Desert Nights Casino - Player’s account has been closed and his winnings were confiscated.

I want to address an issue I've had with Desert Nights Casino denied my payout and then they wrongfully and rudely terminated my account. It seems like they’re just finding excuses to keep me from receiving my winnings, a sentiment echoed by other online reviews.

Resolution Requested:

I’d like my account reinstated and my withdrawal of $169 processed as soon as possible.Or, at the very least, return my $30 deposit!

1.Initial Winnings and Deposit:

  - I won $180 from a sign-up promotion of free spins.

  - To meet the withdrawal condition 9f a $25 deposit, I deposited $30 into my account (though I never wagered this amount).

2. Withdrawal Request:

  - I requested a withdrawal of $169.

3. Verification Process Issues:

  - The identity verification process was extremely frustrating. Over nearly two weeks, I was repeatedly asked to provide more documents, even though I complied each time:

   - I submitted photos of myself holding my driver’s license three times.

   - I provided my passport twice, holding it next to my face.

   - I sent utility bills, credit card statements, and bank statements.

  - Despite this, I kept receiving requests for more documents, with claims that I wasn’t following the process correctly, which wasn’t true.

All of my documents were consistent: same

address, phone, email, etc.

There's no reason for them to have denied my winnings. Sidenote. Submitting a passport isn't even part of the requirements. They requested that after my third attempt of submitting my drivers license. It should be noted also that I they requested additional proof of residency because the very extreme top left corner of the photo of my bank statement photo was cropped. Literally, the very tip of the corner of paper. It was so tiny you wouldn't even notice it unless you zoomed in by 700%!

4. Unauthorized Reversal and Account Termination:

  - Today, I received an email saying my withdrawal was reversed back into my account "as per my request," which I never made.

  - When I tried to log into my account, my login information was blocked.

  - Shortly after, I received the following email stating my account didn’t pass their internal security checks and had been closed.

Dear Shane G.,

We are contacting you from Desert Nights. 

After reviewing the documentation submitted, your account did not pass our internal security checks.

A decision has been made to close your account. This decision will not be reversed.

As per our Terms and Conditions:

All cash-ins will be subject to audit before being processed. Players must provide a copy of their proof of identity, address, copies of credit cards and/or other appropriate documentation when withdrawing credits. Proof of identity must match the registered name and surname. If a player fails to provide this within 4 weeks of our request, his account may be subject to lock out and winnings and/or cash-ins made, voided. In cases of fraudulent documentation, account will be locked and all winnings and/or cash-ins will be voided.

In the event a new account under your name is created, it will also be closed.

Regards,

Rudi

Casino Risk Management

security@desertnightscasino.com

Dear Shanechicago,

Thank you very much for submitting this complaint. I'm sorry to hear about your problem. Please allow me to ask you a few questions to make sure I understand your situation completely.

Could you please confirm if your account was blocked and your winnings were confiscated because your verification process failed?

Did you provide the required documentation within the 4-week deadline?

Did the casino specify which of your documents didn't meet their internal security requirements?

I hope we will be able to help you resolve this issue as soon as possible. Thank you in advance for your reply.

Best regards

Veronika

That was fast! Thank you Veronika, for the quick response. Answering your questions below:

