The player from Germany had his winnings cancelled due to placing bets higher than allowed. We ended up closing the complaint as ‘unresolved’ because we consider the casino's T&C's that were used against the player to be unfair and predatory.
I made two deposits of € 100 on October 28, 2021.
I lost the first 100 € and with luck I was able to convert the second into 3000 € +.
Since I mainly played blackjack, I increased my bets after my wins.
Then I applied for a € 3000 withdrawal request.
For the payout, I had to verify my account, which didn't cause any problems.
Then I was sent an email telling me that I had violated the 30% Max Bet rule and that my winnings would be deleted.
I have never heard of one of these rules in an online casino and, in my opinion, did not do anything irregular because I did not take advantage of any errors. If there is such a rule, bets that exceed this stake will not be possible.
Dear CH4RL3I,
Thank you very much for submitting your complaint. I’m sorry to hear about your negative experience. I have checked the T&Cs (https://www.orientxpresscasino.com/en/tnc) and this is what I found:
"10.3. Placing total bets equal to or greater than 30% of the value of the deposit currently in play is prohibited. Acquiring an in-game Buy Feature to trigger free spins for a buy-in cost equal to or over the 30% max bet limit is considered as irregular play.
10.4. When a player receives a bonus, a cashback or redeemed the Comp Points, a maximum bet limit applies. This bet limit shall not be equal or exceeding 30% of the value of the bonus or cashback or Comp Points currently in play. If multiple bonuses are in play, the limit will be calculated against the smallest bonus. This limit also includes acquiring or purchasing an in-game bonus feature."
Have you accumulated your winnings with or without an active bonus? Please, forward any relevant communication between you and the casino to kristina.s@casino.guru.
I hope, we will be able to help you to resolve this issue as soon as possible. Looking forward to hearing from you.
Best regards,
Kristina
I didn't use a bonus, I just placed my own money and, like in other online casinos, also placed regular bets.
Thank you for your reply, CH4RL3I. We will contact the casino and ask for their justification why your winnings have been canceled, but, before we do so, please could you tell me if you are able to reach your game history (please forward it to kristina.s@casino.guru) and indicate how much was your last deposit?
I can access my game history but I can’t download it, it is 236 pages long so it would take some time. My last deposit was in height of 100€.
Thank you very much CH4RL3I for your reply. I will now transfer your complaint to my colleague Peter who will be at your assistance. I wish you the best of luck and hope to see your problem being resolved to your satisfaction soon.
Hi CH4RL3I,
I have looked at your case and understand the situation. I will contact the casino and see if I can help. I would like to invite OrientXpress Casino to the conversation to participate in the resolution of this complaint.
Dear All,
Thank you for reaching out to us.
We would like to inform you that we have investigated Emilio's complaint and we would like to share with you our findings:
Emilio has won during his time playing with us and submitted a withdrawal request for 3,000 Euros on the 28th of October, 2021
On the 31st of October, 2021 an email has been sent to Emilio, explaining that the casino has voided Emilio's winnings. Please be advised that Emilio's winnings were voided due to irregular play.
The Casino also expects all potential players to read all the terms and conditions. Emilio's winnings were voided for breaking the 30% Rule.
https://www.orientxpresscasino.com/en/tnc
"10. Betting Rules
10.1. The casino expects you to follow the rules of each game while playing at the casino. We reserve the right to withhold any withdrawals and/or confiscate the winnings and bonuses for violation of the Betting Rules.
...
10.3. Placing total bets equal to or greater than 30% of the value of the deposit currently in play is prohibited. Acquiring an in-game Buy Feature to trigger free spins for a buy-in cost equal to or over the 30% max bet limit is considered as irregular play."
In Emilio's case, the deposit in play is deposit ID 5208549 of 100 Euros. Therefore, according to the Terms and Conditions of the Casino Emilio is unable to bet more than or equal to 30 Euros.
According to his gameplay, Emilio has made more than 300 over-bets between 30 and 250 Euros on the following games: American Blackjack, Blackjack 6 - Azure, Premier Blackjack with Side Bets, Blackjack, American Blackjack, and Gates of Olympus. This is the reason why Emilio's winnings were voided.
Please be advised that we view "over-betting" as a violation of the service we provide, and an attempt to deal unfairly with us. If a player attempts that, confiscation of the winnings accrued is in order. We are always careful to return to the balance the deposit from which the confiscated winnings were accrued, even though, technically, we don’t have to do that.
The Casino understands Emilio's frustration, but it is imperative that all players comply with the terms and conditions that a player agrees to upon opening an account.
Kind regards,
OrientXpress Casino
I've never heard of a rule like this, and I don't quite understand how it's supposed to work.
If there is such a rule, you cannot place bets greater than 30% or be explicitly advised to do so. I have never heard of such a rule in other online casinos or have had problems with it. I didn't use a bonus that would justify a bet size. Normally, this is also firmly written, not larger than 5 currency units or something similar. Furthermore, I do not understand how this rule would apply in my case, since I was playing blackjack. I've almost always played multiple hands. Assuming I play 3 € 20 in total, that would be a stake of € 60 and exceed this limit. The single bets, however, are not what would be the case. Another case would be a € 20 hand that I split, then the total stake would be € 40 but again divided between two single bets.
Dear OrientXpress Casino team,
Thank you for your reply. We are aware of the maximum bet rule for regular play in your casino. However, we strongly disapprove of its enforcement and find the rule unfair and predatory. Players who play with their real money without a bonus shouldn't be limited this way. We are convinced that the player should get paid in full.
Dear Peter,
Thank you for your comments.
It's imperative to understand, the maximum betting rule on OrientXpress casino is explicitly advertised in the casino's Terms & Conditions. Moreover, our live-chat support is always available to assist the players should they have any questions regarding the betting rules.
While we respect your opinion, we believe that the judgment about the fairness of the maximum bet rule, or any rule for that matter is rather subjective and unfair without accounting for other factors like the Casino Bonuses, Games, Player Support Structure, etc.
While you might prefer to play with no maximum betting limit, another player can see higher cashback, better collection of games, ability to play bonus on certain games and etc. with the maximum bet a fair trade-off.
In conclusion, in this case, the casino acted with respect to the agreed terms and voided the winnings.
Dear OrientXpress Casino team,
I'm afraid we can't accept your decision. As mentioned above, players who play with their real money shouldn't be limited that way. We consider the maximum bet rule for real money to be unfair and predatory. The complaint will become unresolved.
Dear CH4RL3I,
Unfortunately, the casino doesn't seem to be willing to compromise. I recommend you to turn to the Curacao Gaming Authority (certria@gaminglicences.com) as a last resort solution, but I'm not sure if they will be able to help you with this case. I advise you choose casinos by their reviews and ratings in the future to avoid situations like this. I wish I could be of more help.
Best regards,
Peter