My Experience as a VIP Player at Bitcasino.io: A Cautionary Tale

For the past two years, I've been a dedicated VIP player at Bitcasino.io. Unfortunately, I have reached a point where I feel compelled to share my experience due to a lack of transparency and what I perceive as unfair treatment of high-value customers. This post aims to inform potential players about the realities of VIP status at Bitcasino.io.

Background:

• 2019: I registered with Bitcasino.io.
• April 2022: I achieved VIP status after three years and over $1 million in wagers.
• July 29, 2023: An incident involving 88 ETH occurred (details below).
• Last 8 Months: I deposited an additional quarter of a million dollars.
• August 2024: Raised concerns regarding the cashback system and made comparisons to competitors.
• Late August 2024: Issues were escalated to CEO Matthew following punitive actions by VIP manager Cristina.

The 88 ETH Incident:

On July 29, 2023, an incident occurred that significantly impacted my trust in Bitcasino.io. After my largest win ever, I requested a withdrawal of 114 ETH. I transferred 26 ETH to an exchange, but within minutes, the remaining 88 ETH (approximately $165,000 at the time) vanished from my wallet.

The circumstances surrounding this theft are particularly troubling. For over 36 hours prior to the incident, my Ethereum wallet held a balance of around $7,000 ETH, which remained untouched. I had been using this wallet for nearly two to three years to manage my funds, and $12,000 was the most I had ever held in it. No one, including myself, could have predicted that a large deposit would soon appear. The theft of the 88 ETH occurred within ten minutes of my withdrawal, and only two parties were aware of this significant transaction: myself and Bitcasino.io.

Additionally, if someone had gained access to my wallet information, it seems highly suspicious that they would leave the $7,000 untouched for such an extended period and only act immediately after this substantial and unexpected deposit. The thief allowed the initial transfer of 26 ETH to go through before siphoning the remaining 88 ETH. This level of precision and timing suggests an unusual degree of knowledge and awareness, inconsistent with a random compromise.

Normally, I keep most of my funds in a cold wallet for security reasons. However, whenever I played with ETH on Bitcasino, I used Metamask for convenience, so withdrawing through the same method made sense. My plan was to send the majority of the funds to cold storage after successfully withdrawing the 26 ETH to Kraken.

When I reported this to my VIP host, Taehee, she quickly dismissed any involvement by the casino and suggested I contact my wallet provider. At the time, I did not suspect Bitcasino.io, but the lack of concern or willingness to investigate the incident raised red flags.

I chose not to escalate as I was not directly accusing the casino of wrongdoing. However, the peculiar timing and circumstances of the theft make it difficult to ignore the possibility that more investigation is needed into the platform's security and transparency practices.

Non-transparent cashback policies:

On August 25, 2024, I sent a message to Taehee stating:


I also expressed frustration about the lack of clear communication and the inconsistent information from different support agents.


Despite Taehee's attempts to address some points, the core issues around the cashback mechanics and transparency remained unresolved.

The Tipping Point: Retaliation and Suspension:

After feeling ignored and undervalued, I informed Taehee of my plan to escalate the matter to the Curaçao Gaming Control Board (GCB). This led to a swift and severe reaction from Bitcasino.io.

Cristina, the Head of VIP, suspended my VIP status and rewards without prior notice. On August 28, 2024, she stated:


She further warned that any attempts to create negative publicity would result in harsher measures, including possible account closure.


This approach seemed to penalize me for raising legitimate concerns and seeking a fair resolution, contrary to the principles of fair gaming.

The CEO's Dismissive Response & Abrupt Change in Position:

With my VIP status and rewards suspended, I escalated the matter directly to CEO Matthew on August 28th. I expressed my disappointment with how my concerns had been handled and the retaliatory actions that had followed.


I also mentioned the erosion of trust due to the actions taken against a loyal customer who had wagered millions on their platform.


On August 31st, Matthew replied, dismissing my concerns about the cashback system and my comparisons to competitors like Stake. He offered a vague goodwill gesture and took a defensive stance regarding the 88 ETH incident, stating:


His response appeared to lack empathy and a genuine willingness to address the core issues, suggesting a lack of interest in resolving the situation fairly.

In my final email on August 31st, I reiterated my concerns and thanked him for his time, proposing potential improvements for their customer experience, without expecting any further response.

Matthew's Unexpected U-turn:

Later that same day, Matthew unexpectedly responded, expressing his disappointment at losing me as a customer but reiterating that he could not provide the information I had requested.


This abrupt shift in tone, from accepting my departure to expressing regret over losing a customer, further highlighted inconsistencies and a lack of transparency in Bitcasino.io's communication.

Current Status:

As of September 1st, 2024, the situation remains unresolved. Bitcasino.io's contradictory responses and lack of transparency have left me with no choice but to share my experience publicly. The core issues include:

• Inconsistent and unclear bonus systems
• Poor customer service
• Lack of transparency in cashback calculations
• Dismissive responses to legitimate concerns
• Potential security vulnerabilities, highlighted by the 88 ETH incident

Furthermore, Bitcasino.io appears to have been inactive on Bitcointalk since May 2024, which is over 10 months at the time of this post. Interestingly, this coincides with Matthew's appointment as CEO of Yolo Entertainment, Bitcasino.io's parent company. This prolonged silence raises additional concerns about their willingness to engage with the community and address customer issues publicly, especially given the significant change in leadership during this period.

Conclusion:

My experience with Bitcasino.io illustrates that even VIP players can face unfair treatment and a lack of transparency. For those considering playing at Bitcasino.io, especially at a high level, I urge you to proceed with caution and demand clear explanations of their policies and procedures. It is essential not to let the allure of VIP status overshadow the potential risks involved.

If others have had similar experiences with Bitcasino.io or other online casinos, I'd like to hear your stories.

TL;DR: As a VIP player who wagered millions at Bitcasino.io, I experienced:

• Mysterious loss of 88 ETH ($165,000) shortly after a withdrawal
• Unclear and potentially unfair cashback system
• Poor customer service and dismissive responses to concerns
• Suspension of VIP status after raising issues
• Contradictory responses from CEO
• Lack of transparency and community engagement (no Bitcointalk activity since May 2024)

This post details my journey from a high-value player to a disillusioned customer, serving as a warning to potential Bitcasino.io users.