Casino Complaint Sky Vegas suspended my account - no feedback

[Atriumhelmet88]

Hi All,

Apologies if this has gone in the wrong place. This is my first post and I saw a similar post elsewhere, but it wasn't entirely the same as mine. I've been with Sky Vegas for well over a year now and had some ups and downs. In June however, I had a very nice win, roughly around £14,000 from £500 deposited. They paid out the winnings. Towards the end of the month, around the 29th I deposited £2200 back in and it wasn't the best of sessions however, I wasn't completely out - I still had another £672 remaining from what I deposited.

I am playing blackjack and all of a sudden the game closes on me and doesn't work. I reach out to them for them to tell me that my account is suspended and that someone will be in touch. Fast forward almost 2 months later, I have contacted them several times, but they are still not able to give me an update. Every time I get on the phone or chat with them, the adviser says it's with the safer gambling team who are reviewing my account. I decided to complain and they came back to me saying it's with security who are reviewing my account - again no one til date has come to me for any verification of funding etc. I have proof of where I funded both deposits in June (From my salary, then later my winnings from them) but even so it's never been queried. I have just been taken around in circles again and again saying I have to wait, with no indication of time or how to get this resolved. Has anyone else been in a similar situation/got any advice? At this point I would rather they just return the funds I have left if they aren't going to let me play, but they've already said it's within their right to hold my funds whilst the account remains suspended. A week - a month, I could understand, but coming to two months I really don't understand what's taking them so long...

*Edit in advance of approval...my deposit limit is £500 for the month, with the net deposit it went up to £14000 in June due to winnings, so I could have understood if their concern was how much I deposited, but (A) I was in profit for the month, and (B) I deposited using winnings won previously on their site. Not sure if it's relevant to mention source of funding, but I wanted to for transparency and best advice.

rant over, apologies - any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thank you in advance

 

[conker]

If I was you I would not play or deposit anymore money with SkyVegas until this is sorted. If it is with the safer gambling team they probably think there is something fishy going on with your account or they think you may have an issue with gambling. Either way, they are not going to move any quicker than they want to - which is as good as sign as any that they may not be a good choice for a long term place to gamble.

I personally choose not to play there a long time ago, for all the things they have done down the years, especially to their affiliate partners.

If it drags on for a few more weeks and you don't hear anything then you should consider raising a complaint to the UK Gambling Commission.

I cannot find a rep here to point you towards and they don't appear to have any representation at Casinomeister.

 

[Atriumhelmet88]

If I was you I would not play or deposit anymore money with SkyVegas until this is sorted. If it is with the safer gambling team they probably think there is something fishy going on with your account or they think you may have an issue with gambling. Either way, they are not going to move any quicker than they want to - which is as good as sign as any that they may not be a good choice for a long term place to gamble.

I personally choose not to play there a long time ago, for all the things they have done down the years, especially to their affiliate partners.

If it drags on for a few more weeks and you don't hear anything then you should consider raising a complaint to the UK Gambling Commission.

I cannot find a rep here to point you towards and they don't appear to have any representation at Casinomeister.

I definitely won't be using them again. For now my accounts restricted so I can't deposit anyway, but won't be doing so when this eventually clears up.

I've raised a case with IBAS today after reviewing the complaints policy. I'm hoping that resolves it, though ideally I would have rather this be sorted before 90 days, but that's the timeframe I've got from IBAS so I'm glad I've potentially got an end resolution date.

It's frustrating as they could at least tell me what their concern is as I've got a clear trail of my salary going in to when I made the initial deposit.

I've since found out it's being restricted due to "security" reasons that are being reviewed but again that's not helpful. Appreciate the insight though.

 

[jasonuk]

If the account is suspended then they're not going to deposit anyway - although I would extend that to avoiding all Flutter sites (Betfair, PaddyPower, PokerStars, Tombola etc) given the risk of contagion (i.e. the other accounts get suspended for responsible gambling or account security checks).

I agree with your observations on the time frame, a particularly complicated case might take a few weeks to investigate - but there are limits for a reason to stop operators ignoring into perpetuity.

