Joya Casino - Player's winnings are confiscated due to unclear rules.

I am writing to request a review of my account balance and winnings. Recently, I deposited €150 and received a €150 bonus at Joya casino, which I used to play the Gods of Giza slot. During this session, I accumulated winnings of €1068. However, my balance was unexpectedly reverted to €300. When I reached out to live support, I was informed that the issue is related to Rule 5.3: "Wagering does not apply to the following games: Roulette, Live Casino Games, Blackjack, Progressive Slots, Keno, Scratch, Table Games, Games with Bonus Buys, and Games with Progress Bar Feature."

I never used any BONUS BUY options or features in the game. If the intent of this rule is to restrict certain slots based on the MERE PRESENCE of bonus buy feature—even when players do not activate them—then I find this policy to be both confusing and unfair. It's similar to a rule prohibiting any slot containing the color red, regardless of its impact on game play.

A rule that penalizes players based solely on the presence of a feature, rather than its use, is ambiguous and even absurd. I believe applying common sense here would show that my game play and winnings should not be penalized due to this clause. I kindly ask that the casino reinstates my winnings balance based on a reasonable interpretation of their policies.

P.S. As additional point: almost all online casino out there prohibit using Bonus features while playing with bonuses. It seems like the Joya casino is the only one who wants to confiscate winnings for playing slots only CONTAINING (and not utilized in any way) feature.

Dear davbezmenov81,

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 clarify your situation.

Could you please specify if Gods of Giza is the only game you played while your bonus was active?

Did you see any pop-ups, notifications, or any graphics showing that the game you are about to play contains features that are forbidden to use while the bonus is active?

Have you contacted customer support after your winnings were confiscated? What was their reply?

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

Yest it is the only game I played. No there was no any notifications or pop-ups. Yes, immediately I contacted the live chat as I stated in my complaint, In response they refer me to 5.3 of there terms and cond. They refused to accept my common sense arguments.

Thank you very much, davbezmenov81, 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.

Hello davbezmenov81,

I'm Michal, and I have taken over your complaint. I have reviewed your case and although we prefer that any restrictions that come with the gameplay while a bonus is activated should be enforced automatically by the system, we know from experience this is not always possible due to the fact that various casinos operating on various software platforms making automatic restriction, not an industry standard yet. Although it might not be to your liking the casino has indeed this rule mentioned in its terms and conditions:

5.3 Wagering does not apply to the following games: Roulette, Live Casino Games, Blackjack, Progressive Slots, Keno, Scratch, Table Games, Games with Bonus Buys, and Games With a Progress Bar Feature.

I've checked the game you played and I could see this:

So strictly technically speaking the casino team might be correct, however, I'm unsure if playing the game (without the use of the bonus features as you mentioned) has given you any unfair advantage. I will contact the casino to see if I can help.

We would like to invite Joya Casino to join the conversation.

Dear Joya Casino,

We understand that, as is common practice in most casinos, certain games may be restricted when an active bonus is in play. However, as we have communicated several times, it would be ideal if such restrictions were enforced automatically by your system to prevent any unintentional violations by players. We acknowledge that it is not so easy for your system and you have taken steps to inform the players which games have bonus buys, but I would like to know what unfair advantage the player has gained while playing the Gods of Giza slot if it is true that the player has not activated any bonus buys or has not used any other special features.

Please forward me the player's full game log at michal.k@casino.guru

Hello Michal and davbezmenov81,

Hope you are good and safe.

I discussed this issue with Michal, informing him that we observed the player using a bonus to access restricted bonus buy games. To prevent further violations, we promptly paused the player’s gameplay, adjusted his balance accordingly, and communicated these actions to them. So far, the player has only wagered €489 of the required €13,626, and he will be able to continue fulfilling the wagering requirements using only eligible games.

Michal please confirm it, so we can move on.

Thank you for the understanding.

