I have played at VIP Lounge Casino since they first opened about 1 year ago.
I have had better wins there and certainly made much more than I ever deposited. However the last month has been a problem. The normal 4 days wait and being paid has not happened. My last withdrawal from just 11 comp points was $150.00, however that was 2 weeks ago. I have not received the money.
I actually cancelled the withdrawal and lost $50.00 so put in a withdrawal again for just $100.00. Received an email to say my withdrawal would be processed within 4 working days and it is still in pending. What is more, my emails to the casino are bouncing back as well.
VIP Lounge Casino is the most prestigious online casino in the world. We are completely dedicated to making the VIP Lounge experience the most exciting experience online. VIP Lounge Casino is owned by Weststar Accounting Limited , located in 19 Kingston Road, Shirley, SO15 3DB Southampton, GB.
Years of experience and knowledge in entertainment has created a sophisticated company that has mastered the art of online gaming coupled with player rewards for the sophisticated gambler. VIP Lounge has created a masterpiece, mixing basic online gaming customs and strategies with an upper class lifestyle based format and web site custom tailored for the distinguished player. VIP Lounge encapsulates world class entertainment, elite customer service and Real Time Gaming software in an indulging world of gaming excellence.
If the above information is correct, then VIP Lounge have nothing to do with the Virtual Casino Group of RTG Casinos
Keith.
That Southampton office is a smokescreen, designed to give the impression this is a UK based casino, with the higher morals that might be expected of a company sitting under the nose of the UK regulators.
Actually, it's total BS, MANY disreputable casinos have these UK offices, and they are in various locations, normally in the "bad part of town".
Shirley has a thriving shopping street, and it is very long - it also houses some less common businesses that one would not normally see in a town centre. It has at least 4 "Fruit Machine Casinos" along it's length, as well as some cheap office space above the many shops.
I would expect this "office" is nothing more than a letterbox, just enough to allow this UK address to be registered as the company HQ.
I have raised this "dodge" with the UK Gambling Commission, and the reply was:-
As you are aware, the new regime will come into force on 1 September 2007. However, the answer to your question is that in the new regime, a company will need to be licensed by the Gambling Commission
if it locates any remote gambling equipment (sometimes referred to as key equipment) in Great Britain. The Gambling Act 2005 defines remote gambling equipment in Section 36 - an extract of which is copied below.
(4) In this Act "remote gambling equipment" means, subject to subsection (5), electronic or other equipment used by or on behalf of a person providing facilities for remote gambling-
(a) to store information relating to a person's participation in the gambling,
(b) to present, to persons who are participating or may participate in the gambling, a virtual game, virtual race or other virtual event or process by reference to which the gambling is conducted,
(c) to determine all or part of a result or of the effect of a result, or
(d) to store information relating to a result.
(5) In this Act "remote gambling equipment" does not include equipment which-
(a) is used by a person to take advantage of remote gambling facilities provided by another person, and
(b) is not provided by that other person.
Because of these provisions, it will be possible for a GB-owned company to locate their equipment offshore - they will of course be required to follow the rules of the relevant offshore location.
British regulated sites will be required to display the fact that they are licensed by the Commission, and their details will appear on the Commissions register, which will be made available on our website www.gamblingcommission.gov.uk
This demonstrates how this "dodge" works.
Provided the office is just a maildrop, and houses nothing to do with the casino itself, other than marketing perhaps. It is OK to quote the address for correspondence, even though the casino itself is offshore, where it must obey the rules for the offshore location (Costa Rica
).
Virtual are sneaky though, they place this UK address in a very prominent position, whereas the Costa Rica connection is hidden away out of sight.
The intention is clear, an inexperienced player, especially one from the UK, will believe the casino to be UK based and regulated.
The only recourse is to complain to Trading Standards about the holding company, which is still legally respopnsible for any subsidiary it has a controlling stake in. Trading Standards could apply for a winding up order against Weststar holdings if it is found to be acting illegally, which would then make it an offence to display a UK address and a UK company number in order to gain credibility. (It probably won't stop them, but will make the execs "wanted" here in the UK, and may make the Gambling Commission look again at the practice of using a UK address and offshore equipment to fool players).
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