Alphabook Casino - Player seeks refund after reopening blocked account.

Guten Tag,

aufgrund von Themen in Zusammenhang mit Responsible Gaming habe ich im Januar 2024 mein Konto bei Alphabookbet dauerhaft schließen lassen. Dieser Bitte kam der Anbieter nach und hat das Konto geschlossen.

Im Mai 2024 habe ich mit den identischen persönlichen Daten (Name, Adresse und Geburtsdatum) aufgrund des Suchtdrucks ein neues Konto geöffnet. Lediglich die E-Mail-Adresse wich von den Daten des Kontos, welches im Januar 2024 gesperrt wurde, ab.

Die Kontoeröffnung war problemlos möglich. Anschließend folgten mehrere Einzahlungen im Gesamtwert von 1.000 Euro. Diese wurden aufgrund der Sucht komplett verspielt.

Am 31.05.2024, als mein Suchtdruck nachgelassen hatte und ich wieder die Kontrolle erlangt hatte, meldete ich den Verstoß von Alphabook gegen das Responsible Gaming. Der Anbieter missachtete alle Schutzmaßnahmen zu welchen er laut Lizenzvorgaben verpflichtet ist.

Der Anbieter zeigte sich zunächst kooperativ und bestätigte, dass die Rückerstattung akzeptiert wird. Daraufhin habe ich meine Kontodaten gesendet.

Plötzlich hieß es, dass nur die letzte Einzahlung in Höhe von 300 Euro aus Kulanz erstattet wird. Jeder weitere Einspruch von mir wurde abgelehnt.

Die 300 Euro habe ich erhalten. Doch die restlichen 700 Euro hat der Anbieter einbehalten.

Für mich ist das unrechtmäßig, zumal der Anbieter mit der Maßnahme seinen Verstoß quasi eingestanden hat.

Bitte unterstützen Sie mich dabei, die restlichen 700 Euro ebenfalls zu bekommen. Ich kooperiere zu 100%.

Viele Grüße

Dear KKK2023,

Thank you very much for submitting your complaint. I’m sorry to hear about your problem. I checked the Responsible Gaming policy and I found this:

You may at your discretion choose to exclude yourself from playing any games on our website. In order to block your access to the games or to the services and exclude yourself, you must contact our customer support.

Our self-exclusion facility involves a joint commitment between alphabookbet.com and you. We will take reasonable steps to prevent you re-opening your account or opening a new account but you must not attempt to re-open your account or to try to open new accounts.

Please note that all self-exclusions and timeouts are irreversible for the duration of the specified time. In addition, all self-exclusion periods are inclusive of all games. Your self-exclusion will apply to your account, and to any product that requires your alphabookbet.com's ID to play.

If you want any restriction in place permanently or for a designated time, please contact customer support with your request.

Please allow me to gather more information, so I can understand the whole situation completely. 

• Do I understand correctly that the second account has been closed?
• Could you please forward me the initial self-exclusion request?

Additionally, if there is any other relevant communication between you and the casino, please forward it to kristina.s@casino.guru. Alternatively, you can post it here. 

I hope we will be able to help you to resolve this issue as soon as possible. Thank you very much in advance for your reply.

Best regards,

Kristina

Hallo, ich habe eine E-Mail mit allen Informationen gesendet.

Danke und viele Grüße.

Thank you very much, KKK2023, for your cooperation. I will now transfer your complaint to my colleague Michal (michal.k@casino.guru) who will be at your service. I wish you the best of luck and hope the problem will be resolved to your satisfaction in the near future.  

Hello KKK2023,

I'm Michal, and I have taken over your complaint. I have reviewed your case and will try my best to help, but there are a few things I have to mention. First of all, we know from experience that it is not easy for players with gambling problems to just stop gambling when the temptation is great, and the casinos should take appropriate steps to help such players. We always strongly advise players to seek professional help with gambling addiction. You can find gambling help centers for your location here . Another recommendation is to use apps and tools to block access to gambling at a global level which you can find here. However, the player's personal responsibility also plays an important role in these situations. The self-exclusion tool aims to help players limit access to their casino accounts, and prevent financial losses. It is not intended for the players to exploit its potential vulnerabilities and subsequently request compensation. I will still reach out to the casino to see what can be done with your situation

We would like to invite Alphabook Casino to join the conversation.

