Cristal Poker Casino - Player's winnings have been confiscated.

Hello,

I deposited 200 EUR and received a 100 EUR deposit bonus.

The bonus had 0x wagering requirement.

I started playing and all my bets were made only with my deposited funds (200 EUR). The bonus funds were not used, which is confirmed in the bonus history showing:

Wager: 0

I won 2227.60 EUR from a 4 EUR spin while still playing with my deposited balance.

After that I requested a withdrawal of 1000 EUR.

At that moment the system automatically cancelled the bonus, which indicates that the bonus had not yet been used.

Later the casino manually reduced my withdrawal to 500 EUR, claiming that the maximum withdrawal is 5× the bonus amount.

However, according to their own bonus terms:

"The deposited funds and winnings can be withdrawn at any time."

Since my winnings were generated before using any bonus funds, the bonus withdrawal cap should not apply.

The casino confiscated 1749.60 EUR from my balance.

I believe this is an incorrect application of the bonus terms because the winnings were generated with real money funds before the bonus was used.

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Dear vienalga,

Thank you very much for submitting your complaint. I’m sorry to hear about your problem. I checked the Bonus T&Cs and I found this:

b)Bonuses that comes with a deposit requirement (clause 10.2,10.3; Sports Bonuses and Live Casino Bonuses) have limits on withdrawal of 5 times Bonus amount received, and are wager FREE. Any balance above maximum withdrawal amount is forfeited manually once player reach maximum withdrawal amount or when player requests withdrawal.

Sadly, there is not much I can do to support your case at this time, especially when the casino shares all the relevant information on the website. Casinos try to design their bonuses to be as attractive as possible, and setting a maximum cash out limit for bonus winnings is very common. Please, do not hesitate to let me know if there is anything else I could help you with, otherwise, I will be forced to close this complaint.

Thank you very much in advance for your understanding.

Best regards,

Attila

Hello Attila,

Thank you for reviewing the bonus terms.

However, I believe my case requires a deeper review because the situation is not a typical "bonus winnings capped" scenario.

There are several important facts that were not considered:

1.The €100 bonus was never used in gameplay

The casino itself confirmed in their email that the game I played (Play’n GO slot Shimmering Woods) does not allow gameplay with bonus funds.

During my gameplay session, the playable balance displayed was only my real money balance of €200, which was my deposit.

The €100 bonus remained inactive and was not used in any bets.

This means that all winnings were generated exclusively from my real money balance, not from bonus funds.

The system never added the bonus funds to the gameplay balance

At the start of gameplay my balance was €200, not €300.

If the bonus had been active in gameplay, the system would have displayed a combined balance including the bonus.

This did not happen.

Therefore the system itself confirms that only real money funds were used for betting.

2.The casino introduced a restriction that is not written in their Terms.

The casino claims that Play’n GO games do not allow bonus gameplay.

However, this restriction is not stated anywhere in their Bonus Terms and Conditions.

This means that the player could not reasonably know that the bonus could not be used with this provider.

3.Withdrawal behaviour proves the winnings were real balance.

When I requested a withdrawal of €1000, my balance was reduced accordingly but the system did not remove the €100 bonus balance first, which is what normally happens when bonus funds are involved.

At the time of withdrawal my account contained real cash balance only, confirming again that the gameplay winnings were generated from real funds.

An Example from the same casino group

I also tested the same slot (Shimmering Woods) at their sister casino Hercules Casino, which uses the same bonus structure.

In that case the bonus funds were immediately added to the balance and clearly displayed as bonus balance.

This shows that the normal behaviour of their system is to clearly separate and display bonus funds during gameplay.

In my case this did not happen.

I have screenshots of this and can provide upon request.

Conclusion:

1.The bonus funds were never used in gameplay and remained inactive due to game restrictions.

2.All winnings were generated from real money gameplay only.

For this reason, applying a bonus winnings cap to real money winnings appears incorrect and inconsistent with how the system actually behaved during gameplay.

I kindly ask that the case be reviewed again considering these facts.

I have documented my gameplay history and balance screenshots and can provide them if needed.

Thank you for taking another look at the situation.

Hello Attila,

I would like to provide some additional information based on the latest response from CristalPoker, as it appears that the casino’s explanations contain inconsistencies.

In one of their responses, the casino confirmed that the Play’n GO games I played do not allow gameplay using bonus funds and that during my session the €100 bonus remained inactive for that specific game.

This would indicate that the gameplay session was conducted using only my real balance of €200.

However, in their most recent response, the casino states that once a deposit bonus is credited to the account it is considered active regardless of whether it was used in gameplay, and therefore the maximum withdrawal rule applies.

These two statements appear to contradict each other:

• In one response the casino states the bonus remained inactive and was not used in gameplay.

• In another response they state the bonus should still be considered active for the purpose of applying the withdrawal cap.

Additionally, the gameplay history shows that the starting balance of the session was €200, which corresponds to my deposit amount. If the bonus had been active in gameplay, the balance would have been €300.

All games played during the session were Play’n GO titles (Leprechaun Goes Egypt, Myth, Easter Eggs, Shimmering Woods), and according to the casino these games do not support bonus gameplay.

