Case: Funds Withheld by PokerStars (4+ Months) - Update: Complaints filed with LCB & eCOGRA

[corneliusmx]

Hello everyone,

I'm starting this thread to discuss a serious problem with pokerstars.com and to seek advice from other players.

The problem:
Since February 2025, PokerStars has been holding $500 USD in my account (corneliusmx). After submitting all the requested documentation, their support team stopped responding to me completely. They have passed more than 4 months of absolute silence on their part.

Updates and actions taken:

Far from giving up, I have escalated the case through every possible channel, and this is where their way of operating becomes clear:

LCB.org Complaint (Case No. 3301): I filed a public complaint. After pressing, the LCB moderator got a response from PokerStars: “We are still investigating.” The same delaying tactic.

Complaint to the MGA (Malta Gaming Authority): I filed a complaint with your official regulatory body. The MGA responded, confirming that the correct procedure is through its alternative dispute resolution (ADR) service.

Formal dispute with eCOGRA: Following the procedure, I have an open official case with eCOGRA (your ADR). They have already accepted my tests and are waiting for a response from PokerStars.

Despite having a public case against LCB and a formal case with their ADR, PokerStars continues to refuse to contact me directly with a solution. It is clear that their strategy is to wear out the players.

Has anyone been through the eCOGRA process against you? Any advice? I want this case to serve as a warning to others.

Thank you for reading.

 

[najisami]

Has anyone been through the eCOGRA process against you? Any advice? I want this case to serve as a warning to others.

That's really weird. PS normally never causes any issues with withdrawing funds once the account is validated.
What was their 1st response?
In any case, I hope the case will be solved as soon as possible.
Good luck man...

 

[fundiver199]

So obviously they think, you cheated or broke their TOS in some way. Thats not something, random people in a poker forum can help you with.

 

[seiya1989]

Hola a todos,

Estoy iniciando este hilo para discutir un problema serio con PokerStars.com y para buscar consejos de otros jugadores.

El problema:
Desde febrero de 2025, PokerStars ha retenido $500 USD en mi cuenta (corneliusmx). Tras enviar toda la documentación solicitada, su equipo de soporte dejó de responderme por completo. Han pasado más de 4 meses de silencio absoluto.

Actualizaciones y acciones tomadas:

Lejos de darme por vencido, he escalado el caso por todos los canales posibles, y aquí es donde queda clara su forma de operar:

Queja de LCB.org (Caso n.° 3301): Presenté una queja pública. Tras presionar, el moderador de LCB recibió una respuesta de PokerStars: «Seguimos investigando». La misma táctica dilatoria.

Queja ante la MGA (Autoridad de Juego de Malta): Presenté una queja ante su organismo regulador oficial. La MGA respondió, confirmando que el procedimiento correcto es a través de su servicio de resolución alternativa de disputas (ADR).

Disputa formal con eCOGRA: Siguiendo el procedimiento, tengo un caso oficial abierto con eCOGRA (su ADR). Ya han aceptado mis pruebas y están esperando respuesta de PokerStars.

A pesar de tener una demanda pública contra LCB y una demanda formal con su ADR, PokerStars sigue negándose a contactarme directamente con una solución. Es evidente que su estrategia es agotar a los jugadores.

¿Alguien ha pasado por el proceso de eCOGRA en tu contra? ¿Algún consejo? Quiero que este caso sirva de advertencia a otros.

Gracias por leer.

There's one important detail you don't mention. Why the hell did they withhold your money? They don't do it randomly because they feel like it.

 

[Sunz of Beaches]

U need to post all every small detail possible from ur interaction with them, otherwise noone will give u credit.

They are very credible and dont just steal money from players. If they say the investigation is still ongoing then it's still...ongoing.

 

[Navin Sarabjeet]

Hello everyone,

I'm starting this thread to discuss a serious problem with PokerStars.com and to seek advice from other players.

The problem:
Since February 2025, PokerStars has been holding $500 USD in my account (corneliusmx). After submitting all the requested documentation, their support team stopped responding to me completely. They have passed more than 4 months of absolute silence on their part.

Updates and actions taken:

Far from giving up, I have escalated the case through every possible channel, and this is where their way of operating becomes clear:

LCB.org Complaint (Case No. 3301): I filed a public complaint. After pressing, the LCB moderator got a response from PokerStars: “We are still investigating.” The same delaying tactic.

Complaint to the MGA (Malta Gaming Authority): I filed a complaint with your official regulatory body. The MGA responded, confirming that the correct procedure is through its alternative dispute resolution (ADR) service.

Formal dispute with eCOGRA: Following the procedure, I have an open official case with eCOGRA (your ADR). They have already accepted my tests and are waiting for a response from PokerStars.

Despite having a public case against LCB and a formal case with their ADR, PokerStars continues to refuse to contact me directly with a solution. It is clear that their strategy is to wear out the players.

Has anyone been through the eCOGRA process against you? Any advice? I want this case to serve as a warning to others.

Thank you for reading.