Dear Alphabook Casino,

Can you please provide me with all the information and evidence to better understand the whole situation? It has come to my attention that the player may have provided different email details when setting up their second account. However, it is worth noting that the player's personal information remained the same. In such cases, it is expected that your system would detect this as a potential multiple-account scenario and prevent the player from depositing money until the account is properly verified. I'm looking forward to your clarification.

Hi all,

We have reviewed this case and, even though our license and T&Cs do not oblige us to refund the money, we understand the importance of addressing gambling addictions seriously. We aim to push the industry towards a safer environment for players and casinos alike. Therefore, we will be refunding the amount to the player's account.

Thank you all.

Best,

The Alphabook Team

Thank you for your response and the correct approach, Alphabook Casino.

Dear KKK2023,

I'm glad that the Alphabook casino team handled your situation appropriately, leading to the agreement to return all your deposits. I commend the Alphabook team for their fair attitude, even though they were not legally required to refund all your lost funds. As I mentioned before, based on our experience, it is often challenging for individuals with gambling addiction to simply stop playing. Therefore, we strongly recommend seeking professional help, as similar situations may not always have such a positive outcome.

Please inform me when you receive the refund so we can consider your complaint resolved, or let me know if there is anything else I can assist you with.

Hallo, bis jetzt ist noch kein Geld eingegangen.

Außerdem habe ich per E-Mail Kontakt zu Alphabookbet aufgenommen und meine Bankdaten übermittelt.

Ich habe zwar eine Antwort erhalten, aber noch keine Bestätigung über die Rückerstattung.

Somit bitte ich den Fall so lange offen zu lassen, bis das Geld bei mir eingegangen ist.

Vielen Dank.

Statt der 700 Euro habe ich leider nur 600 Euro erhalten.

Schon wieder hat Alphabook Casino sein Wort gebrochen. Ich zitiere den Anbieter: "Daher werden wir den Betrag auf das Konto des Spielers zurückerstatten."

Es ging von Beginn an um 700 Euro und es wurde nie von 600 Euro gesprochen. Daher handelt der Anbieter willkürlich und zieht einfach 100 Euro ab.

Ich bitte dringend um die Erstattung der restlichen 100 Euro auf das Ihnen bekannte Bankkonto.

Hi Konstantin,

This is our standard company procedure for refunds, which includes a 10% processing fee. Our team wishes you the best, as gambling addictions must be taken very seriously.

Thank you.

Best regards, 

The Alphabook Team

Ein Abzug für die Durchführung für eine Überweisung ist für mich nachvollziehbar. Außerdem passiert willkürlich. Es ging von Beginn an um 700 Euro. Und Sie haben nie etwas von Gebühren erwähnt.

Und dann ziehen Sie es einfach ab.

Werden Sie Ihrer gesamten Verantwortung gerecht und erstatten Sie bitte auch die fehlenden 100 Euro zurück.

@ Casino Guru: Können Sie hier bitte vermitteln?

Thank you for your response, The Alphabook Team, and for processing the player the refund.

Dear KKK2023,

Although I understand that the fee might be higher than expected, and I can agree with you that most casinos have a much lower fee for processing a withdrawal, but in your case, it was not a regular withdrawal transaction instead it was a refund of funds that you previously lost. The casino team must have issued special transactions with their payment provider. I must put this rule to your attention.

5.3. We reserve the right to close your Account and to refund to you the "Available to withdrawal" balance, subject to the deduction of relevant withdrawal charges, at our absolute discretion and without any obligation to state a reason or give prior notice.

While it may not be perfect, we view it as acceptable in your situation.

As I have already mentioned, we know from experience that it is not easy for players with gambling problems to just stop gambling when the temptation is great, and the casinos should take appropriate steps to help such players, but it is crucial to understand the player's personal responsibility also plays an important role in these situations. The self-exclusion tool aims to help players limit access to their casino accounts, and prevent financial losses. It is not intended for the players to exploit its potential vulnerabilities and subsequently request compensation. Such fees assist as a form of motivation for problem players to be more careful and it looks like they will be adopted by more casinos over time.