Warm regards,

Joya.casino Team

Dear Joya Casino Representative,

I want to clarify that I did not "use the bonus to access bonus buy games" as suggested by you. I played the Gods of Giza slot and at no point did I purchase any bonuses within the game. All my winnings, which were quickly nullified during my game play, came solely from standard play—simply spinning the reels without activating any additional features. It looks like your support was tracking my game play in a live mode and as soon as I hit a big win - they started to act by canceling my winnings.

I would appreciate if you could explain exactly why I was penalized. What reasonably explained violation led to the confiscation of approximately €700 in winnings? Your offer to continue playing as if nothing happened is definitely not an option for me.

Thank you for the additional information, Joya Casino Team.

Dear davbezmenov81,

Although as I have mentioned, we prefer that any restrictions that come with the gameplay while a bonus is activated should be enforced automatically by the system, however, the game in question is clearly labeled Bonus Buy.

Thus you should not be playing the game as it's stated in the bonus terms and conditions that you agreed to when claiming the bonus. It does not really matter if you used any bonus buy or not, the game was visibly differentiated from other "allowed" games and thus you should not be playing it at all.

Furthermore, the casino team can actively monitor any of the customers, and if it's detected that a customer is violating any of their rules they can take appropriate actions. You are welcome to continue fulfilling the wagering requirements using only eligible games. This appears to be a suitable course of action, and the casino team has adhered to its established rules.

Please let me know if the situation has been clarified or if I can assist you with anything else.

Hello,

Could you please clarify what you mean by "the game was visibly differentiated from other 'allowed' games"? I am pretty sure that there is no clear distinction between allowed and non-allowed games on this website. And all the "bonus buy" feature containing slots are easily accessible for play with the bonus while being actually forbidden by the shady casino rule.

 But I have another more important point here. I frequently play at various online casinos, and in at least 99% of them, bonus buying is prohibited when using a bonus. However, I have never encountered a restriction simply because a slot contains a bonus buy feature, regardless of whether or not it was used.

Did I violate the stated rule? Yes, technically, I did. But the question is whether that rule is clear and fair. The way this restriction is presented by Joya Casino feels like a trap, designed to confiscate winnings indiscriminately from players being unlucky enough to win at one of the thousands slots JUST CONTAINING some specific feature. I'm genuinely disappointed that you seem to choose to overlook this point.

Dear davbezmenov81,

I'm beginning to feel you are intentionally overlooking the point I previously made.

To your question:

Could you please clarify what you mean by "the game was visibly differentiated from other 'allowed' games"?

Are you trying to say you don't see the "Bonus Buy" banner on this slot as I showed you?

Have you reviewed the bonus terms and conditions that clearly outline what types of games were prohibited when you claimed the bonus?

You do realize you accepted the bonus terms and conditions where this rule is mentioned, right?

As I previously mentioned (again, it started to look like you are intentionally overlooking it) we prefer and we advocating that any restrictions that come with the gameplay while a bonus is activated should be enforced automatically by the system, however, we recognize that this is not universally achievable, as different casinos utilize various software platforms, and automatic restrictions are not yet an industry standard. While it is true that many casinos have implemented these automatically already, but as I mentioned due to the fact that various casinos operating on various software platforms make automatic restrictions, not an industry standard yet.

If the restricted games are visibly differentiated (as is the case here, regardless of your personal opinion) or if there is a pop-up message displayed to the players that informs them that games with progressive features or bonus buys are not allowed to be players with an active bonus, we accept it.

Moreover, your responses in the complaint thread do suggest that you are not just a casual player and you might have focused on certain slots to wager the bonus, which does not align with a potential hypothesis that this was an unintentional mistake. I wonder why have you not put more effort into reading the bonus terms and conditions to prevent situations like this rather than relying solely on the casino's system?

