The player, Brandyy111, had lodged a complaint against an online casino, claiming that the casino didn't take suitable action despite knowing about the player's gambling problem. The player had interacted with a VIP manager from the casino, Vasil, via WhatsApp, discussing the issue and seeking assistance. However, the casino team contended that there was no proof of the player informing the casino about a gambling problem and that expressing dissatisfaction over losses or time spent playing didn't necessarily indicate a gambling problem. The player had subsequently shared a screenshot of a conversation with Vasil that displayed the VIP manager's knowledge of the player's gambling issue, but the casino team had asked for a more verifiable format. The player's accounts with the casino had been shut down six weeks earlier. The player had also alleged that the VIP manager kept offering bonuses despite the player's gambling problem. The casino team had recommended the player to contact the licensing authority for a resolution due to the complexity of the case. The case had remained unresolved, awaiting the regulator's decision. We had reviewed the case and the evidence submitted by both the player and the casino. The screenshots of the WhatsApp conversation revealed conflicting information, and without a verifiable chat history from WhatsApp, we couldn't conclusively verify the authenticity of the claims. Consequently, we had recommended that the player contact the licensing authority directly for a decision. The player did contact the regulator, who replied with a statement from the casino. The player disputed the correctness of this statement and expressed dissatisfaction with the regulator's response. The player thought about hiring a lawyer in Curacao to further pursue the case. The complaint was closed as unresolved, waiting for the regulator's decision, and the player was instructed to update us with any new developments.
Casinia Casino - Player demands better player protection and refund.
Amount: €86,613
Casinia Casino
Safety Index:HighRegulator: Casino was right
REJECTED
Case summary
Hello casino guru,
I really hope that you can help me. It is an existential question for me personally and for my family.
I lost a total of EUR 86,613.00 at the above casinos. I have always played live roulette at these casinos. There is no player protection at these casinos.
The casinos did not ask about the origin of the funds and did not complete a KYC questionnaire. The topic of problematic gambling behavior or a possibly existing gambling addiction was not asked. Only my address, my identity card and my bank details were checked. I sometimes made 15 deposits a day up to a total of 3,000 EUR. Sometimes I would play 5 hours or more a day for several weeks. There were many indications that the player was severely addicted to gambling.
I have been suffering from a pathological gambling addiction for years and, for my own protection, I have repeatedly had myself blocked by online casinos in Curacao and Malta and have also sent my medical certificates to the casinos as proof. I can no longer register at most casinos because luckily their player protection regulations are in place. Unfortunately, there are still casinos that don't care about player protection.
As a result of this matter, I am now in a very difficult private situation financially! None of this should have happened if the casino had intervened beforehand and checked the player more.
What advice or options can you recommend me to get my lost money back? The casino does not respond to my requests. Please approach Casino Casinia, Rabona and Wazamba and ask for a statement as to why player protection is not being observed.
I think there are a lot of players who have had exactly the same thing and are now more than desperate.
Of course, I can back everything I've written with documents.
Thank you for your support.
Dear Brandyy111,
Thank you very much for submitting your complaint. I’m sorry to hear about your problem. Before we’ll contact the casino and ask for their standpoint, could you please forward any emails or screenshots showing that you have requested self-exclusion or in any other way informed the casino about your addiction? My email address is petronela.k@casino.guru.
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
Hello Petronela,
I have already uploaded my complete deposit history from Casinia, Rabona and Wazamba. It shows more than 500 deposits within a short period of time.
It is precisely the fact that this casino consciously does not want to or does not want to recognize all recognizable gambling abnormalities of a player. I have had the same VIP manager in all 3 casinos!
Many large deposits in one day and many subsequent days. Sometimes 5-8 games a day, etc. Even if I had gambled away a million euros in 8 weeks, the casino would not ask or be interested in the origin of the money!! This is not fair from the casino or warns players of a certain amount of loss.
I know from other casinos that the "financial status" of the player must also be queried in advance from a certain deposit amount (e.g. from 10,000 euros). Furthermore, it is asked how much money the player can gamble away in a month in order not to get into financial difficulties.
In February 2021, I informed the Malta Gaming Authority, Ticket Ref. MFR-KVXNN-724, about my gambling addiction problems and applied for a general ban.
Furthermore, I have been blocked from the following casinos since 2019 because of my gambling addiction and I am blocked from them forever for that reason.
BETWAY, BWIN, BETMaster, Betclic, BET365, Betvictor, Bet-at-home, Casimba, Casino Winner, Casino LasVEgas, Chanz, Cherry Casino, Come-On, Dreamvegas, Dublinbet, Dunder, Energy Casino, Gambola, Interwetten, Tipico, MrGreen, William Hill, Magicred, Netbet, LuckyDays, Raptor, Ruby Fortune, Spinstation, Voodoodreams and many more.