Because of this, it appears that all winnings were generated exclusively from real balance gameplay.

I am therefore asking if this apparent inconsistency in the casino’s explanation could be reviewed as part of the complaint.

Kind regards

[Redacted]

Hello Attila,

I would like to add one more point regarding the CristalPoker promotion.

On their bonus page it is stated that "the deposited funds and winnings can be withdrawn at any time."

However, in my case the casino applied a withdrawal cap even though the gameplay was conducted only with my real balance, as the bonus remained inactive for the Play’n GO games played.

Because of this, the promotional information presented to players appears misleading compared to how the rules are applied in practice.

Kind regards,

[Redacted]

Dear vienalga,

Thank you for your response.

In order for me to properly asses the issue, could you please share your game history? I suggest requesting the complete game history directly from the casino in Excel format. The game history should cover the whole of the relevant period: from the moment of the activation of the bonus, until the confiscation of the winnings. Additionally, could you please attach a screenshot of your bonus history as well? You can reach me at attila.g@casino.guru.

Thank you in advance for your reply.

Dear Attila,

I've responded to you via email attila.g@casino.guru.

Thank you ,

Dear Attila,

Thank you for taking over my complaint.

I would like to clarify an important update regarding my account.

My account has been closed by the casino, and this action was taken without my request or consent.

As a result, I no longer have access to my account, which prevents me from reviewing transaction details, managing my balance, or taking any further action directly through the platform.

This raises additional concerns, as the account closure happened during an ongoing dispute regarding deposits and transactions.

I kindly ask that this factor is taken into consideration when assessing the case.

Kind regards,

[Redacted]

Thank you for your cooperation and for providing all the necessary information. I truly appreciate the time and effort you’ve taken to share everything with us so far.

Your complaint will now move to the next stage of our process and be handled by your dedicated Resolver, Michal (michal.k@casino.guru). This is a standard step in our procedure, as the Resolver will take over communication with the casino directly and manage your case from this point onward.

No action is required from you right now. Your Resolver will reach out through this thread if any additional details are needed. You can rest assured that your case is in very capable hands.

I wish you the best of luck and hope your case will be resolved to your satisfaction soon.

Kind regards,

Attila

Hello vienalga,

It's Michal again. I have taken over this complaint. I have reviewed this case, and I will contact the casino to shed more light on this matter and to see if I can help somehow.

I would like to invite Cristal Poker Casino to join the conversation.

Dear Cristal Poker Casino,

As per the player's explanation, the cap on their winnings doesn't seem to be fair.

Could you kindly provide clarification regarding the course of events and explain why the player's winnings were capped?

If there are any factors influencing this situation that cannot be shared publicly, please feel free to share them directly with me at michal.k@casino.guru.

Dear Michal,

Thank you for your message and for reviewing this case.

We would like to clarify the situation based on our Bonus Terms and Conditions and the sequence of events on the player’s account.

As already communicated to the player via email, according to clause 10.1.3 b) of our Bonus Terms and Conditions:

Bonuses that come with a deposit requirement (clause 10.2, 10.3; Sports Bonuses and Live Casino Bonuses) have limits on withdrawal of 5 times the bonus amount received and are wager-free. Any balance above the maximum withdrawal amount is forfeited once the player reaches this limit or submits a withdrawal request.

In line with this rule, once a deposit bonus is credited to the account, it is considered active, and the maximum withdrawal limit applies regardless of whether the bonus funds were used in gameplay or not.

In this specific case:

The player received a 100€ bonus.

Therefore, the maximum withdrawable amount is 500€ (5× bonus).

Any balance exceeding this amount was forfeited in accordance with the Terms.

This condition is clearly stated in our Bonus Terms and applied consistently to all players.

Regarding the gameplay and "unused bonus" argument:

While the player claims that the bonus was not used during gameplay, this does not affect the applicability of the withdrawal cap. The limitation is linked to the activation of the bonus, not to whether the bonus balance was consumed during gameplay.

Regarding the account closure:

Additionally, we would like to clarify that the player’s account was not closed by our team directly.

The account was blocked by our platform provider due to a chargeback registered by the player within the provider’s network.

This action is in line with clause 9 (d) and (e) of our Terms and Conditions:

9 (d) – involvement or suspected involvement in fraudulent activities.

9 (e) – initiating a chargeback or reversing deposits made to the account.

Please note:

We were informed about this only after the player contacted us regarding access issues.

Proof:

https://prnt.sc/oL_-DKdOkO7w

https://prnt.sc/RB2VN3fUvqsX

It is important to mention that after the situation regarding the bonus, she proceeded to make additional deposits, and at the time the account was blocked by the platform provider, the remaining balance on the account was €0.40.

Prior to this, the customer had successfully withdrawn two payments of €500 each, processed a few days earlier.

Therefore, no outstanding balance is owed to the player.

Conclusion:

The bonus terms were correctly applied as per clause 10.1.3 b).

The withdrawal limitation applies regardless of bonus usage.

The account block was initiated by the platform provider due to a chargeback.

We therefore consider that all actions taken were in full compliance with our Terms and standard procedures.

