HomeComplaintsWinshark Casino - Player’s account is not closed as requested.

Winshark Casino - Player’s account is not closed as requested.

Closed
Our verdict

Unjustified complaint

Amount: €2,650

Winshark Casino
Safety Index:High

Case summary

The player from Italy filed an urgent complaint against WinShark for failing to honor his self-exclusion request made on 07/07/25, claiming that he was allowed to continue gambling and deposit €2,650 after his request. He sought a full refund of his deposits made after the self-exclusion request. The complaint was rejected after the casino provided evidence showing no deposits were made after 07/07/25. Additionally, it was clarified that the player's initial self-exclusion request had not been submitted properly. The player was encouraged to provide any additional evidence for reconsideration, but the case was closed due to lack of sufficient proof and procedural issues with the self-exclusion request.

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2 months ago
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Subject: Urgent complaint against WinShark – Serious violation of self-exclusion obligations and request for immediate refund


Dear Casino Guru Complaint Team,


I hereby wish to file a formal and urgent complaint against WinShark for a serious breach of responsible gaming policies.


On [07/07/25], I specifically requested the permanent closure of my account due to gambling addiction, requesting immediate self-exclusion. Despite this clear and unequivocal communication, the casino failed to close my account, allowing me to continue making deposits.


I reiterated the request on [07/07/25], without any concrete protection measures being taken. The account remained active and fully operational.


Following my initial self-exclusion request, further deposits totaling €2,650 were accepted. These amounts were cashed out despite the casino already being formally aware of my condition and my desire to permanently stop gambling.


I consider this behavior a serious violation of the obligations to protect vulnerable players and the responsible gaming regulations applicable to online casinos.


I therefore ask:


1. Immediate review of the casino's conduct.

2. Full refund of any amounts deposited after the first self-exclusion request.

3. The permanent and irreversible closure of my account.


In the absence of a quick and satisfactory solution, I reserve the right to proceed with:

- Formal reporting to the regulatory authority responsible for the casino license;

- Initiation of civil legal actions for the recovery of the sums;

- Reporting to the competent Italian authorities for consumer protection and gambling.


I have all the documentation (emails, screenshots, deposit history) proving the above and am ready to provide it.


I trust in your intervention to restore conduct that complies with legal obligations and player protection principles.

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2 months ago

Important notice:

Casino Guru will never ask for payments or access to your accounts to complete KYC. If someone claims to be from Casino Guru and does that, do not share any information.

We only contact players through this official complaint thread or via @casino.guru e-mail addresses. Always check the sender’s domain and verify your complaint resolver’s e-mail address by clicking on their avatar visible inside the official complaint thread.

If anything seems suspicious, contact us directly.

Stay safe.

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2 months ago

Hello,

Thank you very much for submitting your complaint. I’m sorry to hear about your negative experience with Winshark Casino.

Please allow me to ask you a few questions so we can better determine how to assist you.

  • Is your account currently accessible to you?
  • Have you received any response to your self-exclusion request?
  • After you learned the self-exclusion request wasn't processed, have you contacted live chat support and asked for assistance?
  • When was the last time the casino allowed you to deposit?

If your account is currently not blocked, as the next step, I recommend you contact the casino with a self-exclusion request via email at support@winshark.com, and at the same time, include me in the copy of the email at tomas@casino.guru

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 Winshark 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."

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


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2 months ago
itTranslationgb

Thank you for your response and attention to my case.

My account is still accessible. However, I would like to emphasize that my primary request is a refund of all the money I deposited into the casino.

I believe this situation was not handled properly, and for this reason, I am asking for your support in helping me recover the full amount of my deposits.

I would appreciate it if you could continue to follow up on my case and assist me in the process of obtaining my refund.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Best regards

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2 months ago

Thanks for your reply.

Kindly share your most recent communication with the casino on the topic of self-exclusion and refunds. Emails exchanged, and chats with live chat support should be sent to my email at tomas@casino.guru

Please confirm you sent a new self-exclusion request according to my previous recommendations.

Thanks in advance for your cooperation.

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2 months ago
itTranslationgb

Good morning,


Thanks for your reply.


Unfortunately, I don't have an email address to share because my communication with Winshark Casino took place via the site's live chat. I didn't take screenshots of the conversation at that time.


However, during the chat, I had clearly informed casino support of my gambling addiction and requested account closure/self-exclusion. Despite this notification, the casino continued to allow me to make deposits and play.


I'm sure the casino keeps a history of live chat conversations in their archives, so it should be possible to verify what I told their support.


As advised, I resubmitted a self-exclusion request to the casino asking for my account to be permanently closed due to my gambling problems.


I remain available for any further information and reiterate my request for a refund for deposits made after my self-exclusion request.


Best regards


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1 month ago

Thanks for your reply.

Was your player's account closed as a result, since the last post?

Have you requested a refund due to failed player protection from the casino directly? With what result?

Please share the most recent communication between you and the casino. Please make sure to include the responses coming from the casino as well.

My email is tomas@casino.guru

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1 month ago

Dear Ettore,

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.

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1 month ago
itTranslationgb

Good morning Tomas, as you asked, I replied to you via email.

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1 month ago

Thanks for your reply.

Unfortunately, I am missing context that is relevant for the complaint to continue. I apologize for any misunderstanding.

Kindly confirm the last time you contacted the casino with a self-exclusion request. Provide a date here in the thread.

Kindly confirm whether your account was closed. Provide a date when it was closed here in the thread.


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1 month ago
itTranslationgb

Good morning, I'm forwarding you the screenshot of the email I sent.

07/07/2025

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1 month ago
itTranslationgb

Regarding your request, I confirm the following:


I contacted the casino to request self-exclusion on July 7, 2025, clearly expressing my desire to cease all gaming activity and close my account.


