Jackpotjoy repays £13k winnings following bank card dispute
Operator defends verification procedures following incident
Jackpotjoy has repaid over £13,000 in winnings to an online player after initially refusing to pay out because the individual used her son’s bank card.
Forty-two-year-old Donna Keeling, from Stoke, won £13,000 after depositing £25 on the company’s online slots and blackjack games. She later attempted to withdraw £12,000, leaving £1,000 in the account.
However, it was later discovered that although she had been playing under her own name, the account had been registered using her 23-year-old son’s debit card.
In an interview with the Daily Mail, Keeling said: “I was using my son’s card to play and didn’t think that would be problem. But after I withdrew the money I received an email asking me to call them.”
Jackpotjoy initially refused to allow the withdrawal claiming it had been “unable to satisfactorily complete” its identity and age verification processes due to the differing details existing on the account.
Jackpotjoy.com operator Profitable Play Limited said it did not comment on individual cases but reiterated its commitment to complete “additional verification requirements as quickly as possible” to ensure players were able to make withdrawals as soon as possible.
“As far as I could see there was nothing in the terms and conditions which said I couldn’t use somebody else’s card,” Keeling added.
Keeling later contacted the Gambling Commission, before JPJ agreed to authorise the withdrawal.
Existing procedures require operators to complete verification procedures within 72 hours to ensure that individuals are above the age of 18, that they have not previously self-excluded and that criminal proceeds are not being used.
If these verification methods cannot be completed operators request additional verification documentation from individuals where verification cannot be completed.
Under proposed Gambling Commission changes to these rules, online gambling businesses would be required to verify that the name associated with the customers payment method matches that of the gambling account holder.