Brango Casino - Player's winnings confiscated due to claimed rule violation.

Started off really enjoying the site and everything it had to offer with "free no deposit spins" and won a little bit. Tried to withdraw my winnings, and apparently needed to play through another 20 some dollars to do so. So I did that, and won a bit more, played through what I needed to and tried again. Was denied again, because I needed a "verification deposit"(so much for no deposit right?) So I then messaged support, and asked them "So, for me to withdraw my winnings, all I need to do is make a deposit?" The support asked me to give them a minute to check, in which they said "Yes, make your deposit and you will receive your withdraw." So I went and deposited a little over the minimum requirement with litecoin, and got an email stating that I'd need to reduce my balance to below $1, to play it or withdraw it and if I had trouble they will credit me otherwise. Very confusing considering I was told to deposit to withdraw what I won to begin with? So I put in a withdraw for their max allowed $4000, which left me with another $464 that I asked them to credit me for since I reached the max. Following this action, I got the dreaded email stating I was playing progressive games and ALL my winnings are voided! This was never mentioned by support, and I feel like I was just baited in to a deposit. I also have a screenshot of the winning jackpot I got, which was in fact a NON progressive slot. If I played restricted games, why didn't it say they were restricted? I was aware to not play progressive slots, and I made sure not to click that category.. there were absolutely no signs of it showing up as a progressive game which to me, is not fair at all. If I played progressive games why didn't support tell me when I asked as well? I'm furious, I wasted my time double checking on everything and my money for the deposit itself all for winning on a game that was COMPLETELY within the rules. Below is the screenshot showing the win on the Non progressive game.

Dear JMi11s,

Thank you very much for submitting your complaint. I’m sorry to hear about your negative experience with Brango Casino.

Please allow me to ask you a few questions, so I can better understand the situation. 

• Did the casino specify which games you played weren't allowed?
• Could you please post a screenshot of the promotion that was activated on your account?
• Do I understand correctly you achieved your win while wagering winnings from the free spins no-deposit bonus?
• If you have the correspondence between you and the casino saved, please forward it to my email at tomas@casino.guru

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,

Tomas

Did the casino specify which games you played weren't allowed?

Yes, I will forward our exchange of emails which they stated the "restricted " games I played. Want to point out the fact yet again, that these games show no signs of being restricted as they blend them in with the other slots which are allowed, and let you start them like any other game which feels like deception.

Could you please post a screenshot of the promotion that was activated on your account?

Brango Casino is extremely limited on the info of various things like your playing history, and previously used codes. It is not possible as a player to find within the site, to my knowledge. I will provide all that I can see throughout the site.

Do I understand correctly you achieved your win while wagering winnings from the free spins no-deposit bonus?

Yes, I initially tried free spins with no-deposit, won a small amount then completed the 40x play through required in order to receive the said "instant" withdrawal option. Which then I was told to instead make a deposit to receive any winnings.

If you have the correspondence between you and the casino saved, please forward it to my email at

So as I stated, I took the time out to double check and confirm that all I needed to do was make a "verification deposit" where I messaged their support. Unfortunately I did not screen shot this at the time because I didnt think it would be an issue like this.. so this conversation log cannot be viewed by me again, but I would assume they have this conversation logged on their end to prove I really did inquire about making sure I was doing the right thing. Still feel like I was just baited and lied to just to get a deposit in, just to be deceived into playing these restricted games unknowingly.. Even though I proved I won big on a game that was within the rules!!!

Thank you so much for your time and continued effort to help my situation. I will forward all emails and related info that I can to you.

Hello again..

I am not sure if you're still looking at my situation still, just wanted to make sure you are aware I've forwarded all proof and any possible contact that I could regarding this to your listed email, from my email [sensitive information removed by Casino.Guru admin]. I truly hope anything I've been able to show you helps shed more light on how I've been deceived. I cannot stress enough on how much your time is appreciated. I wish I had more logged. Like the chats with support and the like, but this casino makes it awfully tough to recover any previous records or even game history for that matter. In a way I feel it is designed that way purposely just to do this to customers like myself. Looking forward to any updates here, as the casino itself has still decided to completely avoid any other response in return. Again, thanks for your time and dedication. Heroes don't always wear capes.

Thanks for your messages,

I can see the max cashout from the bonus is 50 USD and the wagering amount in the rules of the bonus is 10x not 40x

• Was the 'spin50' the only bonus you participated in?

I checked the website and according to the casino you played the games that are clearly marked as progressive:

I'll await your response.

Dear JMi11s,

We are extending the timer by 7 days. Please, be aware that in case you fail to respond in the given time frame or don’t require any further assistance, we will reject the complaint.

