Deposits at an unlicensed casino while in self exclusion scheme

Hello everyone,

I've been reading a lot of forums for several days now, and I decided to share my story in case anyone has been through a similar situation and can shed some light or advice on how this might end.

Since 2020, I have been registered with the General Registry of Gambling Access Prohibitions (RGIAJ) in Spain, meaning I have legally self-excluded from online gambling. Thanks to this self-exclusion, I have been completely free from gambling for years, calm and recovered.

But a few months ago, I received an ad on my phone for the online casino Wazamba, which piqued my curiosity. I visited their website thinking they wouldn't let me gamble, but to my surprise, they let me register without verifying my identity, asking for my ID, or blocking access. And that was the beginning of a serious relapse.

Over the course of four months, I ended up making over 300 deposits, racking up losses of over €17,800. In a moment of desperation, I checked the casino and discovered it wasn't licensed by the DGOJ (General Directorate of Legal Entities of the Spanish Government), and therefore not authorized to operate in Spain.

I immediately filed a claim with my bank (Banco Santander), requesting a chargeback for all transactions, providing:

The bank statement with all charges marked.

My updated self-exclusion certificate.

A full explanation of the case, acknowledging the relapse, but emphasizing that I should never have been able to play or register.

I've also written to Mastercard support to see if they can help me with the process.

Has anyone experienced something similar? Is it possible to recover money in such cases, even if the deposits were made voluntarily but in an illegal environment?

I'm trying to close this phase with strength, because I've hit rock bottom financially and emotionally, and I want to start a new life.

Thanks to everyone who can share their experience or give me guidance.

I am sorry for this whole situation and that you slipped after so long into all this.

Unfortunately, though, the casino couldn't know that you have some gambling issues if you haven't told them so yourself, as they do not operate under the DGOJ.

This casino is accepting players from your country but is not allowed to promote in your country, so it is quite difficult to say if it is illegal or not, as we are not lawyers and can't see into this.

If I may, though, if you have ever mentioned to the casino that you have gambling issues, our complaint team could try to help.

So, please let us know, and hopefully there will be something we can do. 🙏

Thank you for your response and understanding. I understand the situation is complicated, but I want to clarify some important points:

While it's true that the casino has no way of knowing if I have a gambling problem unless I tell them, this doesn't justify allowing me to register and make deposits, even though I'm registered with the General Registry of Gambling Access Prohibitions (RGIAJ), which prohibits me from playing on such platforms. This is one of the reasons why I believe the casino has violated my rights.

Furthermore, although this casino isn't operating under the DGOJ (General Directorate of the Judiciary of the Spanish Government), I have evidence that it isn't licensed to operate legally in Spain, making it an illegal casino. This fact is an important factor to consider, since while they can't openly promote themselves in my country, if they operate and allow access to Spanish players, they are violating local regulations.

As for the advertisement, if I recall correctly, I received it via an Instagram story, which indicates that the casino is making a conscious effort to attract Spanish players. In my case, as a player who made numerous deposits, I was considered a VIP, which gave me a personal manager with whom I communicated directly via WhatsApp. On several occasions, I mentioned that I felt like I was falling into a hole again and that I was accumulating a lot of debt, asking for a ban on my access to that casino. The response I received was that I should send a request to an email to proceed with my self-exclusion request, something that never happened.

Finally, I want to make it clear that I will fight to get my money back from my bank and Mastercard, since, according to both banks' policies, the charges were made to a company operating illegally in Spain. This fact reinforces my claim, and I am convinced I have sufficient grounds for them to proceed with the refund.

I appreciate your attention again and will continue to fight to resolve this situation with the arguments and evidence I have.

Greetings

Unfortunately, even though I get what you say, the casino doesn't have access to every database where players get excluded from playing, you know. It would be really great, and this way many issues could be prevented, but it is not that easy, actually.

Please know that 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.

Hello,

if you gamble on unlicensed casino then you should expect to lose your money. Even if you ‘win’ these places will not pay out. This is why they don’t have a license.

Focus your energy on not gambling instead.

I speak from experience of losing too much money on these kind of places.

stay safe.

Charlie