ThePalaces or thepalaces.com

[Keith Addy]

The palaces
Wow this is an unbelievable story and honestly still cannot take in whats happened.

So it begins
I sign up to the palaces it looks ok nothing special it has Mixture of Netent games and IGT . I lose fair bit but then limit myself to 100quid.

To my astonishment i received a lovely email from the managing director from his phone i think.
His name is Patrick Duffy signed Pardraig
Welcoming me and asking for feedback and basically any problems come back to him. Which i genuinely thought was a nice touch and i did reply and give him some advice.

Weeks pass by , This Sat 17th i said i will give the palaces a go again remembering that nice email.

So I logged in and deposited my maximum of 100 quid i was then instantly given 15 quid bonus i didnt ask for it but i got it.
My progress is quite good i am up an down as much as 800 quid then down to 500 and by that time 3 hours or so i wanted to cash in.
Guess what i could nt It was all wrapped up in bonus cash and even the local admin could not explain the situation.
The terms and conditions did not explain the situation.

I then found the bonus panel it said i had only played through 118 pound out of £450 but that impossible because i played up to 800 it didn't make sense.
Apart from it may be broken i even won 500 on when i began my gaming for the night.
So I waited till the next day i spoke to the helpdesk again then they explained that the bonus is not playable against the bonus that i had to deposit more money to get the money ?????
Yep your right predatory bonus time we've all been there.

I remember my new found allie caring Managing director Patrick the Padraig Duffy
Off to email land and sent off a email.

Hi Patrick,
Some time ago you sent me a nice email personally welcome me to your site.
Never the rest I thought it was a nice touch but you also said any issues please report them.
Anyway on the back of that I played last night.
I have a major problem with your system .
I deposited 100 pound got 15 quid extra didn’t ask for it but hey it’s a little bonus.
I managed to get up to around 800 quid from play many different machines and after a few hours I was back down to 500.
I tried to withdraw but it would not let me.
Saying it was still in bonus funds and must playthrough £450 to withdraw.
If you look at the players history I clearly over achieved that target by at least £2000 If you look at the history.
I think your system is not reporting it correctly.
All I want Is the 500 pound to be withdrawn.
Can you please look into this.

he replied

Thank you for your kind comments.

Now to your problem. I give everyone 15% bonus on all deposits and with bonus to avoid abuse and to be compliant with gambling Commission regulations there have to be conditions. I try to have the lowest wagering requirements possible so it is 2 X bonus wagering on Bingo and 30 times on Casino.

Now in addition if you have spent all your cash and you wager bonus then you win bonus and the bonus does not become withdrawable until the initial bonus has been qualified. If you go to my account and bonus it tells you exactly what you need to wager for it to qualify. You say you need to play £450 and that would be a casino bonus of £15 so 30 X is 450. Now you need to wager cash as if you wager bonus it does not go towards wagering so what I suggest is simply deposit and play away as normal in cash and eventually when the 450 has been reached all the bonus will qualify. The games will always take cash before bonus so winnings from cash are fine to play with and go towards wagering. If you are playing casino games every time you play in cash goes towards it so you play you win and play again it does take very little to get to the 450 so it is not a deposit of 450 but a wagering or playing of 450.

It sounds a little complicated but actually it is a simple mechanism designed to give extra value for players.

I hope this helps
....
When i looked at that i thought what type of bonus is that especially when i have a limit on my account its crap and 15 quid has just hijacked my 100 quid.
So i was not given any special welcome help as he suggested.
so i replied.

HI Patrick

This is not a fair system for a bonus of 15% working, I have never came across a system for a low amount of money it’s not clear in your terms and conditions. Were you get the money for playing more that predatory.
All new users will be put off by that. It not balanced as it deducts real money and turns it into bonus. I was never at a low point yesterday were I was left with just bonus cash because I won 500 quickly the lowest I got after that was £300 were I got up to £800 so it does not make sense. All that seems to happen is you turning a bonus into another bonus were you have to deposit twice.

Sorry but if that’s the case I will be reporting this to UKGC and writing a report to Casinomeister to warn users which I am minion for.


what happens next is unbelievable.

