The player from Portugal lodged a complaint against Sportaza regarding various responsible gambling-related issues. The player asserted that he had requested the permanent closure of his account on April 24, 2025, which was acknowledged by the casino; however, his account was improperly reopened without his consent. The casino paid €4,000 as compensation, but the player claimed this amount was insufficient given his total losses of €20,200. The Complaints Team reviewed the evidence but concluded that there was no documented disclosure of gambling problems, which was necessary to pursue a refund. As a result, the complaint was closed.
Sportaza Casino - Player’s account is improperly reopened and funds withheld.
Closed
Our verdict
Other
Amount: €2,200
Sportaza Casino
Safety Index 7.3 Above averageCase summary
Discussion
Public
Public
10 months ago
Translation
I am lodging a formal complaint regarding the activities of the company Rabidi N.V., which owns and operates several online casinos, including:
Tiki Taka Casino, Neon54 Casino, Sportaza, etc., among many others.
In this case, the complaint is about Sportaza, but the practices are the same in the different casinos of the Rabidi N.V. group.
1. Illegal activity on Portuguese territory
Rabidi N.V. promotes and allows access to its casinos to players residing in Portugal, which is a clear violation of national and European legislation on online gambling.
The casinos of the Rabidi N.V. group operate without a valid license and are not subject to fiscal or regulatory control, putting Portuguese players at risk.
2. Abusive Practices and Withholding of Funds
Despite having made winnings of €17,000, €18,000, among other high amounts, the casinos impose arbitrary and regressive limits on withdrawals, even on customers with maximum VIP status.
Initially, the daily limit was €1,500, but as I made withdrawals, this limit was reduced to €1,000/day and then €500/day, in a clear attempt to put pressure on the player to keep betting. My formal requests to withdraw more were repeatedly refused or completely ignored.
3. Covert Contacts and Deceptive Practices
Casinos use direct contact via WhatsApp and calls with fake or masked national numbers, namely through collaborators such as Maria, Pedro and Vivi.
These numbers appear to be Portuguese, but when I call them back, I'm answered by ordinary citizens who have nothing to do with the casinos, highlighting fraudulent communication practices aimed at evading the scrutiny of the authorities.
4. Account Reopening with Harassment and Money Offers
The most serious situation involves my Sportaza casino account. I asked in writing for the account to be closed permanently and irreversibly due to gambling addiction problems. The account was closed, and neither I nor the casino should have allowed access to it again.
However, weeks after the closure, I was contacted by VIP manager "Vivi" (attachment 64), who offered me €80 to reopen the account, encouraging me to resume playing. This practice is extremely serious, contrary to the basic rules of protection for vulnerable players, and amounts to direct harassment of a former player who has been self-excluded due to addiction.
I have documentary evidence of this contact and I am willing to provide the phone number of said manager, as well as the records of WhatsApp conversations.
What's more, I am fully willing to return all winnings made after the forced reopening of this account. In return, I demand the full return of all deposits made after this act of harassment by the casino.
5. Lack of Cooperation in Global Account Closure
I have repeatedly requested that the closure of the Sportaza account be extended to all the platforms of the Rabidi N.V. group, as is the case with other international groups. I was refused, on the grounds that each casino is independent - information that is false.
VIP manager Pedro himself admitted in a telephone conversation that the group manages "hundreds of casinos" with common teams. The manager Vivi herself also asked me to identify the casino I was playing at when I contacted her on a new number that she didn't identify to me (Annex 48) - thus unwittingly admitting to the multiple management of brands under the same operational structure.
I asked dozens of times for the Sportaza account to be closed, but they always came up with delaying tactics to prevent it from being closed. I can describe countless situations, including today. I've asked her dozens of times to close the account for additional reasons and she's never done it. The request to close an account is one of the most important acts in casinos, given the nobility of the action and the politics of responsibility. This Vivi ignores requests and their urgency.
6. Tiki Taka case - Improper closure and reopening
In the case of Tiki Taka Casino, I played freely until a certain point. After significant losses, I requested that the account be closed permanently. Once again, the account was reopened improperly, disregarding my formal requests.
Illegal operation in Portuguese territory without a license;
Direct harassment of addicted players;
Reopening accounts without authorization;
Concealment of links between brands in the group;
Abusive retention of funds;
Fraudulent use of contact channels.