Best regards
Andrew B*****
Hello Petronela,
I remembered that I wrote to the VIP manager from the casino about my problematic gaming behavior via Whatspp. This was also very early in the game phase. The VIP manager then always gave me a cashback of 30% for my game losses so that the possible loss would not be so high. I only had to write to him via Whatsapp and he then credited my lost bets up to 30% back to my player account. I used this 30% cashback again and again and gambled it away immediately and then again deposited high EUR sums from my bank account and gambled them away again. Sometimes this happened up to 10 times a day. I was lured into playing, so to speak. The VIP manager definitely knew about my problematic gaming behavior. But he wasn't interested.
Could you please forward screenshots of the communication with your VIP manager to petronela.k@casino.guru? Meanwhile, please understand that even if you are self-excluded with Malta Licensed casinos, this specific gambling establishment operates under Curaçao License.
Hello Petronela,
I have attached a few screenshots (mid-November - late November 2021), where the VIP supervisor of the casino lured me with bonus credits in the initial phase even before account verification. Once EUR 500.00 and once EUR 150.00. Up to this point I had already lost more than EUR 12,000.00 at Casino Wazamba from the end of October 2021 (start of the game) to mid-November 2021. After I had a withdrawal request for EUR 5,000.00, I was first asked to verify my account. Before that, my payout would not go through. This verification took an unusually long time at Wazamba (approx. 10 days) and I informed the VIP manager that I needed the money for the withdrawal request very urgently and that he should please take care of it. I have sent you the screenshots where I have been waiting for this payout for a very long time and this proves it. It's in the email to my VIP manager. You can also see in the email that the VIP manager then offered future communication via Whatsapp. From December 2021 I only had contact with him via Whatsapp. From that point on I registered at Casino Rabona on his recommendation and then at Casino Casinia. He told me that he could give me more bonus than Wazamba and Rabona (namely 30%). I often told him via Whatsapp that I had played too many games and already lost too much and whether he could credit me with the cashback. I couldn't stop knowing all the time that if I deposit and lose, I'll get a credit back from the VIP. I also won something once, but since the payout process took so long, I kept canceling the payout and gambled it all away again. I'm trying to restore all the chat histories with the VIP Manager via Whatsapp and have already contacted the Whatsapp help center. I hope to receive these. In it everything is clear. I am asking for your support because I have a lot of debt privately and have taken out several loans for this. I can also send you the various loan agreements as evidence if you wish. I can also send you my gambling addiction certificate and the psychological report. Please approach the casino and investigate my case. You can see from the game overviews of deposits and withdrawals my serious gambling problem. I would like compensation from the casino. This does not have to be in full, but so that I can pay a large part of my debts. I contacted the casino again this week with my request, but received no response.
I will send you the screenshot from my email address. Thank you for your support.
Dear Brandyy111,
I appreciate you sharing the communication with me. However, I have not found any evidence of you notifying the casino about your gambling issue. It is important to note that inquiring about expediting the withdrawal process does not necessarily indicate a gambling problem, as the majority of players desire fast or instant withdrawals. Similarly, expressing frustration over losses or time spent playing does not automatically imply a gambling problem.
I understand that admitting your dissatisfaction with gambling and seeking help can be challenging. However, unless you explicitly inform the casino about your gambling problem, they cannot make decisions on your behalf. If you have any previous communication where you clearly communicated your gambling issue to the casino, please forward it to me as soon as possible. Without such evidence, I will be unable to proceed with this complaint as it would be deemed unjustified. Thank you for your understanding.
Hello Petronela,
I have attached a Whatsapp chat history with Casinia Casino's VIP manager Vasil. I have attached this chat history to your email address.
My messages to the VIP show my addiction problem and the VIP also said at the time that I should take a break because I play too much. Please approach the casino with it.
Thank you in advance for your efforts.
Best regards
Andrew Brandt
Thank you, Brandyy111, for your email. Could you please forward the relevant communication in screenshots? Please understand that in order to confront the casino we will need a format that is not easy to alter.
Hello Petronela,
I sent a screenshot from that time to her email.
Thank you for your efforts.
Best regards
Andrew Brandt
Thank you very much for the forwarded screenshot. It is surprising that the casino representative offered you a bonus after you mentioned gambling problem. Could you please advise if your Casinia Casino account is still accessible at this time?
My accounts were recently closed (about 6 weeks ago) with Rabona, Wazamba and Casinia.
