Flappy Casino - Player complains about a bypassed gambling block.

On the 7th of December, I managed to make a deposit to Flappy Casino, despite having a gambling block activated on my Revolut card.

(As a side note, I am also excluded from all online gambling in Denmark, but that's not relevant in this case, as all Curacao casinos, etc., are bypassing Rofus in DK.)

I have struggled with gambling addiction for many years, and usually, the gambling blocks stop me when the urge sets in.

Upon reviewing the transactions, it's evident that Flappy Casino is using a payment provider with false payment information to bypass MCC checks.

Examples include "Havenharbor Rentals" and "Cscannerr," among others, using the same payment method and card.

I have contacted Flappy, who takes no responsibility in this.

Therefore, I am seeking your mediation, and I also want to issue a warning that Flappy Casino appears to be engaged in shady practices, as they seem to find it acceptable to use entities like "Havenharbor Rentals" as payment provider information.

Dear ChrisGu,

Thank you very much for submitting your complaint. I’m sorry to hear about your problem.

• Before we contact the casino and ask for their standpoint, could you please forward emails or screenshots showing that you have sent a request for a self-exclusion? My email address is petronela.k@casino.guru.
• Did you specify in that request for how long you wish your account to be suspended and the reason why?

Kindly note that if you have not previously requested self-exclusion or the blocking of your casino account with this particular operator, we are unable to provide assistance.

Thank you in advance for your reply.

Best regards,

Petronela

Hi Petronela,

Thanks for your quick response and willingness to assist. Although, I'm not sure you have read my complaint entirely? 🙂

My complaint didn't touch on self-exclusion, besides the general Rofus block we have in Denmark. But I put that as a side-note in (), as this is not what this complaint is about.

The complaint is about Flappy Casino using a payment provider with false info to get around MCC checks (like Revolut's gambling block which I put my trust in).

Examples are that payments go to companies like "Havenharbor Rentals" and "Cscannerr.". (see my screenshots)

Any casino using "Havenharbor Rentals" in Nairobi as a payment provider is quite clear that they are doing this to allow people with gambling problems to deposit, where normally an MCC code that marks that it is a casino transaction would block the payment.

Therefore, I am seeking a refund and that you warn people about their practice.

Thank you, ChrisGu, for your response. I have indeed read your first comment, and I was hoping that you had communicated your intention to have your account blocked or to implement self-exclusion at least once with the casino. It's important to understand that we cannot negotiate a refund of lost deposits solely based on the transaction descriptions in the casino. While I empathize with your perspective, if we are to proceed with any self-exclusion case, we need players to take the initiative and inform the casino about their intention to close the account.

Below is the template we recommend every player use to request the closure of their account:

When applying for the self-exclusion, state clearly the reason why you want your account to be deactivated and specify the time period. Also, email "Subject" should be clearly marked and easily recognizable as casino support receives many requests per day hence, if it’s visibly marked you stand a better chance to have your request granted as soon as possible. 

Example:

Email subject: Self-exclusion

Player’s info:

First name:

Last name:

DOB:

Casino login:

Email address:

"Greetings Flappy Casino,

I’m writing to inform you that I wish to exclude immediately from this casino and from receiving any gambling-related marketing material for a minimum period of xxx months/years (lifetime).

The reason that preceded my decision is xxx

I acknowledge that I will not be allowed to rescind my self-exclusion during this period and self-exclusion cannot be lifted before the end of the agreed period."

Please send another email to support@flappycasino.com (you can CC me at petronela.k@casino.guru in the copy) and keep me informed about any further developments. If there is any option for an alternative contact such as live chat or WhatsApp, please try that too and save screenshots of the relevant communication.

Thanks for getting back to me. I totally get the importance of self-exclusion, but my main gripe is about Flappy Casino's tricky payment provider moves. They have used payment provider info like "Havenharbor Rentals" and "Cscannerr" to sneak past checks, - like in my case the Revolut gambling block, which I rely on.

I appreciate your assistance in bringing attention to this matter and addressing the specific issue I outlined in my initial complaint. If there's any further information needed, please let me know.

