Why do some operators use ‘other’ companies for deposit transactions?! (page 2)

Why do so many casino operators use third parties & commercial companies?!

This is a big issue for me and, from looking at other posts on Casino Guru, is also being raised by many others!

Here are a few you may already be familiar with:

Aqua Pulse

Webops - (full refund after emailing)!

Straridges - (full refund after emailing)!

Achphil Variety

Goodshom

I am not sure if Casino Guru will allow me to add these but I think it would be useful to try to establish why many casinos do this!

I have sent emails to all these companies but no responses, apart from support elegro.eu (a Velobet Casino third party ‘Webops’ company) I went even further with this company and Velobet by sending several emails asking why they chose to return my deposits but no responses - surely that’s suspicious!

Goodshom has a ‘bizarre’ email address and it’s the same one for 10+ other similarly named companies, I have emailed all of them but not one response.

This can of worms needs to be opened up and action taken, where appropriate!

Suspicious Activity Report (SAR) is what I am looking to file!

Hya, I have raised with Visa and apparently, this is not very good! ...hmmm

Sorry my brain is not computing 😜 what have Visa said exactly?

They said they would be investigating this! They were quiet concerned??? They put me on hold and took the details!

Good work! This is something I came across recently:

The Mastercard Business Risk Assessment and Mitigation (BRAM) Program and the Visa Integrity Risk Program (VIRP)

— formerly the Global Brand Protection Program (GBPP) — are designed to protect card brands and consumers from illegal and/or brand-damaging activity. These programs impose fines on acquiring banks for any detected processing of fraud, illegal activity, or activity that may pose regulatory or reputational risk.

Examples of such damaging activity include the illegal sale of prescription drugs or counterfeit merchandise, illegal or miscoded gambling, and child exploitation or banned pornography. This is by no means an exhaustive list, but it illustrates the important role these programs play in keeping the payments ecosystem a safer place for consumers.

well, certainly when you are taking payment for high-risk items like gambling! I also found some merchants not actually even existing originating in Poland and Tallinn. I am pretty sure this is not right. I was even told that is not transparent, transparent is an easy word here.

I have managed to find a way to contact Mastercard direct and sent them a lengthy, detailed message!

Great work! I am wondering how you were even allowed to deposit the real money on Velobet, it says the UK is forbidden to play and deposit real money!

I asked Velobet Casino that same question and as you well know asking questions gets them in a dither 😂 this is a Live Chat conversation I had with them a few days ago. I have also opened a complaint with the Curaçao Master License Provider:

My Live Chat with Velobet Casino:

Me

I am from the UK and managed to register with you, but as I understand it you do t allow UK players. What do you do to prevent this and if I played and won would I be able to withdraw winnings?

Live Chat

After full verification, you will be able to make a withdrawal. You need to verify your identity, address, and email as well.

Me

So you do accept players from the UK then?

Live Chat

We accept Players only from those countries and geographic regions where online gambling is allowed by law. It is the Player’s sole responsibility to inquire about the existing gambling laws and regulations of the given jurisdiction before placing bets on the Website

Me

You are not answering my question properly - you say does not allow UK players yet you do - how does that work please?

Live Chat

UK players are also permitted to play on our website.

Me

Do you not think then you need to remove the UK from the restricted Countries list so there is no confusion?

Live Chat

Please wait, I will check the information for you to give you detailed information

They stop responding and suddenly this appeared but the chat had been ended!

Chat

Could you specify which point you are referring to in our terms and conditions?

Please note that the chat will be closed automatically due to inactivity. 

If you have no further questions, I'll close the chat with you and wish you a nice day and good luck!

And I saw your complaints and this response is the most legendary, it completely baffled me. HUH???

