Joe Fortune Casino - プレイヤーはカジノの違法運営と賞金の凍結について不満を漏らしている。

I am submitting a formal complaint against Joe Fortune, an offshore gambling operator, for breaches of the Interactive Gambling Act 2001 (Cth) ("IGA") and for conduct that is misleading, deceptive, and unconscionable under the Australian Consumer Law.

1. Illegal Operation in Australia

Joe Fortune openly targets Australian consumers by:

• Accepting AUD deposits and processing transactions from Australian banks.

• Using Australian influencers to promote their platform.

• Running an Instagram account dedicated to Australian users.

• Operating a dedicated Australian 1800 phone number (1800 989 024) for customer support, creating the false impression that the service is Australian-based and regulated.

• Advertising themselves directly as: "Joe Fortune: Online Casino Australia – $5000 Welcome Bonus", which falsely presents the service as licensed and regulated in Australia.

Despite these practices, Joe Fortune holds only a Curaçao eGaming licence, not an Australian licence, and is therefore operating illegally under s.15 and s.61DA of the IGA.

2. Refusal to Pay Legitimate Winnings

• I, along with family members, created accounts and can all provide government-issued ID to verify our identities.

• After winning funds ($500 in my account, $1,200.03 in my mother’s account), both accounts were suspended immediately upon withdrawal request.

• Joe Fortune alleged "fraudulent or improper activity" (Terms of Service clause 6.2) but refused to accept our ID or conduct normal KYC checks, contrary to their own terms.

• After complaints, Joe Fortune reinstated my account temporarily, instructed me to withdraw via cryptocurrency, confirmed the withdrawal, then later denied it and falsely claimed reinstatement never occurred.

This reflects a pattern of conduct reported by other Australian players: deposits are always accepted, but winnings are routinely blocked.

3. Breaches of the Interactive Gambling Act 2001

Joe Fortune’s conduct appears to breach:

• s.15 – Providing a prohibited interactive gambling service to customers in Australia.

• s.61DA – Advertising a prohibited interactive gambling service.

Australian influencers and promoters of Joe Fortune may also be in breach of:

• s.61DA(1A) – Individuals who advertise illegal gambling services can be personally liable, with civil penalties of up to $220,000 per day.

4. Breaches of the Australian Consumer Law

• Misleading or deceptive conduct (s.18 ACL): Use of an Australian 1800 number (1800 989 024), direct advertising as "Online Casino Australia", and false promises of "fast payouts".

• Unconscionable conduct (s.21 ACL): Seizing legitimate winnings and refusing verification.

• False representations (s.29 ACL): Presenting themselves as an Australian-regulated service, offering "welcome bonuses", and suggesting that winnings can be withdrawn, when in practice they block payments arbitrarily.

5. Evidence Available

I can provide:

• Emails from Joe Fortune stating accounts were banned for "fraud" and balances seized.

• Follow-up emails instructing me to withdraw via cryptocurrency.

• Screenshots of approved but later declined withdrawals.

• Communications with Joe Fortune promoters and other users complaints 

• Public listings showing:

• 1800 989 024 as Joe Fortune’s Australian contact number. As well as my own recording proving this 

• Advertising copy: "Joe Fortune: Online Casino Australia – $5000 Welcome Bonus" targeting Australian players.

6. Requested Action

I request ACMA urgently:

1. Investigate Joe Fortune for operating a prohibited interactive gambling service in Australia.

2. Issue enforcement action to block access to the website in Australia.

3. Investigate Australian influencers promoting Joe Fortune for breach of s.61DA IGA.

4. Require restitution of seized winnings and deposits for myself and other Australian consumers.

Conclusion:

Joe Fortune is unlawfully targeting Australians, refusing to pay winnings, and deceiving consumers by using an Australian 1800 number (1800 989 024) and advertising as "Joe Fortune: Online Casino Australia – $5000 Welcome Bonus". This conduct is a clear breach of the IGA and ACL, and I request urgent regulatory intervention.

Sincerely,

Connor

Dear player,

Thank you very much for submitting your complaint. I’m sorry to hear about your problem. Please allow me to ask you a few questions, so I can understand the whole situation completely.

Could you please confirm that you have passed the KYC verification?

Did you or your mother claim or use any bonus offers on your accounts?

Did you and your mother use the same device (e.g., phone, laptop) to access your accounts?

Were the same payment methods used on both accounts?

Do you and your mother live at the same address?

Could you please share your communication with the casino? Send emails or chat transcripts to my email at [email protected], or post screenshots here.

I hope we will be able to help you to resolve this issue as soon as possible. Thank you very much in advance for your reply.

Best regards,

Dominika

Important Notice:

Casino.Guru will never ask for payments or access to your accounts to complete KYC. If someone claims to be from Casino.Guru and makes such a request, do not share any information.

We only contact players through this official complaint thread or via @casino.guru email addresses. Always check the sender’s domain and verify your resolver’s email by clicking on their avatar visible inside the official complaint thread.

If anything seems suspicious, contact us directly.

Stay safe.

Dear player,

We are extending the timer by 7 days. Please, be aware that in case you fail to respond in the given time frame or don’t require any further assistance, we will reject the complaint.

My mum and I both live at separate address

We used different devices

used the same bank card to deposit (which we told Joe fortune)

We offered verification (such as government id) but they ignored the offers and when they later on requested it after I told them I’m reporting them, they couldn’t do it because the account was "disabled" 

We used our own numbers and emails to sign up 

My mum signed up using my referral code.

I have sent an email to your email address on the 26/08/2025

Dear player, could you please confirm whether the bank card you both used to deposit is registered in your name or your mother’s name?

My name, but this was communicated to the online casino. Only reason it was made on my spare card is due to us all thinking it was a scam so we all transferred to my spare bank and used that to deposit

Dear player, based on the information you've provided, we regret to inform you that we’re unable to assist you further in this case.

In situations where multiple accounts are created by family members — especially when:

• The same payment method is used across different accounts,
• Funds are transferred between people to make deposits,
• And a referral code is used by one account to create another —

…it becomes very difficult for us, or even for the casino, to independently verify that the accounts were operated by two separate individuals.

Online casinos typically require that each player only uses payment methods registered in their own name, and that accounts are completely independent, without shared devices or payment sources. These actions can trigger fraud prevention mechanisms on the casino’s side — and from a regulatory and procedural perspective, it makes the case very difficult to defend.

Due to the aforementioned reasons, this complaint will now be rejected. Thank you for your understanding, I am sorry we could not be of more help on this occasion. Please do not hesitate to contact us if you run into any issues with this or any other casino in the future.