Merlin Casino - Player’s withdrawal has been cancelled.

I would like to submit a complaint regarding MerlinCasino and a cancelled withdrawal.

Here is the timeline of events:

On 01.03.2026 I made a deposit of 60 € with a bonus. I played and won 300 €, and MerlinCasino processed this withdrawal without any issues. The money was paid out to me the next day.

On 02.03.2026 I made another deposit of 100 € and received a bonus. I played but lost this deposit.

On 06.03.2026 I made a deposit of 150 € and claimed the Friday Night bonus. I played normally, completed the wagering requirements, and won a total balance of 750 €. I then submitted a withdrawal request for 750 €, which was initially accepted by the system and the balance was reserved for withdrawal.

Later MerlinCasino cancelled my withdrawal and returned only my deposit. In their email they claimed that I violated Section 11.1 of their bonus terms because I allegedly did not deposit and wager at least 50 € during the week.

This explanation appears incorrect for several reasons:

I deposited 100 € on 02.03.2026, which clearly exceeds the 50 € requirement mentioned in their email.

This deposit occurred during the same week before the Friday bonus on 06.03.

MerlinCasino previously accepted identical gameplay conditions when I deposited 60 € with a bonus on 01.03.2026 and paid out my 300 € withdrawal without any issues.

In their email the casino also described my activity as "irregular gameplay", which is a vague explanation and does not clearly identify any specific rule violation.

From my perspective, I played fairly, followed the same bonus process as before, completed the wagering requirements, and requested a withdrawal. The casino only applied this interpretation of the bonus terms after the withdrawal request was made.

I am attaching screenshots of my deposits, the withdrawal request, and the email sent by MerlinCasino explaining the cancellation.

Ikindly ask Casino Guru to review this case and help resolve the dispute.

Important notice:

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Hello,

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

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

• Could you please describe the process of how the Friday night bonus was activated? (Did you have to apply for the bonus? Was the bonus selected automatically? etc.)
• Was your player's account verified?

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

Best regards,

Tomas

Hello Tomas,

Thank you for your reply.

The Friday night bonus was selected manually when I made a deposit of 150 EUR. The system allowed me to activate the bonus and continue playing.

My account is fully verified.

I would also like to mention that earlier, on 01.03.2026, I made a deposit of 60 EUR with a bonus and won 300 EUR, which MerlinCasino paid without any issues.

Because of this previous withdrawal, I believed that my gameplay and use of bonuses were correct.

Regarding the deposit on 02.03.2026, I made a deposit of 100 EUR with a welcome bonus and I played and lost that balance.

At no point did the system indicate that I was not eligible for the Friday bonus or that I needed to make a separate "clean" deposit without a bonus.

Thank you for your assistance.

Please see their reply.

Best regards,

Alise

Hello Tomas,

I would also like to provide an additional screenshot from the Friday bonus page that was visible in my account.

As shown in the screenshot, the bonus description states that players need to deposit and wager at least 50 EUR during the week in order to be eligible for the bonus winnings.

It does not mention that the deposit must be a "clean deposit" without a bonus attached. Because of this wording, I understood that any deposit of at least 50 EUR during the week would qualify.

In my case, I deposited 100 EUR on 02.03.2026 and played that balance.

I am attaching the screenshot of the bonus description that was visible in my account for your reference.

Best regards,

Alise

Dear vienalga,

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,

Tomas

Dear Tomas, thank you for your help.

It's greatly appreciated 👍🏼

Hello vienalga,

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

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

Dear Merlin Casino,

While I acknowledge the presence of this rule:

11.1. To ensure proper use of bonuses and fair play, Merlin Casino considers claiming the Friday and Saturday bonuses without any other deposit (deposits which are not matched with any bonus) and wagers during the week as irregular gameplay to take advantage of bonuses.

In your Bonus Terms and Conditions, however, this does not seem to be in line with the fair practices we anticipate from reputable casinos.

As we mentioned in our Fair Gambling Codex: Our Views on Problematic Areas

We hold the view that casinos ought to be designed to provide bonuses exclusively to qualified players. Appropriate measures should be implemented to ensure that players do not receive bonuses if they are ineligible, and ideally, these regulations should be enforced through the casino's software. If a casino is not configured in this manner, it should permit players to withdraw their winnings, even if they have utilized a bonus that they technically were not entitled to claim. In essence, once a player receives/claims a bonus that was freely available to them, a casino should not retract it or seize any winnings derived from that bonus (unless other rules have been violated).