I went to the site and guess what my account is closed .
Asked the admin he said speak to Patrick i am wondering really!! could he never even sent me a email .

back to emails

So I have just been informed
You have closed my account.
For “unpleasant allegations in emails”
Reading my email I do not see allegations and for gm to do what you have done is pretty low.
Ok if this is the case I want a full refund of all my deposits please.
If you do not respond I will take the matter further.

he replied

The reason I closed your account is simply I do not want you as a customer and your unpleasant allegations and threats.

Now you can say this things to companies who do not have nor care about a reputation that has taken decades to build but I do. You signed up to and accepted terms and conditions. Indeed I have indicated incredibly clearly the terms on bonuses and I believe they are best terms that can be achieved for customers on any site.

I politely responded to your query and explained the bonus system and you come back with a very unpleasant response. I did not ask you to join, you elected to join, you did not have to have bonus, you selected the bonus you wanted.

Now if that is not good enough for you sir then take your business elsewhere.

You deposited cash, you played cash and had you have won you would have been paid cash. Had you have met the wagering requirement on bonus the bonus would have released as cash. You did not and so no refund is due.There is a complaints procedure please see it and use it if you feel it appropriate. The UKGC and whoever you wish are there and I have no concerns as my site is 100% compliant and I do everything by the book which is better than other, the only difference is I do not take threats and accusations of unfairness from anyone.

....

You believe this guy does he think hes the Gordon Ramsey of casinos .

so i sent him yet another email

Hi Patrick,

Absolutely flabbergasted by your reaction here.
You reach out to me as a user welcoming me and to report any problems or issues directly to you.
I do so after having a major issue with your system.
Then you treat me like some old time hick grabbed by the scruff of the neck and shown the door.
Seems to be a lack of professionalism on your behalf.

If I as a consumer feel that you bonus system breaks rules and is very misleading I am entitled to report it.
After all I am paying large sums of money into your product and I am the customer regardless of your reputation,
terms and conditions or how you run your affairs.
Also as a managerial director you should respect feedback also this does not put you in good light to close someone’s account directly.

You have created a system where I am at half time and you have my money tied up in a bonus to close my account under these circumstances again put you in bad light. I am a customer on your site, to say you owe nothing is a disgrace in itself. Your providing a service and not doing yourself any favours.

The ball in your court to sort this out .
Otherwise I will take matters further.

his reply
Have a happy Christmas and a contented new year

so i sent a report of to the UKGC.

I would like your thoughts please as think i have been harshly done and were i should take this next.
Btw Dont go near this casino or the Padraig

 

[KasinoKing]

Maybe it's just me (I am a bit tired at the moment), but I can't understand head nor tail of what either of you are saying about this 450 WR for the 15 chips of bonus money...

You deposited £100 and played with your CASH first - so why hasn't that reduced the WR...?

KK

 

[Jono777]

There is something which sticks out in your reply from this 'Alan Sugar' wannabe

He mentions we give all customers 15% on ALL deposits.

If I understood the way their wagering works then if this 15% is auto added to ALL deposits then it is physically impossible to EVER clear the wagering.

Not clued up on this and others can advise more but being as you are a UK player I would suggest looking into an ADR (alternative dispute resolution)

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

 

[RichyJ75]

Hmmmm, as in a ponderous type of 'hmmmmmm' on my part!

I have played at ThePalaces recently and although I have never taken nor received a bonus, I must confess to being quite pleased with them on their withdrawal processes. I played there late Sunday night/early hours of Monday and was lucky enough to make a withdrawal. I received an e-mail (from 'Patrick') in a matter of minutes confirming my withdrawal and the funds hit my bank account via my debit card within 24 hours.

Thanks for the heads up to your predicament, it has opened my eyes a bit wider to this group, although personally I have been impressed so far. However, I hardly ever take bonus options due to the aggro it causes!!

 

[RichyJ75]

you did have an option to skip the bonus though?

 

[Dinahnana]

The palaces
Wow this is an unbelievable story and honestly still cannot take in whats happened.

So it begins
I sign up to the palaces it looks ok nothing special it has Mixture of Netent games and IGT . I lose fair bit but then limit myself to 100quid.