While you may not personally see an issue with your play, that scenario has been highlighted in previous UKGC guidance as an unusual problem gambling indicator. It may not be true in your case, but the computer will say no all the same.

If you have already started a

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, then the clock should be ticking - which is 8 weeks maximum. If you can, ask to speak to a supervisor or the dedicated team dealing with your issue, because Flutter's first line support is notoriously bad.

You can also point out the

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- although be careful with waving around the ADR flag because they (Flutter) have been known to be vindictive to customers in the past and force them to take the "gamble" of ADR.

If they decide to enforce a responsible gambling exclusion - they will close your account and refund the money.
If they decided to enforce an account security clause - they will close your account and should refund the money unless they think you've broken the terms in some way.

If it drags on for a few more weeks and you don't hear anything then you should consider raising a complaint to the UK Gambling Commission.

Would be ADR, the UKGC don't accept direct complaints from players regarding disputes.

 

[jasonuk]

Adding since I was writing when the OP replied:

I've raised a case with IBAS today after reviewing the complaints policy. I'm hoping that resolves it, though ideally I would have rather this be sorted before 90 days, but that's the timeframe I've got from IBAS so I'm glad I've potentially got an end resolution date.

Unless you've got a deadlock letter, they shouldn't touch it yet - it'll be 8 weeks from the complaint and even then they drag their feet a bit to make sure you're not short circuiting the process.

I've since found out it's being restricted due to "security" reasons that are being reviewed but again that's not helpful. Appreciate the insight though.

They should still be answering one way or another at this point, 7 weeks is too long.

 

[Atriumhelmet88]

Adding since I was writing when the OP replied:

Unless you've got a deadlock letter, they shouldn't touch it yet - it'll be 8 weeks from the complaint and even then they drag their feet a bit to make sure you're not short circuiting the process.


They should still be answering one way or another at this point, 7 weeks is too long.

You've raised some good points. I guess they may see an issue where I don't, which is why I was patient and checked in from time to time, but again, I don't see how they can just point blank ignore me.

I've had a response to my complaint already which was that they've upheld the decision to keep my account suspended for the time being. This email was received earlier today which is why I raised it with IBAS as per their guidance.

Would you say I've followed the correct steps or is there someone else I should be looking to contact internally?

I'm not looking to give them any excuse to drag their feet any longer than they already have, but I feel personally they should just be transparent and let me know what their concern is so that we can either resolve it, or accept that the account will be closed and they refund me my money.

Thanks for mentioning their partner companies. I've made a note to avoid all now, just in case the issue occurs with partner sites as well.

 

[gonzo fonso]

casinos just dont like you winning BIG you had a massive win,just enjoy the money and play somewhere else

 

[conker]

casinos just dont like you winning BIG you had a massive win,just enjoy the money and play somewhere else

Rather than put it back in a casino, go book a nice holiday. When you get back you might have a reply from SkyVegas.

 

[Atriumhelmet88]

casinos just dont like you winning BIG you had a massive win,just enjoy the money and play somewhere else

Definitely enjoying it. No more is going in towards Sky and the money has already been put towards good use. Just a shame they've taken steps like this with funds still in the account.

 

[Atriumhelmet88]

Rather than put it back in a casino, go book a nice holiday. When you get back you might have a reply from SkyVegas.

Haha definitely! Already booked, that money isn't going back into any casino. Enjoying my winnings! Thanks again!

 

[L&L-Jan]

that money isn't going back into any casino

I got two words for you: All British Casino

oh wait

 

[jasonuk]

You've raised some good points. I guess they may see an issue where I don't, which is why I was patient and checked in from time to time, but again, I don't see how they can just point blank ignore me.

I've had a response to my complaint already which was that they've upheld the decision to keep my account suspended for the time being. This email was received earlier today which is why I raised it with IBAS as per their guidance.

That is a surreal response... I would have expected them to give you an update (the first part), then do the same stalling routing (but this time the 8 week clock is ticking) and then give you a definitive answer later.

I have to say that is bizarre that they consider the complaint settled when the source of the complaint is still ongoing after so long...

Would you say I've followed the correct steps or is there someone else I should be looking to contact internally?

They are clearly giving you the "talk to the hand" treatment, that they've already referred you to IBAS without meaningful investigation is a concern.

