Nova88 Casino - Player's deposit is confiscated.

Nova88 Refuses to Return My 1,200 MYR Deposit After EDD Dispute

I am filing this complaint against Nova88 regarding the refusal to return my deposited funds of 1,200 MYR (approximately 280 USDT).

The deposits were made in USDT (Tether), while my Nova88 account was denominated in MYR.

Nova88 selected my account for Enhanced Due Diligence because the MYR currency/market selected during registration did not correspond with the information associated with my account.

The problem is that I have never claimed to be Malaysian. I do not live or work in Malaysia, and I never stated otherwise.

Nova88 requested Malaysian residence/employment documentation. I explained that I cannot provide documents that do not exist because I am not a Malaysian resident or employee.

Nova88 acknowledged this and explicitly confirmed that they understood my situation. However, they also told me that there was no alternative verification process available.

I did not refuse KYC/EDD. I repeatedly stated that I was willing to verify my identity, residence and source of funds using genuine documents.

Nevertheless, Nova88 suspended the account because their specific EDD requirements could not be completed.

I then asked what would happen to my deposited funds.

They eventually confirmed that my request to return the remaining 1,200 MYR (approximately 280 USDT) was declined and that the decision was final.

What concerns me most is that Nova88 never established any separate betting violation. In fact, they explicitly told me in writing:

"We are not stating in this correspondence that there has been a separate finding of system abuse, coordinated betting, or other prohibited betting activity."

So this is not a case where they have accused me of fraud or cheating and confiscated winnings. They are refusing to return my deposited funds, which were deposited in USDT, because their EDD process could not be completed, while simultaneously acknowledging that I cannot provide the Malaysian documents they requested and that they have no alternative verification process.

I repeatedly asked them to provide the exact T&C clause authorizing permanent retention/confiscation of my deposited funds in this situation. They only referred me generally to their suspension and AML/KYC provisions.

I would like Casino Guru to review whether Nova88's conduct is consistent with its published terms and fair gambling practices.

I have the complete email correspondence and can provide screenshots/documents showing the entire timeline.

Amount disputed: 1,200 MYR (approximately 280 USDT).

Original deposits: USDT (Tether).

I am requesting the return of my deposited funds.

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Hello,

Thank you very much for submitting your complaint. I'm sorry to hear about your problem. Please allow me to ask you a few questions, so I can understand the whole situation completely.

• Could you please advise on the reason for selecting MYR as your account currency?
• Can you provide the exact dates on which you made the deposits to your Nova88 account?
• What specific documents did Nova88 request from you for the Enhanced Due Diligence process?
• Could you please forward your communication with the casino in relation to this issue? You can reach me via email at attila.g@casino.guru, or you can post screenshots here.

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,

Attila

And more screenshots

Hello,

We would like to update you that due to Attila, your designated resolver, being on vacation, we have opted to extend the timeline by an additional 7 days. Since Attila has an in-depth understanding of your situation and maintains direct communication with the casino, we find this extension justified. Your patience is sincerely appreciated, and I assure you that Attila will contact you at the earliest opportunity.

Thank you for your understanding and ongoing patience.

Best regards, Casino Guru

Hello,

Thank you for providing the additional information and screenshots.

I would like to clarify one point before we proceed.

As I understand it, the casino initially suspended your account because you could not provide the requested Malaysian documents. However, in the later communication, the casino also referred to sportsbook risk indicators.

Could you please clarify whether the casino specifically told you that your remaining balance of 1,200 MYR was confiscated because you could not complete the EDD verification, or whether the decision was related to your betting activity?

If the casino provided a final explanation stating the exact reason why the 1,200 MYR would not be returned, please forward that specific communication to me.

Thank you for your cooperation.

Best regards,

Attila

Dear Attila,

Thank you for your clarification.

To answer your question precisely: Nova88 explicitly informed me that the 1,200 MYR would not be returned because the required EDD/KYC verification could not be successfully completed.

Their final response stated:

"As the required EDD/KYC verification could not be successfully completed, the remaining balance will remain restricted and no withdrawal, refund, or other financial transaction will be processed. Consequently, your request for the return of the remaining balance of 1,200 MYR has been declined."

Therefore, the reason they officially gave me for refusing to return the 1,200 MYR was the incomplete EDD/KYC verification.

At no point in their original EDD correspondence did they tell me that the 1,200 MYR was being confiscated because of my casino gameplay or because I had committed any specific violation while playing casino games.

I repeatedly asked them to clarify the contractual basis for retaining my funds, but they continued to refer to the incomplete EDD verification and their general account-restriction provisions.

Best 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 yatsik13,

It's Michal again and I will be handling your complaint going forward.

As part of our standard procedure, I would normally invite a representative of Nova88 Casino to join the discussion. However, the casino does not currently have a representative account registered on our platform and is therefore unable to respond directly in this thread.

I will contact the casino outside the complaint thread and invite its team to participate in the resolution process. I hope we will be able to clarify the situation and assist you in reaching a suitable outcome.

I will update you here as soon as I receive any new information.

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 yatsik13,

I have tried to contact the casino repeatedly but have had no success. I’m afraid there is not much that can be achieved without cooperation from its side. I will mark the complaint as "unresolved" in our system. I understand this isn't a satisfactory solution to your issue. However, the decrease in the rating caused by unresolved complaints might help to change the casino's approach. If the casino decides to react, we will reopen the complaint, and you will be notified by email. In the meantime, as per the casinos T&Cs Complaints and Arbitration I recommend you contact CADRE – an alternative dispute resolution service (Rules of Procedure – CADRE) and submit a complaint to them. It collaborates with the Gaming Authority and has better options and tools to help players.

You might find our article How to submit a complaint to a regulator | Casino Guru useful.

Please let me know how the ADR responded at michal.k@casino.guru.

I am sorry I could not be of more help on this occasion.

Best regards,

Michal

Casino Guru