- A player that claims he is owed $0k by Everleaf Gaming is mounting his own personal campaign against their regulator.
- Valdis Troņenkovs has sent emails to all of the LGA licensees and its members highlighting the LGA’s failure to provide the player funds protection laid out in its regulations.
One player, who says he is still owed $30k by Everleaf Gaming, has mounted his own personal campaign against their regulator, the Malta Lotteries & Gaming Authority (LGA).
Valdis Troņenkovs has sent an email to all the LGA licensees and the members of the LGA itself. The email is vociferously critical of the LGA’s failure to respond to players who are still owed money and its failure to provide the player funds protection laid out in the LGA regulations.
He asks licensees to “reconsider paying fees of any kind to this organization” describing the LGA as “a fraud that exists solely to collect license fees without providing any of the player protection services they claim.”
He links directly to four 2+2 threads: Everleaf Poker (non)Withdrawals Thread ; MintedPoker / Minted Poker Official Support & Promotions Thread ; Everleaf is Dying and Minted/Everleaf Official Where is our money? Thread. All of which contain posts from affected players complaining about the LGA.
A similar, although more coordinated campaign has begun with regard to PIVgame and player action groups are also operating for 5050Poker and Purple Lounge, all LGA licensed operations.
These issues highlight a particular weakness faced by offshore regulators. The main business location of their licensees is rarely based in their national jurisdiction. The Isle of Man Gambling Supervision Commission stands out in this regard, requiring licensees such as PokerStars to be headquartered on the island.
Newer regulators, in Nevada, and the more restrictive European Union (EU) countries are following the Isle of Man example, which enables them to exercise more effective enforcement measures.
This has raised a separate issue in the EU where the legal concept of “principal establishment” is often used. EU based operators are complaining that this requirement breaks EU treaties which allow for cross border trade. DLA Piper, specialists in gambling law, will be holding a breakfast seminar in Spain on June 20 where they will focus on exactly this topic.