fund" it!
Many Playtech casinos had similar problems with Neteller a while back, and were also unable to pay some players through Neteller.

When and if the rep shows up, there is a lot of explaining to do.
 
I am waiting for more then 3 months now. Everytime excuses and promises but still no money in my account.

I suggested click2pay a couple of times but they didn't want that.

2 weeks ago i was promised a partial payment 200 within a day but still nothing. I am waiting to receive 1600.
 
I requested a withdrawal of 1300 on June 14th. I got the same answer..."we are having technical problems with our Neteller account...our bank in Cyprus is not the best when it comes to fund our account.... and blah blah blah.

They gave me 300 about a month ago as a partial payment and got some nice and polite emails from them telling me my money is on the way.

In the mean time I was so stupid to make another deposit and win another 1200, that I haven't even requested yet (why bother?)

When they say your email have been forwarded to whatever department it is, don't expect to get an answer in the next few days.
 
Just updating myself on Hippo Jo by reading through this thread, it unfortunately has all the hallmarks of owners running low on cash and for some reason not being prepared or capable of providing further operational funds to management.

These non-payment excuses are typical examples of a management trying to hold the fort until more cash arrives that we have seen in other issues just before a casino collapses....or more rarely takes on a new lease of life.

I genuinely hope this is not the case (the crash, that is!), but it has proved impossible to get at the facts because the experienced and hitherto honest and reliable Australian managers looking after business for the owners have uncharacteristically stopped responding to email communications.

That's a bad sign, I regret to say.

If the support and accounting people are still sending out "holding" style messages, then there's perhaps a hope on management's part that the owners are providing more funding and that cash is on the way, so all hope has not yet been lost, although I can truly appreciate the frustrations of unpaid players here.

Hopefully at least one of the managers will be in Barcelona for EiG and that will provide us with an opportunity to tackle them face to face on WTF is going on here.
 
jetset said:
Just updating myself on Hippo Jo by reading through this thread, it unfortunately has all the hallmarks of owners running low on cash and for some reason not being prepared or capable of providing further operational funds to management...
Click to expand...
I believe Liquid Fusion's issue had nothing to do with a Neteller deposit since he used a credit card, so the Neteller excuse doesn't fly. I told them straight out "just cut the guy a check!" but they stopped responding.
 
liquuid_fusion said:
12 days after the promise of a detailed response within 24 hours, i've heard nothing.
Click to expand...

Looks like they have done a runner with the money, or there would at least be some payments to players from money they had received in deposits.
Anyone who deposited from a UK credit card can claim back the funds after a certain time of non-responce on the grounds that the merchant has effectively "gone bust" owing customers money. This is not the same as the "chargeback", but is another of the protections under the consumer credit act. The card company will make it's own attempt to contact the merchant for an explanation, but would still have to pay up should the merchant be unable to demonstrate they are able to meet their liabilities.
Other countries may have similar protection laws, most probably within the EU.
 
Disgraceful...

Yet they are still actively soliciting deposits from players, some of whom may not have a clue as to what the situation is.

I'm so lucky, I could claim this wonderful bonus not once, but twice!!! And they are still sending out the emails for their "Tipping" promo..where they offer you a $15 n/d coupon, but to be able to cashout, you have to make a minimum 30 deposit, and playthrough the requirements on that.

This is absolutely fraud, no two ways about it. Between this situation and the Atlantic Lounge one, I am beyond fed up with RTG.

----- Original Message -----
From: "HippoJo" <[email protected]>
To: <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, September 24, 2007 8:55 PM
Subject: HippoJo: 300% Deposit bonus ends September 26th


********************************************************************************
300% MATCHED DEPOSIT BONUS SEPT 25 / 26
COUPON CODE: SEPT300
YOU MAY CLAIM THIS BONUS TWICE!
********************************************************************************

Dear Lisa

Most players say that to really enjoy the experience you've got to play with real money. So, to give you a hand we'll give you 300%, bonus on your next deposit... sound good? Well it gets better, because you have the opportunity to claim this bonus TWICE before it expires at midnight on September 26th.

Because this is such an amazing offer, we have to limit wagering to Real Series Slots, Slots and Keno only. This is a limited time offer only running for two days, don't let it pass you by.

