UNRESOLVED: Pokerstars - Deposit Issue

Hello LCB team and community, I'm writing this complaint to report a highly frustrating and unresolved situation involving my account at PokerStars (username: corneliusmx). The issue began in February 2025, while I was in the middle of an active game on the platform. During the game, I made a $500 USD deposit via Debit Card, intending to continue playing and recover part of what I had already invested. However, just seconds after completing the deposit, the session was forcibly closed, and when I tried to log back in, I discovered that my account had been frozen—with no prior warning or explanation. Since then, I have fully cooperated with the verification process and have submitted all the documents requested, including: Official ID Selfie with ID Utility bills / proof of address Bank statements However, once I submitted everything, communication from their support team completely stopped. As of today, it has been over four (4) months without any further reply, despite sending numerous emails on the following dates: February 24, 27; March 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 10, 11, 14, 18, 21, 22, 24, 29; April 1, 3, 4, 25; May 11, 24; June 7 and 11, 2025. The last and only response I received from them was on March 12, 2025. Since that date, they have ceased all communication, leaving my case in complete abandonment. I would like to clarify that I’m no longer interested in keeping the account open. My only request is that I be allowed access just once to withdraw the $500 USD I deposited—funds that are rightfully mine—and after that, the account can be permanently closed if needed. This situation may constitute a violation of PokerStars’ own Terms of Service, and certainly raises serious concerns regarding transparency and the treatment of customers. I hope LCB can assist in bringing visibility to this case and help reach a fair resolution. Kind regards, corneliusmx

Disputed amount: 500$

Casino: Pokerstars

Case #: 3301

Attached Evidence Titles:

1. Proof of Deposit Prior to Account Freeze

2. Proof of Initial Document Submission

3. Proof of Additional Document Submission

4. Proof of Last Response Received (March 12)

Hi corneliusmx,

Thank you for reaching out and providing all the necessary information. We are truly sorry to hear about your negative experience.

After reviewing the screenshot you uploaded, we had to remove it for privacy protection reasons.

We forward your complaint to the casino rep. We will keep you posted here on this thread.

Hi corneliusmx,

We've received a reply from the casino rep. They're looking into your account now and will get back to us as soon as they find out what happened.

Any updates on your end?

Hello njanjam,

Thank you very much for your quick action and for the update. I greatly appreciate that you managed to get a response from the PokerStars representative, especially knowing they don't always cooperate.

Answering your question, yes, there is a very important update on my end.

In addition to this public complaint on LCB, I have formally escalated the case to an Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) service approved by their regulator. I currently have an official dispute open with eCOGRA (the e-Commerce and Online Gaming Regulation and Assurance organization), who have already accepted all my evidence and are also awaiting a formal response from PokerStars.

I hope that the review PokerStars is conducting, now under the supervision of both LCB and eCOGRA, will lead to a swift and fair resolution. My only request remains the same: to be allowed to withdraw my $500 USD.

I will keep this thread updated with any news.

Thank you again for your help.

Best regards.

Hi corneliusmx,

Have you tried reaching out to them again? We're wondering if anything has changed or if you've received any updates from the casino regarding your case.

We still haven't heard from the rep. Once we receive any feedback, we will inform you here in the thread.

Hello njanjam,

Thank you for continuously following up on the case.

Answering your questions:

1. No, I have not tried to contact PokerStars directly again. Since communication with their support has been completely broken for months and the case has already been formally escalated to eCOGRA (their official ADR), I believe any direct communication from my side at this point would be unproductive. I am now focused on following the official procedure through the channels they themselves designate.

2. I also have not received any updates from the casino. Their silence towards me remains total since March 12th.

My only channel for communication and hope for progress, besides the formal case with eCOGRA, is through this thread on LCB. The pressure you apply as a platform is very valuable to let PokerStars know the community is watching.

I appreciate you keeping the case open and continuing to apply pressure. I will be waiting for any news you can get from their representative.

Regards.

Hi corneliusmx,

We received an answer from the casino rep that they are still investigating your account and case.

They will update you via email when they have any relevant information.

Hello njanjam,

Thank you for the update and for continuing to press their representative.

I appreciate that they have responded, although "still investigating" is, frankly, a very disappointing answer after all this time.

Regarding their point that they will update me via email, I want to state for the record that I have been waiting for such an update for over four months. To this day, I have still received absolutely no communication from PokerStars. Their direct silence with me has been total since March 12th.

For this very reason, it is essential to keep this public thread active, as well as the formal case I have open with eCOGRA. I will not consider this matter resolved until the funds are in my possession.

Any communication I might receive via email will be immediately shared here and with eCOGRA to maintain full transparency in the process.

Thank you again for your help.

Regards.

Hi corneliusmx,

Could you please let us know if there is an update regarding your case? Have you heard back from the casino?

Hello njanjam,

Thanks for your persistence on this case.

To answer your question, the situation has not changed on my end. I still have not received any direct communication from the casino. The silence from PokerStars towards me has been absolute since March.

The only formal channel that is advancing is my official complaint with eCOGRA, from whom I am awaiting the next step in their process.

Therefore, any news would have to come from your engagement with the casino representative or from the eCOGRA process itself.

I appreciate you staying on top of this.

Regards.