To my astonishment i received a lovely email from the managing director from his phone i think.
His name is Patrick Duffy signed Pardraig
Welcoming me and asking for feedback and basically any problems come back to him. Which i genuinely thought was a nice touch and i did reply and give him some advice.

Weeks pass by , This Sat 17th i said i will give the palaces a go again remembering that nice email.

So I logged in and deposited my maximum of 100 quid i was then instantly given 15 quid bonus i didnt ask for it but i got it.
My progress is quite good i am up an down as much as 800 quid then down to 500 and by that time 3 hours or so i wanted to cash in.
Guess what i could nt It was all wrapped up in bonus cash and even the local admin could not explain the situation.
The terms and conditions did not explain the situation.

I then found the bonus panel it said i had only played through 118 pound out of £450 but that impossible because i played up to 800 it didn't make sense.
Apart from it may be broken i even won 500 on when i began my gaming for the night.
So I waited till the next day i spoke to the helpdesk again then they explained that the bonus is not playable against the bonus that i had to deposit more money to get the money ?????
Yep your right predatory bonus time we've all been there.

I remember my new found allie caring Managing director Patrick the Padraig Duffy
Off to email land and sent off a email.

Hi Patrick,
Some time ago you sent me a nice email personally welcome me to your site.
Never the rest I thought it was a nice touch but you also said any issues please report them.
Anyway on the back of that I played last night.
I have a major problem with your system .
I deposited 100 pound got 15 quid extra didn’t ask for it but hey it’s a little bonus.
I managed to get up to around 800 quid from play many different machines and after a few hours I was back down to 500.
I tried to withdraw but it would not let me.
Saying it was still in bonus funds and must playthrough £450 to withdraw.
If you look at the players history I clearly over achieved that target by at least £2000 If you look at the history.
I think your system is not reporting it correctly.
All I want Is the 500 pound to be withdrawn.
Can you please look into this.

he replied

Thank you for your kind comments.

Now to your problem. I give everyone 15% bonus on all deposits and with bonus to avoid abuse and to be compliant with gambling Commission regulations there have to be conditions. I try to have the lowest wagering requirements possible so it is 2 X bonus wagering on Bingo and 30 times on Casino.

Now in addition if you have spent all your cash and you wager bonus then you win bonus and the bonus does not become withdrawable until the initial bonus has been qualified. If you go to my account and bonus it tells you exactly what you need to wager for it to qualify. You say you need to play £450 and that would be a casino bonus of £15 so 30 X is 450. Now you need to wager cash as if you wager bonus it does not go towards wagering so what I suggest is simply deposit and play away as normal in cash and eventually when the 450 has been reached all the bonus will qualify. The games will always take cash before bonus so winnings from cash are fine to play with and go towards wagering. If you are playing casino games every time you play in cash goes towards it so you play you win and play again it does take very little to get to the 450 so it is not a deposit of 450 but a wagering or playing of 450.

It sounds a little complicated but actually it is a simple mechanism designed to give extra value for players.

I hope this helps
....
When i looked at that i thought what type of bonus is that especially when i have a limit on my account its crap and 15 quid has just hijacked my 100 quid.
So i was not given any special welcome help as he suggested.
so i replied.

HI Patrick

This is not a fair system for a bonus of 15% working, I have never came across a system for a low amount of money it’s not clear in your terms and conditions. Were you get the money for playing more that predatory.
All new users will be put off by that. It not balanced as it deducts real money and turns it into bonus. I was never at a low point yesterday were I was left with just bonus cash because I won 500 quickly the lowest I got after that was £300 were I got up to £800 so it does not make sense. All that seems to happen is you turning a bonus into another bonus were you have to deposit twice.

Sorry but if that’s the case I will be reporting this to UKGC and writing a report to Casinomeister to warn users which I am minion for.


what happens next is unbelievable.

I went to the site and guess what my account is closed .
Asked the admin he said speak to Patrick i am wondering really!! could he never even sent me a email .

back to emails

So I have just been informed
You have closed my account.
For “unpleasant allegations in emails”
Reading my email I do not see allegations and for gm to do what you have done is pretty low.
Ok if this is the case I want a full refund of all my deposits please.
If you do not respond I will take the matter further.

he replied

The reason I closed your account is simply I do not want you as a customer and your unpleasant allegations and threats.

