Betway Casino - Refusing to pay out without third party bank statements
I would like to make a complaint about Betway Casino. On 16/09/19 I signed up and took part in their welcome offer, I deposited £250 and was lucky enough to complete wagering with slightly more than £5,600 in my balance, so I requested a withdrawal.
Following this Betway sent me some ID requests. They asked me for some photo ID and a proof of address, which I supplied and they eventually verified.
Following this they asked me for 3 months of bank statements for the account from which made my £250 deposit. I thought this was unreasonable and excessive as I had already sent a proof of address. However I sent this as I wanted to get my winnings out.
Following this Betway phoned me up and questioned me about my gameplay which again I thought was excessive, but once again I answered all their questions and was told that my withdrawal would be approved soon.
After some time they then requested to see the bank statements of a third party as they had paid some money into my bank account several months before I made my deposit into Betway. The person who sent me this money was my ex-boyfriend who still owed me some money from when we were together a long time ago. He was abusive to me mentally and I did not want to contact with him for any reason, and I knew he would not want to assist me as we split on very bad terms. So the prospect of having to ask him to supply me his personal bank statements to a gambling company was not something I thought I could do reasonably, and I informed Betway of this. They insisted that they would not release my winnings until I sent then the bank statements of the third party, and then proceeded to ignore several of my emails following this. Finally after several more emails they sent me a dispute summary saying that they would not pay me out without these statements and to contact an ADR.
To be absolutely clear, only I ever paid money into my Betway account. The third party paid me back some money that he owed me several months before my deposit, and there were many transactions inbetween that and my deposit into Betway.
I am very surprised that a company would require me to supply the bank statements of a third party. I did not read this anywhere in their terms and conditions which I read before I signed up to their website. How can I be expected to provide the bank statements of a third party? And how can I, or Betway, demand a person's private information when the General Data Protection Regulations make accessing such data illegal without the person's consent, which neither of us have? How can paying out on a win be dependant on this, surely it is illegal.
As it was a large amount of money, the biggest win I have ever had at a casino, I faced my fears and asked my ex if he would supply the bank statements. He told me that he in no circumstances would he sent his private bank statements to a gambling company, over a matter than doesn't concern him. I totally understand his position, and feel humiliated that I was forced by Betway to ask him for this. This situation had a bad effect on my mental health. It has caused me a lot of stress that I had to go to my ex boyfriend and ask him for this when I would have preferred to have no contact with him at all, and in the end I got the result that I knew I would anyway, he would not send his personal bank statements to Betway.
I have been through their terms and conditions several times and there is no mention anywhere that you may be asked to provide third party's bank statement in order to get a withdrawal processed. If this had been mentioned in their terms and conditions I wouldn't have signed up. There is no mention of having to do this on the Gambling Commission website either.
I believe that it is unfair practice to demand something that the customer is not in control of and legally cannot ask for (third party bank statements) as a pre-condition for withdrawal, unless it is clearly stated up front in terms and conditions that this would be required.
I understand that casinos have to verify that a person can afford to gamble, but I think that this level of scrutiny is not justified for a single deposit of £250. Similarly I understand that gambling companies have a responsibility to prevent money laundering, but again I dispuate that a single £250 deposit is grounds for suspecting money laundering.
It is my belief that Betway are trying everything they can to not pay out on my win due to the size of it. I am certain that I wouldn't be asked to do any of this had I lost my money, or even had a smaller win. They are being dishonest, and trying to deny me my winnings which I won legitimately breaking none of their terms and conditions whatsover. It angers me that a company can do this and has made me lose faith in online gaming. It seems if you have a big win, dishonest companies like Betway will do everything in their power, and beyond their powers, to prevent paying out on big wins.
Please review my case and help me get my winnings out.