WestCasino - Player requests a refund.

This casino has no Dutch license but they keep sending me emails and sms promotions. Ive been excluded before temporarily, but am now allowed back. I quit gambling and am in a group for gambling addiction, but I want them to refund the money.

The casino knows I am in the Netherlands yet they let me play without even trying to care. Also, they could have easily noticed my unhealthy gambling behaviour. Knowingly accepting players from the Netherlands is illegal and the money I lost there is obtained by them, unlawfully. Therefore I would like them to refund my deposits.

Dear ELKAY,

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

Please allow me to ask you a few questions, so I can better understand the situation. 

Could you please advise if your casino account is currently accessible to you?

Could you please explain if you requested to be self-excluded due to gambling problems in the casino in the past and when?

When were you excluded from the casino and what was the process to reopen your account after your temporary exclusion expired?

I hope we will be able to help you to resolve this issue as soon as possible. Thank you very much in advance for your reply.

Best regards,

Tomas

Hi Tomas,

I am unsure if I am currently able to login, I suspect I am. I will check that later but I dont want to visit casino's actually, at the moment.

I have been excluded in the past, the account was automatically reopened. I do not know when exactly as all e-mails containing 'casino' go straight to my recycle bin in gmail. They are gone from the bin after 30 days. Also, I have always had a 100 EUR deposit limit but still after reaching the limit they keep spamming me with ads/mail/sms to use bonusses etc.

The casino should not be accessible at all; it's illegal for them to host people from the Netherlands. They know very well I am from the Netherlands as my account got approved back in 2022.

I remember I once tried to withdraw money but they kept it as long as possible (verification took long on purpose, then payout took long on purpose). I suspect them making it take as long as possible because they knew I had gambling issues so they knew I woule cancel it.

I'm not interested in playing with them again (or at all, I dont want to gamble ever again). I want them to take responsibility for offering illegal services while I was registered in CRUKS and ignored my addiction.

Kind regards.

Hi Tomas,

Did you have time to examine the case or do anything with it? I have emailed them but they obviously ghost me, as they know they are in the wrong.

I also have no clue how this casino is rated as safe at all. Its up there with all the other off shore casinos that are offering services in the Netherlands on purpose and delaying withdrawals until you lose the funds again. Ew.

I am sorry for the late response.

I checked the casino website and while the website seemed accessible. when attempting to register an account from the Netherlands I received the following message:

Have you tried contacting casino support via email support@westcasino.com and inquire about your account status and request the casino stop sending the marketing communication?

Please note that the casino is licensed under MGA (Malta Gambling Authority) where a unified self-exclusion doesn't exist: https://casinoguru-en.com/licensing-authorities/malta-license

Self-Exclusion

While all online gaming operators which are licensed by the MGA must offer players the ability to self-exclude, there is no system in place that enables players to self-exclude from multiple operators at once. Therefore, you must request exclusion from each casino separately.

While I understand your struggle, we can only help you with your request for a refund if you already informed the casino about your gambling problem and the casino failed to act accordingly.

We can not ask the casino for a refund based on them offering services to players from a restricted country.

I'll await your reply.

Hi again,

Even though that is ridiculous as my account is registered with Netherlands as a country, I understand.

They have now closed my account because I threatened to take action.

They failed on so many occasions but I understand you can't assist me with this case, so I will escalate it myself.

I have contacted them, but obviously they did not answer at all. They did, however, close my account. So they have seen the e-mail.

Im disappointed in them but obviously they will act like it was not their intention to let Dutch people play. They are a criminal organization that knows very well what they are doing and now after receiving a threat, they blocked the country from registering as checked by you.

Just mark my words; within 3 months, Netherlands will be accepted again.

Kind regards.

Thanks for your reply.

Keep in mind casinos licensed outside of the Netherlands still have self-exclusion mechanisms that you can take advantage of.

In our article https://casinoguru-en.com/licensing-authorities/malta-license we say:

Self-Exclusion

While all online gaming operators which are licensed by the MGA must offer players the ability to self-exclude, there is no system in place that enables players to self-exclude from multiple operators at once. Therefore, you must request exclusion from each casino separately.

If you happen to have an account open in other online casinos, feel free to use the following template when requesting a self-exclusion 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,

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 (permanently).

The reason for my decision is xxx (gambling addiction)

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."

If you didn't inform the casino about your gambling problems when requesting a self-exclusion or afterward, unfortunately, we cannot assist you further in asking for any compensation or deposits.

The casino will only act to protect you from gambling when ayo make them aware of your gambling issues.

Please let me know if you informed them and when. If you have a record of your relevant communication with the casino, please forward it to my email address at tomas@casino.guru

I dont have proof of that, as I have an auto-remove filter for all e-mails containing the word "casino". Also, they get removed permanently after 30 days.

Therefore, I am afraid you can not help me. Still, I don't understand why this casino has a high trust score.

I am sorry but without proof you mentioned your gambling issues to the casino when requesting a self-exclusion or at any other point, we stand no chance of confronting the casino requesting a refund on your behalf.

Due to the aforementioned reasons, this complaint will now be rejected. Thank you for your understanding, I am sorry we could not be of more help on this occasion. Please do not hesitate to contact us if you run into issues with any online casino in the future.