Now you can say this things to companies who do not have nor care about a reputation that has taken decades to build but I do. You signed up to and accepted terms and conditions. Indeed I have indicated incredibly clearly the terms on bonuses and I believe they are best terms that can be achieved for customers on any site.

I politely responded to your query and explained the bonus system and you come back with a very unpleasant response. I did not ask you to join, you elected to join, you did not have to have bonus, you selected the bonus you wanted.

Now if that is not good enough for you sir then take your business elsewhere.

You deposited cash, you played cash and had you have won you would have been paid cash. Had you have met the wagering requirement on bonus the bonus would have released as cash. You did not and so no refund is due.There is a complaints procedure please see it and use it if you feel it appropriate. The UKGC and whoever you wish are there and I have no concerns as my site is 100% compliant and I do everything by the book which is better than other, the only difference is I do not take threats and accusations of unfairness from anyone.

....

You believe this guy does he think hes the Gordon Ramsey of casinos .

so i sent him yet another email

Hi Patrick,

Absolutely flabbergasted by your reaction here.
You reach out to me as a user welcoming me and to report any problems or issues directly to you.
I do so after having a major issue with your system.
Then you treat me like some old time hick grabbed by the scruff of the neck and shown the door.
Seems to be a lack of professionalism on your behalf.

If I as a consumer feel that you bonus system breaks rules and is very misleading I am entitled to report it.
After all I am paying large sums of money into your product and I am the customer regardless of your reputation,
terms and conditions or how you run your affairs.
Also as a managerial director you should respect feedback also this does not put you in good light to close someone’s account directly.

You have created a system where I am at half time and you have my money tied up in a bonus to close my account under these circumstances again put you in bad light. I am a customer on your site, to say you owe nothing is a disgrace in itself. Your providing a service and not doing yourself any favours.

The ball in your court to sort this out .
Otherwise I will take matters further.

his reply
Have a happy Christmas and a contented new year

so i sent a report of to the UKGC.

I would like your thoughts please as think i have been harshly done and were i should take this next.
Btw Dont go near this casino or the Padraig

I think this casinos needs to be in the rogue pit so badly. The bonus system is obviously predatory and misleading and to boot doesn't track your wagering correctly. It seems to me like this bonus system is set up similar to that of Royal Panda but on steroids and is all wrong. Sorry nothing against Royal Panda as that is a great casino just has a wagering system on bonuses similar (of course Royal Panda does it correctly and makes it clear).

 

[Nicola]

I have played at The Palaces a couple of times, claimed the SUB and the weekly 15% bonus. Never had any issues and withdrawals are less than three hours. I also got the "personal" welcome e-mail and seemed a bit suspicious as the headers went back to a ADSL IP address in Malta.

Patrick does exist, have met him in Great Yarmouth on more than one ocassion but don't think he would be the behind a desk person sending out personal e-mails all day.

 

[Keith Addy]

Maybe it's just me (I am a bit tired at the moment), but I can't understand head nor tail of what either of you are saying about this 450 WR for the 15 chips of bonus money...

You deposited £100 and played with your CASH first - so why hasn't that reduced the WR...?

KK

The in game console stated that the playthrough is 450 15 x30 i had raised 118 pound supposedly. I deposited £100 and £15 bonus.

 

[Keith Addy]

you did have an option to skip the bonus though?

View attachment 73956

I think i got it automatically. not sure though .

 

[Cocochanel]

There is something which sticks out in your reply from this 'Alan Sugar' wannabe

He mentions we give all customers 15% on ALL deposits.

If I understood the way their wagering works then if this 15% is auto added to ALL deposits then it is physically impossible to EVER clear the wagering.

Not clued up on this and others can advise more but being as you are a UK player I would suggest looking into an ADR (alternative dispute resolution)

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

Smart guy, NOT....but what nonsens this $ 15 bonus is, never heard of bonus rules like this before.

I hope the casino is forced to pay the player, and that nobody ever will play there again, then he can close the casino.

 

[brianleeporter]

I have played one this site for a while now.

Everytime you deposit you get the option to skip the bonus.