As we managed to find a compromise with the casino team to refund you the vast majority of the deposits you have previously lost I trust you will agree with me that your complaint was sufficiently addressed. Can we consider your complaint resolved?

Guten Abend,

ich bin weiterhin nicht einverstanden, dass eine Gebühr von 10% (100 Euro) einbehalten wird.

Hierfür gibt es doch keine Rechtfertigung.

Fakt ist und bleibt, dass der Anbieter den Spielerschutz mit Füßen tritt. Der Anbieter zahlt nun trotz eindeutigem Vergehen nur 90% der Verluste zurück. Und im gesamten Schriftverkehr wurde nicht einmal von diesem Abzug gesprochen.

Somit ist und bleibt es für mich inakzeptabel und ich fordere die restlichen 100 Euro. Damit würde die Angelegenheit für mich erledigt sein.

So hat das Ganze einen faden Beigeschmack, da sich der Anbieter mit Geldern von spielkranken Personen bereichert.

Viele Grüße.

Hello Konstantin,

Thank you for reaching out. I want to clarify that the 10% fee is a standard policy applied to all users on our platform, irrespective of their personal situations. This policy is part of our company's terms and conditions. There are several fees that we have to pay for these type of transactions.

While we are not obliged to offer refunds, we have done so in your case as a gesture of goodwill. Our refund policy is consistent for every player, and it is unfortunate that you are dissatisfied despite the refund provided. As you requested, we have closed your account. If you chose to create a new one with a different email, please note that it may not be immediately flagged, but we have extended the refund to you as a courtesy.

We hope you understand that we have done our best to address your concerns within our policy framework. We ask Casino Guru to kindly close this case. Additionally, we are mindful that discussions on review pages can potentially impact individuals with gambling addictions, and we strive to be sensitive to these issues.

Thank you for your understanding, and we wish you all the best.

The Alphabook Team

Thank you for your response, The Alphabook Team.

Dear KKK2023,

As I already previously mentioned I understand your dissatisfaction. While the fee may seem higher compared to other casinos, it's important to note that your transaction was a refund for previously lost funds, not a standard withdrawal. Additionally, the self-exclusion tool is designed to help players manage their accounts and prevent financial losses, not to be exploited for compensation. These fees serve as a reminder for problem players to be more cautious, and it's likely that more casinos will implement similar measures in the future. While it may not be perfect, we view it as acceptable in your situation. It's crucial to recognize that players also have a personal responsibility in these situations.

We were able to reach a compromise with the casino team to refund the majority of your lost deposits, and I believe this adequately addresses your complaint. Can we now consider your complaint resolved?

Wie gesagt, grundsätzlich finde ich die Reaktion des Casinos ja gut.

Nur die Gebühr finde ich einfach unangemessen, zumal davon nie gesprochen wurde und einfach wortlos ein Abzug vorgenommen wurde.

Das finde ich nicht in Ordnung.

Mehr kann ich dazu nicht sagen.

Ich hätte sehr gerne die 100 Euro ebenfalls zurück, um den Fall komplett zur Zufriedenheit abzuschließen.

So bleibt ein kleiner Makel haften.

Dear KKK2023,

Although I understand your dissatisfaction with the fee, we view it as acceptable in your situation.

The casino team has refunded the vast majority of your lost deposits, and I believe this adequately addresses your complaint. I once again must draw your attention to the fact that players also have a personal responsibility in these situations.

We always strongly advise players to seek professional help with gambling addiction. You can find gambling help centers for your location here. Another recommendation is to use apps and tools to block access to gambling at a global level which you can find here. However, the player's personal responsibility always plays an important role in these situations. Please be informed that if you open another account despite being warned, we will have to agree with the casino if they decide not to further refund your deposits.

The casino team acted within the established rules you agreed to when creating both of your accounts. I acknowledge that you may not fully agree with our perspective, but we believe that the casino made the correct decision in refunding your deposit minus the fee. We believe that your complaint has been adequately resolved and that the fee charged is acceptable in your situation. Therefore, I will proceed to close the complaint as rejected.

If you run into any issues with this or any other casino in the future, don’t hesitate to contact us and we will do our best to help.

Best Regards,

Michal

Casino Guru