Strange bro.
When PS restricted my country from playing on their site a few years back, they gave me no problem withdrawing my funds... And that was a few thousands.
And on top of that.. withdrawing to my country is always a headache.
They even went to lots of different procedures to help me get the money in my bank account.
So, this is very strange and new to me.

 

[corneliusmx]

That's really weird. PS normally never causes any issues with withdrawing funds once the account is validated.
What was their 1st response?
In any case, I hope the case will be solved as soon as possible.
Good luck man...

Thanks for your comment and your good wishes, Najisami. Believe me, I used to think exactly the same as you. I never had any problems, so my surprise and frustration are even greater now.

The most incredible part is that the freeze wasn't due to a gameplay dispute or anything complex. The issue started literally seconds after I made a deposit with my card. This isn't about winnings or bonuses; it's my own money, deposited by me, that has been withheld for over 4 months without justification. I hope this clarifies why the situation is so strange and unacceptable.

 

[corneliusmx]

So obviously they think, you cheated or broke their TOS in some way. Thats not something, random people in a poker forum can help you with.

Hi fundiver199, I completely understand why someone might think that; it's the logical conclusion. But the reality is much simpler and more absurd: the account was frozen instantly after I made a simple deposit. There wasn't even time to play a hand.

If they truly suspected a TOS violation, don't you think they would have communicated that to me? Or that they would have answered one of my 20+ emails? The 4 months of absolute silence is what proves this isn't a legitimate security case, but total negligence. The victim here is me, a customer who was blocked from his own money for the simple act of depositing it.

 

[corneliusmx]

U need to post all every small detail possible from ur interaction with them, otherwise noone will give u credit.

They are very credible and dont just steal money from players. If they say the investigation is still ongoing then it's still...ongoing.

You're right about one thing: details are important. Since you ask for them, I'll gladly provide them, so the entire community can judge with the full picture:

Detail 1: The issue started seconds after a deposit of my own money. This isn't winnings, it's my capital.
Detail 2: I immediately complied with their first request for documents (ID, selfie, statements, etc.).
Detail 3: After I sent everything, PokerStars went into absolute silence for over 4 months, ignoring more than 20 of my follow-up emails.
Detail 4: "Miraculously," they broke their silence and contacted me just hours after my case was posted on this and other major forums.

Now, let's analyze your logic about the "ongoing investigation." No serious organization, not a bank, not a government authority, considers an "investigation" with zero communication, updates, or requests for 120 days to be a legitimate process. That's not an "investigation"; it's a wear-and-tear tactic designed to make the customer give up.

My credibility isn't based on opinions; it's based on documented evidence that is already in the hands of

eCOGRA and has been validated by the MGA (their regulator) itself. The credibility at stake here, after this behavior, is theirs.

 

[TeUnit]

The Malta Gaming Authority is horrible I have been waiting for my Minted funds for years.

Were you maybe running a solver or icm tool at the same time you were playing? I would guess they might suspect you using real time assistance.

 

[corneliusmx]

The Malta Gaming Authority is horrible I have been waiting for my Minted funds for years.

Were you maybe running a solver or icm tool at the same time you were playing? I would guess they might suspect you using live assistance.

Hi, thanks for your comment.

I'm sorry to hear about your bad experience with the MGA. In my situation, they did fulfill their role, which wasn't to resolve it directly, but to officially confirm that

eCOGRA is the correct body for my dispute, which is the exact path I was already on

Regarding your second question, it's a valid one, but the answer is a firm no. I don't use solvers, ICM tools, or any kind of real-time assistance. And the most compelling proof that this isn't the cause of the problem lies in the facts of the case itself:

1. The Timing of the Freeze: The account wasn't frozen after a suspicious hand or a winning session. It was frozen
   literally seconds after I made a deposit with my credit card. The action that triggered the block was a financial transaction, not a gameplay decision.
2. PokerStars' Own Request: After 4 months of silence, their first and only communication wasn't to ask about my strategy or software. It was an email from their "Fraud Team" asking for financial documents (bank statements, a copy of my card, etc.).

If they truly suspected software use, they would be asking for hand histories or gameplay explanations, not proof of address. Their own request proves that the issue they are (now) claiming to investigate is related to identity or fund verification, not cheating.

 

[Sunz of Beaches]

@corneliusmx

Is the credit card u used under ur Name? The exact same name as in ur stars account?

 

[Brigistul]

After deposit did you see the money in your account?in balance?if you didn't see it, it might have been a Soft problem!PokerStars doesn't get dirty for $500!

 

[hardongear]

20+ year Pokerstars player. Have never over them 20 years had a single problem withdrawing money. Always found it pretty simple , quick(for a poker site) and hassle free. I feel we're only getting half the story here. Pokerstars doesn't care about your $500.

Cheers!!!

 

[Poker Orifice]

imo you're leaving out some important details.

a) When I first deposited (or any time I've deposited) to Pokerstars, I didn't need to get verified and send in a bunch of documents (take a selfie??) BUT I did need to provide some info. when I requested a Withdrawal.