Despite this request, I did not receive immediate and transparent confirmation that my account had actually been closed, nor did it appear that all necessary measures were taken in a timely manner to prevent further access or use.


In light of this, I believe there were serious shortcomings in the handling of my self-exclusion request, an essential element for player protection.


I look forward to hearing from you, including confirmation of the effective date of account closure and the actions taken following my request.

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1 month ago

Dear Ettore,

Please note these are not responses to my questions. Without your cooperation regarding the issue, the complaint won't progress.

We already recommended that you contact the casino again once the complaint was filed here with a new self-exclusion request. A single email as a response to a cashback offer might have been overlooked. We are unable to confront the casino if you only sent one email to the casino overall and made no further efforts to seek protection from the casino. I hope that clarifies our position. I encourage you to provide relevant new information about the status of your player's account, as well as a description of your further attempts to seek protection from the casino.

If you don't understand what I am asking, please let me know.

Looking forward to your reply.

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1 month ago

Dear Ettore,

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.

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1 month ago
itTranslationgb

Good morning Tomas,


Thanks for the reply.


I would like to clarify the situation better:


I explicitly requested the closure of my account due to gambling problems (as per the email already sent to the casino).

Despite this request, my account remained active and accessible.

After my request, I did not receive an actual self-exclusion confirmation or account blocking.

The casino even sent me offers (cashback), a sign that my status was not treated as a vulnerable user.



Following your suggestion, I have sent a NEW formal self-exclusion request to the casino, clearly reiterating my condition and my desire to be excluded.


I believe the casino failed to comply with responsible gaming principles by allowing me to continue to log in and deposit funds despite a specific request alleging gambling addiction.


I look forward to hearing from you and am available to provide further evidence of the communications sent.


Best regards

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3 weeks ago

Dear Ettore,

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, Igor (igor.p@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,

Tomas


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3 weeks ago

Dear Ettore,

My name is Igor and I will be assisting you with your case.

I am sorry to hear about your problem with the Winshark Casino and I hope that together we will come to a successful resolution of your issue.


Now I would like to invite a Winshark Casino representative to join this conversation and participate in resolving this complaint.


Dear Winshark Casino,

Could you possibly provide additional information regarding the issue and clarify the situation?

I would also appreciate it if you provided us with any and all relevant evidence.

Thank you in advance for providing the information.


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2 weeks ago

Hello, Igor and Ettore,

Thank you so much for waiting.


Dear Igor, we've sent an email with additional information regarding this case to your personal email.


We'd be very grateful if you could find that email from us and reply.


We'll be waiting for your response.


Best regards,

Winshark Casino

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2 weeks ago

Dear Winshark Casino,

Thank you very much for your email and for joining this complaint.

I have reviewed your email and requested further clarification in my response.

Please let us know once you have had time to reply. Thank you.

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2 weeks ago

Dear Igor,

Thank you for your response.


We have reviewed your email and sent you a reply.

We'll be waiting for your reply.

Thank you.


Best regards,

Winshark Casino

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2 weeks ago

Dear Winshark Casino,

Thank you very much for your cooperation and the evidence you have provided so far.

To answer the question from your email, no further steps are required from your side for now.


Dear Ettore,

The casino has provided evidence showing that no deposits were made into your account after July 7th, 2025.

Could you please provide us with any evidence or screenshots showing payments made to your account?

Thank you.

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2 weeks ago
itTranslationgb

Good morning,

I acknowledge your position, but I cannot agree with the conclusion of the case.

I believe the review is focusing exclusively on the lack of evidence relating to the deposits, neglecting the main and most relevant aspect: the handling of my request for self-exclusion for gambling addiction.

I would like to reiterate that:

I requested the closure of my account due to gambling addiction on 02/03/2026

The account was closed only on 03/10/2026

During this time, my account remained active and accessible, with no immediate safeguards being implemented.

In my opinion, this represents a clear lack of protection against a user who has explicitly declared a vulnerable condition.

Furthermore, I would like to point out that the payment structure used by these operators, often through intermediaries with names not directly attributable to the casino, makes it objectively difficult for the user to accurately reconstruct transactions, while the casino has complete and verifiable data.

For these reasons, if the case is closed without a thorough assessment of the casino's responsibility in handling the self-exclusion, I will be forced to:

make my experience public on review and consumer protection platforms

Report the case to the competent authorities, including the Customs and Monopolies Agency, highlighting the operations targeting Italian users and the failure to apply responsible gaming measures.

share all available documentation relating to the management of my account

However, I remain available for a fair resolution to the situation.

Best regards


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1 week ago

Dear Ettore,

The casino provided clear evidence showing that no deposits were made after July 7th, 2025.

Additionally, regarding your email from July 7th, 2025, we cannot consider this message sufficient, as it was not sent in the required way. You only replied to a promotional email, which is not the correct way to request self-exclusion. I am writing this message to explain that is important to properly request self-exclusion in the future, should you encounter any gambling-related issues.


The first time you properly requested self-exclusion was when this complaint was already open, following Tomas’s detailed explanation and guidance.


In your very first message, you stated: "I have all the documentation (emails, screenshots, deposit history) proving the above and am ready to provide it."

Since no further evidence, apart from two screenshots, has been shared so far, please send any and all relevant documents to igor.p@casino.guru. Once any relevant evidence is provided, I will reopen this complaint.


Due to the aforementioned reasons, we will now proceed to reject this complaint. Thank you for your understanding. I am genuinely sorry that we were not able to assist you more effectively in this particular situation, as we always aim to help players resolve their issues whenever possible.

Please remember that you are welcome to contact us again if you run into any problems with this or any other casino in the future. Whether it is a question, a concern or a new issue that needs to be looked into, our team is here and ready to support you.


Best regards,

Igor.

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