Appreciate your understanding, ChrisGu. If you'd like to highlight the issue of the casino using transaction descriptions that enable players with gambling blocks to deposit, I can recommend reaching out to the Licensing Authority at complaints@gaminglicences.com.

• Could you please advise if you sent an email to the casino and requested the self-exclusion as I advised previously?

Thank you.

I did reach out to the casino via email. In a nutshell, I highlighted my ongoing struggle with gambling issues and mentioned the deposit glitch on December 7th, 2023, totaling 2,197 kr. Despite having blocks on Revolut, and being registered on Denmark's 'Rofus,' none of those measures seemed to prevent the deposit.

Not explicitly asking for self-exclusion, but rather aiming to shed light on these issues. (Transactions categorized as rental service, etc.)

Considering this, any insights on the next steps or how best to proceed? I noticed your suggestion about reaching out to the Licensing Authority at complaints@gaminglicences.com—should I go ahead with that?

Hi ChrisGu,

I appreciate your understanding. Nevertheless, considering your disclosure of a long-standing struggle with gambling addiction, I recommend reaching out directly to the casino. Kindly follow the instructions outlined in my previous post to request self-exclusion.

In the meantime, you also have the option to utilize our Self-Exclusion Assistance Tool. This tool allows 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.

Lastly, I can direct your attention to a discussion on our Forum, maybe it could be helpful too.

Please let me know if you decide to file an official complaint with the Licensing Authority.

Thank you.

Hi,

Thanks for your continued support and the links!

I reached out to Flappy Casino about the misleading payment information, but their response rejected my refund claim based on their terms and conditions. They emphasize their non-liability in their reply:

"Our team is sorry to understand about your situation, and wish you all the best in your life; however, we cannot be held liable..."

This Reuters article from the forum link you provided, highlights this disturbing practice that Flappy Casino and similar casinos are OK with —dummy online stores used to disguise gambling payments.

The ability to bypass safeguards like the Merchant Category Codes raises serious concerns about transaction oversight. And the bank employee's insight futher down in the post here adds another layer, revealing the exact same thing like my original post , how payments to thse gambling sites are disguised as unrelated purchases, possibly violating regulations. It's just horrible and needs to be highlighted and stopped !

As an indepented source about online casinos you should seriously consider adding this information to the reviews of the related casinos.

Unfortunately, my struggles continued, not with Flappy Casino, but with Starscream LTD (Gammix) casinos, resulting in an additional loss of 11,000 DKK during the Christmas period up until yesterday... (All Starscream LTD casinos also uses these types of disguised purchases to bypass MCC checks, with payment provider info such as "Wisetore tech" ,"Mydelivery", "Ratelux" and more.)

Considering the suggested steps, including reaching out to the Licensing Authority , your guidance on navigating this situation is invaluable. Thanks once again for your support.

Hi ChrisGu,

I genuinely regret that your issue persists. Could you confirm whether you've already submitted the self-exclusion requests as previously suggested? If you don't communicate your problem to the casinos, I'm afraid there's limited assistance we can provide.

Thank you.

I want to clarify again that I did reach out to Flappy Casino about the misleading payment information, but not in the context of a self-exclusion request, no. My account was subsequently closed by the casino following my email regarding this.

Attached a picture of their email

Note: My primary intent of this complaint is to highlight that Flappy Casino engages in using a payment provider with deceptive MCC codes such as rental or store purchases, to bypass Gamban, Revolut gaming block, etc.

This issue goes beyond a simple self-exclusion request; it means that individuals struggling with gambling problems, like myself, can continue depositing until they explicitly provide a self-exclusion request.

I want you to highlight this issue, as it can have a significant impact on vulnerable users.

I'm pleased to see that your account has been successfully closed. The Summary of this complaint also addresses the concern of the casino utilizing a payment provider with a misleading payment description to circumvent responsible gambling restrictions. Unfortunately, regarding this specific matter, there's limited action we can take, aside from raising awareness of it through this complaint.

I wish I could be of more help. I’m sorry we couldn’t help you to resolve this case, but please do not hesitate to contact us if you run into any issues with any other casino in the future. For the abovementioned reasons, I will now reject this complaint. Thank you for your understanding.