Playtech's Beach Life In The News Again
Date Added: June 14, 2009
First it was Sylvia who was gypped of her progressive jackpot prize on Beach Life by Joyland Casino. Now there is news of Marie Van Wyk being similarly duped by African Palace Casino.
Marie is a 66 year old grandmother from Kimberley in South Africa. In November 2008 she won the progressive jackpot on Beach Life worth 8.5 million Rands, which is equivalent to 1.05 million Dollars. African Palace Casino gave wide publicity to the event. She was publicly presented with a blow up of a check of 8.5 million Rands in Nelson Mandela Square. At the ceremony Marie said that she would spoil her kids and family for all the support they have shown her over the years.
Then away from the public glaze African Palace Casino reached an agreement with Marie that she would be paid in six monthly installments instead of a one time total payment. Since Marie’s earlier experience with the online casino had been good she agreed to these terms. Marie received two installments amounting to 2.8 million Rands and then the payments stopped. Marie informed African Palace Casino that she had no option but to go public with her complaint. She received a letter from the casino’s lawyer stating that a “workable solution can be found without the need to air grievances in public.” However Marie was not convinced and she told her story to a local newspaper. The newspaper approached African Palace Casino, but the finance manager Tagore Dhanraj only said that the company was trying to resolve the matter. It has been reported that this is not the first time that African Palace Casino has failed to meet its payment obligations.
In the case of Sylvia, who won over $4 million in August 2008, the concerned casino was Joyland Casino. Joyland Casino pressurized Sylvia into accepting half the amount due to her. After receiving half the amount Sylvia went public with her story hoping to force the online casino to pay the balance amount. But by that time, as a part of its deal with Playtech, William Hill had bought the brand Joyland Casino with the earlier owners having to settle liabilities. This left Sylvia stranded with having received only half the amount.
Casinomeister put Joyland Casino on its rogue list. This was detrimental to William Hill’s standing as an online casino operator of repute. They assured Casinomeister that they would be checking all the purchased brands and would be incorporating the same systems and procedures in the purchased brands as they have in their own brands. Based on this assurance Casinomeister has withdrawn his warning, but will be keeping watch to ascertain if William Hill meets its commitments.
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