WinSpirit Casino - Player's self-exclusion request has been delayed, leading to heavy losses.

Dear Gaming Authorities,

I, [name hidden by Casino.Guru administration], is a resident of [address hidden by Casino.Guru administration].

I opened an account no. [account number hidden by Casino.Guru administration] with Win Spirit in start of this month (November 2023) operating as Complete Technologies N.V. (registration number 133283; registered address: Heelsumstraat 51, E-Commerce Park, Curaçao, PO Box 422),
licensed by Antillephone N.V. (License No. 8048/JAZ2014-044).

After some losses I requested to Self Exclude myself on November 13, 2023 as I had no control on gaming and was losing heavily and I do the same for other gaming sites and they act on self exclusion immediately. 

I wrote self exclusion email to their support as directed on their website, snip is attached, but instead of acting on it they said only my genius manager can act on this request and that manager (Thom) was a scam or might be very immature for this position as he kept delaying it and having no understanding of the request for Self-exclusion under responsible gaming. I asked on 14 Nov to cancel the request but again re-requested my account closure on 14 Nov and reiterated on 15 Nov which requests were never withdrawn from my side (all emails are attached herewith). For the live chats done with support I don't have any data which I believe authorities can retrieve from their server. 

Instead of acting on a request of self-exclusion he kept telling me to re-think my decision again. You will get a bonus at the weekend etc etc , I asked him why you guys are not acting but the same delaying tactics were adopted instead of closing my account which cost me a lot of money. I have not been provided with account statements as well so I am unable to quote correct amounts but total deposits I believe are more than CAD $30,000/- and deposits after self-exclusion requests is approximately CAD $20,000/- I even said to them in emails refund my deposits after the self exclusion requests, I don't want previous deposits as I accept that I played for those funds but Deposits after requests of Self Exclusion are only due to mala fide intention of delaying my removal and stealing money from me.

In a nutshell, I request the regulator to investigate this incident and give me justice by refunding my deposits after self exclusion requests. 

In addition to that I would request the authority to penalize them so that they understand the seriousness to act on self exclusion requests instead of purposely delaying those requests of others as well. All this situation gave me such severe trauma that I had to go to a cardiac centre for medical investigation.  

Thank you in anticipation.

Kind regards, 

[name hidden by Casino.Guru administration]

Dear lifewayz, 

Thank you very much for submitting your complaint. I’m very sorry to hear about your negative experience with WinSpirit Casino. 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 a gambling problem). 

I have checked the emails you provided us with. In your account closure request, you have not stated the reason why you wish to be self-excluded.

When applying for the self-exclusion, always state clearly the reason why you want your account to be deactivated and specify the time period. Also, email "Subject" should be clearly marked and easily recognizable as casino support receives many requests per day hence, if it’s visibly marked you stand a better chance to have your request granted as soon as possible. I would also strongly recommend that you always save your self-exclusion request so that you have a valid proof of such action.

Example:

Email subject: Self-exclusion due to xxx

Player’s info:

First name:

Last name:

DOB:

Casino login:

Email address:

"Greetings xxx xxx,

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

The reason that preceded my decision is xxx

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

If you did not specify in your conversations that you wanted to close your account due to gambling addiction, I'm sorry but in our view, you are not eligible for refunds of your deposits. I apologize but we will not be able to assist you any further.

Best regards, 

Veronika

Dear lifewayz,

We have thoroughly reviewed your case and we apologize for any and all inconvenience this case may have caused.

We have already sent you an email with a full transcript of transactions under your account, since the day of its creation. We're also set on refunding the full sum of deposits made under your account since the latest closure request on Nov 14th. The refund will be promptly processed within 30 business days. As a licensed casino, WinSpirit fully acknowledges its responsibility regarding self-exclusion provisions and we strive to comply with high industry practices.

We have implemented the relevant measures to address the issue and prevent such instances, including additional training for our VIP/customer care employees to enhance communication quality. Furthermore, amendments have been made to expedite the account closure procedure from initiation to the provision of a final solution.

If you have any further questions or if there's anything else we can assist you with, please feel free to reach out.

Dear lifewayz,

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.