I'm sorry guys, I have been on vacation for the last week, but thanks for keeping my hopes alive yet. Ok, so this is how I see this. I just find it absolutely ridiculous that you said "you played the games that are clearly marked as progressive". These games are in no way clearly marked, first of all. The only way you are able to see that they actually fall under the progressive category, is by literally clicking the progressive category button above the list of games. They also group them right in with all the eligible slots as well, which leave you with absolutely no idea of it being a progressive title.. but the main kicker of it all, and I'll post this as a screenshot, literally any other time if you play a restricted game it stops you. For example, if I were to have a certain bonus active and try to play one of the top jackpot slots, I will get denied entry to the game. How convenient it works any other time, but I seem to use the one code that lets you play restricted games? So with that said, how can anyone honestly say that I haven't been deceived here? They still have not left any comment on the issue, I've lost my deposit that I got tricked into placing, and I just want what I won fair and square. So I also can't really say about any other codes, since as I stated before they don't let you have access to much information.. but I know I did activate a "no rules" code when I made my deposit. Not sure what that consisted of, but that's all I can remember. I really hope you can see my point of view, if all else fails, I hope I can save someone else from going through what I have and Brango can adjust accordingly as well. This is truly just unacceptable, but I will always stay in hopes that they will do the right thing. Thank you for your time and effort.

Attached is the proof of the typical access denial they use.

Thanks for the explanation. I didn't mean to upset you.

I checked the website and can see now the restricted games are included in the main section as well.

Thank you very much, JMi11s, for providing the necessary information. 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.  

It's ok Tomas, thank you for all your help and input in this matter. Best of luck to you as well. I appreciate all the work you guys do in helping this online community.

Hello JMi11s,

I'm Michal and I have taken over this complaint. I have reviewed this case, and I noticed this in the email you received from the Brango team.

So if you had checked the "Progressive tab" you could have clearly seen the restricted games. On the other hand, all these games are listed even in the "Online slots" tab as well, so it is quite easy to mix them up.

I will contact the casino to shed more light on this matter.

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

Dear Brango Casino,

Can you please provide information on why the Progressive slots are listed among other slots as well without any "warning"? Although the player most likely unintentionally played progressive slots as well, was this during the bonus "SPIN50" wagering or after? Why was the player not notified automatically by the system when opening a progressive slot game that this is not allowed during bonus play that? In which game did the player gain the majority of their winnings? Please forward me the player's full game log at michal.k@casino.guru

Hi Michal,

Hi JMi11s,

Hope you are both well.

Upon careful and thorough review of the player account history, we have reached the following conclusions:

• The player redeemed the coupon SPIN50 on January 29th at 15:26:38 according to the Casino's time records. This coupon comes with specific terms, namely:

1. Wagering: 10x
2. Max cash out: $50
3. Allowed games: Non-Progressive Slots only (excluding 777)

• The player finished playing with 50 free spins on the same day at 15:30:37 per Casino time. Shortly after the player's balance dropped below $1, which happened precisely at 15:32:55. Until this point, the player adhered to the designated games outlined by the coupon's terms. The system removed the coupon restrictions once the player's balance dropped below $1, which is why the player was able to play Progressive slots without notification(Pop-Up) that games were restricted.

However, it's essential to refer to our General Terms and Conditions, particularly: https://casinobrango.com/terms-and-conditions

• 7. BONUSES AND PROMOTIONS
• 7.1. General Bonus and Promotion Rules
• w. Once a bonus is claimed, the terms of that bonus step into effect immediately. These terms remain in full effect until a new Fund Action (Deposit or Bonus) is processed to your account and after the bonus has been cleared from your balance. Bonus Terms will remain in effect after Wagering has been met. Bonus Terms will remain in effect after a Withdrawal is processed. Bonus Terms will remain in effect after Playable Balance drops below $/€ 1. Depositing on top of your existing bonus balance does not void the Bonus Terms. Any violations of the terms while they are in effect, may result in all winnings being voided as per the Terms & Conditions. The Terms of the promotion are not in effect once a new fund action (deposit or bonus) is made at the moment the playable balance is below $1.00. Refer to the term 7.1.i.

Therefore, the player's account remained bound by the coupon terms despite the balance dropping below $1, as there were no subsequent fund actions (Deposit or Bonus) on the player's account.

Further details include:

• The player's initial withdrawal request on January at 04:59:20 (Casino time) was declined due to unmet wagering requirements.
• The second withdrawal request on January 30th at 08:18:39 (Casino time) was also declined because the player had not made a verification deposit previously. The reasons for both declines were visibly stated at the Cashier, and the player had easy access to this information. Up until this point, the player had not violated any terms, as only Non-Progressive slots were played.
• The player made a verification deposit on February 3rd(Casino time). However, within this timeframe, the player breached the terms, leading to the voiding of their balance.

