Terrible Scam on Swedish Gamblers – Sugar Casino Held on Almost €130,000

A post by ‘Torsten4Real‘ in the Complaints section on AskGamblers.com set the scene back in December. The player had gambled on Sugar Casino for around 6 months and found themselves more than €130,000 in the hole.

A sticky predicament, until the player hit a running win and clawed back around €30,000. A day later, the account was frozen, and Torsten4Real was emailed asking for additional ID verification due to a ‘high deposit.’ As the player themselves explained, no extra deposit had been made, and they were simply using their existing winnings to gamble with.

After making a ‘source of wealth‘ declaration by providing paychecks and other paperwork, Torsten4Real’s Sugar Casino account was closed down.

A Long Wait for Winnings

Despite receiving no warning from the gambling site, Sugar Casino then posted on the AskGamblers.com assuring that they were ‘currently reviewing all details‘ with their compliance team.

Christmas came and went, with the unfortunate player unable to spend his winnings during the festive season. On Christmas Eve, Sugar Casino finally concluded the case by stating they had ‘concerns about [Torsten4Real’s] level of gambling,’ as well as issues over whether the player was ‘able to continue to support [gambling] financially.’

Sugar Casino refunded the outstanding balance to the player’s bank account and closed the casino account.

A week or so after the Torsten4Real case, an almost identical situation arose, again concerning Sugar Casino. A Swedish player known as ‘Superzero95‘ posted a complaint after winning €10,000 on the site. Sugar Casino banned the player and promised to resolve any ‘source of wealth‘ issues within 24 hours. This request came despite Superzero95 assuring the casino that bets had been made with existing winnings, not new deposits.

The checks were finally completed in early January. Again, Sugar Casino said that it had ‘detected…strong signs of gambling addiction, which Sugar Casino, being an MGA licensed casino and truly committed to the health of our customers, treats with absolute preoccupation and care.’ The player’s winnings were refunded to his gambling account, and his Sugar Casino account was closed.

Luckily, after significant delays, both players received their winnings, but their accounts were closed for good. The cases may also prevent them from opening future accounts with other online casinos. Of course, Torsten4Real still found himself short of the original €130,000 that he lost on the site.

Of course, the smaller details of each case aren’t out in the open. Perhaps one or either player displayed unusual betting patterns or had lost so much money in the first place they were flagged up as a problem gambling risk before the jackpots came rolling in.

Delayed Payments Nothing New

Getting hold of winnings quickly is a problem that gamblers have experienced for a long time. But with regulation now tighter than ever, casinos have to jump through hoops to show they are treating potential problem gambling and money-laundering seriously.

Affordability checks are standard practice at most online casinos. However, these usually involve a simple questionnaire to fill in. Players must also provide a bank statement where it’s easy to work out where a monthly salary is coming from. Proof of income source can usually include a payslip, income tax return, or pension statement.

More importantly, they are designed to ensure you can afford to lose. They’re also in place to ensure the casino isn’t being used for money-laundering purposes. Sources of wealth information can range from bank statements to paychecks or investment returns. As long as you can prove you’re not gambling above your means, you’ll be allowed to continue.

Unscrupulous casinos may hold onto winnings for a longer time than usual under the pretence of making ‘additional checks.’ But this procedure shouldn’t take longer than a day or two at most.

Don’t Be Afraid to Make a Complaint

Some online casino players have had to prove income during months where they may have been gambling with prior winnings.

And some online casinos, even those with licenses from respected gambling authorities, have sometimes been accused of using delay tactics to make it more difficult to withdraw winnings. While players don’t have a problem supplying recent payslips, it can be harder to dig out historical information, including any money spent on gambling during a particular calendar month. In any case, there is no reason for a long delay, and any issues should be cleared up so you can carry on playing your favourite games.

If you have similar issues and want to make a complaint, you can usually reach out to the gaming authority that oversees the casino’s license. For example, the Malta Gaming Authority and Kahnawake Gaming Commission let you lodge complaints via a simple online form.

As soon as it came to withdrawing winnings, the casino shut up shop. Luckily, the cases were resolved but not without the pain for the player and the intervention of AskGamblers.com.