The player from Finland had voluntarily closed his casino account due to gambling difficulties, but it was reopened without his request due to a technical error. After losing €210, he inquired about a refund and the account reopening, but his messages went unanswered for two weeks, leading him to question the casino's responsibility. The Complaints Team concluded that without a clear self-exclusion request indicating his gambling problem, they could not assist further in resolving the case. The player was advised on how to properly submit a self-exclusion request in the future and was provided with resources for responsible gambling support.
Powbet Casino - Player’s account has been reopened after closure.
Closed
Our verdict
Insufficient evidence from player
Amount: €210
Powbet Casino
Safety Index:Very highCase summary
Discussion
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11 months ago
Translation
Hello!
I would like to ask your opinion on this matter.
I have once permanently closed this casino. I have voluntarily closed my account because I have difficulty controlling my gambling.
But now, for some reason, they have reopened my account without my asking?
They even sent me an email saying that my account was open again.
Well, I stumbled upon this and lost €210.
Then I asked about it in their chat and they replied that the account was opened due to a technical error.
Well, I then sent a message to their support asking why this happened.
I also asked about the possibility of getting the money I deposited on February 15th back.
So this happened on February 15th. I still haven't received a response. My account was closed right after I sent the message, by their administration.
So, presumably someone has read my message.
The question now is, is this an okay thing to do? So even though you have taken responsibility for your own gaming by voluntarily closing your account, they have the right to open it on their own at any time.
This doesn't seem very responsible.
I have realized my problem and that is why I made the final decision.
Their chat is unable to help in this matter, so the only way is to try to contact their support via email. There has been no response from them for two weeks.
Kind regards,
Concerned
Automatic translation:
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11 months ago
Dear Antti1982,
Thank you very much for submitting your complaint. I’m very sorry to hear about your negative experience. First, I’d like to explain to you what the difference is between closing the account and self-exclusion:
Closing an account is simple and has almost no impact - the player can reopen the account anytime, and the casino has no obligation to the player.
On the other hand, self-exclusion does. If a player successfully makes a self-exclusion, the casino agrees not to open this account or if yes, only under particular circumstances (after the cooling off period and this cannot be done for players who are addicted/with gambling problems).
Could you please advise if you informed the casino about your gambling problem when you first closed your account? Please forward me the account closure requests that you sent to the casino. My email address is [email protected].
Thank you very much in advance.
Best regards,
Kristina
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11 months ago
Translation
Hello!
I sent you my blocking request + their response.
Automatic translation:
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10 months ago
Thank you very much for your reply, Antti1982. Do I understand correctly that you currently don't have access to your casino account?
Could you please advise if you've ever informed the casino about your gambling problem clearly? If you have, please forward this message to me. Thank you.
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10 months ago
Translation
Hello,
There is no way to log in to my game account. Their administration denied me access to my account after I emailed them.
I couldn't find any other message than the one I already sent you. It's been so long since this blocking request that I can't remember if I sent anything else.
I remember that I talked about my gaming problem in their chat. However, there is no option to close the account there, but the closure must be done through their support.
So I sent a message to support saying I was playing too much and wanted to quit. I don't know what kind of lamentation I should have sent there?
What surprises me the most is that they don't respond to any of my emails. Is this a good way to act? The message I sent has clearly been read, because I was indeed locked out by their administration after sending the message.
They don't offer any responsible gambling tools on their website, no deposit restrictions, no self-exclusion option.
Certainly, completely on purpose. They make it as difficult as possible to close an account and apparently they can reopen it at any time. This is quite a ticking time bomb for a problem gambler.
Kind regards,
Antti1982
Automatic translation:
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10 months ago
I'm sorry, but we won't be able to help you in this matter. The self-exclusion request, where you stated the gambling problem clearly, is the essential evidence that the player must provide in order for us to proceed with a case like this and request a refund. Since you didn't provide the request and your account has been closed, we cannot handle this case as failed self-exclusion. I can only recommend how to request self-exclusion properly in the future if you feel like gambling has become challenging for you.
When applying for the self-exclusion, state the reason why you want your account to be deactivated clearly and specify the time period. Also, email "Subject" should be clearly marked and easily recognizable as casino support receives many requests per day, hence, if it’s visibly marked you stand a better chance to have your request granted as soon as possible. I would also strongly recommend that you always save your self-exclusion request so that you have a valid proof of such action.
Example:
Email subject: Self-exclusion
Player’s info:
First name:
Last name:
DOB:
Casino login:
Email address:
"Greetings xxx xxx,
I’m writing to inform you that I wish to exclude immediately from this casino and from receiving any gambling related marketing material for a minimum period of xxx months/years (lifetime).
The reason that preceded my decision is xxx (gambling addiction)
I acknowledge that I will not be allowed to rescind my self-exclusion during this period and self-exclusion cannot be lifted before the end of the agreed period."
Also, I would like to call your attention to our Self-Exclusion Assistance Tool https://casino.guru/global-self-exclusion-initiative/assistance-tool This tool will make it easier for you to block your casino accounts across multiple gambling establishments simultaneously and is not affiliated with any specific casino. The Self-Exclusion Assistance Tool was designed to assist individuals who may be facing challenges with their gambling habits by helping them limit their access to gambling and reduce the potential for further harm.
Above all, if gambling no longer brings you joy and is becoming a burden, it is highly advisable to seek professional assistance. I strongly recommend reaching out to centers in your country that specialize in addressing gambling problems. You can find some of these centers by referring to the following link (https://casino.guru/problem-gambling-help-centers#cnt_87=true)
This complaint will now be closed. Thank you for your understanding, I am sorry we could not be of more help on this occasion. Please do not hesitate to contact us if you run into any issues with this or any other casino in the future.