As already mentioned, the VIP manager gave me the bonus several times a day, even though he was aware of my gambling problem and ruinous gambling behavior.
Thank you very much, Brandyy111, for providing all the necessary information. I will now transfer your complaint to my colleague Matej (matej@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 Brandyy111,
I apologize for the difficulties you are facing. Unfortunately, when dealing with gambling problems, it is crucial to inform the casino that you have a gambling issue and request the closure of your account. It is important to communicate this through official channels, such as sending an email to the casino support or engaging in a direct chat with the casino.
I would like to involve the casino representatives in this matter. Kindly review the evidence provided by Brandyy111.
Dear Matej,
Thank you for contacting us.
We have sent you an evidence of the WhatsApp chat between the customer and their VIP manager via email.
Please let us know in case you have further questions.
Sincerely,
Casinia
Hello,
In my previous message, I emphasized the importance of communicating through official channels. However, it has come to our attention that Brandyy111 had been communicating with someone named Vasil through WhatsApp. We are uncertain if Vasil is representing Casinia Casino. Therefore, Brandyy111, could you kindly provide us with a screenshot of your conversation that clearly shows which casino Vasil is affiliated with?
Additionally, the casino has shared screenshots of their communication (different WhatsApp account), where Brandyy111 did not mention their gambling addiction.
Hello Matej,
I first registered at Casino Wazamba in October 2021 and played there from mid-October 2021. After I lost a lot of money at Wazamba in a relatively short time (approx. 15,000.00 euros), the first contact was made by the VIP manager Vasil by email on November 17th, 2021. In this e-mail he credited me with a bonus of 500.00 euros, since I was actively playing. Attached a screenshot of this email.
The VIP Manager Vasil is therefore part of the Casino Wazamba based on the email. From December 2021 I only had contact with him via Whatsapp. He told me that he can give me more often and a higher bonus at Casino Rabona than at Wazamba. I then signed up at Casino Rabona and lost EUR 9,565.00 within just 10 days! Then he told me to sign up at Casino Casinia. Here he could give me 30% back on my losses. I did this from January 2022 and played a lot there. At Casino Casinia, after two small withdrawals of EUR 1,500.00, I gambled away EUR 56,351.00 within 6 months!!
Mr. Matej, most of the communication was with the VIP manager Vasil via Whatsapp and almost daily. Several times a day I asked him for the 30% bonus credits. Unfortunately, I no longer have the chat history where I constantly asked him. But maybe he still has it. I just saved and saved the chat with the game problem and you have this screenshot.
You can believe that the casino and the VIP manager are specifically looking for players who deposit a lot and then, once they have taken a break for a few days, are immediately lured with a bonus to continue playing. Of course, a gambling addict then immediately moves on and thinks he might win now. It's just a cruel vicious circle.
I'll send you chat messages again with the VIP manager Vasil, in which he even admits in writing that as a VIP you know that many players are addicted to gambling and deposit a lot and often. However, one could only assume that. But the casino does not actively ask players. Neither Wazamba, Rabona nor Casinia asked me and if I could afford losses. At least I told him about it at the time.
Please see my deposit and withdrawal overviews from Wazamba, Rabona and Casinia. The casinos all belong to the Rabidi NV company. I am sending you all game overviews and the latest chat history with the VIP manager and his knowledge that most players are addicted to gambling.
How can you take responsibility for something like this?
Please also read the last chat I had with the VIP Vasil.
There is no doubt that the casino and the VIP manager Vasil deliberately took advantage of my gambling addiction. In fact, I can well imagine that the casino knew that I was banned from other casinos for gambling addiction. After all, the casinos are also networked with each other.
I have already written to the casino and asked for a comparison. If there was a concession from the casino, I would settle for EUR 60,000.00. The casino would then still have €26,500. But I can't cope with this high loss and would then have to fight with all means to get my money back. Please approach the casino again. Yesterday the casino rejected my proposal to settle. Thank you Matej.
Dear Casino representative,
I kindly request the following:
- Please verify if Vasil is indeed representing your casinos.
- Please authenticate the conversation between Vasil and Brandyy111 regarding the gambling addiction from 9.1.2022.
Thank you for your prompt assistance.
Dear Casinoguru Team,
Thank you for your cooperation!
-----------------------------
Dear Customer,
In order to check your query, we kindly request you to export your overall WhatsApp chat with Vasil and send us via email at: support@casinia350620.com
Thank you for your understanding!
Sincerely,
Casinia
Hello Matej,
hello casinia,
I have emailed the chat histories (screenshots) I have to Casinia.