In the context of deposit bonuses, since the player has invested their own funds as well, this scenario is comparable to that of any other player, and the game metrics were identical to those of all other participants who claimed the same bonus at that time.

Taking this into consideration the actions take does not appear to be in alignment with fair practices.

I respectfully request that you reconsider your decision, and I am hopeful that we can reach a fair and equitable resolution to this matter.

If there are any specific factors relevant to this case that cannot be shared publicly, please feel free to contact me directly at michal.k@casino.guru. I'd be happy to review any additional context you may provide.

I look forward to your response.

Hi Michal,

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,

Alise

Dear Casinoguru,

We closed this player’s account because he is a fraudulent player who requested chargebacks of his deposits  from our payment provider.

Kind regards,

Merlin Casino

The casino provided inconsistent explanations.

In their direct email, they stated "fraudulent activity OR a payment chargeback," which is vague and non-specific.

However, in this complaint, they claim that I am a "fraudulent player who requested chargebacks."

These statements contradict each other and are not supported by any evidence.

I also note that the casino referred to me incorrectly ( I'm not he, but she), which further reflects the lack of proper review of my case.

I consider it a serious and unacceptable accusation to be publicly labeled as a "fraudulent player" without any evidence.

I deposited a total of approx. €3090 and I am only requesting €600 related to confiscated winnings. This clearly does not align with any fraudulent behavior.

Additionally, the casino’s claim about "chargebacks" is factually incorrect, as my deposits were made via SEPA transfer, which does not support chargebacks. I did not contact my bank, and no chargeback was initiated.

After the casino refused to return my confiscated winnings, I contacted the merchant directly to seek assistance. As a result, the merchant voluntarily refunded €300. This was not a chargeback, but a direct resolution with the payment provider.

For clarification: the €300 refund was issued at the payment chain level and not specifically by Merlin Casino. It is unclear whether it originated from Merlin Casino, Cristal Poker, Hercules Casino, or another entity within this payment structure.

Therefore, this amount should not be considered as a direct refund from Merlin Casino or used to reduce their responsibility in this case.

Furthermore, Merlin Casino has not addressed the core issue of my complaint, which is the confiscated winnings.

Dear Merlin Casino,

Kindly forward me any evidence of the above mentioned to michal.k@casino.guru for an independent review.

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

Hi Michal, attaching screenshot of proof, where one of our providers reached out to us regarding this fraudulent customer's deposits because player requested chargebacks.

Kind regards,

Merlin Casino

Hello,

The casino accepted my deposits worth of 3090EUR and allowed me to play without any restrictions. However, only after I won, my winnings were confiscated and I was suddenly labeled as a "fraudulent customer".

If there were any concerns regarding fraudulent activity, these should have been identified before accepting deposits and allowing gameplay.

This raises serious concerns about the consistency of the casino’s actions and the validity of their claims.

The casino repeatedly refers to me as a "fraudulent customer", yet no actual evidence of fraud or chargebacks has been provided.

The submitted document only shows that a payment provider requested clarification regarding refund requests. A refund request is not the same as a chargeback, and no supporting documentation from a bank or card network has been presented.

Furthermore, the provided document does not mention Merlin Casino at all, nor does it clearly establish that these transactions are related to this casino. There is no direct link between the listed payments and Merlin Casino.

Most importantly, the casino is still avoiding the key issue — the confiscation of my winnings. No valid explanation or evidence has been provided to justify this action.

I kindly ask the casino to either provide concrete evidence of chargebacks clearly linked to Merlin Casino, or explain on what grounds my winnings were confiscated.

Furthermore, labeling a customer as "fraudulent" without providing verifiable evidence is a serious allegation. I kindly ask the casino to either substantiate this claim with concrete proof or refrain from making such statements.

Regards,

Alise Dumina.

Dear Vienalga,

Thank you for your response. I would like to emphasize that any discrepancies tend to be identified during the Know Your Customer (KYC) and Anti-Money Laundering (AML) verification processes. These processes can be initiated at any moment, but they typically occur when a withdrawal request exceeds a certain threshold.

Throughout the KYC and AML verification, various checks are conducted, and it is during this verification that specific discrepancies may come to light.

The KYC and AML processes are standard practices in the industry that no licensed casino can take lightly.

