The Affactive Group has been terrorizing players since their inception. They were so terrible in 2013 that they earned Casinomeister’s Worst Casino Group Award, a title they also “won” in 2010 and 2011. [1]
The casino group accepts players from both the United States and internationally, and is licensed out of Curacao. Their parent company, Netad Management, is also based in the Netherlands Antilles.
The Affactive Group, which consists of Casino Titan, WinPalace, Slots Jungle, Golden Cherry, Grand Macao, Jackpot Grand and Slots of Fortune online casinos uses a combination of Rival Gaming and Realtime Gaming (RTG) software.
The group is guilty of just about every scam in the book besides rigged software and games. Predatory terms, horrible customer service and slow-payment or non-payment are all standard practices at Affactive properties.
Polished Image
Like most online casino scams, Affactive plays the part. All of their casinos have fancy designs and have the look of a trusted operator.
Their casino options are massive, which include over 140 games (mostly slots), progressive jackpots and a variety of casino game tournaments for players. There is also a large list of bonuses for players, including a first time deposit bonus up to $888 and weekly bonuses on all deposits. There is a VIP Program, but this is invitation only.
They have 24/7 phone number, email and live chat support. We tried to see how fast their live chat service took to respond in June, 2014. A representative was with us in a matter of seconds in the early morning hours of a Wednesday and was eager to talk about deposit methods and bonuses.
As with many casino scams, their outward image is one that is impressive to potential players. Their whole goal is to get you to deposit your funds, and they do their best to make that as easy as possible. The delays and hiccups come whenever a winning player decides to cash out.
Golden Cherry Casino – one of the casinos of the Affactive Group
FU Clause
Affactive operates with what Casinomeister calls the “FU term or clause.” [2] This basically allows the casino operator to slow-pay or no-pay anyone who they deem fit.
Their terms and conditions on all their sites state that, “All withdrawals are paid in installments of up to $2,500. This is determined according to player class.” These TOCs can be found on any of their casino properties, like Golden Cherry Casino. [3]
The rogue language above is the basis for their majority of slow-plays and in turn, complaints from gamblers. When Casinomeister reported on these predatory terms in 2013, their maximum amount that could be sent each week was set at $3,000. In 2014, it’s even lower, at $2,500 per week. However, for players who win and request a withdrawal, they usually get much less than this maximum.
Affactive casinos determine payout amounts by “player class,” which is a broad term that translates into “whatever we feel like paying you.” The maximum amount they will send is $2,500 a week, but this number is almost never sent regardless of the payout amount. Instead, they will send much smaller amounts per week.
This Casinomeister Forum complaint from August, 2010 shows how far back these scams go. [4] The player requests a withdrawal, but is only paid ¼ of the amount he asked from his original amount. This took place in 2010, and the company has gotten even worse with paying players in a timely matter.
There’s absolutely no reason to send smaller check amounts each week instead of paying players their full balances as quickly as possible. Players who have won a progressive or larger jackpot have dealt with the same issues. A large win could take months or even years to pay because instead of sending $2,500 a week, the casino sends checks for $500 or less each week.
Many affiliates and some players (likely shills) will defend the Affactive Group because they “always pay, eventually.” This is nonsense. These guys will use any rule in the book to defraud players out of their winnings and slow-pay as long as possible in hopes that they will the money back.
Jumping through Hoops
To even be able to request one of these pro-rated payouts, players will have to go through the identity verification process.
This practice is standard at just about every online gambling site online, but with Affactive, the process is prolonged to an almost never ending level. There have been many reports of them asking for the same document multiple times and for more proof than a state issued ID and utility bill.
WinPalace’s AskGamblers.com page is full of complaints. Remember, WinPalace is just one of their casino brands. [5] Another common theme is their horrible customer support when it comes to withdrawals, and basically anything else that doesn’t have to do with depositing.
Support is cheery and helpful when it comes to figuring how to deposit, but turns disinterested or downright rude when it comes to withdrawal inquiries or verifying documents. They are notoriously awful for their response time and helpfulness.
Still Operating Today
The brand is still active as of June 2014, and on a large scale at that. Many sites give extremely positive reviews to the Affactive family of casinos.
Their affiliate program does appear to play affiliates promptly, so that’s certainly part of it. Unfortunately, this is pretty common of the gambling affiliate industry. Despite the fact that Affactive treats their players like dirt, they are still promoted heavily because their excellent earnings.
Steer clear the Affactive and their associated brands.
[1] Worst Casino Group 2013 – Affactive – Casinomeister
[2] Babelmeister (Glossary) – Casinomeister
[3] Terms and Conditions – Golden Cherry Casino
[4] Winning at WinPalace Casino – Casinomeister Forum
[5] WinPalace Casino Rating/Review – AskGamblers.com