Cosmobet Casino - Player seeks refund.

I am writing to share my difficult experience with Cosmo Bet, hoping to receive support in getting a refund for my deposits. I have been struggling with a gambling addiction, and despite being registered with GamStop, I was able to create an account and make several deposits on Cosmo Bet. Although I now understand that Cosmo Bet is not associated with GamStop, I still believe that there should be more protections in place for individuals like me who are vulnerable.

I made numerous deposits, losing a significant amount of money that I cannot afford. When my family intervened, they helped me realize the impact my gambling was having on me and my loved ones. They encouraged me to reach out to Cosmo Bet for help. However, when I contacted Cosmo Bet to request a refund, I was informed that no refund would be provided and that my account would be closed permanently.

Additionally, I found the withdrawal process to be incredibly difficult. Cosmo Bet requires four different verification methods to withdraw funds, making it almost impossible to access my money. This caused me even more stress and made me feel trapped, as I couldn’t withdraw what little I had left.

I am pleading with Cosmo Bet to reconsider my request for a refund. I am already struggling with addiction, and losing this money has only added to my distress. A refund would not only help me financially, but it would also give me a sense of hope and relief as I work on my recovery.

I sincerely hope that Cosmo Bet can show compassion and understanding in this situation. I don’t want anyone else to experience the pain I’ve gone through, and I hope that by sharing my story, changes can be made to better protect individuals from the harm caused by gambling addiction.

Dear willnj,

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

As you pointed out Gamstop is a service that all UKGC casinos are mandatory to participate in. Casinos not licensed under UKGC won't be covered.

We believe every online casino should offer a mechanism to protect players from gambling if they inform these casinos of ongoing gambling problems. If you inform an online casino about the gambling problem they should protect you from further play. If such protection fails, we believe the player is eligible for a refund. Based on your description of events, the casino acted to block your account after you informed them about your struggle with gambling which we would characterize as correct.

• Please let me know when you contacted the casino regarding your gambling problem and when you made the deposits to the casino

Let me refer you to some additional resources that might be of help to you going forward:

If you have any other casino accounts open, that are not covered by GAMSTOP, 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.

Next, 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_33=true)

As part of our Global Self-Exclusion Initiative, we've partnered with BetBlocker, a UK-registered charity providing a free service to support people worldwide. You can find more information about our initiative here (https://casino.guru/global-self-exclusion-initiative) and about BetBlocker here (https://betblocker.org/).

BetBlocker, which supports seven languages, is quick and easy to install on multiple devices, taking just 2 minutes. Once installed, it blocks access to over 84,230 gambling websites and runs quietly in the background. The service can be used anonymously and helps individuals manage their access to gambling safely and appropriately, whether that means complete restriction or limiting access during vulnerable periods. 

Additionally, BetBlocker includes a list of 824 gambling information sites. These sites primarily inform users about and advertise gambling services. You can choose to include these sites in your restriction by ticking a box. However, if you have an ongoing complaint against a gambling operator, do not check this box, as it will prevent you from accessing the Casino.Guru website as well.

Thank you for getting back to me and for looking into my complaint. I appreciate you acknowledging my negative experience with Cosmobet Casino.

I understand that Gamstop is mandatory for UKGC-licensed casinos, and that Cosmobet might not be covered under these regulations. However, I believe all online casinos should protect players who come forward with gambling issues, regardless of their licensing status. It's not just about following the rules—it's about doing what's right.

Here’s some more detail about what happened. Yesterday, I made several deposits with Cosmobet Casino, and it wasn’t easy—it took a lot of separate transactions. After losing all the money, I contacted the casino the same day to tell them I was struggling with gambling. They did block my account after that, which was good, but by then, the money was already gone.

I think a refund is fair for a few reasons:

Delayed Action: The casino only blocked my account after I reached out. They should have had measures in place to detect and act on unusual deposit activity, especially considering the large amounts I was putting in. If they had acted sooner, I wouldn’t have lost all my money.

Difficult Withdrawal Process: While depositing was pretty straightforward, withdrawing was a different story. It required going through four different verification steps and even taking a picture of my bank card. I paid via bank, so having to go through such a complex process to get my money back is frustrating and feels unfair, especially when the deposits were so easy to make.

Ethical Responsibility: Regardless of their licensing, Cosmobet should have taken immediate steps to help me when I told them about my gambling problem. The fact that they only acted after I lost my money suggests a lack of commitment to player protection.

Player Support: After I notified the casino of my gambling issues, there was no immediate offer of support or a clear refund option. This shows a gap in their player protection measures, which I believe should be addressed.

I’m grateful for the resources and support you’ve pointed me to, like the Self-Exclusion Assistance Tool and BetBlocker. I plan to use these tools to help manage my gambling.

Thanks again for your help, and I hope this can be resolved fairly.

Best regards,

Will

Thanks for your point of view.

Unfortunately, to preventively exclude players from spending too much is not a common practice outside of casinos that mandate the practice by their licensors. We can't penalize online casinos that don't apply such measures into practice.

As we explain in our article https://casino.guru/current-state-of-self-exclusion

Because no global standard is currently in effect and every jurisdiction has its own set of self-exclusion rules, big differences among individual countries and their self-exclusion policies can be found.

We believe the casino should offer a mechanism of permanent self-exclusion due to gambling problems. Based on your description of events, the casino blocked your access to further gambling after you informed them within approximately a day, which is what the casino should do in our opinion in a reasonable time after a request is made.

Unfortunately, your other points don't compel us to act against the casino.

Consequently, we can't ask the casino for a refund of your deposits. I hope the resources given earlier will be of use to you. Please let me know if there are any other circumstances, not mentioned or overlooked, otherwise, I'll close the complaint.

Dear willnj,

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.

Due to the aforementioned reasons, this complaint will now be rejected. 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.