Rushmore Casino first appeared on the radar in 2006, and their gaming group would soon grow to include names such as Cherry Red, Slot Oasis, Pure Vegas, Slotsville, and Euro City. They were an industry force on the rise, and more than one watchdog site greeted them with open arms and praised their devotion to customer satisfaction.
But somewhere along the way, something went horribly wrong. A trickle of customer complaints turned into a deluge, and the site’s reputation was soon under siege from all sides. When the U.S. market began to dry up, things got even worse.
In this article, we’ll examine some of the fraudulent behavior by Rushmore Casino. If you’ve ever considered opening an account at this establishment, you may feel differently after reaching the bottom of the page.
The Biggest Drawback
Casinos find a variety of ways to alienate players. For some, their favorite tactic is to bombard a customer’s inbox with unwanted email offers. For others, they may use a player’s personal information for various types of fraud. In this section, we’ll examine the primary way in which Rushmore Casino has driven away business and become a laughing stock within the gaming industry.
Players like to win. When this occurs, they also enjoy being able to receive their winnings in a timely fashion. Reputable casinos pride themselves on issuing withdrawal requests in as short a period of time as possible…and then there’s Rushmore.
Oh, sure, they’re more than happy to take your money. But when the shoe is on the other foot, they’ll use every trick in the book to keep from issuing a payment.
They might ask you to send the same financial documents several times. Or maybe they’ll draw the payment process out for weeks or even months. Heck, they might just ignore you entirely.
No matter what the case, you can rest assured that they’ll fight you tooth and nail over even the most modest withdrawal request. And even if you do eventually receive the money, you’ll probably have to spend it on a therapist to cope with all the mental anguish the casino put you through.
Complaints against Rushmore Casino
Like the others casinos in its group, Rushmore has received its share of complaints over the years. In the following section, we’ll be providing a sampling of various customer gripes. Hopefully, this should be more than sufficient to paint a picture of the kind of operation they’re running.
Licensed in Costa Rica – While it’s better than having no license at all, the Costa Rican jurisdiction is notorious for accepting anyone who’s willing to pay the appropriate fee. This doesn’t exactly inspire confidence.
December 2009 – The Rushmore Casino Group was voted “Biggest Disappointment” by Casinomeister during their year-end awards for consistently slow-paying customers and affiliates.
November 2011 – A player submitted a withdrawal request on November 6th. While the casino already had the necessary banking information on file, they asked her to resend it. She did, and the player was later told that the money should soon be available.
Then they wanted a SWIFT code from her bank, which required the customer to give their daughter’s banking information (since her own financial institution didn’t have a SWIFT code). When they finally received their money, it was eight weeks later.
February 2012 – Watchdog site Casinomeister maintains a section called “The Pit,” for gaming sites that repeatedly draw unresolved complaints from players. While Rushmore had once been embraced by the site, their pattern of irresponsible behavior finally landed them on the black list (from which they’ve yet to recover).
December 2013 – A player made a request for a withdrawal, but he was informed by the casino that they needed additional information. After complying, he was told that everything looked good and that the money was on the way. When the money didn’t arrive, he once again contacted the casino and was told that his request was denied due to a lack of information. Twenty-two months later, the complaint is still unresolved.
March 2013 – A player asked to withdraw $1,600. After deducting a $32 transfer fee, Rushmore approved the payment three days later. The player was informed that the money would arrive within 10 to 14 business days.
Then came a delay due to holidays, and that was followed by additional delays that were blamed on a third-part processor. Over a month later, an email informed the player that his funds had been sent to his credit card and would appear in three to five days.
When he checked his casino account, however, there was no record of the transaction. Over a year later, the money was still trapped somewhere in limbo.
April 2013 – After giving up on Rushmore and not playing there for two years, a player received a call from casino management assuring them that the problems of the past had been corrected. The player decided to give them another shot, eventually winning $2,850 during a freeroll tournament.
But that’s when the problems began, as Rushmore started giving them the runaround about their withdrawal request. A customer service manager called to apologize and urge patience, but the money wasn’t forthcoming. Two months later, the customer was still waiting on their winnings.
May 2013 – The player’s request for a withdrawal of $2,000 was approved on April 9th. On April 25th, the casino stated they were waiting to hear from the processor. On May 7th, the frustrated gambler was assured that the payment would be part of the “next batch.” An email on May 19th informed the player that their winnings should be received within 3 to 5 business days. After waiting a total of 44 days, the player finally received their money.
A Parting Shot
When I hear the word “Rushmore,” I immediately think of the iconic South Dakota sculpture carved out of granite and depicting Thomas Jefferson, George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, and Theodore Roosevelt. It’s a symbol of all that’s good and just about the United States, even if it is located on land stolen from the Lakota tribe in the 19th century.
Unfortunately, Rushmore Casino embodies the more negative side of America. I’m talking greed and a ruthless desire to get ahead, even if it means fundamentally compromising your sense of morality in order to do so. And while the Rushmore Group isn’t even located in the United States, I stand beside my analogy.
For all the reasons listed above, I suggest players look elsewhere for their gambling fix. Wagering on games of chance is a risky enough proposition to begin with, even without the casino fighting you every step of the way.
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