If the VIP manager from the casino still has chat histories between me and him, it would be good to see them too. Unfortunately, I no longer have all the chat histories and I would then have to have them commissioned by computer experts or the police or public prosecutors. It is certainly possible to be able to restore the complete chat history between the VIP and me, since the telephone numbers have remained the same to this day. I can already say that there are many messages where I asked the VIP manager for cashback. In my opinion, other clearly recognizable indications of gambling addiction can also be seen in the chat histories between him and me.
Hello Brandyy111,
I emailed you regarding the process of obtaining your WhatsApp chat history from your mobile device.
Dear Matej,
We appreciate your assistance.
Please be informed that the customer has provided us a couple of Whatsapp chat screenshots via email and therefore, we have sent you the necessary evidences via email in order to conclude this case.
Thank you for your cooperation!
Should you have any further concerns or questions, do let us know.
Sincerely,
Casinia
Hello Matej,
Thank you for instructions on how to export chat history.
Due to a smartphone change, backup and backup files from Whatsapp were probably partially deleted. Possibly these can be restored. I will try very hard but need help tech experts.
If, as mentioned by the casino, you have the complete Whatsapp chat history between the VIP manager and me between December 2021 and June 2023, please send it to me by email or attach this chat history as a screenshot.
Thank you in advance for your efforts.
Best regards
A Brandt
Hello Brandyy111,
Any updates regarding your WhatsApp history?
Did you manage to get it?
Hello Matej,
I unfortunately did not manage to get the chat history since January 2022. Based on unsaved backups and mobile phone changes, this data of the chat history can no longer be found or restored according to statements by the experts.
Do you have the complete chat history between the VIP Manager V.... and me? Supposedly Casinia sent you evidence.
Irrespective of that, I would like to take this opportunity to remind you of the entire extreme situation of the high loss and the casino's actions and the result.
- The casinos Wazamba, Rabona and Casinia and the VIP Manager let players - like in my case - gamble away more than EUR 86,613.00 within 8 months! Lt. the VIP manager and the present chat history and their statement, there are players who would deposit and gamble even more. I would have been completely unobtrusive and no one would have ever suspected that there could be a problem with the game. Simply unimaginable and irresponsible! This procedure can never be legal without consulting the player.
- The casinos or the VIP manager do not take into account and do not notice that the player(s) provide clear written evidence of an existing gambling addiction. Whether this is in the form of chat histories or emails, the casino initially ignores it. There are already complaints from players here in the Casino-Guru forum, which reported exactly this and Casino Wazamba and Casinia did not react and people were able to continue playing.
- Why are players permanently lured into playing by the VIP Manager with high bonus payments of 30% (in my case)? This tempts you to keep playing and keep losing. A vicious circle quickly develops because the player thinks what does it matter if I lose, I get 30% back. So I deposit again!
- Casinos Wazamba, Rabona and Casinia do not ask for the origin of funds deposited by the player. There is also no query about a player's financial situation or financial resources. Based on my account statement from October 2021 and my account balance, the casino or their verification agency should have seen that I only had EUR 5,900.00 available on the account at the time of verification.
- Why doesn't the casino check international player protection systems and entries where players can ban themselves because of gambling addiction? Then it would never have come to this.
I can't imagine any licensing or regulatory body not investigating this case very thoroughly. From my point of view, there are several violations and misconduct by the casino.
Mr. Matej, if you are in favor of a high level of justice in relation to casinos and players, I sincerely hope that you will help me and also protect other players from such high losses.
The casino has clearly gone beyond all goals of normality and common sense and deliberately ignored legal requirements.
Best regards
Andrew Brandt
Dear Brandyy111,
I understand your frustration with the situation, and I agree that some of your points are valid.
We always recommend that casinos provide a self-exclusion option on their websites so that players can choose to exclude themselves, placing the responsibility for this decision on the players. However, it is not mandatory for some juristictions. While some casinos have no issue with self-exclusion, others may have a complicated process for it.
Regarding your specific case:
We have received two screenshots, one from you and one from the casino, both taken on the mentioned date when you contacted Vasil about your gambling problem. However, the screenshot from the casino does not show any communication between you and Vasil on that day.
I would like to emphasize that it is impossible for us to verify the authenticity of a WhatsApp conversation, as messages can be easily deleted or fabricated. Therefore, having the chat history directly from WhatsApp support is crucial for us to assist you.
As I mentioned before, it would be much easier if you communicate your troubles to the casino through their official email or live chat.
In this case, I need to ask if you have any other evidence besides the January 2022 screenshot to prove that you mentioned your gambling problem to the casino.
Hello Matej,
Thank you for your reply.
