The world of online casinos and betting is a young and often very unregulated place, that is on paper regulated with many licensing bodies but it doesn’t mean a casino will always do the right thing for players. Instances of casinos cheating out their players in order to make a quick buck are widespread, and there hasn’t been a serious online casino player that hasn’t been tricked at least once on the issue. With the entire system lacking a regulatory body that does a little more for players where casino complaints a fair for players and not just operators, other ways of ensuring customer safety have to be put into place so that these practices aren’t as common in the future as they are right now. The ultimate goal would be to completely root out these malicious practices and achieve a safe environment for online casino players.
The idea of achieving this would seem very bleak, but certain steps have already been made in regard to this problem. The website ThePOGG has launched what they call an official Deposit Guarantee, which aims to mediate disputes where a customer feels that they might have been wronged by the casino. It’s meant to be given out to online casinos which agree to the Deposit Guarantee Terms and Conditions. In short, this means that they agree in advance to discuss player complaints, as well as to never confiscate funds without clear and documented evidence of rules being broken.
Now all of this is great, but what exactly does the ThePOGG Deposit Guarantee entail? How does it protect the rights of customers and how exactly will it ensure that customers don’t get cheated? While the site doesn’t claim to be in control of any potential funds which are seized or confiscated by any given casino, it does provide a complete refund of the money in question. The refund is provided in all cases where the actions of the online casino have been proven to be unjustified, unlawful, or otherwise malicious or predatory. ThePOGG would pay this amount from their own reserve as an act of assurance in their Deposit Guarantee.
Why Players Need More Player Protection
There are several reasons why this approach is very effective and why we should see more services such as this one spring into the market. There is an undeniable demand for player safety in online casino environments, and online betting insurance such as this one is very much needed. The reason why it’s successful is that only trustworthy casinos would allow for the affiliation with ThePOGG in the first place, and their formal written agreement would act as a legal case against them if they ever tried to commit some fraudulent act. Some casinos, such as the Trada Casino, have even undergone complete audits on top of agreeing to the T&C of the Deposit Guarantee. You can read the detailed TradaCasino audit here.
The Importance of Unbiased Online Casino Reviews
Since ThePOGG also gives casino reviewing services, online casinos which carry ThePOGG’s seal are indicated with a stronger trustworthiness rating on the website as well. Only those casinos which have accepted the T&C can achieve a trustworthiness rating of 10 and above. All other casinos can receive a maximum score of 8 on their casino review.
Thirteen casinos currently hold the Deposit Guarantee, and this number is only going to rise in the future as more and more players see the value of having their funds secure by a third party. Online casinos which opt into the program will see a much higher stream of players come to their website, while other websites will see a steady exodus of players. This means that casinos will have to take these things into account when forming their offers to potential customers. Overall, it’s a big win for players and their security when playing on these websites.
Fair Terms & Conditions for Casino Players
A more detailed analysis of the Terms and Conditions of the Deposit Guarantee would also reveal a great deal about what constitutes a justified breach of the casino ruleset, and what constitutes an unlawful seizure of funds. There is a clear-cut distinction between what an appropriate term is and what an inappropriate term is. Depending on this, the funds can either be eligible or non-eligible for refunding.
A player would have to give the casino written permission to mediate a potential complaint through ThePOGG.com and the entire matter would be settled between the two entities. This means that the casino will have to incorporate a fully functioning dedicated complaint system which they must use when resolving these issues.
The operator’s agreement to the Deposit Guarantee isn’t permanent either, as to ensure that the casino is always up to date with their system, and that they are still following the ToS. A renewal of the agreement is done biannually and this means that the operator would have to make sure that they are honouring the terms at all times.
To even qualify for the seal of Deposit Guarantee, the casino would had to have been listed on ThePOGG.com for more than 12 months without having a single player complaint going in favour of a player. This strict rule would mean that only reputable operators are eligible for the seal in the first place which is an important indicator for players.
Fair Casino Complaints for Players & Operators
There are a couple of things which players should keep in mind though when looking into this Deposit Guarantee. ThePOGG doesn’t just hand out these refunds like candy in siding with the player, so players should know that they offer a fair service for players and also don’t always award a complaint for the player.
With the online casino landscape proving to be more dangerous with the popularization of a laissez-faire attitude that operators seem to be given by their customers, it is important to remind ourselves of the importance of preserving our rights as players and affiliates. This Deposit Guarantee by ThePOGG.com is an important step in this revelation, and will ensure the betterment of the online player community as a whole.