To receive your 300% FREE bonus :

1) Login to the HippoJo Casino Software, click on "CASHIER" and then on "Redeem Coupon"
2) Enter the Coupon Code SEPT300
3) Then make your deposit with HippoJo of between 30 and 50 credits.
4) May be claimed 2 times prior to midnight 26th September GMT

Your FREE BONUS will be credited to your account immediately so you can enjoy the excitement of HippoJo Casino!!

For full terms and conditions of this bonus, please go here: xxxx://hippojo.com/casino/promotions/SEPT300.aspx

All the best and we hope fortune smiles on you as you play at HippoJo Casino!

Kind regards
Peter
Promotions Manager
[email protected]
HippoJo Casino
 
Thanks Pinababy, I wasn't aware they were still sending out emails. I seem to have been removed from the list. That really is terrible! :mad: :mad:

I only deposited 600 by credit card, with the rest being by Neteller. Since they owe me 3700, i'm somewhat reluctant to claim my money back from the credit card company since it's only 16% of what i'm actually owed. If they do go bust, I will probably have to accept that route however.
 
This morning I woke up to find a 289 credit in my Neteller account from HippoJo.

The total amount owed is 3789, which was withdraw in 500 blocks apart from the last block of 289.

A token gesture? it's better than nothing, but it still only represents 7% of what they owe me.
 
Thank you for your email.

We are unfortunately expecting delays with withdrawals at this present point in time. Your winnings are safe, quarantined from all other monies, so please feel assured that you will be paid in due course.


Kind Regards
Victoria
HippoJo Accounts

Safe Safe, I don't believe anything of it... i want my 700 euros!s
 
same old said:
Where abouts in Australia are these guys,
I will have no problems going to there place of business with a list of questions for you guys, I dotn mind putting the wind up them..
I think there in Melbourne?
Click to expand...

That's a gallant thought, but are you sure? There seems to be a strange wind blowing. I wouldn't touch it with a bull roarer.
 
liquuid_fusion said:
With reference to the
You do not have permission to view link Log in or register now.
, www.hippojo.com and www.hippojo.biz (their affiliate site) appear to have dissappeared and apparantly emails are bouncing. I last heard from them on 12th October and have received no reply to any emails sent since then.

I've received 589 of my 3789 withdrawal submitted on June 18th. :mad:
Click to expand...

Ouch... not a good sign. Screams that they've gone belly up and disappeared into the night.

Good luck to all those who are owed.. My fingers are crossed for you!
 
What can we do to get our money?

Any idea would help.

any one that has any means or ideas how to recover the funds is welcome to contact me.

I am just trying to see what can players do to get their money.


I am starting to remember some old casino closures and other cases. I hope this case will be one of actual payments.
 
Last edited:
I'm contacting RTG now to see if anyone can put a boot up anyone's ass.

I'm truly disgusted with the entire episode. What seemed to be a great start for perhaps one of the few RTG casinos that had its act together nose-dived into a pit of nothingness. These people, who are well connected in the industry and who I counted on to treat players in a fair and courteous manner, totally failed everyone.

I'll see what RTG has to say - perhaps they can shed some light on when the players will be paid - how and when.
 
I'm in contact with RTG at the moment concerning this. I'm hoping they'll be able to give be a run-down on a payment plan.

It would probably be wise for anyone that is still due an outstanding payment PAB so that I can collect these and hand them over to someone who can put a boot in somebody's ass...

https://www.casinomeister.com/player-arbitration-pab/
 
For my part I've given those involved in the management of this operation an opportunity to devise a payment plan for players and disclose the owners, or face exposure themselves. No response thus far, and after a reasonable period I will disclose to those players who have been disadvantaged in this mess.
 
If anyone else is thinking of starting up with RTG - forget it:mad:

If a group of well respected industry stalwarts from Australia can make such a mess and then stonewall any attempts at an explanation, how will the next new RTG casino expect to draw in those first players. Players who have seen this unfold will just wait for someone else to be first, and if everybody did that there would be no chance for the business.

