Seven weeks after the Lotteries and Gaming Authority in Malta informed Bookmakers Review that the disbursement of the Playbanks funds was about to begin, we continue to receive e-mails from players who have never been contacted by the Authority to start the payment procedure.
One Playbanks player, who requested a payment for EUR 1,300 few days before Playbanks disappeared, was told by the LGA (after six months of investigations) to double check his account since the Playbanks database showed he had already been paid. The player, who never receiced the payment, got in touch with the Italian Embassy in Malta. After another month of investigation, the Italian Embassy informed him that effectively the Playbanks\’ documentation was false and the bank wire had never been sent. What we find most worrying is that without the intervention of the Italian Embassy, the LGA had already included the player among those who submitted a false payment claim, simply because a scam bookmaker said so. The Italian Embassy was also informed that the investigation into the validity of the payment claims submitted to the LGA is not over yet and at this point is difficult to say if players will be paid in full.
Bookmakers Review suggests all Playbanks players with a valid payment claim to get in touch with their countries\’ Embassies in Malta since it appears to be the most (the only) effective way to receive answers from the LGA.
In the meantime, we warn players to stay clear of all small Malta-based gambling sites.