Considering the circumstances, wherein the player breached the coupon terms post-completion of the playthrough requirements, we believe the decision to void all winnings made by our Payments team was somewhat stringent. Therefore, we are committed to rectifying this situation.

That being said, the player's balance of $50 (which is the maximum cashout for the promotion SPIN50) has been processed to the player's account and the player is welcome to request a payout.

Should you require any additional information, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Best Regards,

Thomas Roberts

Casino Brango Managemnet  

Thank you for your response and clarification of the situation, Thomas / Brango team.

Dear JMi11s,

I believe Thomas's explanation is reasonable. While I understand that the situation is not ideal from a user experience perspective, crediting $50 from the promotion SPIN50 is a fair offer. What do you think?

I'm not going to complain with $50 credit, as it's better than nothing and the loss of my baited deposit.. still feels like a slap in the face, but if thats the best we can settle for then let's make it happen. I'm not trying to take advantage of anyone, but I can't help but feel like I was played. So thanks for looking into my situation and trying to make it work. I appreciate everyone's time and input.

Just to add on here.. Was it clarified, in regards to Michal's statement

"Dear Brango Casino,

Can you please provide information on why the Progressive slots are listed among other slots as well without any "warning"? Although the player most likely unintentionally played progressive slots as well, was this during the bonus "SPIN50" wagering or after? Why was the player not notified automatically by the system when opening a progressive slot game that this is not allowed during bonus play that? In which game did the player gain the majority of their winnings?"

Or did I miss the explanation?

Because to me, that's the deciding factor on me "breaking the rules" or not.. and to just skip over that important information to cover it up with a measly $50 is frustrating.

Again, I do appreciate this effort to attempt to make it right, but that's still just such a small drop in the bucket of the 4,200$+ I still believe I fairly won.

Also, your response of voiding my winnings was "somewhat stringent" tells me that something isn't right here as well, and you guys know it.

I'd like to continue using Brango Casino in the future, but to be truthful I'm far from satisfied with all of this.

Thanks for your time.

Hi Michal,

Hi Jmi11s,

Please understand that our system is configured the way that coupon restrictions are removed once a player's balance drops below $1, which is why you were able to play Progressive slots without notification(Pop-Up) that games were restricted. The reason for this is that players would be unable to claim coupons until their balance is exactly $0. The system has been designed to be more user-friendly.

Nonetheless, we believe that our decision to process a $50 back to your account(which was the maximum cashout limit from the promotion you were playing with) is more than fair, considering the fact you violated the promotion's Terms and Conditions. 

Appreciate your understanding on this matter.

Best Regards,

Thomas Roberts

Casino Brango Management  

Honestly, and I truly do not mean to be rude, but that just doesn't make any sense. How do you figure my account was below $1? How would I even be able to play a game with no balance? Like I shared before, any other time I get blocked from those restricted games with fair warning. The big thing here is,the fact that these games that cause violation are mixed right in with the eligible games. It actually just makes the whole experience of your system far from being as you claim, user friendly. So, now what you're telling me is, your system should have blocked me from playing it then? Are you insinuating that I'm lying, or is your explanation of this just not making sense to me? All I know is, something is just not right at all here. I'm just supposed to buy this poor reasoning and be happy with my measly $50 and forget about this whole experience I guess. To top it off, your support staff, that I made sure to double check with to ensure I was taking the correct steps, made no mention of me violating anything.. They were just too focused on getting me to make a deposit I suppose? After they explained to me that I'd receive the $4000 I issued the withdrawal for, and they would gladly add the excess $446 credit back on as a bonus. You can't convince me otherwise that they are trained to just deceive people into making a deposit. $446.. and to you it's more than fair that I settle for only $50. Yeah just a complete slap in the face at this point. Sorry Brango, but you're just doing me dirty at this point. I may take further action on this. Enjoy your day.

Dear Thomas / Brango team,

Just to bring more clarity. When (what time) did the player's balance drop below $1? Was this while the bonus "SPIN50" was still active or another bonus was claimed? Did the player play the progress slots once they deposited real funds on February 3rd (casino time)? What was the player's balance at the time of the deposit? Did the player play the progress slots with bonus funds or real money? In which game did the player gain the majority of their winnings?

Hi Michal,

Below, you will find the requested information as per your inquiry.

When (what time) did the player's balance drop below $1?

• As stated previously, the player's balance dropped below $1 on January 29th at 15:32:55 according to the casino's time records.

