Dear AskGamblers Complaints Team,
I am submitting this formal complaint regarding Sportaza and their decision to close my account and refuse to process my withdrawal.
I have been using Sportaza for approximately five years. During this period, I used the account normally and had previously completed successful withdrawals without experiencing a situation like the current one.
I am submitting this complaint because I believe that the circumstances surrounding the cancellation of my withdrawal, the subsequent closure of my account, and the refusal to pay my funds require an independent review.
1. My history with Sportaza
I have been a Sportaza customer for approximately five years.
I have evidence from previous years showing that I successfully used the account and received payments from Sportaza. I also have numerous emails and other records from 2022 documenting successful transactions and communications with Sportaza.
These records are important because they demonstrate that I had an established account history with the operator and that my previous withdrawals had been processed successfully.
More recently, approximately two weeks before the current account closure, I also received a payment of approximately HUF 121,000 from Sportaza.
Therefore, the current situation did not arise because I had never previously been able to withdraw funds from my account. On the contrary, I have a documented history of successful withdrawals and payments.
2. The withdrawal that was cancelled
The current dispute began when I won funds on my Sportaza account and requested a withdrawal.
I submitted the withdrawal on the same day that I won the funds.
Approximately 30 minutes after I submitted the withdrawal request, Sportaza cancelled the withdrawal.
At that time, I was not provided with a clear explanation explaining why the withdrawal had been cancelled.
I did not receive a proper document explaining the reason for the cancellation, nor was I given a clear and specific explanation of what rule I had allegedly violated.
This is one of the central issues of my complaint.
The withdrawal was cancelled extremely shortly after it was requested, and instead of the matter being resolved through a normal verification or payment process, the situation subsequently developed into the closure of my account and refusal to pay my funds.
3. Account closure
After the withdrawal was cancelled, I contacted Sportaza to understand what had happened and to resolve the situation.
Sportaza subsequently informed me that my account was being closed.
I have evidence documenting the account closure and the communications I received from Sportaza.
The account closure notification was provided in Hungarian, and I will submit the relevant screenshots and communications as part of my evidence package.
I dispute the circumstances and basis of this closure.
If Sportaza believes that there was a legitimate reason to close my account, I believe that they should be able to clearly identify the exact contractual provision relied upon and explain precisely how that provision applies to my case.
4. The alleged 30-day KYC requirement
One of the issues raised by Sportaza concerns verification/KYC and an alleged 30-day deadline.
I dispute the way this requirement has been applied to my case.
I have not refused to cooperate with reasonable verification procedures.
If Sportaza requires additional identification or KYC documentation from me, I am willing to provide the necessary documents and cooperate fully with any legitimate verification process.
However, I do not believe that a withdrawal should simply be refused and an account closed without a clear explanation of when the verification requirement was communicated to me, exactly what documents were requested, when they were requested, and what contractual rule established the relevant deadline.
I therefore ask that Sportaza provide clear evidence showing:
The exact date on which I was informed that additional KYC documentation was required;
The exact documents that were requested;
The exact deadline that was communicated to me;
The contractual provision establishing the alleged 30-day deadline;
Evidence that the requirement and deadline were properly communicated to me;
The reason why the account was closed rather than allowing me to complete the required verification.
I want to make it absolutely clear that I am not refusing verification.
I am willing to cooperate with Sportaza and provide any documents that are legitimately required.
My complaint concerns the way the verification issue was handled and, in particular, the refusal to pay my funds and the closure of my account.
5. Refusal to pay my funds
The most important issue is that Sportaza is refusing to process my withdrawal and is withholding my funds.
I do not believe that the fact that an operator decides to close an account automatically explains why funds that were already legitimately won should be withheld.
If Sportaza considers that my funds can legally or contractually be forfeited, I request that they identify the exact rule that allows them to do so and explain how the circumstances of my case satisfy that rule.
I am asking for a transparent explanation rather than a general reference to terms and conditions.
Specifically, I request that Sportaza explain:
Why my withdrawal was cancelled approximately 30 minutes after being submitted;
Why I was not provided with a clear explanation at the time of cancellation;
Why my account was subsequently closed;
What exact contractual provision was used to justify the closure;
What exact contractual provision allows Sportaza to withhold my funds;
Whether Sportaza considers the funds forfeited or simply refuses to process the withdrawal;
If the funds are considered forfeited, the exact reason and contractual/legal basis for that decision;
Whether any investigation was conducted before the account was closed;
Whether I was given a genuine opportunity to complete any required verification before the account was closed.