I would like to note that it is unfortunately made very difficult for players to present their evidence and the clear addictive gaming behavior based on submitted deposit overviews in such a way that the players are also believed. This applies in particular to my case, which shows the multiple misconduct of the casino regarding "fair play" in many places.
I think that the VIP Manager Vasil probably deleted my Whatsapp messages related to my gaming problem right away. The messages (screenshots) you have may have been manipulated by the casino. A large casino and their IT technicians and experts have more possibilities and tricks to manipulate "texts and messages" from Whatsapp and emails than I can. The casino has already "disappeared" messages several times. I have read this several times here in the forum.
Irrespective of this, I have an important request for you:
Please let the Casino VIP and I give you the entire chat history throughout the game period. Then there will certainly be clear indications of my gambling addiction. You can use this overview to finally evaluate the case. I would be very curious if the casino will convey this to you or have something to hide here!! You will also see in these many chat messages that I have a clear and serious, obvious addiction problem (pathological gambling addiction) and the casino only took advantage of this for their own benefit. To claim that there is no evidence of problematic gaming behavior is incomprehensible to me.
I haven't just gambled away EUR 5,000 or EUR 10,000 in 8 months, but EUR 86,600!!! This is more than an existential issue and has caused many problems within the family and within me.
I have already written to the casino several times and pointed out my problems with the long-standing gambling addiction. I also suggested to the casino that they only give me back part of my losses (e.g. EUR 60,000.00). Then I would be happy with it and could manage my life better again and use it to pay off my many expensive loans that I only took out because of gambling. To date, the casino is not interested in an agreement with me.
Please address this topic at the casino, possibly agreeing on a settlement payment. It would be very kind of you and supportive if you could mediate here.
Dear Brandyy111,
I understand your perspective and the points you have raised are logical. However, what I am trying to convey is that it is not our role to determine whether you have spent too much in 8 months or if the casino should take extra measures to protect you. Our assessment is focused on whether the situation is fair or not. If you had concrete evidence that you informed the casino about your gambling addiction, we would be inclined to support your side. However, you have only provided one screenshot, and the casino has presented the same screenshot, which shows a complete absence of communication between you and Vasil on that particular day. Additionally, you contacted the VIP manager on WhatsApp instead of the official casino channel, which complicates the matter further, although we would still consider it.
You are asking us to draw a line in the sand and declare that the amount you spent in 8 months was excessive. However, in this industry, there is no universally defined line, and the regulations regarding what is acceptable and what is not can vary across jurisdictions. Furthermore, you are raising this issue 1.5 years after you first communicated with Vasil about your gambling addiction, making it considerably more challenging to investigate the matter thoroughly.
In essence, based solely on the evidence you have provided, we cannot make a definitive decision. It is easy to manipulate screenshots by deleting messages or creating false conversations. Therefore, we cannot determine which picture is genuine, and we are unable to make a judgment based on the other facts you have presented. Additionally, if you were regularly spending €3500 per month in a single casino (€10,500 across three casinos), that does not appear to be an unusually high amount. It would be a different story if you had spent the entire sum in a few days. Many VIP customers have similar spending habits, so there is nothing inherently suspicious about it.
I believe it would be best for you to contact the regulator because, without direct proof from WhatsApp, we cannot ascertain who is right in this case.
In my humble opinion, I envision a future where the self-exclusion option is made compulsory for all casinos. In this scenario, players would have a monthly deposit limit, possibly based on their country of residence. If a player wishes to exceed this limit, they would be required to provide proof of income, which would then be used to set a new limit by the casino. Regrettably, the current reality does not align with this ideal situation, and we must make decisions accordingly.
Hello Matej,
I have already contacted the supervisory authority and will fight very hard for my rights.
It would have been good of you to look at my case as a whole, with all the points I listed, instead of relying on the one questionable screenshot from the casino. You could have asked the casino for a written statement about my accusations against the casino. Why did you not do that?
Then there would certainly have been more fairness in this matter. My case is another one in which Rabidi NV (formerly Araxio Development) does not take player protection seriously and simply gets away with it in this forum unharmed and without further consequences.
However, I hereby announce that I will submit my complaint to the supervisory and licensing authority in Curacao and to all relevant addresses dealing with player protection.
The case is far from over for me. I have already commissioned a lawyer to represent my interests, who is also contacting all the authorities in Curacao
will report.
Dear Brandyy111,
I assure you that I have thoroughly investigated the matter by discussing it privately with the casino and asking them all the necessary questions.
The issue at hand requires us to consider the complaint also from the casino's perspective.
Let's imagine for a moment that you are the casino and you have to determine the exact moment at which you decide not to pay any further winnings due to self-exclusion. You were informed about this on 9th January via WhatsApp. Do you believe that if you had won significant winnings from that point onwards, the casino would not have paid you? Have you been able to withdraw any money since then?