The time for pretending this is all a "technical issue" are long gone, something has clearly gone wrong, and coming clean voluntarily will look a good deal better than having the truth dragged out bit by bit.
 
vinylweatherman said:
If anyone else is thinking of starting up with RTG - forget it:mad:

If a group of well respected industry stalwarts from Australia can make such a mess and then stonewall any attempts at an explanation, how will the next new RTG casino expect to draw in those first players. Players who have seen this unfold will just wait for someone else to be first, and if everybody did that there would be no chance for the business.

The time for pretending this is all a "technical issue" are long gone, something has clearly gone wrong, and coming clean voluntarily will look a good deal better than having the truth dragged out bit by bit.
Click to expand...

Yes and this group from Australia were very reputable indeed. They had worked on several projects for the Queensland government.
 
Do you suppose they didn't have proper exclusions in place and got hit by a bonus syndicate, or were just underfunded and some smashing wins came in..? speculation at best, but it boggles the mind to try to imagine (without thinking of chicanery as a reason) what could have gone wrong.:confused:
 
I really don't know who was financing the operation. I do however know of Four Monkeys, which I assume were handling customer service and other operation departments of the casino.

They indeed are a reputable outfit and have handled several government tenders as I said earlier. They were also at the forefront of Australia's first regulated online casino, which was launched by the Queensland state government.

Their website is - Link Removed ( Old/Invalid)

Maybe the day to day operations management was outsourced to Four Monkeys, but as for the key people behind the operation... I'm just not sure. Maybe Bryan can elaborate.

In regards to why it all went downhill, I mean any online casino outfit which is just starting should expect to be in the red for at least the first 4-6 months. Unless everyone was playing $100 per spin and hitting the highest payline, I cannot believe they did not forecast correctly and didn't not have enough funds stashed away to cover players. You cannot start an online casino without decent cash reserves!!
 
lojo said:
Do you suppose they didn't have proper exclusions in place and got hit by a bonus syndicate, or were just underfunded and some smashing wins came in..? speculation at best, but it boggles the mind to try to imagine (without thinking of chicanery as a reason) what could have gone wrong.:confused:
Click to expand...

They were probably underfunded considering it was a brand new casino and they were emailing out some rather large bonuses just before they stopped paying. Whoever was funding the casino might have pulled the plug once they realised how much it was costing them!

Four Monkeys has apparantly only been a registered company since Mid-2006.
 
I'm reaching the end of my patience with these folks, and will shortly disclose full details on the individuals involved, but for the information of those players who remain unpaid:

After numerous attempts I finally received a response from one of the management team at Trustbond (something of a misnomer as things have turned out).

In what I am interpreting as a stalling tactic she told me that Hippo Jo has experienced server problems which are being addressed. In my opinion this is BS, and does not in any case explain players' emails being ignored, slow-pays and part-pays...and continuing to accept deposits when players are not being paid.

She also advised that the main manager behind this, whose identity I will also disclose shortly, has been incommunicado for the past four weeks with a terminally ill father who has since passed away. This has been confirmed through another source but still does not explain the lack of integrity vis-a-vis players who have been trying to get paid for a lot longer than four weeks.

Since then - nothing - and no attempt was made to answer my direct questions as to the identity of the money behind Hippo Jo or opening a dialogue to get players paid.

I hope Bryan's queries with RTG produce a better result than I am currently achieving, although I am still plugging away at this.

In the meantime, if you have a case against Hippo Jo please ensure that you PAB so we have some idea of the scale of the problem here.
 
This is an instance where, because the principles are principled, a chunk of change with total managerial control, could go a long way... and it may happen if RTG grows a gonad and starts backing up their product.

Most of us can do math... how bad could it be? House edge minus overhead = eventual profit.

F*cking bonuses.
 
jetset said:
In what I am interpreting as a stalling tactic she told me that Hippo Jo has experienced server problems which are being addressed. In my opinion this is BS, and does not in any case explain players' emails being ignored, slow-pays and part-pays...and continuing to accept deposits when players are not being paid.
Click to expand...

How long as their site been down? I'd site one week plus, easily. Now what kind of IT staff do they have working of them? Hippos and monkeys?

No matter what the issue with their server was, even if it had blown up, it would take only a few hours to setup a new server with tape backups.

Even if an international sea cable was cut by an anchor, it would take 2 days max to resolve... Server problems, lame excuse...
 

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