DollaroPoker online casino has been closed for a couple of years now, and for a good reason — it was involved with the mafia. The casino operated in Italy, where most of its players were based as well. However, we have no doubt that it had an international audience too. So why are we writing a review on a busted casino you’re thinking? — Because it is important that you as a gambler know whom to trust your money with. Casinos like this one still exist, with the sole intention of stealing your money, and we want to make sure you’re safe and know how to recognize a scam.
This online gambling casino was closed by Italian authorities, and people behind it were arrested in a raid. Also, further in the review, we will find out what it was that they did, and just how illegal everything behind DollaroPoker was.
First Impression
So yes, the casino might be closed but we still managed to track down a lot of leads and images of how it used to look like and operate. And let us tell you, it looked like a scam the moment you landed on the homepage. It appeared cheap, barely had anything to offer, and was extremely poor in its selection of games. Everything seemed like a very blatant fraud and any player with a tiny bit of experience could have realized just how shady it was. It offered no bonuses whatsoever, the website was mostly focused on online poker, and most importantly, you needed a password to enter the casino. We’re not talking about your own personal account password — it was a general password you had to use to gain access in the first place. And obviously, connections were in order so you could bet with these guys.
In a nutshell, the website was plain and boring, with no power to grab your attention, and it was illegal in every possible way. It wasn’t licensed by any gaming authority, the software they featured was unknown and probably rigged, and the terms and conditions basically didn’t even exist.
Games and Software
Unfortunately, we couldn’t find out who provided DollaroPoker with games, but we do believe they were produced by the people behind the casino itself. Therefore the casino software was completely illegal and probably set up to favor of the house. Moreover, there were but a handful of casino games overall.
It didn’t take long for Dollaro to find itself on many lists of blacklisted online casinos — just a couple of months. Most of the blogs tried to prove to players that online gaming with DollaroPoker was dangerous, and they were right. What happened next was all over the Italian and international news, and a lot of gambling websites reported it in order to educate their players.
User Experience
Here was the worst thing about people behind DollaroPoker — they forced clubs and cafés to use their online gambling software so players could come and play. This is how it looked; you would go to a local club, pay the money to the agent, and gamble. Then, in case you won anything, the agent would pay you back in cash. So as a player, you were avoiding all of the possible legal regulations that exist to protect you and your money. There was absolutely no guarantee you would ever get your winnings, as there was no one that could force the agent to pay you out. This all went on in the underground, and authorities were completely unaware.
The review process with DollaroPoker was eternal. They would try to delay paying you real money at all costs. Firstly, they would ask for the silliest documentation and no matter how hard you tried, the casino would still somehow be concerned about the safety of your money. Customer service was, of course, completely unresponsive and misleading too. A Swedish player won over a 100 000 USD and couldn’t withdraw their money. The customer support agent advised them to set up a new bank account so their money could be transferred. However, it turned out that this was against the terms and conditions of the casino, so the account was locked. We believe it is quite obvious this player never received the money they had rightfully earned.
Furthermore, the website was operated from Romania and the servers were in Tampa, Florida. All of this was in order to avoid regulations and make it more difficult for authorities to track it. However, they did, and once the suspects were wired, it was found out that illegal gambling was more profitable than drug trafficking. This meant a lot of money was in the game, and being greedy, the mafia had no intentions of stopping. In January 2016, the Italian authorities finally broke the chain of illegal gambling and arrested 11 people behind DollaroPoker. Given their mafia connections, they were all sentenced to prison, and the casino has been closed ever since.
Pros and Cons
It seems quite silly to even bring this up. There were absolutely, and definitely no pros whatsoever. Everything was illegal, nothing was in players’ favor, and there was nobody who could help you get your money. Here’s a short list of all the horrible things at DollaroPoker:
- No withdrawal
- Unresponsive and misleading customer support
- No license
- Cheap website
- Avoided all the regulations
- Self-developed software
The list could go on, but we believe you figured out just how bad everything was.
Our Verdict
DollaroPoker was definitely a rogue casino. You could even use the word criminal and illegal as well. It preyed on uneducated and weak players, and if it existed today, we would advise you to avoid it at all costs. The casino’s offer was horrible, and everything was dedicated to stealing your money. It is of the utmost importance that you as a gambler are able to recognize a rogue casino. It is your money that’s on the line, and you need to be able to protect it.
Casino Rating
- Complaint Resolution — 1/10 stars
- Jurisdiction — 1/10 stars
- Software — 1/10 stars
- Cashout Time — 1/10 stars
Overall, we rate DollaroPoker with 1 out of 10 stars. This gambling site was completely illegal and criminal. So make sure to always do your research on an online casino you like before trusting it with your money. Good luck, and play safe!