Yes, it's an unusual scenario - but given they've referred you to IBAS then that is a variation of the "deadlock letter" and IBAS will be able to proceed.

Good luck getting it resolved!

 

[Atriumhelmet88]

That is a surreal response... I would have expected them to give you an update (the first part), then do the same stalling routing (but this time the 8 week clock is ticking) and then give you a definitive answer later.

I have to say that is bizarre that they consider the complaint settled when the source of the complaint is still ongoing after so long...


They are clearly giving you the "talk to the hand" treatment, that they've already referred you to IBAS without meaningful investigation is a concern.

Yes, it's an unusual scenario - but given they've referred you to IBAS then that is a variation of the "deadlock letter" and IBAS will be able to proceed.

Good luck getting it resolved!

I've literally just got home from work now and as soon as I walked through the door I got the "account closure" email from Sky with the refund having been processed and returned to my account very strange the way they've dealt with it, but I have my money back. Case closed. Thanks again for your help!

 

[L&L-Jan]

I've literally just got home from work now and as soon as I walked through the door I got the "account closure" email from Sky with the refund having been processed and returned to my account very strange the way they've dealt with it, but I have my money back. Case closed. Thanks again for your help!

This operator does not take such actions for no reasons tbh

 

[Atriumhelmet88]

Pretty sure replies notify anyone following, but just in case -thanks everyone for your responses!

Sky just emailed me to confirm they've closed my account for whatever reasons they may have had, and that they've refunded my money back!

A bizarre scenario for sure, but it's settled and I'm done with them. Be careful where you put your money and good luck betting!

 

[L&L-Jan]

Pretty sure replies notify anyone following, but just in case -thanks everyone for your responses!

Sky just emailed me to confirm they've closed my account for whatever reasons they may have had, and that they've refunded my money back!

A bizarre scenario for sure, but it's settled and I'm done with them. Be careful where you put your money and good luck betting!

Did you play Evolution or pragmatic blackjack?

 

[Atriumhelmet88]

This operator does not take such actions for no reasons tbh

Honestly, I probably agree, however, they won't confirm why they've taken such action. I can't say I'm without fault, but without knowing what it is that I've done I can't really warn people otherwise.

I've been transparent with everyone regarding my query and if they don't tell me and won't let me know why they've had to go through this process I won't know how to avoid it next time. I can only put it down to erratic gambling?

I appreciate that sounds concerning, but you need to understand as I won more money my bets got more aggressive naturally, if it's for any other reason, I guess I'll never know.

 

[Atriumhelmet88]

This operator does not take such actions for no reasons tbh

Honestly, I probably agree, however, they won't confirm why they've taken such action. I can't say I'm without fault, but without knowing what it is that I've done I can't really warn people otherwise.

I've been transparent with everyone regarding my query and if they don't tell me and won't let me know why they've had to go through this process I won't know how to avoid it next time. I can only put it down to erratic gambling?

I appreciate that sounds concerning, but you need to understand as I won more money my bets got more aggressive naturally, if it's for any other reason, I guess I'll

Did you play Evolution or pragmatic blackjack?

I did play blackjack and both pragmatic and evolution sound familiar, but I can't say for sure if I ever did tbh.

I played a few variants of blackjack on their site, but most commonly All bets blackjack.

 

[jasonuk]

This operator does not take such actions for no reasons tbh

"No reasons" might be a bit simplified - given an operator reason doesn't necessarily translate to the player perspective. Saying that, while they are on the aggressive side with account suspensions and closures, they do tend to be somewhat fair in their settlements (with some notable exceptions, the Happy Hour scandal lives on in infamy).

Sky just emailed me to confirm they've closed my account for whatever reasons they may have had, and that they've refunded my money back!

A bizarre scenario for sure, but it's settled and I'm done with them. Be careful where you put your money and good luck betting!

Glad you got a conclusion at least - once the right person sees it, it tends to get resolved - but it can languish for far too long in the lower queues.

Also a healthy reminder why it's important to know your rights. I remember such a case (another part of Flutter) where a game round was settled incorrectly - they stalled me out for 5 weeks, I mentioned ADR deadlines and they tried to scare me into not asking for the deadlock letter (even though both operator and provider had admitted liability by paying the wrong amount of compensation), so I did... 3 days later they paid out in full instead of offering me the deadlock letter.

