Question about Gambling websites with Curaçao license using incorrect Merchant Category code (page 786)

In reality it only applies to criminal cases and exceptional circumstances such as holidays being cancelled. Information is generally available on it.

I have been through the absolute mire with Revolut, Visa, Mastercard and lots of different authorities including civil lawyers. Raised cases against Santeda in Curacao and they moved their licence to Anjouan! Got most funds back after the threat of legal action with Revolut but still want criminal action taken against Santeda and will continue to fight for that.

In reality it only applies to criminal cases

Is this not the case though it being illegal?

Good for you! and thanks for the reply and information

I raised it as a complaint. A.I wrote me a lovely email to send. Strange how I've not heard from them yet tho.

It was disputing the transactions on affect tho.

Yes mine was essentially disputing transactions but was sent to complaints department, this was early March when I sent the initial email!

Illegal and criminal are not always the same thing sadly. If there is a literal criminal case against these companies/persons then that is precedent set. If they have operated illegally but have no criminal case then it's interpreted differently by the banks.

I'll hold out to see what they say. Be nice to get the monies back, but if not, it's all my own doing.

what dates were your disputed transactions?

Maybe a little late, but I added you on discord.

TRNDBM - any contact? Any detail?

Hello everyone,

I wanted to share my experience and ask for your feedback on a serious issue I'm having with Revolut, which I think ties in perfectly with this thread about incorrect MCCs and Curaçao licenses.

I have made transactions with a gaming operator that, according to my research, operates unregulated in Spain (its main domain is blocked, although it uses alternative domains that are accessible).

My main problem is the completely contradictory and misleading information that Revolut has provided me:

In the app and from Revolut support: Transactions appeared under categories that did NOT indicate gambling. For example, "non-gambling businesses," "Supermarkets and Food," or "PROFESSIONAL SERVICES." This led me to believe I wasn't making gambling payments.

When I try to dispute payments (with Revolut support): Suddenly, I'm informed that "the card scheme rules (Visa/Mastercard) have classified the transactions as gambling." The worst part is that Revolut support itself admits that the categorization shown in its system (the one I see in the app) "may not accurately reflect this." In other words, they acknowledge that the card scheme has a gambling MCC, but they show me a generic one in the app.

RevPoints contradiction: Revolut has a policy of not awarding RevPoints for gambling transactions. I have verified that I was NOT awarded RevPoints for these transactions. This proves that internally, Revolut DID classify them as gambling from the start, despite being misled by being shown otherwise in the app. When I asked why points weren't added to purchases that "according to you, weren't gambling within Revolut," support was unable to provide a coherent answer.

Inconsistency in blocking: Revolut told me they block certain gambling operators due to "local regulations in Spain." However, they didn't block transactions to this operator (which is illegal in Spain). When I asked why these transactions weren't blocked if they were gambling transactions, support only gave me excuses about the complexity of the blocks.

Additionally, I have found that I had a similar transaction with another bank (ING), which is also categorized generically ("Purchases (other)"), which suggests a broader problem with how financial institutions handle these categorizations.

I have filed an internal complaint with Revolut and am awaiting its resolution, before, if necessary, I can contact the Bank of Spain.

My question is: Do you think, with all this evidence of contradictions and deception on Revolut's part, I have a solid case to demand a refund? Has anyone had similar experiences with Revolut and this dual MCC they use for disputes?

Thank you for your help!

This is really helpful, thank you.

The Bank of Spain... will simply tell you that the transactions were consensual and that the bank has no obligation to monitor these platforms. I'm telling you this from experience... try to pressure the bank as much as you can. It's the only way they can escalate your dispute.

I also advise you, as many people on this forum do, to try to find information about the store listed on your statement. Contact that store and send them an email claiming you've never purchased anything from them. Many people have received a direct refund of some or all of their money.

From February this year.

I have received some back by contacting the merchant directly myself. This was after I sent the email to the bank.

I have been AWOL for a couple of weeks,I'm so fed up with all this and want t give up, I'm resigning to the fact I dnt think il get my 21k back, I've stopped getting replies from the casinos, my bank of Scotland accounts have all been closed including my childrens, I have a open case with the ombudsman regarding Starling and I'm about to submit one regarding bank of Scotland. Majority of these big transactions were June to November last year.

Got the email from gambling commission asking me all the questions, I've sill to email them back.

I've complained to the Curacao gaming board that most of these casinos do not have the CEG live seal on their websites which is a breach of their licence terms, and I've left negative trust pilot reviews.

I have tried contacting MasterCard and the ISO who make the rules for banks etc but no response.

I'm exhausted now, and don't know what else to do, it's time consuming and mind boggling!

Hi,

Do you have a source for that quote from Mastercard you'd be willing to share with me, via email if needs be?

It would be a massive help with my current Starling/Ombudsman case that could see me get about 12k back!

Do you have a contact address for E0000348?

AI emails most likely will be detected as AI and will be sent straight to the spam folder or they won't delivered at all. Don't be so lazy