Dear Merlin Casino,

Thank you for your email. I have sent a response with additional inquiries and am awaiting your reply.

Dear all,

This complaint has been raised for a completely different reason and the core issue has still not been addressed.

The confiscation of winnings occurred before account closure and any alleged chargeback, and these are unrelated matters.

Please clarify the reason for the confiscation.

Regards,

Dear Merlin Casino,

Thank you for your email. I have responded with some additional questions and am currently awaiting your reply.

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

Dear vienalga,

I appreciate your response; however, I am still seeking clarification on a few matters and the particular aspects of your gameplay that were previously described as "irregular gameplay."

While earlier withdrawals may have been completed without requiring a review of your account and gameplay, the casino team has the authority to initiate this review process at any time. Typically, this review occurs when a withdrawal request exceeds a certain threshold. This is a standard practice in the industry, and it is usually at this point that any discrepancies come to light.

At the same time, the chargeback requests are confirmed and represent a serious breach of standard online casino terms and conditions. While you may consider these matters unrelated, this does not necessarily mean that your assumption is correct.

Once a chargeback is initiated with the payment provider, it may be reported to the relevant parties in accordance with applicable regulations and contractual obligations, including communication with the involved gambling operators.

As per the casino’s terms and conditions:

Technically speaking, the casino team appears to have acted in accordance with their rules.

That said, I am still awaiting further information and supporting evidence from the casino team. Once this is received, it should allow for a clearer understanding of the full situation.

Dear Merlin Casino,

Thank you for your email. I have replied with a few additional questions and am currently awaiting your response.

Dear Michal,

At this stage, I would like to raise a concern regarding the process itself.

Additionally, the fact that communication is now taking place outside of my visibility makes the process feel non-transparent and, frankly, unfair from a player’s perspective.

I would appreciate being given the opportunity to respond to any claims or evidence before a final decision is made, because:

I believe the key points of this case are still being misunderstood.

The issue is not the existence of Terms and Conditions, but how they are applied in practice.

The Friday Bonus promotion page does not state that a "clean deposit without any active bonus" is required. This condition is only mentioned in general T&C, not at the point where the bonus is offered. At the same time, the system itself allowed me to receive and use the bonus without any warning or restriction.

If I was not eligible, the system should not have granted the bonus at all. This is standard practice.

Regarding the chargeback – it occurred significantly later and is unrelated to the bonus or the cancelled withdrawal. Using it as justification for earlier actions is incorrect and does not reflect the actual timeline.

As for "irregular gameplay" – this has not been defined at all. My gameplay was normal and consistent. I previously deposited €100, played, and withdrew €300 without any issues. In total, I have deposited €3090, which clearly reflects regular player activity, not fraudulent behavior.

At this point, I request a clear and specific explanation:

- what exactly is considered "irregular gameplay" in my case,

- why the system allowed me to participate in a bonus I was allegedly not eligible for,

- and how a later chargeback is being used to justify earlier actions.

General references to T&C are not sufficient. Please provide a case-specific explanation.

Kind regards,

A*** D*****.

Dear vienalga,

I acknowledge your request to review specific aspects of your case and the supporting evidence. However, in line with industry standards, as well as our and the casino’s privacy policies and other applicable regulations, such documentation cannot be shared with private individuals and certainly not on public forums. This is due to the sensitive nature of the documentation, which could pose a risk of misuse or attempts to circumvent established security measures.

Such materials may only be disclosed to the relevant regulatory authorities or recognized alternative dispute resolution bodies.

While we always try to share as much information about the process as possible, we must respect and act according to the industry standard regulations.

Please rest assured that all submitted information and evidence will be carefully reviewed before a conclusion is reached in your case, in accordance with our complaint resolution policy.

Should you feel that our complaint resolution process does not fully meet your expectations, you are, of course, entitled to pursue the matter to the casino’s licensing authority or another appropriate authority in your jurisdiction. At the same time, I will be closing this case and directing my resources to handle the hundreds of other player complaints we receive on a weekly basis.

Please let me know how you would like to proceed.

Dear Michal,

Thank you for your response.

However, based on your statement that you intend to close this case in order to focus on other complaints, I must formally request that this case be reassigned to another mediator.

This matter involves multiple inconsistencies, including unclear bonus conditions, lack of technical restrictions, and incorrect linkage of unrelated events. These are not simple issues and require proper attention and evaluation.

