Powbet Casino - Player's requesting a refund.

I originally requested by email to Powbet support the closure of the access of the casino side of their site for me on 06.11.2023, because I was playing too much. I did not get any reply and I continued to lose some more.

On the 09.11.2023 I have contacted Powbet again and wrote the following:

"My request below has been ignored, it is not normal.

Please proceed asap with my request to close the casino side of my account. If a segregated closure is not possible, please then close all access including the sports betting side too."

I could not make it clearer that I wanted it to be closed. I only received a reply 13 days later (!!), stating that "they are sorry to hear that I wish to leave them", but I would have to contact them again if I wanted to close the account, and that they had given me an unsollicited bonus.

With this bonus in my account now, I was enticed into continuing to play and proceeded to lose some more.

There is no question that my requests for closing the account were very clear. They even acknowledged them themselves, but did not comply.

Eventually, on 23-02-24, I sent them a claim for failing to act on my responsible gambling request and asked for the refund of Eur 3539,- I had lost since then.

I received only the automatic mail saying that my message had been received, but no answer from Powbet until I sent a renewed claim 4 days later on 27-02-24. This was also received, but completely ignored by Powbet. All communication (one-sided essentially) is attached here.

When there was no answer to this either I was under the impression that I had to wait for a minimum of 8 weeks to leave them the possibility to reply to me before escalating the matter.

But nothing happened, I was still bombarded with marketing from Powbet until 15.04.24.

Now it seems that they did eventually close the account discretely a couple of weeks ago and just ignored me.

This is not normal and they should not be allowed to treat customers like that.

I guarantee that all information stated here is correct and am available for more information.

Thank you for your help.

Dear LNurmi,

Thank you very much for submitting your complaint. I’m very sorry to hear about your negative experience.

First, I’d like to explain to you what the difference is between closing the account and self-exclusion:

Closing an account is simple and has almost no impact - the player can reopen the account anytime, and the casino has no obligation to the player.

On the other hand, self-exclusion does. If a player successfully makes a self-exclusion the casino agrees not to open this account or if yes only under particular circumstances

(after the cooling off period and this cannot be done for players who are addicted/with gambling problems).

Please allow me to ask you a few questions to better understand the situation:

• Have you requested a self-exclusion in the casino?
• Have you specified any trouble controlling your gambling or gambling problems to the casino support via chat or email?
• Have you unsubscribed from the casino's marketing correspondence?

Thank you very much in advance for your reply.

Best regards,

Tomas

Thank you for your reply. Your summary above is very accurate.

As you can see in the conversations I forwarded, I asked (repeatedly) for the account to be closed but I did not use the specific wording of self-exclusion. I have not gone further into explaining any trouble with gambling to them as there was zero conversation, I never received any reply after the message when they acknowledged I wanted to leave and gave me the bonus. I have not unsubscribed as at this stage I did not want to go back and log on to the casino.

My request was originally requesting the return of the funds (3539 eur) I lost afterwards as I know they have behaved in a very unethical way. However I am somebody reasonable and cannot argue that I have had no responsibility at all in this situation.

Still, it infuriates me that this kind of behaviour where a casino is blatantly abusing a player that can be identified as a "risky" profile due to communication and staking patterns, is allowed to take place with absolutely no consequences for the operator.

I am hoping for some acknowledgement of this wrongful behaviour, and hopefully a change in the practices of this casino in the future. I am also hoping for some kind of compensation as I consider myself a victim in this case.

Thank you again for the help.

Thanks for your reply.

Unfortunately, Without a clear indication of gambling problems, we cannot proceed with complaint resolution and request a refund on your behalf.

We believe the casino has an obligation to reasonably protect you if you inform them about a gambling problem, otherwise, you are very much still responsible for any gameplay taking place.

If your account is open, and you wish to be protected I would recommend you request a permanent self-exclusion due to gambling problems in the casino.

When applying for the self-exclusion, clearly state the reason for deactivating your account and specify the time period. Also, the email "Subject" should be clearly marked and easily recognizable as the casino support receives many requests per day. If it is marked visibly you will stand a better chance of having your request granted as soon as possible. 

Example:

Email subject: Self-exclusion

Player’s info:

First name:

Last name:

DOB:

Casino login:

Email address:

"Greetings Powbet Casino support,

I’m writing to inform you that I wish to exclude immediately from this casino and from receiving any gambling-related marketing material for a minimum period of xxx months/years (lifetime).

The reason for my decision is xxx (gambling problems)

I acknowledge that I will not be allowed to rescind my self-exclusion during this period and that the self-exclusion cannot be lifted before the end of the agreed period."

Please send another email to support@powbet.com (you can CC me at tomas@casino.guru in the copy) and keep me informed about any further developments. Thank you in advance.

Hello, a harsh decision in my opinion, as the complete lack of communication from the casino should never be allowed, but I respect this and I thank you for considering my case.

Thank you for your understanding.

Please let me know whether the casino proceeded to close your account, or how you wish to proceed going forward.

I would like to call your attention to our Self-Exclusion Assistance Tool https://casino.guru/global-self-exclusion-initiative/assistance-tool

This tool will make it easier for you to block your casino accounts across multiple gambling establishments simultaneously and is not affiliated with any specific casino. The Self-Exclusion Assistance Tool was designed to assist individuals who may be facing challenges with their gambling habits by helping them limit their access to gambling and reduce the potential for further harm.

Dear LNurmi,

We are extending the timer by 7 days. Please, be aware that in case you fail to respond in the given time frame or don’t require any further assistance, we will reject the complaint.

Unfortunately, the player has not responded to our messages and questions. Consequently, we are unable to investigate further and have no choice but to reject this complaint.

The player can reopen this complaint at any time.