caruso

EDIT: ***This matter is now in the process of a satisfactory resolution. My own claim has been settled, and all other outstanding claims will be settled shortly.***

A couple of weeks ago, I received the following Email from Angelciti. I think all their previous customers received it. Note the text in bold - important!

"Dear XXXX,

Bonus of 200% up to $1,000!

Yes, you read that correctly - we are offering a 200% bonus for our customers to enjoy some of today's most exciting online entertainment. At the AngelCiti family of casinos you can play everything from Blackjack to Bingo, from Caribbean Stud to ****s, from Roulette to Video Poker and still get this amazing 200% offer. Just put in coupon code PMF3K and the 200% bonus will automatically be deposited into your account.

AngelCiti is a name you can trust and is the home of the 24-hour payout. You know that with AngelCiti you are provided with the best service and professionalism in the industry and we are powered by AngelCiti Entertainment a publicly traded company (Ticker Symbol: AGLC) - we answer to a higher authority so you get the integrity you deserve. So come in and have fun with your favorite online casinos. We're here to make you feel at home.

So come in and have fun with your favorite online casinos. We're here to make you feel at home.

*You are receiving this e-mail because you have signed on to play at an AngelCiti family casino. If you do not wish to get any further e-mails regarding AngelCiti promotions please e-mail support@AngelCiticasino.com and your name will be removed from future mailings. **The 200% bonus offer is subject to a ten times playthrough requirement and 80% of the bonus amount is reimbursed to the casino upon payout. Normal rules and regulations apply - see website for details. Thanks!"

(It was also posted in "Hot Promos": -
http://www.winneronline.com/ubb/Forum8/HTML/001548.html

…and there was some discussion here: -
http://www.winneronline.com/ubb/For...ML/006083.html)

NB: - "you can play everything from Blackjack…".

Basically, this is a sticky ("play money") bonus, of which 20% cashable.

So I deposited $500, received the $1000 semi-sticky, and went to play some high stakes Pontoon (Blackjack variant). A few minutes and some $500 hands later, I was sitting on a balance of several thousand dollars. I cashed out.

A few days later, they removed the $800 "non-cashable" part of the sticky. So far so good.

A subsequent Email that I learned about had the following addition:- "Plays in Black Jack, ****s, War, Roulette and Baccarat does not count towards the play through requirements."

No problem, I thought - I played within about six hours of receiving the original Email offer, and that original Email offer SPECIFICALLY allowed me to play Blackjack. And, of course, this is a trustworthy group.

But a few alarm bells DID start to go off in my head, and the expression "retroactive T & C application" came to mind.

A few days later, they returned my deposit and stole my winnings. It was listed in the cashier as "Manager withdrawal approved". Several thousand dollars.

So I phoned them (they don't answer Emails). I was told my winnings were confiscated because I played Blackjack (Pontoon). I said, "Hang on! The Email I received INVITED me to play ANY GAME I CHOSE, including BLACKJACK". The (helpful) CSR said, "OK, forward it to us, I'll forward it to the manager, and he'll get back to you".

He didn't.

They retroactively applied the new terms and conditions, and voided my winnings. I broke no rules, and they stole my money.

I should add that I'm not the only Aggrieved Party in all this. Of the couple of friends of mine whose cases I know specifically about, the total of stolen winnings amounts to a substantial sum WELL in excess of my own several thousand dollars.

And of course, of all the others who lost their $500 deposit playing Blackjack, do you think the casino voided their play and returned their deposits?

This is a casino scam which is becoming increasingly common amongst the RTGs. If you lose, they keep your deposit; if you win, they return it. A zero-risk, absolute win-win situation for the casino.

The surprising thing in this is really only that this was one of the HIGHEST REGARDED RTGS - Angelciti / Welcome To Our Casino. I deposited $500 with them with absolutely no qualms whatsoever; would I deposit $500 with Virtual / Prism? Like hell! Palace Of Chance? Oh, purleeease!! Hampton? Gimme a break!

I trusted this casino. What an error of judgement.

I note that, since this IS (was) one of the higher-regarded RTGs, many reputable webmasters (and WOL members) are affiliated. I reckon if any of them can assist the affected players, it'd be appreciated. Many, many thousands of dollars are involved in this scam.

Angelciti / WelcomeToOurCasino should now be considered as rogue operators. They simply don't have the money to honour their clients' wagers. Lose, and they'll keep your money; win, and they'll return your deposit.

Beware.


EDIT: Since this started there have been several warnings posted and several threads started - by me and others - on various forums; here are some useful links:

casinomeister thread

casinomeister rogue

bet2gamble thread

B2G rogue section

Prescription thread

Prescription "BetUS" thread

pig post thread

P4K thread

the A page warning

sports911 warning

gamesmaster thread

thegamesmaster blacklist - scroll down about four times to "gamesmaster top 10 pages"

EDIT 2: The following is a (complete?) list of the Angelciti casinos; they all download Welcome To Our Casino, and, needless to say, they are all the same Angelciti ripoff joint. Steer well clear of the following rogues, the current tally of which is 16:-

Angelciti casino
Vacation casino
Welcome to our casino
Star Bright casino
Luckydog casino
Emazing casino
Roadrunner casino
Bingoland casino
Urlaubcasino
Quepasa casino
Netgaming casino
Baby grand casino
Red Devil Casino
Shark casino
King cat casino
The House Wins

EDIT 3: ALL Angelciti casinos now re-direct to "Shark Casino".




[This message has been edited by caruso (edited 07-09-2003).]

frost

They are doing the exact same thing to me.

Stealing over $2000 in winnings, and they won't even answer my emails.

This place use to be good, but is no better than the Virtual group now.

cheezer

Same here...voiding my winnings completely! Their email inviting me to play specifically states they are a publically listed company and therefore a reputable casino, yet they have no qualms about stealing winnings from players.

I expected something better from this group.

gamblinboi

i received this email, was thinking about playing it too. thank goodness I didn't!!

Rounders

I also received this email and played blackjack. Lost my $500 deposit and the associated bonus in 3 hands.

Imagine my astonishment that my play has not been voided as blackjack was a perfectly legitimate game to lose my money on.

bonuslover

Same here gamblinboi
If they didn't put their name on top of the email, people would think it was from Prism or Virtual just by reading the terms. I didn't quite understand they so I passed. Thank goodness!

sdaddy

I too had several thousand in winnings stolen by this place. I simply played blackjack as their original email allowed, and before the terms changed. They are now trying to get out of paying big winners, and hoping it will go unnoticed. Please don't let that happen.

Stay far away from this untrustworthy casino.

twentyone

I'm in the same boat. Played BJ BEFORE the terms changed. Won almost $2K, which they then STOLE. They called it "debiting my account". They won't return my emails either.

The Original Mary

Maybe some of the loans listed in their SEC filings are coming due. Like the one to the landlord.