PLayer's Horizon 4: Double cap dispute: When bonus rules overreach

Casino Guru News’ AI-powered podcast, Player’s Horizon, is back with episode #004, taking a look at another interesting case from the Complaint Resolution Center. Hosts Mike and Nate break down an instance where a player tried to withdraw €500, but then the website went down.

Listen to the full Player’s Horizon Episode #004 on Spotify.

The player then faced another issue - a 5x bonus cashout rule, and communication wasn’t always perfect. Today’s episode has to do with how bonus rules are applied and when they stop applying to your gameplay, and how a small bonus can lead to a rather serious fund withdrawal dispute.

A player’s journey to claiming a withdrawal: downtimes, bonus issues, and more

According to the German player who submitted the original complaint, the issue was with the website going down around the time of his attempted withdrawal.

"That’s the kind of moment where a player starts thinking, "Is this just a technical issue, or is my money gone," Mike asked.

"Right. But as the case developed, the main issue became much more specific. The player had made a €25 deposit, received a €18.75 bonus, completed wagering, and requested a €1,000 withdrawal," Nate adds.

As pointed out by Nate, it started with a $1,000 withdrawal, but that was reduced to €93.75 because of the 5x maximum cashout rule, which applied to the bonus in that particular case.

Then, the player managed to turn that €93.75 into €500, and at that point, tried to withdraw again, but the casino reduced the allowed withdrawal amount, which is something Casino Guru disagreed with.

Tomas from the Complaint Resolution Center noted that capping bonus winnings multiple times is not something that the specialists at the dispute resolution service approved of.

With enough information to get the very basic idea, the hosts Nate and Mike dive into the crux of the problem - or at least one of it.

The complaint specifically pointed out the website downtime, which coincided with the €500 withdrawal attempt.

"The player says the casino site had been offline for several hours. He also says more than seven sites from the same group were offline," Nate explains, adding that the player also added that his emails were not being answered.

At that point, the player simply goes ahead and assumes the worst, assuming that the casino is pulling off an "exit scam," the host further clarifies. Tomas, though, confirms that the website was working, and indeed - the site is back at that point in the complaint.

But this does not resolve the larger issue at hand - the withdrawal process. To the casino’s credit, a customer support representative explains that the downtime experienced by the player was the result of a technical issue affecting the website as a whole.

At this point, another issue is raised - the verification process, which kicks off at withdrawal, which only adds insult to injury. Nate and Mike note: depositing feels instant, but cashing out is often a chore.

"The player said he had already sent several proofs connected to his MiFinity account, and he was frustrated because he felt the casino kept asking for more," Nate remarks, and Mike chimes in that even before the bonus issue, there is already growing dissatisfaction in the player.

Player consistently turns small amounts into huge wins - but hits a wall trying to cash them out

The player was indeed quite lucky. He started with a €25 deposit on September 14 and received a €18.75 MAP bonus, or a 70% bonus. He played his way to some pretty amazing wins.

When the player thought he was done with the bonus, he requested a €1,000 withdrawal, but the casino objected to the withdrawal, pointing out a rule that the maximum amount that can be withdrawn is 5x the size of the bonus, or €93.75 (€18.75*5).

"The casino removed €906.41 from the gaming account and left the player with the allowed withdrawal amount," Nate added. The player was furious and said that the limitation deprived the deposit bonus of any meaning, and added that the information about the bonus conditions was not made clear enough by the casino.

So, anyway, the player took the €93.75 and started playing again, flipping the amount into €500 and leading to yet another standoff with the casino. The player sees the €93.75 as his own, wagered money - after all, the bonus has been wagered.

He requests a second withdrawal, and the casino - you guessed it - cancels it, applying the 5x bonus cap again.

"The casino cancels the €500 withdrawal and applies the same 5x bonus cap again. They remove €406.42 and say that, in this case, the player can withdraw only €93.75," Nate explains.

What do the casino and Casino Guru have to say?

"The casino said the player had initially lost his real-money balance and then continued playing with the bonus balance. After the wagering was completed, the 5x rule applied," Nate explained.

The second withdrawal was requested with funds that were technically bonus funds, and there was no new deposit. The casino argued that the maximum amount that can be withdrawn is €93.75, and unless a new deposit occurs, the same restriction would apply.

"Right. The player believed the bonus ended when wagering was done and the account was adjusted to €93.75," Nate noted. This is the time Casino Guru’s Complaint Resolution Center officially stepped in.

"Tomas says Casino Guru disagrees with the practice of capping bonuses multiple times, especially when the bonus in question is a deposit bonus," Nate adds.

The resolution center agreed with the first cap and noted that it was in line with the terms set out by the casino. So, the casino pauses to think. "So, they don’t fully agree," Mike notes.

Eventually, however, the casino offers to issue the €500 payment as an act of goodwill, so the case is resolved. For good measure, though, the withdrawal temporarily fails, and the player cannot cash out his money, but the casino acts swiftly this time, fixing the technical issue.

But that was not all there was to it - the casino actually went out of its way to do away with the 5x rule.

A happy ending. To find out more about the whole case, make sure to give Player’s Horizon a listen.

Image credit: Casino Guru News