Closing the case under these circumstances, without fully addressing the key points, is not an acceptable resolution.

If you are unable or unwilling to continue handling this case due to workload or prioritization, I respectfully request that it be transferred to another team member who can review it thoroughly and without limitation.

I am fully willing to cooperate and provide any necessary information, but I expect a fair and complete review of the case.

Kind regards,

Alise

Dear vienalga,

Thank you for your response, but I feel you have not paid your full attention to my previous response in the complaint thread, as I have NOT written that I will close your case in order to focus on other complaints. This was mainly your own assumption rather than a fact. Kindly review it more carefully.

I would like to respectfully clarify that you have reach out to us for help and not the other way round, and since then, it has been handled in accordance with our standard complaint resolution procedures. Please be assured that all information and evidence provided by both parties are being carefully reviewed, and any conclusions will be based solely on the established facts.

I understand that you have raised concerns regarding certain aspects of the case, including the bonus conditions and the interpretation of specific events. These points remain part of the ongoing assessment and will be duly considered before a final position is reached.

With regard to your request for reassignment, please note that all cases are reviewed under the same internal guidelines to ensure consistency, fairness, and impartiality. As such, a change in mediator would not alter the process or its outcome. I remain committed to assisting you and ensuring that your case is reviewed thoroughly within our scope.

Since you have expressed dissatisfaction with our complaint handling process. In that context, I provided information on how the matter may be escalated to the relevant licensing authority or another appropriate body, should you wish to pursue it further. This is a standard recommendation intended to ensure that you are aware of these options.

Should you want to continue with our assistance, I will proceed with the review and keep you informed of any relevant developments. Alternatively, you are, of course, free to pursue the matter through external channels at any time.

Please let me know how you would like to proceed.

Dear Michal,

Thank you for your response.

However, I would like to address two key points that remain unclear and require clarification.

First, regarding consistency in similar cases.

Casino Guru has previously taken a different position in comparable Merlin Casino complaints related to the Friday bonus, where unclear or insufficiently communicated bonus conditions were considered unfair when applied retroactively.

For example:

1. https://casino.guru/complaints/merlin-casino-player-disputes-breach-of-bonus-terms

2. https://casino.guru/complaints/merlin-casino-player-s-withdrawal-has-been-confiscated

In these cases, it was acknowledged that rules which are not clearly presented to the player at the time of interaction should not be enforced after winnings are generated.

In my case, the situation is materially and identically the same:

- The system granted the bonus, indicating eligibility

- The promotion page did not clearly state the restriction being applied

- No technical restriction or warning was in place

- The issue was only raised after winnings were generated

Despite this, I am being treated as if I had violated clearly defined and properly enforced rules, which was not the case in practice.

Given these similarities, the same reasoning does not appear to be applied here.

I would therefore appreciate a clear and specific explanation of what distinguishes my case from the referenced ones, and why a different approach is being taken.

Second, regarding the scope of the investigation.

It remains unclear why aspects such as chargeback activity and gameplay classification are being considered in this case, as they are not directly related to the core issue.

The matter under review is specifically:

- eligibility and qualification for the Friday bonus

- clarity and visibility of the applicable rules

- whether those rules were applied fairly in practice

The reference to chargeback relates to a separate situation and occurred at a later point in time. It does not affect the factual circumstances of this case.

Similarly, "gameplay classification" has not been clearly defined or substantiated, and no explanation has been provided as to how it impacts the application of bonus terms in this situation.

Especially since I've made casino a profit of 3090eur and received accusations of irregular activity and discrepancies in return.

Including unrelated factors in the assessment creates confusion and raises concerns about the objectivity and focus of the review process.

Based on the above, I must also formally reiterate my request for reassignment to a different mediator.

The lack of consistency with previously resolved cases, combined with the inclusion of unrelated factors and the absence of clear, case-specific explanations, raises concerns about the objectivity and direction of the current review.

To ensure a fair and impartial assessment, I believe it is reasonable that the case is reviewed by another specialist.

At this stage, I would appreciate:

- A clear distinction between my case and previously resolved similar cases

- Clarification of why unrelated elements (chargeback, gameplay classification) are being considered

- A focused evaluation based strictly on the actual facts and timeline of this case

I remain open to continuing the process, but I expect a consistent, transparent, and case-specific assessment.

