Vegas Hero - Withholding my withdrawals

Hi beanmason3 - welcome back!

I'll contact the operator and see what we can find out for you.

Thanks,

ThePOGG

Hi,

Has there been any update yet?

Thanks

Hi beanmason3,

I've concluded our discussion with Vegas Hero regarding this issue. While we cannot support their position Vegas Hero have decided to disregard our views in this instance.

Before going further I have to make clear that what you were doing is a very blatant strategy to exploit bonuses. Most operators have sufficient terms to prohibit this activity and trying to employ this approach will almost universally result in you experiencing issues getting paid. We would appreciate it if you do not bring us further claims of this nature.

You have chosen to engage with slots games that have bonus features that are triggered progressively (i.e. you collect triggers with the final trigger activating the bonus feature). While playing with bonus funds you have collected all but the last trigger. You then switched to other games to exhaust the remaining bonus funds. After this you returned to the progressive trigger game and with deposited funds collected the last trigger for the bonus feature and collected the winnings from the bonus feature. This allows you to cash out the winnings from the bonus feature without having to complete the remaining wagering requirement associated with the bonus funds that did the majority of the heavy lifting to trigger the bonus.

Vegas Hero argue that the following term prohibits this activity:

"15.b.: Delaying any game round inside any type of game, including free spin features and bonus features, to a later time when there are no more wagering requirements and/or performing new deposit(s) while having free spins features or bonus features still available in a game is prohibited. Players doing so agree to have their bonus and associated winnings declared void."

However we cannot agree with their interpretation of this term. As the bonus feature had not been triggered at the point where you stopped playing, you cannot "delay" it by stopping playing. The interpretation that the operator is looking to take would logically mean that any player who had collected any bonus feature triggers could then not stop playing that game until such time as either they trigger the bonus or exhaust their balance.

This very clearly isn't the case with respect to your play. You have chosen to collect all but one bonus triggers then stop playing and returned to collect the last trigger effectively immediately after the wagering requirements were annulled. There is little question that you knew what you were doing. Nevertheless, the operator's interpretation of the term "delayed" does not seems reasonable to apply to an event that is not yet confirmed to happen.

This is further evidenced by the terms and conditions at other groups we work with mirroring the 'delayed' term seen above to prohibit other practices while including the following term to prohibit the activities you engaged:

Aspire Global

"The use of bonus funds purely to progress through the bonus stages is prohibited. This includes but is not limited to games such as The Wish Master, Cloud Quest, Tower Quest, Pearls of India - can result in the winnings being voided. For example (but not limited to), playing Netent’s “The Wish Master” with an active bonus, activating 3 “wishes” to then leave the game and come back and collect the feature payout once the Bonus is gone."

White Hat Gaming

"(iv) “state game abuse” where the use of bonus or cash funds are used purely to progress through the bonus stages (for example, collecting 9 out of 10 coins to reach that bonus feature) and then final stages (for example, playing to collect the final coin to reach 10 out of 10 coins to reach the bonus feature) completed with cash bets when bonus funds have been forfeited, lost or wagering met and converted to cash. These games include, but are not limited to those listed as 0% contribution in the wagering table in clause 5.5 below."

Had Vegas Hero included a term similar to the above we would have supported non-payment, but without such an inclusion we cannot support their position.

Sorry we cannot of further help.

ThePOGG