LuckyBlock Casino - French player's account blocked for document verification.

Hello,

I'm contacting you today because I'm having some problems with LuckyBlock Casino. 

I registered with them a few days ago, without any problem and without VPN. It's a quick registration and you don't have to fill in any personal information at the beginning. I made several deposits for a total of 430 euros (as we speak, these deposits have been played), and once again, I had no problem depositing (crypto deposit). 

But during a livechat discussion about a bonus, I was told that French days were not accepted, so my account was blocked for verification (I'm not told what will be done after verification, a refund of deposits? An account reopening? Mystery).

So I sent my ID card (both sides) and a bank statement for my address. But the financial department wants me to take a selfie with my identity document. As I explained to them, I can't, having lost my identity card, I'm in the process of redoing the document and it will take me over 3 months to receive the new one (delays are very long in France). So I only have a photo of my identity card. Being 100% honest, I applied for a birth certificate at the town hall where I was born, and offered to take a selfie with it at the casino. It seems to me that everything I've offered is more than enough to prove my identity and good faith, but the casino still refuses.  I find myself blocked, the casino is not prepared to make any effort, whereas if I was able to register and deposit on their site in the first place, there must be an error somewhere. I assume that if a casino accepts a player based on his IP address and lets him deposit, it's because they accept that player. I suppose the casino has the right to refuse my documents, but is that fair play? Aren't they doing this to sweep the case under the carpet and refuse to discuss anything with me? I'd like to make it clear that I've never asked for a deposit refund, but given the situation, I'd consider it legitimate. Or a release of the account, following the documents I've sent, which I find quite sufficient... I'd like to point out that I'm registered with dozens of casinos, and that my account has always been verified without any problems. This is the 1st time this has happened to me. 

Thank you for reading this, and I hope you'll have some answers for me.

Sincerely 

Hello Rmx314,

Thank you very much for submitting your complaint and I'm really sorry to hear about your issue with LuckyBlock Casino. Please allow me to ask you a few more question before we would move forward.

Could you please advise since when exactly is the verification process ongoing? Which documents have been already approved? Did you ever use VPN to access the casino website? When was the last time you spoke to the casino and what was it about?

Please forward the communication between you and the casino regarding this issue to nikolas.b@casino.guru.

Looking forward to your answer.

Regards,

Nick

Hello Nick,

And thank you for your reply. It's been 5 days now that the validation process is underway, and it's not progressing because the casino is asking me for a selfie with a document that I don't have. They've already validated both sides of my ID card, as well as my bank statement for my address, which is less than 3 months old. 

I don't use a VPN, and I registered on the site from my French IP address.

The last time I spoke to the casino about this was yesterday, and once again they tell me that a birth certificate doesn't suit them, and that the fact that I come from a restricted country is entirely my fault, as I should have checked the terms and conditions beforehand. But I assume that if the site is accessible without a VPN, and registration and deposits are possible, I have the right to register... 

Thank you for your help and I hope I've made myself clear.

Sincerely 

Hello Rmx314,

As the verification process may take up to 14 days I would still recommend to wait for the casino to process it. I believe that once you tell them that you do not have your ID, they will find a way to verify the account. Did you try to forward them your passport or driving license?

Hello,

Thank you for your reply. The casino refuses to proceed with verification without the selfie with the ID card. I have no passport or driver's license to offer them, and they continue to refuse my birth certificate (which I sent them).

They offer me no alternative...

Thank you Rmx314 for all the information provided. I will now forward your complaint to my colleague Michal (michal.k@casino.guru) who will be assisting you from now on.

Wish you best luck resolving it.

Regards,

Nick

Hello Rmx314 ,

Upon reviewing this case, I understand your perspective that players should not be able to register if they are not allowed in the casino from certain countries. However, it's worth noting that this practice is not yet an industry standard, particularly for Curacao-licensed casinos.

I must concur with the casino team that it remains the player's responsibility to ensure they are not accessing the website from a restricted jurisdiction.

As clearly stated in the casino's Terms and Conditions, France is included among the restricted jurisdictions.

When it comes to the issues with your verification, again I understand that you currently are not able to provide the selfie with your ID as requested by the casino team because you have lost it, however, I again must agree with the casino's requirement, this is quite often a standard requirement. It is the player's responsibility to provide all requested documents for a successful Know your Customer (KYC) and anti-money laundering (AML) check. Every casino can set KYC and AML checks to their standards meaning if other casinos were accepting your documents another casino might find those not fully sufficient and can require additional documents as it's mentioned in the casino T&Cs under article 9. Identity checks.

I acknowledge your initiative of providing your birth certificate, but as this most likely doesn't have an up-to-date picture of you on it, it can't be considered a valid document for the KYC and AML.

In such instances, only an ID card, passport, driver's license, or other government-issued document with a photograph are accepted forms of identification.

Since you are unable to furnish the requested documents, I regret to inform you that we may not be able to offer much assistance, as the requirements set by the casino team align with their established rules.

Taking all information into account, I believe the only course of action available is to kindly request the casino team to refund your initial deposit if you desire our assistance with this matter. What do you think?

Hello,

First of all, thank you for your reply. I thought that a birth certificate would be sufficient, but obviously I was wrong. I totally understand. 