Kind regards,

Vienalga

Dear vienalga,

Thank you for your response. I will address the points you have raised to ensure full clarity. I kindly and respectfully ask you to allocate sufficient time and your attention to comprehend this response, rather than relying on having it reviewed by artificial intelligence, which you seem to utilized based on your previous responses.

Regarding the comparison with previously resolved cases, each complaint is assessed individually based on the specific facts, evidence, and communication available in that particular instance. While certain cases may appear similar on the surface, they often differ in key details such as the player’s activity through time and the overall context in which the situation occurred.

For this reason, outcomes from other cases cannot be applied automatically. The examples you have referenced were evaluated based on their own circumstances, and any conclusions reached there do not constitute a binding precedent for other complaints. Your case is being reviewed independently, and once the assessment is finalized, I will aim to provide you with a clear explanation of the reasoning behind the conclusion.

With regard to the scope of the investigation, I understand your concern; however, please note that when reviewing complaints, we consider all relevant information provided by both parties. This may include account activity, transaction history, and other related factors. Such elements are not introduced arbitrarily, but rather to ensure that the full context of the case is properly understood before any conclusion is made.

At this stage, no final determination has been made, and the review is still ongoing. Therefore, I would kindly ask you to refrain from premature conclusions.

Regarding your request for reassignment, please note that cases are assigned to resolvers randomly and are then handled by the same resolver until their conclusion. This is our standard internal policy to ensure consistency throughout the review process. For this reason, your case will not be reassigned, as there are no valid reasons for that despite your personal belief.

If our complaint resolution process and company policies do not align with your expectations, you are, of course, free to explore alternative options, such as contacting the relevant licensing authority or another dispute resolution service. Should you feel that another body may be better suited to address your concerns, you are more than welcome to pursue that route. This recommendation is simply to ensure you are aware of all available avenues.

I remain willing to handle your case objectively and thoroughly within our established framework.

Thank you for your understanding.

You are welcome to respond in any manner you consider appropriate as long as it is in a respectful way; however, I kindly ask that your replies remain constructive. Please also note that I reserve the right to address only matters relevant to the case in any future responses.

Finally, please keep in mind that we are here to assist you, and this service is provided free of charge.

Dear Merlin Casino,

I'm looking forward to your timely reply to my email.

Dear Merlin Casino,

Thank you for providing the information and evidence related to this case.

Dear vienalga,

Thank you for your patience while we carefully reviewed all the information and evidence provided by both sides. I have also consulted your case with with my colleagues from our complaint team, and we have reached the following conclusion.

If the matter related solely to the bonus terms and their use, we would be inclined to view the withholding of your winnings as potentially unfair. I have already explained our position in similar situation previously in the complaint thread. However, this situation is more complex, and certain actions taken by you have had a significant impact on the overall assessment.

While submitting a complaint to us (or any other similar service) as an independent dispute mediator was the right step, when you disagreed with the casino's actions, it was established that, rather than awaiting the outcome of the dispute resolution process, you initiated refund requests/chargebacks. In the online gaming industry, this is generally considered a very serious breach of the casino’s terms and conditions.

Once a refund request/chargeback is raised with a payment provider, it is usually communicated to relevant parties in accordance with regulatory and contractual obligations, including the involved casino operators.

Although earlier withdrawals may have been processed to you without a detailed review, casinos reserve the right to conduct account and gameplay checks at any stage. It is also important to note that discrepancies are often identified during or following Know Your Customer (KYC) and Anti-Money Laundering (AML) procedures, which are commonly triggered when withdrawals exceed certain thresholds. This is a standard practice across the industry.

With this context in mind, it has been established that a refund request/chargeback was initiated by you

Consequently, this diminishes any potential resolution or any form of consensus on the "original" issue. The casino opted to act strictly in accordance with their established rules, and we, based on the circumstances, cannot hold this against them. Regrettably, this is where any potential assistance from our end concerning your case concludes.

You are, of course, entitled to disagree with this decision and may contact the casino’s licensing authority or the relevant authority in your jurisdiction if you truly believe you have been wrongly accused. However, we are unable to provide further assistance in this matter. If you choose to pursue this route, please feel free to inform me of the authority’s decision at michal.k@casino.guru.

I can only recommend that you familiarize yourself with and follow the casino’s rules in the future. Should you experience any issues with this or any other casino, feel free to contact us, and we will try our best to assist you.

Best regards,

Michal

Casino Guru