In terms of spending limits, it is not our place to determine if you have exceeded them or not. We suggest seeking assistance from the licensing authority for guidance in this matter.
We sincerely hope you comprehend our stance. We consistently strive to provide assistance to the best of our abilities. However, we acknowledge that the regulator must make a decision in this particular case.
Hello Matej,
Thank you for your message and your efforts.
Unfortunately I have to correct something. In your penultimate message you wrote that I spent 10,500 euros in one month in 3 casinos. That is not right. It has always been only one casino. As the first casino it was Wazamba. Over EUR 20,000 total loss within 2 months.
Then the Casino Rabona. Total loss of EUR 9,565.00 within 10 days. After that Casino Casino. Total loss of EUR 56,351.00 within 6 months. Everything happened one after the other. I think that's an important distinction when looking at my complaint. You see it that way too, don't you?
Furthermore, I can say about your example with regard to the perspective of the casino that after January 9th, 2022 I only received a single withdrawal from the casino of EUR 720.00 on June 29th, 2022.
In general, the withdrawals were always deliberately delayed by the casino for a very long time and I usually canceled these withdrawals again. It's perfectly clear since the casino knew the player was playing so frequently and then reversed his withdrawals. That is why the payout was always very happily and delayed for a very long time. That too is very unfair. I am sending you a screenshot where you can see my withdrawals, but I mostly canceled them and of course gambled them away again.
Dear Brandyy111,
I understand that your behavior may raise concerns in for example UK casinos. However, it's important to note that each legislation has its own set of rules and regulations.
I was trying to explain that since we handle complaints for different legislations, we cannot simply adopt the practices of one regulator and apply them universally to all casinos. For instance, if we were to decide that anyone spending over 10k per month in a casino should be considered a gambling addict, what about someone who spends 9.9k? It's not a straightforward matter. What I'm trying to convey is that we are not the appropriate mediator to address these types of complaints. I kindly suggest that you submit your complaint to the regulator or seek legal advice. It's not unusual for a casino to have high rollers who spend even more. It's crucial that you inform the casino if you believe you have a gambling problem, rather than relying on them to take action. Until you acknowledge a gambling problem, you are responsible for your actions. In this particular case, the WhatsApp conversation is crucial, but we have two different conversations from the same time.
It is very hard for us in this case decide and therefore we suggesting you to submit your complaint to the licensing authority.
Dear Brandyy111,
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 Brandyy111,
I want to assure you that we are taking your case very seriously and providing you with the assistance you need. Please confirm if you have been in contact with the casino's licensing authority. If you require our assistance in this matter, we are more than willing to help you.
Dear Matej,
yes, i really need help.
Can you please forward my case directly to the licensing authority or please give me the email addresses I can contact. It would be very important.
Thank you in advance.
Dear Brandyy111,
I cannot contact licensing authority in your name, you need to do it by yourself (GDPR + privacy policy)
Please contact Curacao Antillephone N.V.
Use email: complaints@gaminglicences.com
In the email, you should mention:
1) Your personal information:
name (first name, last name and the middle name if you have it), your country of residence, your age
2) Complaint body must include:
casino name + license (License No. 8048/JAZ)
your login (username) and email in an online casino (with which you had registered the account)
then describe what has happened as thoroughly as possible (including the sum of money you are challenging)
+ link to the complaint on Casino.guru
3) Attach to the email files (screenshot images or email correspondence) that prove you have already tried to resolve the problem with the casino. (screenshots from WhatsApp + table with sum of deposits you did each month)
Let me know when you submit the complaint.
Dear Brandyy111,
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 Mr. Matej,
I contacted the licensing authority via email. First time on August 1st, 2023, then with a reminder email and all details again on August 27th, 2023. Unfortunately, to date I have not received any response from the licensing authority in response to my two emails. I wrote the message exactly according to your instructions. Maybe the matter is still in progress or under review. But the fact that I haven't heard anything to date surprises me.
Can you possibly support me with forwarding my messages?
I will send another reminder to the licensing authority in 5 days at the latest.
If you have any good advice for me, please let me know.
Thank you.
A******** *******
Dear Brandyy111,
Unfortunately, it may take up to three months for the regulator to decide in a case like yours. Please forward me the email you sent to the regulator. I want to check if everything is formally all right. (matej@casino.guru)
Thanks
Dear Matej,
I have forwarded the emails to you. I hope I have described my case correctly. If any documents are missing, I will provide them immediately.
What experiences have you had with the licensing authority in the past?
Assuming I were right from their point of view, would the casino have to compensate me for all of my losses or how does that work?