I will ask the Gaming Regulation and Inspection Service (SRIJ) to request the national blocking of the domains and subdomains of the casinos operated by Rabidi N.V., and to share this data with other regulatory bodies.
P.S. I have asked several casinos for the entire history of messages exchanged with me. Sometimes they refused, sometimes they never replied
Automatic translation:
Public
Public
10 months ago
Hello,
Thank you very much for submitting your complaint. I’m sorry to hear about your negative experience with Sportaza Casino. Regarding issues with other online casinos, please file a separate complaint for each one.
Please note that the casino is operating under the license of Anjouan. Online casinos with this license status won't be obligated to extend self-exclusion to associated brands. If you wish to be protected, you need to request a self-exclusion in every online casino where you have an open account.
Please allow me to ask you a few questions so I can better understand the situation.
- Could you please advise how much your current balance is in the casino?
- Could you please advise whether your account has been blocked or if it is still accessible to you?
- Have you tried contacting support after you learned your self-exclusion request wasn't granted?
- I checked the communication you submitted; however, I couldn't find any mention of you disclosing your gambling problems or addiction to the casino. Could you please share your self-exclusion requests, disclosing the reason is your gambling problems? Please share the information to my email at tomas@casino.guru
- Could you please specify the last time the casino allowed you to deposit?
- Has the casino responded to your refund request already? What did the casino reply?
I would recommend that you send another request, but this time, include me in the copy of your email.
When applying for self-exclusion, clearly state the reason for deactivating your account and specify the period. Additionally, the email subject should be marked and easily recognizable, as the casino support receives many requests per day. If it is marked visibly, you will stand a better chance of having your request granted as soon as possible.
Example:
Email subject: Self-exclusion:
Player’s info:
First name:
Last name:
Date of birth:
Casino login:
Email address:
"Greetings Sportaza Casino Support,
I’m writing to inform you that I wish to be immediately excluded from this casino and from receiving any gambling-related marketing material permanently.
The reason for my decision is that I am suffering from gambling problems.
I acknowledge that I will not be allowed to rescind my self-exclusion during this period and that the self-exclusion cannot be lifted before the end of the agreed period."
Please send another email to support@sportaza.com and your VIP manager (you can include me in the copy at tomas@casino.guru) and keep me informed about any further developments.
In the meantime, check other resources and information in our responsible gambling guide found here: https://casino.guru/responsible-gambling-guide
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
Important Notice: Casino.Guru will never ask you to make payments or grant access to your accounts in order to complete KYC on your behalf. If anyone claims to be from Casino.Guru and requests such information, do not share anything with them.
All communication from us will be through this official complaint thread or the official email addresses provided in your case. Please always check the domain of any email you receive and verify that it truly comes from us. You can confirm this by clicking on your complaint resolver’s profile.
If you notice anything suspicious, don’t hesitate to reach out to us directly.
Thank you for your patience, and stay safe.
Public
Public
10 months ago
Dear luisbcl83,
We are extending the timer by 7 days. Please, be aware that in case you fail to respond in the given time frame or don’t require any further assistance, we will reject the complaint.
Public
Public
10 months ago
TranslationGood morning
I apologize for the delay in replying.
The casino has contacted me, admitting that they did indeed fail to self-exclude me and that they reopened the account incorrectly.
At the moment, they say they will send a goodwill to my bank account. But my casino account was closed right after I made a long statement with the evidence I posted here. Then they blocked it immediately.
I won't say much more, as I'm now waiting for my interaction with the casino to unfold.
You know better than I do that casinos take time, and since a conversation is underway, please give me more days for the complaint to remain here. I'll update you as soon as I have news.
Edited
Automatic translation:
Sensitive attachment
Sensitive attachment
10 months ago
TranslationComplaint against Casino Sportaza
- Name: Luís ****
- E-mail associated with the account: [removed by Casino.Guru admin]
- Casino account: L*****3
- Central occurrence date: April 24, 2025
- Amount claimed: €20,200
- Casino internal request reference no.: 3*****54
1. Object of Complaint
I submit this exposure to Casino Guru to make public a serious case of violation of responsible gambling rules by Sportaza casino.
On April 24, 2025, I formally requested the permanent and irreversible closure of my account. This request was accepted and confirmed by email by the casino itself. Nevertheless, the account was improperly reopened without any request on my part.