1. Could you please confirm if your account was blocked and your winnings were confiscated because your verification process failed?
2. Correct. I responded to them immediately after I received their denial email, but my mail bounced back.
3. They not only blocked my account, but they blocked all communications from me, and they also locked me out of their sister casinos where I was also a customer... Until today, i was unaware that they were affiliated with each other.
4. Did you provide the required documentation within the 4-week deadline?
5. I submitted my withdrawal request on June 1st.
6. I was 100% cooperative and I gave them the same documents that I've submitted to every other casino... successfully!
7. Did the casino specify which of your documents didn't meet their internal security requirements?
8. They did not. That's what I was inquiring about, but that email bounced back as undeliverable.
9. During the approval process /emails back and forth, they kept asking for more/other documents. Each time it was something different.
10. Three times they weren't satisfied with my ID/face photo. Supposedly it wasn't clear enough, but I promise you that the photos are undeniably me, and as clear as the words you're reading now.
11. Coupled with each request of a new ID, they also asked for different utility bills, or other documents that showed my home address. There was always some random absurd reason for them not accepting the ones I sent. i.e., the tiny section that was cropped. They kept asking me to confirm that the address on the submitted home mail was my current address. It is, but it isn't. I was/am living in Indiana, but my father became fatally ill, so I put everything in storage and came back home to Texas after leaving here 25 years ago, to help care for my father. I've been here for four months and I mentioned to them that the address on my documents IS correct, but I also have mail forwarded here to my dad;s home (he passed away three weeks ago, by the way and I will be moving here permanently because I inherited his small cabin on the lake. I won't be officially relocating here for at least 6 months or so.
12. After the 3rd time I submitted my ID next to my face, and additional proof of address, they said, "we STILL do not have all of the documents that we need to verify your identity. Thats when they asked me to send ANOTHER government issued photo ID and they said that it MUST show my birthday so i sent my passport which expires in July.
13. Thwy still werent satisfied and asked me to send them another photo... one with me holding my passport next to my face... I complained about their attitude, their random nonsensical excuses and for making it seem as i'm not giving them what they need.
14. My cousin said that they can't believe that the person holding the ID's next to his face is really me. i'm 56 yrs old, but I look like I'm in my early 40's. She was flattering me, but there could be some truth to it.

Thank you very much, Shanechicago, for providing all the necessary information. I will now transfer your complaint to my colleague Michal (michal.k@casino.guru) who will be at your assistance. I wish you the best of luck and hope to see your problem being resolved to your satisfaction in the near future.

Dear Shanechicago,

I'm Michal and I have taken over this complaint. I have reviewed this case and just so you know the KYC as well as AML is a very important and essential process.

I understand that the KYC process can be sometimes frustrating and lengthy, but the casinos need to follow rules and regulations as well, so although I can empathize with you that the whole process can be done more user friendly or quicker, it is a standard procedure that the casinos are entitled to.

With this being said, I will contact the casino to shed more light on this matter.

We would like to invite Desert Nights Casino to join the conversation.

Dear Desert Nights Casino,

We acknowledge the necessity of providing various documents for KYC and AML procedures at casinos. Could you kindly explain the reason behind the player's failure to pass the KYC process?

We would like to ask the casino to reply to this complaint. We are extending the timer by 7 days. If the casino fails to respond in the set time frame, we will close the complaint as ‘unresolved’ which may negatively affect its rating.

Dear Shanechicago,

I have tried to contact the casino repeatedly but had no success. I’m afraid there is not much that can be achieved without cooperation from its side. I will mark the complaint as "unresolved" in our system. I understand this isn't a satisfactory solution to your issue. However, the decrease in the rating caused by unresolved complaints might help to change the casino's approach. If the casino decides to react, we will reopen the complaint, and you will be notified by email. Desert Nights Casino used to hold a Gaming Curaçao license, but Curaçao is now implementing major changes in the way that it offers its licenses and regulates all types of gambling so it is uncertain if Desert Nights Casino still holds any valid license. We were not able to verify this. The Curaçao Gaming Control Board (GCB) is now the only body with the authority to issue new Curaçao licenses. Any operators previously licensed according to the old legislation were invited to register themselves on the GCB online portal to be considered for the new license. Furthermore, there is currently no formal process for registering a dispute with the GCB. It is stated on the website that GCB does not handle complaints yet, so, unfortunately, there's no gaming authority to approach, leaving us with no further avenues for action.

I am sorry I could not be of more help on this occasion. I can only recommend checking the reviews of each casino before you sign up and only playing in licensed and good-rated casinos to avoid disappointments like this in the future.

Best regards,

Michal

Casino Guru