Never had a problem here myself like.

 

[Tirilej]

Are you absolutely sure that you never was down and touched the bonus? If you did, it stopped counting towards the wagering. It doesn't matter if you were given the bonus or choosed it yourself because as soon as you started playing you had accepted it.

If you're absolutely sure you never touched it then ask for your gamelogs and send a complaint....somewhere. You know the options.

 

[Keith Addy]

Are you absolutely sure that you never was down and touched the bonus? If you did, it stopped counting towards the wagering. It doesn't matter if you were given the bonus or choosed it yourself because as soon as you started playing you had accepted it.

If you're absolutely sure you never touched it then ask for your gamelogs and send a complaint....somewhere. You know the options.

i reckon i must have accepted the bonus which is sort of the back story here. My issue here is my account got closed by the Managing director and how he behaved. I never got anything back and he basically stole my invested funds.

 

[Tirilej]

i reckon i must have accepted the bonus which is sort of the back story here. My issue here is my account got closed by the Managing director and how he behaved. I never got anything back and he basically stole my invested funds.

So are you sure you never touched that bonus when you played? Were you never down to that amount of the bonus?

If you're sure just PAB. Maybe it can be sorted in some way. Just claiming that they stole from you won't solve anything.
A PAB will show the truth, and maybe there will be another rep signing up here if anyone else get in to trouble. That's always good.

 

[Simmo!]

If you opted into the bonus, even by mistake, then unfortunately you are tied to the terms. The terms here sound odd though: surely if you wagered over 450 already with the bonus+deposit then it sounds like it should be cleared. I don't get the need to re-deposit.

And if they choose to close your account then they should at least return your deposits. That in itself makes it worth raising a PAB or an ADR (see posts above).

On another note, it is bad etiquette to threaten a casino or any business with bad publicity if they don't do what you want. I wouldn't do that again. By all means take a problem you can't resolve to a forum but rarely will a player ever get what they want by using blackmail.

 

[Keith Addy]

If you opted into the bonus, even by mistake, then unfortunately you are tied to the terms. The terms here sound odd though: surely if you wagered over 450 already with the bonus+deposit then it sounds like it should be cleared. I don't get the need to re-deposit.

And if they choose to close your account then they should at least return your deposits. That in itself makes it worth raising a PAB or an ADR (see posts above).

On another note, it is bad etiquette to threaten a casino or any business with bad publicity if they don't do what you want. I wouldn't do that again. By all means take a problem you can't resolve to a forum but rarely will a player ever get what they want by using blackmail.

Hi Simmo the terms were not clear on the site
The terms is poor and complicated and at no stage it was fully explained in relation to my situation which i feel i never lost,they ignored it ,it took 3 attempts talking to the admins to make any sense of the issue .
I still have not had that conversion and cannot now that hes closed my account.

this part is bugging me maybe i am, bad judge of the situation. Do you think the following is blackmail or threatening.
"Sorry but if that's the case I will be reporting this to UKGC and writing a report to Casinomeister to warn users which I am minion for"
I followed that process through as i would if i bought a product returned it and never received my money back and the door was closed on me. I would complain the same way .

 

[Keith Addy]

So are you sure you never touched that bonus when you played? Were you never down to that amount of the bonus?

If you're sure just PAB. Maybe it can be sorted in some way. Just claiming that they stole from you won't solve anything.
A PAB will show the truth, and maybe there will be another rep signing up here if anyone else get in to trouble. That's always good.

I think i must have accepted the bonus although the managing director did say he gives it all the time. I can't check logs as he's closed my account.
Stealing though is up to interpretation i invested funds that was converted into bonus funds he has taken any opportunity for me to access them he also has not refunded my deposits and also has my private details.

Sorry but i am not just saying he stole from me i am warning the users that the Managing director as much as he say he cares about people and reaches out to them
he is very hostile and unprofessional.

 

[chiya]

Hi Simmo the terms were not clear on the site
The terms is poor and complicated and at no stage it was fully explained in relation to my situation which i feel i never lost,they ignored it ,it took 3 attempts talking to the admins to make any sense of the issue .
I still have not had that conversion and cannot now that hes closed my account.

this part is bugging me maybe i am, bad judge of the situation. Do you think the following is blackmail or threatening.
"Sorry but if that's the case I will be reporting this to UKGC and writing a report to Casinomeister to warn users which I am minion for"
I followed that process through as i would if i bought a product returned it and never received my money back and the door was closed on me. I would complain the same way .