While you may not have directly utilized the bonus buy feature, the Gods of Giza slot does provide occasional free spins that can create a perceived "unfair" advantage in meeting the bonus wagering requirements. This is likely the rationale behind the casino's decision to restrict play on such games when an active bonus is in effect.

I was able to achieve this when testing the Gods of Giza slot for a while.

If I may use a example...

Let's say you were to drive your vehicle against the flow of traffic on a one-way street or enter a restricted area, the mere ability to do so does not exempt you from the possibility of receiving a fine from the police or a traffic officer. It is essential to be aware of and adhere to traffic regulations, as ignorance or non-compliance with the basic rules is not a valid defense.

Although I understand that from a user experience point of view, the whole situation is far from ideal, and I once again can agree with you that if the restriction had been implemented on the software level this situation would have not happened, but it still is the player's responsibility to read and familiarize them selfs with the bonus rules before claiming it and of course follow the rules.

Another important fact that needs to be mentioned is that you were still at the stage of wagering the bonus, thus any winnigs you gained at that time were just bonus funds. You are more than welcome to proceed with meeting the wagering requirements exclusively through eligible games (without a bonus buy or a progressive bar feature) which seems to be an appropriate approach. You are of course free to disagree with my response and decide to not continue playing at Joya Casino, but considering all the factors in this particular situation I'm afraid there is not much that can be done from our side as the casino has team acted in accordance its established rules.

Please let me know if the situation has now been clarified and how you like to proceed

Thank you for your response.

I’ll be as concise as possible. While I did violate the rule as presented on Joya Casino’s website, my issue lies with the rule itself and how it’s communicated. If it were a straightforward restriction, like maximum bet size or a specific restricted slot name, I wouldn’t be raising this complaint here.

At hundreds of other casinos, "bonus buy" is defined as a feature, and it’s the use of that feature that’s prohibited—not simply playing a slot that contains it. This approach is logical and easy to understand. However, in a unique and arguably irrational way, Joya Casino has coined a new term, "bonus buy slots," and uses it to prohibit play on thousands of games that merely contain this feature. This ambiguous phrasing naturally leads to misunderstandings, resulting in legitimate winnings being confiscated. Whether intentional or accidental, this practice clearly benefits the casino.

Furthermore, the term "bonus buy slot" is not only misleading but also poorly worded. Joya Casino essentially invented this term, and it’s not standard in the industry. For example, Gods of Giza, like many other slots, has numerous features. Since when does having one feature make it a "bonus buy slot"? They could at least specify "slots containing a bonus buy feature." But that clarification would make it less misleading and reduce the chances of another player unknowingly forfeiting winnings—an outcome that doesn’t favor the casino.

So my question to you is this: do you support such clearly misleading practices? If you decide that the casino has the right to retain my winnings, then you implicitly support this approach. I’ll accept whatever decision you make, and I still greatly appreciate the work your website does for regular players.

It seems I missed an important point in your response:

"While you may not have directly utilized the bonus buy feature, the Gods of Giza slot does provide occasional free spins that can create a perceived "unfair" advantage in meeting the bonus wagering requirements. This is likely the rationale behind the casino's decision to restrict play on such games when an active bonus is in effect."

I’ve read this multiple times but still can’t fully understand the reasoning here. Nearly every slot has a free spin feature (or "occasional free spins," as you put it). How does this relate to the slot having a bonus buy feature? And what specific advantage would it provide to players completing wagering requirements? I'm genuinely puzzled by this statement.

Dear davbezmenov81,  

While you are certainly entitled to your perspective on the fairness or clarity of the rules, it is important to recognize that this does not necessarily mean you are correct, nor does it alter the fact that you have consented to these terms. Similar regulations are commonly found in most casinos. As a participant in Joya Casino, you are required to adhere to these rules, irrespective of your personal views, as your gameplay must align with them once accepted.  

As I have reiterated on several occasions, it is the responsibility of each player to thoroughly read and understand the bonus rules prior to claiming them and to comply with these guidelines. These rules have always been readily accessible for all players to review.