If I don't get justice, I would immediately hire a lawyer in Germany to enforce my claims.
Thank you for your feedback.
Dear Brandyy111,
Currently, regulators are facing a high volume of complaints, resulting in an average response time of up to three months. In particularly complex cases, this timeframe could even be longer.
I cannot guarantee that hiring a German lawyer will be beneficial. Instead, I recommend considering the services of a Curacao lawyer.
Even if you were to win a case in Germany, the decision would not be legally binding or enforceable for the casino.
Dear Matej,
Thanks for the tip about the lawyer.
Do you know of cases where the licensing authority decided in the player's favor and he also received his money back?
Do you also know a law firm in Curacao that you can contact or that knows the legal situation well?
You are welcome to send me your answers to my email address.
Many thanks in advance.
Best regards
I have sent you the email. If you don't mind, I would like to close this case with the status: waiting for the regulator's decision.
Once the regulator replies to you, please reopen the complaint.
Dear Brandyy111,
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.
Brandyy111 did not reply, but I am closing this case as unresolved with the status: waiting for the regulator's decision because she intends to contact the regulator.
Dear Brandyy111,
We hope this finds you well. We would like to ask you to provide an update regarding this case, which was previously marked as "Waiting for Regulator" on our website. Your complaint has now been automatically reopened, and we are eager to know if there have been any recent developments or resolutions since our last communication.
If the ADR or the Licensing Authority has resolved things in your favor, please update the thread and send over the official statement to my email. Alternatively, if the ruling favored the casino, your insights are just as crucial.
We understand that some time has passed, but updating your complaint will allow us to take appropriate action, such as issuing black points to the casino in case the ruling is in your favor or warning other players and users about instances where the authority supports the operator.
We truly appreciate your cooperation, and your response would be of great assistance to us.
Thank you in advance for your reply.
Dear Brandyy111,
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 Matej,
Thank you for inquiring. I am doing well so far.
Unfortunately, the Curacao licensing authority only wrote to me once and included a statement or statement from the casino. By the way, this was not truthful. The casino claimed that Casino Guru chose the casino.
I attach the email from the licensing authority to my response. I am very disappointed with the licensing authority and I have written there several times asking for feedback. The fact that such a weak answer came is more than sad. This is a really serious issue and this requires a sensible decision or statement.
I also turned to the help you mentioned https://sbgok.org/. This was in September 2023. I have already complained twice but I have not received any feedback here either. I have currently contacted a lawyer on Curacao who also supports players. Unfortunately I haven't received any feedback here yet. All very unfortunate. But of course I will continue and will do everything I can to achieve success.
I'll get back.
Best regards
Das ist die E-Mail von der Lizenz Behörde
-----------
----- Weitergeleitete Nachricht -----
Von: Info <info@gaminglicences.com>
An: Andreas Brandt <blackskoda2003@yahoo.de>; Complaints <complaints@gaminglicences.com>
Gesendet: Montag, 27. November 2023 um 13:42:26 MEZ
Betreff: RE: Serious violations of player protection and filing of a claim/suit against Casino Wazamba/Rabona/Casinia
Please see below response received from operator!
Antillephone N.V.
Compliance & Licensing Department
Dispute Resolution 8048/JAZ
We would like to bring to your attention that up until the email received on 20.11.2022, we were not made aware of the customer's concern regarding Gambling addiction. As soon as the customer notified us about this matter, we took immediate action and closed his account on the subsequent day.
Moreover, it is important to highlight that the customer did not make any deposits on Rabona during the period from 20.11.2022 until the closure of their account on 29.05.2023.
Regarding the customer's claim on the license and his condition with gambling addiction, we have already communicated with him, discussing his responsibilities in accordance with our terms and conditions as mentioned below:
4.1 By opening an account on our Website and by using our Website you warrant that:
- you are acting on your own behalf;
- you do not have a gambling addiction, you don’t use the Website under the influence of alcohol, drugs or other substances;
<…>
2.2 The Company does not provide any assurances or warranties with regards to the legality of your use of the Website, particularly in case gambling is prohibited, regulated or unregulated in your jurisdiction. It is solely your responsibility to know the laws of your country concerning online gambling and the use of the Website, at all times. Before attempting to open an account with the Website and thereafter each time before using it you must verify whether online gambling is legal in your particular jurisdiction. By using this Website, you warrant that you are legally allowed to gamble online. If at any time online gambling in your jurisdiction becomes illegal or otherwise restricted, you must immediately close your account with the Website and stop using its services.