My account cannot be reopened, so I agree with you and would really appreciate your help in recovering my initial deposits. 

I am at your disposal for any further information.

Sincerely 

Dear Rmx314,

Thank you for your understanding.

Dear LuckyBlock Casino,

Given the player's current inability to provide all the necessary documents for KYC and AML verification, would you please consider refunding the player's deposit as a resolution to this situation?

We would like to ask the casino to reply to this complaint. We are extending the timer by 7 days. If the casino fails to respond in the set time frame, we will close the complaint as ‘unresolved’ which may negatively affect its rating.

Hello,

The player in question registered from a restricted region, specifically France. Consequently, upon discovery, we took the necessary steps to close the customer's account in adherence to our policies.

Since the player's funds were already wagered, we regret to inform you that deposits cannot be reversed, as they have been utilized in wagers.

Rest assured, we meticulously followed all the correct procedures for account closure due to the player's location in a restricted region. At this point, there is nothing further we can do to assist in this matter.

It's crucial for users to thoroughly understand our terms and conditions before signing up, as this forms the bedrock of ensuring our casino operates in compliance with regulatory requirements.

Best regards,

Lucky Block Complaints

Hello,

Thank you for your reply, even if I find it totally dishonest in view of the situation. I sincerely hope that your rating will be affected, as these are not fair play methods for a reputable casino such as yours.

Sincerely

I'd like to take this opportunity to point out that, no, you're not agreeing to the terms of your license. In fact, it is stipulated for all casinos licensed in Curaçao that they are prohibited from offering their services in certain territories (including France). It is the responsibility of the licensee and only of the licensee (you) to verify that its services are not accessible in these countries. From the moment you allow players from prohibited jurisdictions to register, you must allow them to deposit and withdraw money on your site, that's what seems fair to me. Here, your behavior is far from fair play, and that's a shame, coming from an establishment like yours.

Sincerely 

Hey CG team,

We have given feedback as before - please get back to us accordingly.

Best,

Lucky Block Complaints

Dear Rmx314,

As I have mentioned before I understand your perspective that players should not be able to register if they are not allowed in the casino from certain countries. However, it's worth noting that this practice is not yet an industry standard, particularly for Curacao-licensed casinos.

I must concur with the casino team that it remains the player's responsibility to ensure they are not accessing the website from a restricted jurisdiction. This information is clearly listed in the casino terms and conditions that every player should be familiar with when registering their account.

Dear LuckyBlock Casino,

I appreciate your response provided earlier, and I recognize that you are adhering to your established regulations. However, I believe a fair resolution to this complaint would involve returning the players their initial deposit. While I understand there is no obligation for you to take this action, doing so would showcase your commitment to fairness and transparency in your operations, aligning with our dedication to offering a positive gaming experience. I kindly ask you to reconsider this option as a one of fair resolution to this complaint.

Dear Rmx314,

Can you please confirm your BTC address for me?

Dear Rmx314,

Thank you for confirmation. The LuckyBlock team should soon process the refund to you. Please let me know once you receive the funds.

Hello Michal,

Thank you very much for your help. I'll let you know as soon as the refund has been processed.

Hello,

I'm following up on this issue, after a conversation with LuckyBlock's LiveChat. Their customer service told me that there were no open cases in my name. They also told me that they had not had any conversation with your team (CasinoGuru). I don't understand. Can you tell me more? I've had no reply to the emails I've been sending them. Have they confirmed that they will be refunding the deposits? 

Thank you for your help.

Sincerely 

Dear Rmx314,

I understand your concerns, but there's no need to worry. Typically, live chat operators handle basic issues and offer guidance in common situations without access to all details. Rest assured, your case has been discussed with the casino management in the background. Based on the information I've received, your refund should be transferred to your BTC wallet within 48 hours. Please let me know once you receive the funds.

Hello Michal,

Thank you for this valuable information. I'll get back to you when the funds are received. 

Sincerely 

Hello Michal,

We are 48 hours after your first message, the refund has still not been made. I'll keep you posted.

I confirm receipt of payment. Many thanks to everyone involved in resolving this matter.

Sincerely 

Dear Rmx314,

Thank you for the confirmation. I'm glad to hear that you successfully received the funds. I'm sure you're already aware, but please ensure that you open your account at casinos that accept players from your country. Any similar situation in the future may not have a happy ending like this one.

I'm grateful that the Lucky Block team has re-evaluated the situation and shown a fair approach to resolving it. Such an approach is what separates the great, high-rated casinos from the rest.

As the complainant confirmed that the situation has been resolved and they have received the funds, we consider this complaint to have been successfully resolved. We will now close it as "resolved" in our system. I would like to thank both parties for their cooperation. Please do not hesitate to contact us if you encounter any problems with this or any other casino in the future. We are here to help you.

As you know, we do not charge for our services, nor do we accept any gratuities. However, we would appreciate it if you could take a moment to share your experience with our services on Trustpilot https://www.trustpilot.com/evaluate/casino.guru. An honest review and any suggestions you may have to improve our complaint resolution and mediation process would be greatly appreciated. Your feedback could prove helpful to others who are considering contacting us about any online casino-related issues.

Thank you in advance for your time. 

Best regards,

Michal

Casino Guru