What's more serious: the reopening was the result of direct contact from a VIP manager ("Vivi"), who enticed me with cash offers to resume the activity. This attitude is in direct violation of internal rules, consumer protection principles and the ethical commitment to the player.
2. Relevant Facts
2.1 Account closure
Between the beginning of April and the 24th, I asked several times for my account to be closed. As I have no records of these conversations (nor has the casino provided them), I accept that April 24, 2025 should be considered the official date of closure. All movements prior to that date are my sole responsibility.
2.2 Improper reopening
Despite the confirmed closure, I was subsequently contacted via WhatsApp and email by VIP manager Vivi, who offered me:
- 80 € in direct credit;
- Additional bonuses and cashback;
- Explicit invitations to play.
I never asked for the account to be reopened. The casino acted unilaterally and abusively, in clear violation of the final closure rules.
2.3 Admission of guilt
On July 27, 2025, I received an email from the casino where:
They acknowledge that the closure request was made on April 24;
They admitted that the reopening was a mistake;
Offered €4,000 as a "gesture of goodwill".
Despite this acknowledgement, the compensation is clearly insufficient in view of the losses suffered through the direct fault of the operator.
3. Loss calculation and fair offer
After the wrongful reopening, I was back in business at the casino. Here's the balance:
Total losses after April 24: €24,200
Amount returned by the casino: €4,000
Net loss due to improper reopening: €20,200
I am willing to return any amount won after that date if the casino refunds the amounts I deposited. Alternatively, I agree to a direct offset between debits and credits.
4. Settlement Attempts
I have tried to resolve the situation informally by proposing:
Compensation in proportion to the error made;
Signing a written agreement between both parties;
Permanent cessation of contacts and commercial offers.
The casino chose to transfer €4,000 unilaterally, without agreement or formal communication to end the conflict.
5. Additional Irregularities
During my time as a Sportaza customer, I have identified other worrying behaviors:
Arbitrary limits on withdrawals, which encouraged continuity in the game;
Use of masked telephone numbers, simulating Portuguese contacts;
Refusal to close the account after insistent requests;
Continuous advertising harassment, even after explicit orders to stop.
These and other facts have been reported to the Curaçao authorities, SRIJ (Portugal) and DECO, and will be shared on platforms such as Casino Guru, AskGamblers, among others.
6. Conclusion
The purpose of this exhibition is to:
Publicly denounce abusive and unethical practices by Sportaza casino;
Request the intervention of the Casino Guru team for mediation;
Alert other players to the recurring behavior of the Rabidi N.V. group.
The casino has acknowledged the error, and I am not to blame for the wrongful reopening. The loss of €20,200 resulted solely from this violation. That's why the least that's acceptable is a full refund of deposits made after April 24, minus the €4,000 already received.
If the operator continues to refuse a fair resolution, I will pursue further legal action and public exposure.
Attachments sent
Email from the casino confirming the closure and admitting the error;
Record of WhatsApp messages with financial enticement;
Print screens with details of the offers and forced reactivation.
I declare that I fully assume all losses prior to April 24. However, I do not assume the damages caused after the improper reopening of the account, as detailed here.
Thank you Casino Guru for your attention and I am happy to provide any further clarification
.Best regards,
Luís ******
Edited by a Casino Guru admin
Automatic translation:
Public
Public
10 months ago
TranslationGood morning,
After 5 days, and sending a reply with attachments, everything is still "Awaiting Approval". There is only 1 day to go and nothing has happened. I'm available to discuss the situation further and send you the information.
Automatic translation:
Public
Public
10 months ago
Thanks for your reply and detailed explanation.
Has the casino provided you with the communication you exchanged with them in April 2025?
Would you be able to provide it for review?
Do I understand correctly that the refund of 4000€ hasn't been processed yet?
Please let me know.
Public
Public
10 months ago
TranslationHello,
As I wrote and transmitted with attachments and evidence, the casino admits full responsibility and as I had closed the account permanently and definitively. You can consult the emails I have attached.
I don't have the chat or email communications from before April 24 in my possession, because this was such a stressful and sad process that I ended up deleting emails, deleting whatsapps and as for the chat, I didn't have the habit of recording the conversations. But the casino, of course, takes responsibility.