Hi corneliusmx,

Thank you for sharing the updates with us. We truly appreciate you keeping us informed, and we will also continue to monitor the situation and keep you posted on this thread as soon as we receive any news or updates from the casino rep..

Hello njanjam,

Thank you again for your continued support and for monitoring the situation.

To be honest, it’s unacceptable that PokerStars expects customers to wait this long without answers. It’s been five months since I first requested a refund—not for any winnings, but simply for the deposit I made prior to the account being blocked. 

If this were about bonus money or a disputed prize, maybe I could understand some delays. But this is not the case.

At this point, the only real option is to wait either for the casino representative to respond through your efforts, or for progress to be made with the complaint I submitted to eCOGRA.

I will continue to update this thread should there be any developments.

Thanks again for everything.

Best regards,
corneliusmx

Hello njanjam,

I wanted to provide a very important update on this case.

"Miraculously," after the pressure applied here on LCB and on other forums, PokerStars has finally broken their 4+ months of silence and contacted me via email, just as they promised you they would.

I received an email from their "Fraud Team" asking for a series of basic verification documents (bank statements, card copy, etc.).

I want to make it very clear for the record on this case:

1. These are documents that could have been requested back in February. Their request now only proves that the four-month delay was entirely their responsibility.

2. I have already immediately sent them everything they asked for, proving once again that I am not the one delaying this process.

I have also updated my formal complaint with eCOGRA with all of this new information and evidence.

Thank you again for keeping the case open and for the pressure you are applying. I will keep you posted on any new developments.

Regards.

Hi corneliusmx,

Thank you for the update. We truly hope you’ll receive your withdrawal soon. Do you have any recent updates? Have they reviewed your documents yet?

Hello njanjam,

Thank you for your continued patience. I have a critical update that fundamentally changes the nature of this dispute.

First of all, I want to make it clear that I have evidence to support what I'm about to say, as does everyone else in the group. This isn't baseless defamation, and if requested, I can share everything without any problem.

As you know, I filed a formal complaint with PokerStars' designated ADR, eCOGRA. They have now dismissed my case, not on its merits, but by accepting PokerStars' claim that their "internal process" is not complete. This has created a regulatory black hole where PokerStars can stall indefinitely, and the ADR refuses to intervene. It's a broken system, and PokerStars is exploiting it.

But their tactic has backfired.

Due to the public nature of this complaint and my search on other forums, I have discovered I am not alone. This is not an isolated incident; it is a systemic pattern of abuse.

I can now confirm that we have formed a group of affected players. As of today, we are a team of five players, all subjected to the exact same modus operandi: accounts frozen after deposits/withdrawals, followed by months of silence and impossible verification loops.

Crucially, one of our members is a veteran player who went through this identical, torturous process back in 2021. , proves that this is not a recent issue but a long-standing, predatory business practice. After 4 years and 100 emails sent, he still hasn't recovered his confiscated money..

Therefore, our strategy has changed. We are no longer fighting individual battles. We are preparing a coordinated group complaint to the Malta Gaming Authority (MGA). Our complaint will not focus on the individual amounts of money, but on the systemic failure of PokerStars' Responsible Gaming policies. We will argue that their process is a tool of psychological attrition designed to create an unsafe and hostile environment for players.

njanjam, we need your support. Could you please contact the PokerStars representative one more time? It is vital that they see this update. It is vital that they understand that this is no longer about one account, but about a growing group of players who are united, organized, and ready to expose this pattern at the highest regulatory level.

Thank you for everything. We believe in the power of this community

Hi corneliusmx,

Thank you for the update and for sharing your plan. We understand this is a serious issue, and we support your efforts to take it to a higher level.

We have already tried to contact them a few times, but without success.

Since you have now made a formal complaint to the licensing authority, we need to step back from handling your case directly. But please keep us updated on any important news or results. We are here to help as much as we can. We wish you good luck and hope you get a fair solution.

We will close complaint #3301 and mark it as UNRESOLVED.

Hello njanjam ,
I would like to provide an update on my situation. It is truly unbelievable how this site is allowed to operate. Up to this day, no one has given me any information, I have not been able to recover my money, and all I have received is complete silence.

The same happens with the ADR: no matter how many times you try to file a complaint, they always end up closing it, claiming that you must first complete the so-called “internal process.” That process has already been “open” for 8 months without a single response. As long as PokerStars keeps that process technically “open,” it doesn’t matter that nothing is happening. It’s a huge loophole that they clearly know very well and exploit.

They are also fully aware that the only alternative would be legal action, but given the disputed amount, that is not really a viable option—and they take advantage of that as well. Honestly, I don’t know what else I can do at this point; I feel blatantly scammed by these people. I am completely sure that my case is not an isolated one—something very suspicious is going on here.

In the end, it’s a real shame that this kind of abuse is allowed to happen.
Thank you for your help.

Hi corneliusmx,

Thank you for the update. We are truly sorry that it seems your issue will not be resolved. As we mentioned before, unfortunately, there is nothing more we can do from our side, and we had to mark your case as UNRESOLVED.

We will now close the complaint. We sincerely hope that in the end you will still manage to solve your problem and that all your effort was not in vain. Please know that we are always here if you need our assistance with any other issue in the future.