<…>
3.8 Self-exclusion request: you can contact the customer service via e-mail, and we will assist you in closing your account. Furthermore, it is your responsibility to notify the Company of any other accounts you may have with us, and to refrain from opening any new accounts. The Company will make reasonable efforts to prevent the opening of new accounts but it's ultimately your sole responsibility to make sure no other accounts are opened. The Company shall not be liable for potential losses on other accounts. We are not liable for any losses or damages which could be potentially caused by gambling.
The customer further attempted to dispute this on CasinoGuru, but the forum manager gave decision in our favour after we provided evidence to him: https://casino.guru/casinia-casino-player-demands-better-player-protection
Daraufhin habe ich das zurückgeschrieben. Bislang habe ich noch keine Antwort.
-------
Andreas Brandt
Von:
blackskoda2003@yahoo.de
An:
Complaints
So., 10. Dez. 2023 um 18:23
Dear Licensing Authority,
Thank you for your message.
However, I would like to clarify the facts in my following e-mail to you.
Therefore a comparison with the claims of the casino and the reality. I'll list them one below the other.
Casino Claim:
We would like to bring to your attention that up until the email received on 20.11.2022, we were not made aware of the customer's concern regarding Gambling addiction. As soon as the customer notified us about this matter, we took immediate action and closed his account on the subsequent day.
**********************************
Reality:
This is categorically untrue, as the image of the chat with the VIP Manager was before that date and the gambling addiction was mentioned there, he even gave me a bonus straight after I mentioned it. The burden of proof was put on me to reprodcue a chat protocol I had not backed up before the old phone broke. The burden of proof should be on the casinos side, as keeping records is certainly mandated. Keep in mind the same account manager handled me on all 3 brands. Furthermore, any session duration and spending checks have been ignored and the Source of Funds was not established. After this chat, the operator has failed to close my accounts on th eother brands as well.
----------------------------------------------
Casino Claim:
Regarding the customer's claim on the license and his condition with gambling addiction, we have already communicated with him, discussing his responsibilities in accordance with our terms and conditions as mentioned below:
4.1 By opening an account on our Website and by using our Website you warrant that:
- you are acting on your own behalf;
- you do not have a gambling addiction, you don’t use the Website under the influence of alcohol, drugs or other substances;
<…>
***************************
Reality:
This is a one way rule and does not absolve the casino of any consequent wrongdoing, an addiction can be developped after the fact and addicted persons will not declare themselves as addicted or read the terms. Besides, this part of the Terms and Condistions has not been on the website when I signed up, you can certainly confirm this with the operator which will have GIT commits and logs.
------------------------------------------
Casino Claim:
2.2 The Company does not provide any assurances or warranties with regards to the legality of your use of the Website, particularly in case gambling is prohibited, regulated or unregulated in your jurisdiction. It is solely your responsibility to know the laws of your country concerning online gambling and the use of the Website, at all times. Before attempting to open an account with the Website and thereafter each time before using it you must verify whether online gambling is legal in your particular jurisdiction. By using this Website, you warrant that you are legally allowed to gamble online. If at any time online gambling in your jurisdiction becomes illegal or otherwise restricted, you must immediately close your account with the Website and stop using its services.
<…>
*******************************
Reality:
This part of the terms does not hold any water before a German court and you full well know this, the duty to close accounts from restricted countries and prevent sign ups falls on the casino, the casino even hired German speaking VIP Account Managers, while all the German speaking countries outlaw playing on a non local licenced casino. The country selection option was always available and still is.
------------------------------------------------------
Casino Claim:
3.8 Self-exclusion request: you can contact the customer service via e-mail, and we will assist you in closing your account. Furthermore, it is your responsibility to notify the Company of any other accounts you may have with us, and to refrain from opening any new accounts. The Company will make reasonable efforts to prevent the opening of new accounts but it's ultimately your sole responsibility to make sure no other accounts are opened. The Company shall not be liable for potential losses on other accounts. We are not liable for any losses or damages which could be potentially caused by gambling.
******************************************************************************************
Reality:
These reasonable efforts standards appear to be rather low and again, you cannot push the liability to the players like that, you are aware of that, as you have been made liable in German courts before.
Dear Brandyy111,
As I mentioned earlier, we are unable to make a decision in this case because the conversation you provided and the one from the casino do not match. The crucial evidence of your gambling addiction message is not present in the casino's screenshot. Since we cannot verify these images, we recommend that you reach out to the regulator. The decision has been made by the regulator and we have no choice but to accept it.
The main issue seems to be the inability to obtain the authentic history of your conversation with the VIP manager from WhatsApp, which makes it impossible for us to validate the screenshots.
You have the option to hire a lawyer and take legal action, but the outcome of such a case is uncertain.
