And they refused to make it right, even with a gesture like a bonus
You're right -- maybe “scam” is a strong word. But when a platform benefits financially from their own mistake, and leaves the user to absorb the loss, it starts to feel like one, intentional or not.
As for checking earlier — fair point. But you also don’t expect a global platform to roll out a promo and not even check if it’s functioning properly. That’s on them.
Considering how big Stake is and its reputation, I would also expect some bonuses as a gesture. Considering you are a VIP member and a valuable customer for their casino, you can expect some bonuses from them. I am curious if you do not have any VIP hosts. Wagering 95K isn't a joke. A lot of people don't even wager 100K in their lifetime, while you wagered this amount in a single session.
Since the problem was from Stake's side, you may expect a refund. Yet, I won't say it is a scam. I have seen worse than this. You are lucky that you didn't play in the BC game. Otherwise, you wouldn't even get a response.