BK8 Casino - Player's self-exclusion was prematurely lifted.

Previously on BK8, I requested to be self-excluded for 5 years, however, after a few months, my gambling addiction came back and I asked for the self-exclusion to be removed. They allowed me to remove it and stated that Curacao had allowed that to happen. I lost around SGD$200,000 - SGD$300,000 since. I believe that self-exclusion should not be lifted until the period is over since they know that I'm a problem gambler. Please help me, I've lost my life savings and am in debt due to it. I have a video proof of it, please tell me where to upload as the file size is too large even after zipping it.

Dear Weijie,

Thank you very much for submitting your complaint. I’m sorry to hear about your problem. Before we contact the casino and ask for their standpoint, could you please forward emails or screenshots showing that you have sent a request for a self-exclusion? My email address is petronela.k@casino.guru.

• Did you specify in that request for how long you wish your account to be suspended and the reason why?

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

Best regards,

Petronela

Hi,

Yes, I did specify the duration that I wish to self-exclude and the reason for it however is not in the video proof. I've forwarded the video to you in your email.

Thank you!

If possible, I would like the casino to refund all the amount I have deposited after the self-exclusion was lifted prematurely.

Hi Weijie,

Thank you for sharing the communication that occurred after the self-exclusion was lifted.

• Have you retained the correspondence that preceded the self-exclusion?
• Specifically, did you explicitly cite a gambling problem as the reason for initiating the self-exclusion in the first instance?

Thank you.

Hi,

I do not have the initial conversation but I have provided the conversation between me and BK8 through email as I try to retrieve back the conversation. I hope it helps to this case. Please help me on this case, I desperately need help on this.

Thank you in advance!

Hi Weijie,

I regret to inform you that based on the forwarded communication, we have learned that your account was blocked and subsequently, you requested to have the block lifted. Without substantial evidence indicating that you requested self-exclusion due to a gambling problem, we may also assume that you simply asked for an account closure.

• Is there any chance that you could request the relevant communication from September when you requested to have your account blocked directly from the casino?

Thank you.

Hi,

Based on the first video of the conversation that was recorded, it was clearly stated that I have requested for a ‘self-exclusion’ that was later lifted. On the 2nd video of the conversation, I was quoted saying ‘I want to self exclude, I don’t want to gamble anymore, have to stop myself with this self-exclusion’

The casino would not provide me with the full conversation. Despite this, shouldn’t a self-exclusion of 5 years not lift until the period is over?

Appreciate your advice.

Thank you!

I'm sorry for the late reply. Thank you very much, Weijie, for providing all the necessary information. I will now transfer your complaint to my colleague Jozef (jozef.k@casino.guru) who will be at your assistance. I wish you the best of luck and hope to see your problem being resolved to your satisfaction in the near future.  

Dear Weijie,

I truly appreciate you sharing your experiences with the Casino Guru team. We will now proceed to reach out to the casino.

Thankyou for reaching out to them, hope to hear from them soon 🙏

We would like to ask the casino to reply to this complaint. We are extending the timer by 7 days. If the casino fails to respond in the set time frame, we will close the complaint as ‘unresolved’ which may negatively affect its rating.

Are we still waiting for the casino to get back to us?

Hi Weijie,

I have established a communication line with the casino team. I am extending the timer one last time. If there is no update, I will close it and provide you with further options for getting help.

Will it be possible for you to contact the casino 1 last time on this? I really hope to be able to resolve it here 🙏

Hi Weijie,

Thank you for your patience. I can confirm that I am in contact with the casino team. They have provided me with a chat transcript from the time you requested self-exclusion.

It is important to specify the reason, as this information is crucial. If the casino is aware of a player's gambling problem, the account should be closed without the chance to reopen, with only a few exceptions. This is because such a player cannot control their actions. However, if there are other reasons, such as just taking a break from gambling, it is quite standard for such an account to be easily reopened, as it is considered that the player is still in control.

In your case, based on the transcript, when asked for a reason why you want to self-exclude, your response was simply "I want to self exclude". Later when you asked how long will it take to close the account, you added this message "sorry i don't want to gamble anymore, have to stop myself with this self exclusion"., there were some indications, but it was not enough to determine if you just want to have a pause from gambling or having problems with controlling. I always recommend being specific about the issue when possible. Directly informing the casino about such issues can protect you in the future.

I am very sorry, but without additional evidence demonstrating the casino's awareness of your gambling issue, I am unable to proceed with this case. Do you have any additional evidence to support your claims?

Hi, would you be able to provide me the full transcript of the conversation of all the time I’ve requested with self-exclusion? I strongly believed that I’ve stated that I have a gambling problem in 1 of the chats when I requested, it has been stated to my account manager as well. Being unable to control by stating that ‘I have to stop myself from gambling by self-exclusion’ isn't it a good indication that I have no control over my gambling issues?

Anyways why self-exclusion is able to be lifted? Shouldn’t self-exclusion be in place until the period is over? Since I’ve stated 5 years it should be in place until the period is over despite the reason, if not why is there self-exclusion policy in the first place?

Hope to receive your reply soon. Thank you.

Hi, I don't think the casino is being honest, I found a screenshot that I took previously when I requested self-exclusion, and the casino did indicate that they understood that I have a gambling problem. Please see the screenshot below. The casino is not being honest here. I did not take a video of the whole conversation but it was stated above that I have a gambling issue, if the casino provides the full conversation, you should be able to see me stating it. -> The casino has also acknowledged it in the screenshot here.

The screenshot was taken on ‎Sunday, ‎September ‎17, ‎2023, ‏‎1:17:16 AM so it was around this timing that I held the conversation with the customer support 🙂

Dear Thomas3333,

I have completed the evaluation of the case. Based on all the transcripts provided, it is evident that you did not inform the casino about your gambling problem. Although their reaction may have seemed otherwise, the casino stated that they used a standard reply for all self-exclusion requests and acknowledged that it was not an appropriate response, ensuring improvement in the future. However, in your case, since you only requested a standard self-exclusion without informing the casino about your gambling issue, such an exclusion can be lifted. The casino mentioned that after reviewing your transcripts, they did not find any gambling-related issues and that is why they reopened your account, as this process is standard. It would have been a different scenario if they were aware of your problem, as accounts with such awareness cannot be reopened (with only a few exceptions).

In conclusion, considering all the information provided, I am very sorry, but I believe you are not eligible for a refund since the casino was unaware of your inability to control your actions.

You have every right not to agree with my opinion. An alternative option is to file an official complaint with the licensing authority of the casino. I may assist you with this process, and you can reach me at the email address provided below. Feel free to contact me if you have any questions or require further assistance.

Best regards, Jozef

jozef.k@casino.guru