Please let us know if any further clarification is required.

Best regards,

CristalPoker Team

Cristal Poker Casino,

The response still does not address the core issue of this complaint, which is the confiscation of winnings.

The confiscation occurred before the account closure and any alleged chargebacks, therefore these matters are unrelated and should not be used to justify the decision.

Additionally, there is a clear inconsistency regarding Play’n GO gameplay:

On one occasion, the casino stated that Play’n GO games do not use bonus funds.

However, on a different day, when another bonus was active, the same Play’n GO slots displayed and used the full balance (real + bonus).

This raises a critical question:

Under what conditions are Play’n GO games using bonus funds, and when are they not?

I can provide screenshots from:

•the gameplay session where the winnings were confiscated

•a separate session where Play’n GO games clearly used bonus funds

This discrepancy directly affects whether the bonus cap should have been applied.

Also Your provided evidence/ screenshots do not explain or justify the confiscation of winnings.

They only show an internal label ("CHB/FRAUD ALERT") and a general statement about chargebacks, without any timeline or evidence linking this to the confiscation decision.

The winnings were confiscated before any alleged chargeback, therefore this information is not relevant to the core issue of this complaint.

And also what relevance do my subsequent deposits and legitimate withdrawals have to the confiscation of winnings?

Dear vienalga,

We would like to clarify once again that the balance correction was not arbitrary, but applied strictly in accordance with our Bonus Terms and Conditions.

As previously explained, the decisive factor in this case is not whether the bonus funds were visibly used during gameplay, but the fact that a deposit bonus was credited and active on the account.

According to clause 10.1.3 b):

The maximum withdrawal is limited to 5× the bonus amount received, regardless of gameplay, and any balance exceeding this limit is forfeited upon withdrawal request.

Therefore:

Once the 100€ bonus was credited, the rule became applicable.

The maximum withdrawal was capped at 500€.

Any amount above this limit was correctly removed in line with the Terms.

Regarding Play’n GO gameplay:

The behavior you describe regarding different sessions does not change the application of the rule.

These technical display or gameplay do not override the Bonus Terms, which clearly define that the withdrawal cap is tied to bonus activation, not to how balances are visually presented or consumed during gameplay.

Regarding account closure and later activity:

You are correct that the balance correction occurred before the account closure, and we are not linking these two events as justification for the bonus limitation.

The clarification regarding:

subsequent deposits

successful withdrawals

and final account balance

was provided only to demonstrate that:

your account remained fully operational after this "bonus case".

you were able to successfully withdraw a total of €1,000.

and no remaining funds were withheld after the account closure.

To summarize:

The withdrawal cap was applied strictly based on bonus activation, as per clause 10.1.3 b).

Gameplay or bonus visibility does not affect this rule.

The confiscated amount represents the portion exceeding the allowed maximum withdrawal.

No additional funds remain unpaid to your account.

And all the actions taken were fully compliant with our Terms and Conditions.

Best regards,

CristalPoker Team

Dear Michal,

Based on the casino’s response, it appears that even in cases of inconsistent gameplay behavior or potential technical issues, the outcome remains unchanged and always in favor of the operator.

This effectively means that whether a technical glitch occurs or not is considered irrelevant, and the same rule is applied regardless of how the bonus is actually displayed or used during gameplay.

Such an approach is misleading to players and raises serious concerns about fairness and transparency of the Terms and Conditions. Players cannot be expected to rely on rules that are applied independently of how the system actually functions in practice.

Furthermore, this key condition is not properly reflected or visible during gameplay. If the system does not clearly indicate when bonus rules are actively affecting the balance, players are left without the ability to understand or verify how their funds are being used.

This makes the Terms and Conditions inherently unfair, as they can be applied retroactively regardless of what is actually shown to the player during gameplay.

If this matter is not properly addressed, I will escalate the case further to the relevant regulatory authority for review.

Thank you all for your responses.

I particularly appreciate the detailed explanation by the Cristal Poker Casino on the course of events and the factors involved in this matter.

Dear vienalga,

Thank you for sharing your perspective. While you are absolutely entitled to your opinion regarding this situation and the applicable rules, it does not necessarily mean that your interpretation is the correct one or that the rules themselves are not valid. The application of all bonus rules including withdrawal limits from the moment a bonus is activated is a standard practice across nearly all online casinos. Unless explicitly stated in the rules otherwise, these limitations remain in effect from the point of activation until wagering is fully completed, regardless of how the balance is displayed during play.

Because the casino applied the rules exactly as stated in the terms you accepted, we cannot find any fault in their actions. As such, this complaint will be closed as Unjustified.

You certainly have the right to disagree with this conclusion and can reach out to the casino licensing authority or the appropriate regulatory body in your jurisdiction if you still feel justified in your position, but we are unable to offer any additional assistance regarding this issue. Feel free to let me know of the licensing or the regulatory authority decision, should you opt for this route at michal.k@casino.guru.

We are sorry we could not be of more help on this occasion.

Should you encounter any issues with this or any other casino regarding casino games in the future, please feel free to reach out to us, and we will try our best to help.

Best regards,

Michal

Casino Guru