Vera&John Casino JP - Player’s balance has been confiscated.

I am submitting this complaint regarding the confiscation of my account balance.

I received a deposit bonus and played several slot games while completing the wagering requirements. During this process, my balance increased to approximately 450,000 JPY.

While completing the wagering requirement, I also played the slot "Double Rainbow". My base bet in the game was 20 JPY per spin and I used the bonus buy feature several times.

After completing the wagering requirements, my balance was converted to cash and I submitted a withdrawal request of 50,000 JPY which was approved.

After that I continued playing and my balance decreased to around 250,000 JPY.

Later the casino confiscated my remaining balance while the withdrawal of 50,000 JPY was still processed.

The casino claims that this was due to a maximum bet violation related to the bonus buy feature.

However my base bet was only 20 JPY and there was no system warning during gameplay.

I respectfully request an independent review of this case and reconsideration of the confiscated balance.

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Dear TATSUYA,

Thank you very much for submitting your complaint. I’m sorry to hear about your negative experience. I checked the bonus T&Cs and found this:

10. Maximum bet restrictions

Maximum single bet by game type when using bonus funds:

Slots, Video Bingo, Skill games, Slingo and Instant Sports: USD 6.25 or the equivalent amount in other currencies

Table games and Live Casino: USD 25 or the equivalent amount in other currencies

Please note that gameplay using bonus funds also includes bets placed through in-game bonus buy features.

Our position is closely explained in the Fair Gambling Codex https://casino.guru/fair-gambling-codex-for-casinos#max-bets: The max bet rule is, in fact, an industry standard, just as the fact that a casino has the right to seize the player's winnings from bonus play after breaking this rule. We prefer not to go against industry standards by penalizing casinos that use the maximum bet rule against players from time to time.

However, if you feel you have been accused mistakenly, feel free to forward me your game history/bet history together with a link to the specific bonus that you redeemed and played. My email address is petra.h@casino.guru.

If there is any other relevant communication between you and the casino, please send it as well.

Thank you in advance for your reply.

Best regards

Petra

Dear Petra,

Thank you for your response.

I would like to clarify an important point regarding the timeline of the events.

The wagering requirement was fully completed, and the balance was converted from bonus funds into cash. After this conversion, I submitted a withdrawal request of 50,000 JPY, which was approved by the casino.

Only after the wagering had been completed, the balance converted to cash, and the withdrawal request approved, the casino confiscated the remaining balance.

For this reason, I believe the confiscation is inconsistent with the sequence of events.

I have attached the gameplay history and screenshots showing:

- the base bet of 20 JPY

- the bonus buy cost of 1,000 JPY

- the wagering completion

- the approved withdrawal of 50,000 JPY

- the subsequent balance confiscation

Please let me know if any further information is required.

Kind regards 

Tatsuya

This email was sent to me by the casino support.

Thank you for your patience while we investigated the matter.

According to the responsible department, the withdrawal request of 50,000 JPY approved on March 2 (transaction ID 83944089) was originally scheduled to be confiscated because it was converted from winnings generated from the same bonus where a violation of the bonus terms occurred.

However, we would like to inform you that this withdrawal was approved due to an operational error.

Although it should have originally been confiscated, the withdrawal request of 50,000 JPY (transaction ID 83944089) will remain approved, and we will not request its return.

Regarding the rule violation you asked about, while playing with the deposit bonus "45,000 JPY general bonus (20x wagering requirement)", there were bets exceeding the limit defined in Campaign General Terms and Conditions section 10.

Promotional Terms:

https://play.verajohn.com/ja/about/promotional-terms-and-conditions

10. Maximum Bet Restrictions

The maximum bet per round when using bonus funds is as follows:

Slots, Video Bingo, Skill Games, Slingo and Instant Sports: $6.25 / approximately 625 JPY (or equivalent in other currencies)

Table Games and Live Casino: $25 / approximately 2,500 JPY (or equivalent in other currencies)

Please note that gameplay using bonus funds also includes bets placed through in-game bonus buy features.

The amount confiscated this time was managed as converted cash balance generated from the "45,000 JPY general bonus (20x wagering requirement)".

At the time of confirmation, excluding the amount that was in the pending withdrawal request, the converted cash balance was 263,206 JPY, and therefore 263,206 JPY was confiscated.

While using the "45,000 JPY general bonus (20x wagering requirement)", there were multiple rounds where bets exceeding the maximum bet limit defined in Campaign General Terms and Conditions section 10 were placed, as listed below.

I would also like to clarify a few additional points.

The bonus buy actions mentioned by the casino were based on base bets of only 20 JPY to 100 JPY per spin. The bonus buy feature in those games costs 50x the base bet, which resulted in amounts such as 1,000 JPY. Therefore, the actual base bet itself was very small.

Additionally, I have previously used the same bonus buy feature while playing with deposit bonuses at this casino, and I have never had winnings confiscated for this reason before.

Finally, the games that the casino listed as rule violations were not the games where my balance increased. In fact, during those sessions my balance was decreasing rather than increasing.

For these reasons, I believe the confiscation of the entire remaining balance is not reasonable.

Dear Tatsuya,

Thank you for your follow-up message and for providing additional clarification.

After reviewing the available information, including the bonus terms and conditions you quoted yourself, we must conclude that the casino acted in accordance with its rules.

The bonus terms clearly state that the maximum permitted stake while wagering an active bonus also applies to bonus rounds purchased within the game (bonus buys). This means that the total cost of the bonus buy, not only the base spin value, is considered the stake for the purpose of the maximum bet rule. As confirmed by the casino, these bets exceeded the allowed limit during an active bonus wagering period. For these reasons, this complaint will be rejected as unjustified.

We recommend avoiding the use of game features such as bonus buys in the future while you have an active bonus, as they may exceed the maximum bet limit set by the bonus terms.

Thank you for your understanding.

Best regards,

Petra