Funny enough, that scare tactic clearly backfired because they lost at ADR and had to pay all affected customers in cash - including the ones they'd already paid off with bonus funds

 

[PMKFRUITPRO]

One can only presume they thought there was some kind of ‘card counting’ going on and perhaps you’re betting style raised concerns to that effect??

Either way, yet another case of a casino taking the piss and confiscating funds with a brick wall silence. Something needs to be done about this.

Sky are well known for doing such things with punters that are more savvy than others on the betting side of the coin.

I’ve lost count of the examples I’ve seen where the likes of sky, 365 and hills quite happily take bets, then hide behind red tape to avoid paying out with account closures and winnings held with just deposits returned.

Take the bets, payout on them and then tell the customer they are no longer welcome.

 

[Atriumhelmet88]

"No reasons" might be a bit simplified - given an operator reason doesn't necessarily translate to the player perspective. Saying that, while they are on the aggressive side with account suspensions and closures, they do tend to be somewhat fair in their settlements (with some notable exceptions, the Happy Hour scandal lives on in infamy).


Glad you got a conclusion at least - once the right person sees it, it tends to get resolved - but it can languish for far too long in the lower queues.

Also a healthy reminder why it's important to know your rights. I remember such a case (another part of Flutter) where a game round was settled incorrectly - they stalled me out for 5 weeks, I mentioned ADR deadlines and they tried to scare me into not asking for the deadlock letter (even though both operator and provider had admitted liability by paying the wrong amount of compensation), so I did... 3 days later they paid out in full instead of offering me the deadlock letter.

Funny enough, that scare tactic clearly backfired because they lost at ADR and had to pay all affected customers in cash - including the ones they'd already paid off with bonus funds

Definitely, fingers crossed I never encounter anything like this again, but it's good to know your rights. They were very dismissive early on so I really wasn't sure if this would even get sorted.

 

[Atriumhelmet88]

One can only presume they thought there was some kind of ‘card counting’ going on and perhaps you’re betting style raised concerns to that effect??

Either way, yet another case of a casino taking the piss and confiscating funds with a brick wall silence. Something needs to be done about this.

Sky are well known for doing such things with punters that are more savvy than others on the betting side of the coin.

I’ve lost count of the examples I’ve seen where the likes of sky, 365 and hills quite happily take bets, then hide behind red tape to avoid paying out with account closures and winnings held with just deposits returned.

Take the bets, payout on them and then tell the customer they are no longer welcome.

I mostly played the casino game (not live) so not sure if there is a scope to card count or use any real techniques to boost my chances, but I definitely agree. There needs to be better transparency. I don't understand how it was acceptable to go silent on me and drag their feet. Sorted now though, I wouldn't use them again, even if I could.

 

[PMKFRUITPRO]

Were you using a betting ‘strategy’ or maintaining similar bet sizes?

Either way it’s still a fucking disgrace.

 

[Atriumhelmet88]

Were you using a betting ‘strategy’ or maintaining similar bet sizes?

Either way it’s still a fucking disgrace.

No strategy tbh. With the initial £500 my bet sizes ranged from about £30-£60 playing side bets every hand, and as I won more my bet sizes increased.

I hit the suited 3 of a kind and straight flush a few times, but there was no change in my strategy, unless I had a run of 3-4 losses in a row I typically stuck to 1 box blackjack and when losing I played minimum stake a few times with multiple hands to "change my luck" if that even is a thing

Then went back to 1 hand blackjack for the majority of play. Again, like I said, if I've done anything I wish they would have just been transparent and told me what I've done as I think it's BS that they came out and said "We have made a business decision, in accordance with clause 18.2 of our terms and conditions, to no longer offer you our services. We will not enter into any further communications regarding this decision."

Without any prior conversation of concern.

Either way, I'm done with them now and their affiliated companies.

 

[TheAddict]

Side bets usually decrease the EV on table games, i assume this is the case with the game you played. Can't see how they think you're any kind of advantage attempting player, if doing that.