666BET sets player withdrawal deadline
Customers told to withdraw funds by 24 May as GB regulator advises those still owed money to seek "legal remedies"
Beleaguered operator 666BET and its owner Metro Play have warned customers they will not be processing any further customer withdrawals beyond 24 May as a number of players continue to wait for funds to be returned.
In a statement yesterday, published on its behalf by the British Gambling Commission, Metro Play said access to its 666BET and Metro Play sites will be switched off in less than two weeks’ time, which will then leave customers unable to request the return of any monies held on account.
Metro Play said customers’ withdrawal requests were being processed after the suspended operator called upon Skrill to help return funds following the termination of previous third-party agreements.
However, the operator also warned customers that withdrawals would take longer than the usual three to five working days to complete as each payment requires manual approval, although requests made prior 24 May will still be processed.
The operator also said any open bets placed on events taking place after 24 May will be voided and the stakes returned to customer balances.
The Gambling Commission said Metro Play had so far refunded a “significant number” of player accounts and that the operator was doing “all they can” to honour its debts.
The regulator also reminded customers that they had “all the legal remedies for debt recovery in the courts” should they be unable to withdraw money from Metro Play beyond the 24 May deadline.
Prior to striking an agreement with Skrill, 666BET said it had been exploring “alternative routes” to pay customers and explained it had been trying to secure a white-label deal in order to get its site back up and running.
The firm said it had been in discussions with a third-party supplier since its licence was suspended on 20 March, and claimed that its prospective platform provider had said the white-label arrangement was under review by the Gambling Commission with a decision due on 13 April.
But the GC told the operator that it had not been asked nor was it required to sanction any such partnership, but repeatedly said there was no restriction on the operator being able to release customer funds.
The operator’s licences were suspended by both the Alderney and British regulator last month after its director Paul Bell was arrested amid an investigation related to a £21m tax fraud allegation.