Was this while the bonus "SPIN50" was still active or another bonus was claimed?

• That is correct. All of these events transpired while the player was utilizing the bonus code "SPINS50".

Did the player play the progress slots once they deposited real funds on February 3rd (casino time)?

• According to the casino records, the player did not play Progressive slots with his deposit.

What was the player's balance at the time of the deposit?

• The player's account balance was $0 at the time of the deposit. The funds from the SPINS50 promotion were voided a few minutes before the player's deposit was credited to their account.

Did the player play the progress slots with bonus funds or real money?

• The player played progressive slots with the bonus balance from the promotion SPINS50, which is why the funds were removed.

In which game did the player gain the majority of their winnings?

• The player gain the majority of their winnings on the game "Goblins: Gluttony of Gems", a Non-Progressive slot. However, it's worth noting that the player also placed 223 bets on progressive slots. This is the reason we made an exception and processed the payout of $50, adhering to the maximum cashout limit stipulated by the promotion the player was participating in.

I trust that this provides a clearer understanding of the situation at hand.

Should you need any further information, please don't hesitate to reach out to me.

Best Regards,

Thomas Roberts

Casino Brango Management

Ok, so this still doesn't make any sense.

"Please understand that our system is configured the way that coupon restrictions are removed once a player's balance drops below $1, which is why you were able to play Progressive slots without notification(Pop-Up) that games were restricted."

This is your primary reasoning as to why I had the ability to play these progressive slots without warning.

Now you're claiming January 29th was the date that I was below $1, although the date I hit the jackpot when all of this took place was February 3rd. So what your timeline is telling me is, I used the spin 50 code, and then my account balance fell below $1 1/29 so then how did I get additional funds in order to play on 2/3 when you also claim spin 50 was active the whole time?

Make it make sense.

Dear Thomas / Brango team,

Thank you for your response. After reviewing the situation again with my colleagues I must empathize with the player. How should the player know that the restrictions about the progressive slots are still applicable when mentioning this:

and this:

The player's account balance was $0 at the time of the deposit. The funds from the SPINS50 promotion were voided a few minutes before the player's deposit was credited to their account.

So the player balance was zero at this point. I'm struggling to understand the rationale behind having the Bonus rules or restrictions in place when the bonus was voided and the player's balance is zero. This does not look very user-friendly as the player is somehow bonded to something that was used against him. Later the player deposited their real money; thus, naturally, the player thought there were no restrictions for the gameplay, and that's why they played various slots that were listed in the "ONLINE SLOTS" Tab within all other slots, unknowing that some of them are progressive slots.

If the warning pop-up message didn't come up, then naturally, even I would suggest that I'm free to play whatever slot I decide. Although I understand that maybe your system can't be configured differently at the moment and the player's situation is very rare, we believe this situation must be reviewed individually. The player was simply not aware that they breached any rules as in all other good-rated casinos once the balance drops under $1 automatically all bonus conditions are voided or canceled.

As the player did gain most of their winnings in non-progressive slots, there is no indication that the player played the progressive slots purposefully to gain an unfair advantage.

Considering all the above mentioned, we believe the voiding of the player's winnings does not seem to be fair; instead, the player should be entitled to their whole winnings.

I kindly ask you to reconsider your decision, as the current offer for compensation of $50 does not appear to be equitable.

Hi Michal,

Allow me to provide some clarification regarding the player's experience.

First and foremost, it is imperative to clarify that the player's balance originated from the SPIN50 promotion bonus, and not from a deposit. Although the balance dropped below $1, it remained above $0 ($0.97, to be exact)  which is enough to make a valid bet. It is worth noting that many slots allows bets below $1, and it was from this balance that the player obtained their winnings.

Additionally, as previously mentioned in our earlier correspondences, the player's winnings were deducted from the account on 03 February at 21:04:23, and the deposit was credited to the player's account on 03 February at 21:07:12. These timestamps corroborate our assertion that the player played Progressive slots with the bonus balance throughout the disputed period.

Michal, I have forwarded the player's ledger containing the relevant evidence via email for your review. Please take the time to assess it thoroughly to ensure that all actions were conducted in accordance with the casino's terms.

Once again, we would like to reiterate that we have already extended an exception by processing the $50 payout, despite the player violating the promotional terms.

Thank you for your attention to this matter. Should you have any further questions or require additional information, please don't hesitate to reach out.

Best Regards,

Thomas Roberts

Casino Brango Management

Brango,

I appreciate your time to respond in efforts to resolve this matter. So, from my understanding, what you are now claiming is that my big win was achieved when I had under $1 balance? Which in turn, removed all of the coupons accommodations. So would that not mean my winnings are then valid by default???