You voluntarily chose to register at the casino and accepted the bonus in accordance with its terms.

It is your full right to opt not to agree with the rules if you don't find them fair and you can move to other casinos, however, this must be done before you claim and utilize the bonus. As I explained to you already If the restricted games are visibly differentiated (as is the case here, regardless of your personal opinion) or if there is a pop-up message displayed to the players that informs them that games with progressive features or bonus buys are not allowed to be players with an active bonus, we accept it.

We understand your concerns and agree that any gameplay restrictions associated with an active bonus should ideally be enforced automatically by the casino system. However, we acknowledge that this is not consistently implemented across the industry, as different casinos operate on various software platforms, and automatic restrictions are not yet a standard practice. While many casinos have successfully adopted these automatic measures, the diversity in software platforms means that this is not yet a universal standard across all casinos.

To your statement:

I’ve read this multiple times but still can’t fully understand the reasoning here. Nearly every slot has a free spin feature (or "occasional free spins," as you put it). How does this relate to the slot having a bonus buy feature? And what specific advantage would it provide to players completing wagering requirements? I'm genuinely puzzled by this statement.

You have addressed part of the question yourself. The primary reason is that some games include bonus features—such as free spins, aggregators, special sign collections, and progressive features—without requiring the player to make a purchase. These features can impact the wagering requirements associated with the bonus. Consequently, many casinos choose to exclude these games from their bonus offerings. While this may not be to your liking, it is important to recognize that bonuses represent money funds (free money) provided by the casino, and there are specific regulations that must be adhered to in order to convert these bonus funds into actual cash.

If you don't want to be restricted to playing only certain games, I would suggest playing only with real money. For such gameplay, there are just a very few restrictions and you can freely choose which games you want to play.

Moreover, there is still an important fact that needs to be mentioned again as you continue to somehow intentionally overlook it: you were still at the stage of wagering the bonus; thus, any winnings you gained at that time were just bonus funds. You cannot say whether you would successfully finish the bonus wagering or not.

You are encouraged to continue meeting the wagering requirements exclusively through eligible games without a bonus buy or progressive bar feature.

With all this being said, I am beginning to sense that any further discussion regarding this matter would be less and less productive.

You essentially have three choices: you can either continue playing and fulfill the wagering requirements through eligible games, opt to cancel the bonus and use your own funds on any games of your preference, or choose to cease playing altogether.

I would appreciate it if you could avoid introducing any additional unrelated or unnecessary topics; the casino team has operated in accordance with its established terms and conditions, and there is little more to be done regarding the current situation. Please inform me of your preferred course of action with a clear response, indicating which option you find most appropriate.

It seems you are unwilling to acknowledge my point that the poorly worded rule could be both misleading and advantageous to those who created and enforced it. In my last message, I mentioned that I would accept any decision you make. To avoid further unnecessary discussion and to save both your time and mine, I will proceed with attempting to withdraw my deposit from the casino.

Thank you for your efforts to assist me.

Dear davbezmenov81,

I recognize that the resolution of your complaint did not meet your expectations. As I mentioned already, it is entirely within your rights to hold your views regarding the fairness or clarity of the rules; however, it is essential to acknowledge that this does not automatically validate your position as being correct.

If you have any lingering questions about specific rules, it is recommended to contact the casino support for further clarification. Should the response from the casino support not meet your expectations, it is entirely appropriate to reach out again the following day for additional information. However, if the casino team offers clear explanations for their decisions and cites industry-standard rules that are commonly found in the terms and conditions of most casinos, there may be very limited options available for further action.

With all this being said, the casino team has acted according to its terms and conditions, so regrettably I will have to close this complaint as rejected.

I am sorry we could not be of more help on this occasion. Please do not hesitate to contact us if you run into any issues with this or any other casino in the future, and we will try our best to help.

Best regards,

Michal

Casino Guru