Online Casino ShadowBet Allegedly Withdraws From UK Gambling Market
Popular online casino ShadowBet has allegedly withdrawn from the UK gambling market.
A report by CasinoMeister from earlier this week claimed that operator Shadowbet abruptly departed the UK market. According to CasinoMeister, the website issued an email to customers informing them of the withdrawal and the closure of the ShadowBet website to UK players.
A user on the CasinoMeister forum shared a copy of the email which reads: “We regret to inform you that as of 4th May 2020 we will no longer be able to offer our services in your jurisdiction anymore. Kindly be advised that from 4th of May 2020, you will no longer be able to deposit or be allowed any gameplay. The cashier will remain open until 4th of June 2020 in order to allow you to withdraw any pending balance.”
Users who visit the site are not shown a message notifying them of the website’s closure as done with most other operators that withdraw from the UK market. However, we noticed that the United Kingdom was quietly removed from the list of accepted countries in the registration form.
ShadowBet’s UK Withdrawal
In addition, a spokesperson for ShadowBet contacted CasinoMeister on the closure and confirming their withdrawal from the UK market. The spokesperson said: “Yes, please check your inbox for the email about the British market closure. As from today, you cannot register an account with us from the UK.”
Meanwhile, an email issued to affiliates this week confirmed ShadowBet’s withdrawal from the UK market and operator Gaming Innovation Group (GiG). ShadowBet stated in the email that has applied to get its own UK gambling licenses but states that the process “will take some time”.
ShadowBet is operated by MT SecureTrade via GiG and it seems other MT SecureTrade websites have and will eventually be affected. MT SecureTrade websites Guts Casino and Rizk Casino have both migrated to Zecure Gaming Limited and continue to offering their gambling activities to UK players. Other websites operated by MT SecureTrade that may follow include Wishmaker, Casino Calzone, Metal Casino, Dunder, and several others.
At the time of writing, it’s unclear why ShadowBet has withdrawn from the UK. However, it follows other online casinos that have pulled out of the market including EveryMatrix the previous owner of PlayFrank and Max Entertainment, the owner of popular casino website Slotty Vegas. These withdrawals were triggered by the UK Gambling Commission’s tightening rules.