"Although the balance dropped below $1, it remained above $0 ($0.97, to be exact)  which is enough to make a valid bet. It is worth noting that many slots allows bets below $1, and it was from this balance that the player obtained their winnings."

"Please understand that our system is configured the way that coupon restrictions are removed once a player's balance drops below $1, which is why you were able to play Progressive slots without notification(Pop-Up) that games were restricted."

So this feels like you want to have your cake and eat it too. As Michal so beautifully stated earlier, I did not play these restricted progressive games for any monetary gain, regardless. You seem to miss the whole point that your games are grouped in with the other eligible slots and that ANYONE can unknowingly play them without warning.

So which is it here? Did I play and win under a $1 balance when the restrictions were removed? Or did I play progressive slots while the restrictions were active?

Thanks to everybody involved, but I still truly believe I deserve my winnings whole heartedly, and my case only becomes even more so deserving as we discuss this more, in my opinion.

Looking forward to our next update.

Thanks again.

Dear Thomas / Brango team,

Thank you for the email with the provided evidence.

Dear JMi11s,

I need to thoroughly examine all the supplementary information and evidence we were provided with. I'll make every effort to furnish you with an update tomorrow after reevaluating the entire situation. Thank you for your understanding.

Not a problem at all.. Thanks so much Michal! Looking forward to hearing from you again. Try enjoy your night!

Dear JMi11s,

I have thoroughly examined all the information and evidence again, including your whole game log with my other colleagues. And here is what we found:.

You initiated your gaming session using the no-deposit bonus coupon SPIN50 on January 29th at 15:26:38 on the Tiger Treasures slot until 15:30:37. Subsequently, you proceeded to play the IC Wins slot until your balance dropped below $1 ($0.97, to be precise), which occurred precisely at 15:32:55 on January 29th. At this point, the casino system lifted the restrictions imposed by the coupon. That's why the notification(Pop-Up) when accessing progressive slots was not displayed anymore. Nevertheless, the bonus funds remain in your balance, and you are consistently utilizing these funds to continue playing.

so this rule:

These terms remain in full effect until a new Fund Action (Deposit or Bonus) is processed to your account and after the bonus has been cleared from your balance.

was still in place.

As the casino team mentioned previously:

The player's initial withdrawal request on January 30th at 04:59:20 (Casino time) was declined due to unmet wagering requirements.

The second withdrawal request on January 30th at 08:18:39 (Casino time) was also declined because the player had not made a verification deposit previously. The reasons for both declines were visibly stated at the Cashier, and the player had easy access to this information

If you had made a real money deposit during this time, all bonus restrictions would have been lifted.

Essentially, you continued to play using funds derived from the bonus until February 3, when you only deposited real money following advice from the live chat. It was on February 2 that you played the "forbidden" progressive slots.

On February 3, at 21:04:23, winnings were deducted from your account after the casino team reviewed your gameplay, and your deposit was credited to your casino account on February 3, at 21:07:12.

I can agree with you, JMi11s, that the casino system could be configured much better, and if the notification(Pop-Up) had been displayed, you would probably not have entered the games. However, such configuration is unfortunately not entirely feasible for RTG platform casinos.

As the casino team mentioned:

... our system is configured the way that coupon restrictions are removed once a player's balance drops below $1, which is why you were able to play Progressive slots without notification(Pop-Up) that games were restricted. The reason for this is that players would be unable to claim coupons until their balance is exactly $0. The system has been designed to be more user-friendly.

To give you an example, you deposit $10, you wager that, and you are left with, let's say, $0.20 in the balance. You wouldn't be able to request a bonus for future play because your balance from the previous play was not entirely zero which is not really much user-friendly. I hope this makes sense.

While I acknowledge that the situation may not meet the standards of ideal user experience, and the circumstances are somewhat unusual, it's important to note that the actions taken by the casino team are in accordance with their terms and conditions, given that your winnings are solely from bonus funds.

Taking everything into consideration, the offer of $50 compensation does appear to be reasonable in the circumstances.

Dear JMi11s,

We are extending the timer by 7 days. Please, be aware that in case you fail to respond in the given time frame or don’t require any further assistance, we will reject the complaint.

Dear JMi11s,

Although it seems as though this issue has been clarified, as we haven't had a further response from you to confirm this, or if you need any further assistance, we are, unfortunately, forced to reject this complaint. I would like to thank the casino team for their cooperation.

Don’t hesitate to contact us if you run into any issues with this or any other casino in the future and we will try our best to help.

Best regards,

Michal

Casino Guru