The player from Portugal faced issues with withdrawing money from PlayIO after being allowed to register and play while self-excluded. He highlighted that the casino had failed to implement Responsible Gaming measures and requested a refund of €400, claiming negligence on the part of the casino and unfair handling of his complaint by Casino Guru. The Complaints Team concluded that without clear evidence of the self-exclusion request and the exact timeline of events, the player's eligibility for a refund could not be determined, resulting in the closure of the complaint.
PlayiO Casino - Player demands refund for account mismanagement.
Closed
Our verdict
Insufficient evidence from player
Amount: €400
PlayiO Casino
Safety Index:Above averageCase summary
Discussion
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10 months ago
Translation
PlayIO allowed me to register, deposit and play, even though I had been self-excluded since June 3, 2022 from the SRIJ list, which covers all licensed operators in Portugal. I was first contacted by email on March 3, 2025, asking for the account to be suspended and for €400 to be refunded. However, even after this communication, the casino continued to allow deposits and games before finally suspending my account.
PlayIO failed to implement adequate Responsible Gaming measures by allowing a self-excluded player to deposit and play without any prior verification. This is a fundamental requirement established by international regulations and consumer protection principles.
Although PlayIO's license is from Curaçao, this does not exempt them from complying with global Responsible Gaming guidelines, including:
Identifying and blocking self-excluded players prior to any deposit or wager.
Implementing effective consumer protection measures, ensuring that vulnerable players cannot deposit and lose money.
By ignoring these obligations, PlayIO has violated not only ethical principles, but also internationally recognized player protection regulations. This negligence fully justifies the demand for a refund of the €400, since the deposits should never have been accepted.
Furthermore, the way Casino Guru handled my complaint was unfair. My requests were repeatedly closed without a proper analysis of the facts. PlayIO not only ignored its own Responsible Gaming duties, but also wrongfully withheld my money. I request that my complaint be reopened and reviewed fairly.
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10 months ago
Dear brunomeirinhas,
Thank you very much for submitting your complaint. I’m sorry to hear about your problem with Playio Casino.
Unfortunately, there isn’t written that an exclusion in your country will be effective in all of the online casino. Could you please advise if you have requested a self-exclusion from Playio Casino directly mentioning gambling problems/addiction?
Additionally, if a casino has no license needed in your country of residence, it is the player's responsibility to check it before registering and is not eligible for any kind of refund for that.
Looking forward to hearing from you.
Best regards,
Nick
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10 months ago
Translation
I requested self-exclusion as soon as I realized that Playio did not respect the official SRIJ self-exclusion list, demonstrating that the casino failed in its obligation to prevent my registration and deposits from the start. Any operator that accepts players from a certain jurisdiction must comply with the consumer protection laws of that jurisdiction, regardless of the license under which it operates. Allowing self-excluded players to deposit and play without any identity verification is a clear violation of Responsible Gaming standards and could result in legal sanctions against the operator. Playio does have an obligation to return the amounts lost, as it has failed in its duty to prevent self-excluded players from accessing its platform.
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10 months ago
Dear brunomeirinhas,
Please forward an evidence of your self-exclusion made in Playio casino to [email protected] for further review.
Additionally, can you please confirm whether your account is still open or not?
Awaiting your response.
Regards,
Nick
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10 months ago
Translation
I never had the option to self-exclude directly through Playio's system before making deposits, as the casino didn't even verify my identity or cross-check my data with existing self-exclusion bases. As soon as I realized that they had allowed me to register and make deposits without any verification, I contacted them asking for the account to be suspended immediately and for the money to be refunded. This shows that the casino itself was at fault, and should have blocked my account from the start. My account has now been closed, but this does not absolve Playio of the responsibility of refunding the amounts, since they allowed deposits from a self-excluded player, in violation of Responsible Gaming guidelines.
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10 months ago
Translation
I forwarded the first contacts with PlayIO to
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10 months ago
Dear brunomeirinhas,
Can you please clarify since when exactly is your account closed?
Keep in mind that no refund is possible from before contacting the casino regarding your gambling problem.
Awaiting your response.
Regards,
Nick
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10 months ago
Translation
Good morning,
I contacted the casino right after registration, explaining that I had been self-excluded since 2022 through SRIJ. However, they took ages to suspend my account and allowed several deposits, even after my contact.
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10 months ago
Dear brunomeirinhas,
Can you please give us an exact date of when your account got blocked?
Regards,
Nick
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10 months ago
Translation
I don't know for sure, but it was several days after I reported the situation to the casino, allowing several additional deposits.
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10 months ago
Dear brunomeirinhas,
Unfortunately, we need an exact date - or at least forward a list of deposits made to the casino since your self-exclusion request.
Awaiting your response.
Regards,
Nick
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10 months ago
Translation
Registration took place on March 3rd.
The self-exclusion request was made immediately after registration. They still allowed deposits of €400.
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9 months ago
Dear brunomeirinhas,
As mentioned earlier, without an exact date it is not possible to determine whether you are eligible for any kind of refund.
I would like to point out the most important thing again - your SRIJ self-exclusion has zero affect on all the casinos you have listed in your e-mail - it has affect only in casinos with casino licences in Portugal.
You have to request for exclusion directly in the casino if you want to be excluded there. Additionally, it is not an instant process and if you deposited money right after your request, it is not refundable and only in cases the casino would fail to exclude your account within a reasonable time frame
Unfortunately, if you have no additional evidence to clarify the above requested information, we will be forced to close the complaint.
You can reopen it only by forwarding all the requested evidence.
Best regards,
Nick