They've already sent me €4000 on their own initiative as a gesture of acknowledgment of their fault. But as I explained, I told them that wouldn't be enough, they'd have to make a written agreement that both parties agree to and sign. In short, they transferred €4,000 to me to make the argument that it was an agreement. But there was no agreement, there was a unilateral decision. If you want, I can send you the email exchange that proves it. Would you like it?
Finally, I have an answer for you casinoguru that is private, but I want it to be made public. There's no question of it being private. You can share it.
Automatic translation:
Public
Public
9 months ago
TranslationGood evening,
Do you need more information?
I await your reply to my previous points.
Thank you.
Automatic translation:
Public
Public
9 months ago
Thanks for your reply.
I apologize, but to pursue cases of lost funds, we need to have evidence that you disclosed your gambling problems to the casino, and this protection failed. Without such evidence, we aren't able to confront the casino and ask them to refund you. Based on the information you provided, we can't conclude that the protection was supposed to be in place, and the casino should have protected you.
Please let me know whether you can recover the emails you deleted in the past; otherwise, the complaint can't proceed.
Please let me know whether I overlooked any information you provided already.
Looking forward to your reply.
Sensitive attachment
Sensitive attachment
9 months ago
TranslationGood evening Tomas
The evidence is complete. If you check the email sent on July 17 at 13:51, I raise several points that the casino does not comply with the law and its regulations, including point 3 which accuses the casino of "Harassment and encouragement to reopen previously closed accounts, contrary to requests to
closure."
The casino doesn't deny all of the above accusations and in its reply sent to me on July 27 at 3:34 p.m. it assumes that I'm right in my allegations and clearly states in that email that: "As a result of the internal investigation we found that you specifically mentioned about permanently
closure on April 24th.".
I stated that I requested the permanent closure and, as you can see, the casino itself states that my claim is correct, that I requested the closure of the account and they regret this or apologize.
The only thing we don't agree on is the method of compensation for the Serious Error that the Casino commented on, which it assumed, but now it only has to assume its entire error, with the return of the amounts paid after the closing of April 24.
I look forward to your notification to the casino that it has made a mistake and has accepted it. And a refund of the amounts in question.
Thank you
Automatic translation:
Sensitive attachment
Sensitive attachment
9 months ago
TranslationGood evening,
After everything I've said.
After everything I've attached.
After the casino took all the blame for having a VIP agent who harassed me illegally and against the casino's own policy and that I attached that email.
After all this, I now attach the emails that prove my reinforced and more than reinforced request for the definitive and permanent closure of the account, and even without the possibility of reopening it.
I requested that my Sportaza casino account be closed on 24-04-2025 at 14:39.
Following this request, the casino made a counter-proposal on 24-04-2025 at 14:41.
I rejected the offer at 14:53 on the same day.
The casino then closed my account that same day at 15:06. The casino left the option of being available to reopen the account whenever I wanted.
And on 26-04-2026, I refused to reopen my account and made a very strong request, which I will transcribe: "in addition to the deactivated account you mention, I request that it be closed permanently, without the possibility of "reopening", as explained in your 2nd paragraph". In other words, I explain that I want the account closed permanently. I go further and say "without the possibility of reopening it". I also say that I don't want any of this, as the casino suggests in the initial email with a counter-proposal (see 3 additional attachments).
The rest of the emails with the casino's harassment, etc., you can see in the files I've already shared.
Thank you very much.
Automatic translation:
Public
Public
9 months ago
Thanks for providing the information.
I went over the evidence, and from our point of view, we don't see any disclosure of your gambling problems or any similar effort to seek player protection you indicated in your first post.
Please understand we don't consider account closure requests or requests conditional on receiving bonuses to be attempts to seek protection. To request a refund on top of what you received already, we would need to
- Review your communication with support from April, where you disclosed your gambling problems and
- conclude that the casino should have protected you.
Without this communication, we are unable to confront the casino regarding its failure to protect you. Regarding your other points raised during the complaint, we are unable to pursue refunds due to these factors. Consequently, the complaint will be closed.
If you consider yourself a player in need of protection, I would recommend you pursue strategies and take advantage of the tools found in our guide: https://pt.casino.guru/guia-jogo-responsavel
Due to the aforementioned reasons, 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.