"Thank you for your response. I understand that you may have been surprised to see that the transaction on your bank statement appeared to be made to a commercial company you're not familiar with. However, I want to assure you that there's no need to be worried. In fact, the way your deposit is reflected on your bank statement can be seen as a positive aspect. It is the practice of many online casinos to use neutral names for transactions. This helps ensure that your financial institution does not identify the transaction as a casino-related activity. It protects your interests and privacy. Moreover, if the name of a gambling establishment that is unlicensed in your country appeared in your bank statement, the bank could flag the transaction, potentially leading to delays or issues in receiving your funds."

I know right!

Let’s continue the fight for a fair playing field and continue to call out the operators who have the audacity to think they can write a set of terms and wholeheartedly believe this protects them from accountability.

Readers of this post should know money laundering relates to the practice of concealing the source of funds, whilst transaction laundering relates to the practice of obscuring the source of a payment transaction!

Here is a great article (with an extract below) from Dow Jones - certainly worth a read:

https://www.dowjones.com/professional/risk/glossary/anti-money-laundering/transaction-laundering/

Preventing transaction laundering

While detecting and preventing transaction laundering presents a significant challenge, financial institutions should focus on beneficial ownership information as part of their customer due diligence (CCD) efforts. That effort includes analyzing an online merchant’s website to verify the ownership and line of business.

She just admitted the nature of hidden transactions as a positive thing! It is such a big fight and tight regulations like Gamstop tools and gambling transaction blockers. If to eliminate all these shady companies, we would have fewer suicides and I really wish these companies would follow social responsibility and finally humanity, expoiting people! Besides Dotasscanner was on my transaction list too, any luck with these? They seem to sell games in Edinburg.

I totally agree, I have read so many disconcerting posts where players have lost thousands, it makes me so angry when the rogue casinos are never going to play fair or be socially responsible, and so, for that reason they MUST be SHUT DOWN! 😡

Did you read they just shut the Suspension of licences – In Touch Games Limited, these are regulated casinos, so why are they getting shut down but not all these shady places, hiding the nature of their exploitation, especially these shady casinos is breaching their own terms and conditions !

No joy with DOTASCANNER - I got my bank to look into them and they said it looks like the are a gambling site so seem legit 🙄 I said ‘are you kidding me’? I have told them they need to start looking into these issues and the operator agreed to not having much knowledge - I have volunteered to work with them to help others. However, I believe direct contact with Mastercard will prove more productive!

so they said Dotascanner is legit, how? It is a gambling site, so how can it be legit, they obviously do not use the same code to say it is for gambling. I do not understand how it can be legit thought if they sell games, but then process gambling transactions, in the USA this will be a straight-win case, not even a question. I am still awaiting an email from those shady handbag and clothing companies in London, he is ignoring this.

Well this is good news but it is the UK. Hopefully, this will send out a clear message to shady casinos that even regulated casinos can be placed under investigation.

It’s people like us who can help to bring about changes.

As per the convo about my bank, honestly they don’t have a clue how big this thing is. Chargebacks are being refused because of the increasing number of requests (IMHO).

Yes, we need to keep pushing MasterCard and Visa to stop these unauthorized charges. My argument is I am on Gamstop, and my gambling transactions are blocked, so how on earth Dotascanner - a gambling site, overcome this? Did you challenge the casinos, did they explain to you what these charges relate to, do they have actual receipts of each deposit transaction?

I have asked all those questions and still continue to remind them I have not gone away, the only joy I had was the full refund from Velobet and I have repeatedly asked why they decided to reverse all the payments and wait for it…..I hadn’t even verified my account with them and wasn’t asked to. Same with Slotssafari and a refund from Straridges but nothing, not even comms from the others - that will be because they are getting away with it!

My conclusion is that these can not be a gambling transaction as my bank would have blocked it straight away, I have blocked it! It was showing shoes or clothes or household goods. I think your bank is misleading you. Do you have a gambling block on your bank? Literally, nothing as gambling would be able to pass my security checks, but these could! I will try to email them as they tell me they have no receipts as such via live chat, so how I am to understand what is genuine and what is fraud looking at these?