6. My previous successful transactions
I believe my previous account history is relevant to the case.
I have retained numerous emails and records from 2022 showing successful payments and communications with Sportaza.
I also have evidence of a payment of approximately HUF 121,000 received approximately two weeks before the current account closure.
These records demonstrate that my account had an established history with Sportaza and that withdrawals had previously been processed.
I am therefore asking AskGamblers to consider the entire history of my account rather than viewing the current withdrawal in isolation.
7. Communication with Sportaza
I have attempted to resolve the matter directly with Sportaza before bringing this complaint to AskGamblers.
I have sent formal correspondence explaining my position and requesting clarification regarding the account closure, withdrawal cancellation, verification requirement and refusal to pay.
I have preserved the relevant correspondence and will submit it together with the rest of my evidence.
Unfortunately, I have not received a satisfactory resolution.
In particular, I have requested specific information regarding the contractual and factual basis for the actions taken against my account.
I believe these questions are reasonable and should be capable of being answered clearly by the operator.
8. Evidence submitted with this complaint
I have retained screenshots, emails and other relevant evidence relating to the entire matter.
Because of the limitations of the complaint submission system, I will upload the available evidence together as one complete package rather than submitting every screenshot separately.
I have intentionally prepared the screenshots so that the relevant dates and, where available, times are clearly visible.
I did this specifically so that the chronology of events can be verified.
The evidence therefore allows the relevant events to be examined in chronological order, including my communications with Sportaza, the withdrawal, the subsequent cancellation, the account closure and the communications that followed.
Some of the screenshots and communications are in Hungarian because this was the language in which they were provided to me. However, the dates and times are visible and the evidence can be compared with the chronology described in this complaint.
I am providing the evidence in good faith and I am willing to provide additional clarification or documentation if required.
9. Why I believe this case should be reviewed
I understand that gambling operators may have legitimate reasons to conduct KYC checks, investigate accounts or restrict accounts where there are genuine regulatory or contractual concerns.
I am not arguing that Sportaza must keep my account open regardless of its terms and conditions.
My concern is specifically about the combination of circumstances in this case:
I had been using the account for approximately five years;
I had a history of successful withdrawals and payments;
I have evidence of successful transactions from previous years;
I received approximately HUF 121,000 from Sportaza around two weeks before the current closure;
I won funds and requested a withdrawal;
The withdrawal was cancelled approximately 30 minutes after being requested;
I was not initially provided with a clear explanation for the cancellation;
My account was subsequently closed;
Sportaza referred to verification/KYC and an alleged 30-day deadline;
I dispute how that deadline was communicated and applied;
I have not refused to cooperate with verification;
Sportaza is refusing to pay the funds associated with my withdrawal.
Taken together, I believe these circumstances justify an independent review of the case.
10. What I am requesting
I respectfully ask AskGamblers to review the evidence and communications provided and assist in resolving the dispute.
In particular, I ask that Sportaza be requested to provide a clear explanation and supporting evidence for the following:
The exact reason for cancelling my withdrawal;
The exact reason for closing my account;
The exact contractual provision relied upon;
The exact KYC requirement allegedly applicable to my account;
The date on which this requirement was communicated to me;
The exact 30-day deadline and its contractual basis;
Evidence that I was properly informed of this deadline;
The reason why my funds are being withheld;
The exact rule that Sportaza believes allows it to retain or refuse payment of my funds.
If Sportaza cannot demonstrate a valid contractual or regulatory basis for withholding the funds, I respectfully request that they be instructed or encouraged to process the withdrawal and pay the funds owed to me.
I am also prepared to complete any legitimate verification procedure that may still be required.
I am not attempting to avoid KYC or any other reasonable verification requirement.
My position is simply that the operator should clearly explain the basis for its actions and should not withhold legitimate winnings without demonstrating the contractual and factual basis for doing so.
11. Final statement
I have tried to resolve this matter directly with Sportaza before escalating it to AskGamblers.
I have preserved the relevant evidence and communications, including historical emails, payment records, screenshots and the communications relating to the current dispute.
I have also intentionally ensured that dates and times are visible in the screenshots so that the sequence of events can be independently checked.
I respectfully ask AskGamblers to examine the complete evidence package and the chronology of events and to assist in obtaining a fair and transparent resolution.
I am willing to provide any additional information or documentation that may reasonably be required.
Thank you for taking the time to review my complaint.
Kind regards,
Peti