I don't think threatening a casino is acceptable, and that's exactly what you did here. Saying that if you do not do X or Y or you will write about the issue on forums etc. does not do you any good .. And it is quite obvious here, as Patrick would hear none of it and closed your account. Sorry to say but you caused this.

Their terms are weird, but you accepted them nonetheless. From what I understand, you deposited £100 and got £15 bonus. Your balance was £115. Only cash counts towards wagering, so if you ever dipped to £15 or below before rising again, you were then playing ONLY with bonus money, which would explain why you've only wagered a bit over £100. And according to their terms, bonus money does not counts towards wagering so you would have to deposit to be able to keep wagering as only real cash counts towards it. Yes it's weird, and not many casinos do this, but again .. you accepted the T&C.

Judging from comments on this thread they do pay, so if your account was open your best bet would be to deposit £300 and clear the wagering - you'd still come ahead. If it was open, of course. Could try to see if they would re-open it for you though I find it unlikely.

 

[mimi26]

I can sort of understand the OP saying what he did, he must have been furious maybe it could have been worded a little better but the casino obviously thinks its OK just to close accounts the way it did and not return deposits like this has alarm bells ringing for me, and those emails supposedly sent from the boss are a little bit strange.

Regardless of FM playing there with no problems I think they should be wary, it does not sound like a casino I would like to play at.

The bonus is very strange why should you have to deposit again to receive winnings.

 

[Keith Addy]

I am glad to report the good news .
Partick contacted me and offered me an olive branch .
As some said earlier he is a good man and found it hard to believe in what occurred.

Today we both agreed to set aside previous emails and concentrate on the direct issue.
Once explained he understood my issue and explained the bonus terms and the fact that i was not far away from winning.
He even gave me 50 pound to play with to get over the bonus threshold and with another small deposit was able to boost my winnings to withdraw.
I have to say i was really impressed with Patrick or Pardriag and how he handled this situation and would like to take back all i said.

I certainly learned a few lessons recently with venting my frustrations sometimes it does help to maybe hold back a little for a solution.
I like the fact that he likes to stay in touch with his clients.
recommend this casino but please manage the bonuses carefully.

 

[Nicola]

Glad you got it sorted

 

[brianleeporter]

Glad you got everything sorted.

Like I Said previous the palaces is a good casino with good people behind it.

 

[Scotgirl]

Bad experiance

Hi
I'm new here and joined CM after being a long term lurker.

I also joined the palaces, deposited twice , had a decent win. I checked wagering to find I only managed 36 pence towards it. I read t&c's more closely and to my horror found that bonus money never goes towards wagering. My fault for not reading t&c's correctly ( however they are very confusing). But worse for me was that I was playing on my iPad and touch my screen when my whole balance disappeared! There was no visable "cancel" button. I lost over£500 balance. I contacted live help away and they said they would send this over to their technical dept. There response was that I cancelled my bonus. I argued why would I do that? There was no visable cancel button visable and there must be a technical glitch on iOS.

This was not accepted. I lost all faith in this casino and will never deposit again.

 

[brianleeporter]

Hi
I'm new here and joined CM after being a long term lurker.

I also joined the palaces, deposited twice , had a decent win. I checked wagering to find I only managed 36 pence towards it. I read t&c's more closely and to my horror found that bonus money never goes towards wagering. My fault for not reading t&c's correctly ( however they are very confusing). But worse for me was that I was playing on my iPad and touch my screen when my whole balance disappeared! There was no visable "cancel" button. I lost over£500 balance. I contacted live help away and they said they would send this over to their technical dept. There response was that I cancelled my bonus. I argued why would I do that? There was no visable cancel button visable and there must be a technical glitch on iOS.

This was not accepted. I lost all faith in this casino and will never deposit again.

I've had a few withdrawals before from these. Used bonuses too etc

Never had a problem while using them either.

I've used ios too and ever thing was ok.