Perhaps the issue was with your method you used for making a Deposit? (I know they'll block accounts even if you've made a player-to-player transfer with another player on the site and that other player may have used a stolen credit card or have some other delinquent behavior on their account (or perhaps on their acccount(S) ??

You're telling us that your account has been frozen immediately after you made a Deposit... but your game play on Pokerstars (10 tournaments played) shows you cashing on Feb.20th for $178 (27th/2,923 in $22 Irish Open online 07);
And then cashing on Feb.22 for $3,890.00 (mini BB $55 HR 4th,1,762);
Feb. 23 cashing in SunMill Phase $137.50
And then also on Feb. 23 you played 2x $109 & 1x $320

How were you able to play these games? Did you attempt to make a deposit 'after' making a profit of $3,400 ???
(why would you be making another deposit with that in your account? Did you transfer it someone? )

Some deposit methods (ie. BANK Transfer), Pokerstars will deposit the money to my account before they're actually able to access it from my bank. (I think it's up to 7 days). Maybe your Deposit was declined 'after' you'd played on your 'new' account for 4 or 5 days? (I mean there's only 10 games played on this account in Total)

 

[Poker Orifice]

I can only access 8 of the 10 games as I don't have a paid subscription.

 

[KrazyKoo]

The little experience I have with eCOGRA is that they seem to dismiss every single complaint, just like poker sites they try wear you off. I think that they are not really neutral and/or they avoid doing any real work. Poker sites however seems to fear them as they tried to neglect giving me the eCOGRA case number to contact eCOGRA, even willing to give my complaint to their head of department before admitting the situation is "unresolvable" between customer and themselves.

I think the only complaints Malta licensed authorities take seriously are the ones related to responsible gaming.

"Casino stole money from their customers by changing terms of service mid-game" and I promise you, nobody, not eCOBRA, nobody from Malta or your country does not care but the moment someone even slightly hints at anything related to responsible gambling and it's like life or death situation for them, government is licking their lips and rushes to issue fines to the poker site, 20-80% of the company's country specific yearly revenue without hesitation, the poker site is issuing bans to everyone involved to avoid even accidentally being fined and eCOGRA is sending their fake email staff home and bringing the real workers from their yachts to the offices trying to wash themselves from the situation, siding with the poker site if government is not involved, but always siding with government if they are involved.

I only have personal experience with the 1st part, changing terms of service mid-game, my knowledge related to responsible gaming is theorical and comes from reading forums and news articles. (However, I have read a LOT)

We live in a clown world 😅

---

My recommendation is that do not let wear you out.
Keep at it!
And if eCOGRA tries to dismiss you I think taking this to your local government is way to make them side with you

I was sadly not able to do this, I was worn off after 3-4 dismissals from them, they tried to prevent me from contacting them with each attempt. I just didn't want the hazzle.

 

[fundiver199]

Hi fundiver199, I completely understand why someone might think that; it's the logical conclusion. But the reality is much simpler and more absurd: the account was frozen instantly after I made a simple deposit. There wasn't even time to play a hand.

According to sharkscope you played 10 tournaments in the period 20.02.2025 to 23.02.2025 for an average buyin of $81, and on 23.02.2025 you had a deep run and won a net of $3.890. So its not true, that you "did not play a single hand". But it is possible, that you made another deposit after winning $3.890, and then your account was frozen.

It does sound a little strange to me though, because most commonly people will consider withdrawing after a big win rather than making an additional deposit. You also moved up playing $109-320 games, where before the big win you played $22-55 games. So I think, what more likely happened here, was, that you deposited $500, played those 10 games for a net profit of >$3.000, and THEN your account was frozen.

If they truly suspected a TOS violation, don't you think they would have communicated that to me? Or that they would have answered one of my 20+ emails? The 4 months of absolute silence is what proves this isn't a legitimate security case, but total negligence.

Of course they suspect a TOS violation. They dont just randomly freeze peoples accounts for no reason. But its possible, their communication with you regarding the matter has been sub-standard. I dont know that, since I have not seen the communication.

 

[fundiver199]

If they truly suspected software use, they would be asking for hand histories or gameplay explanations, not proof of address. Their own request proves that the issue they are (now) claiming to investigate is related to identity or fund verification, not cheating.

Yes this makes sense. When I see a Sharkscope profile like yours playing mid and high stakes MTTs and hitting a deep run within the first 10 games, then my thought is, that this must be someone, who has been playing online poker for many years and is likely playing professionally. So the next question is, why does a mid to high stakes online MTT player with years of experience only now choose to open an account on PokerStars?

Now there could be legitimate reasons. Like maybe you have been living in a place, where pokerstars.com is not available, and you only recently moved to mexico, where it is. But the other option is fake identity, fake address, using a VPN to hide your true location (like for instance in the USA) and/or multi accounting. So most likely this is, what they suspect, and what they are investigating.

 

[corneliusmx]

@corneliusmx

Is the credit card u used under ur Name? The exact same name as in ur stars account?

It's a basic question, but I'll answer it: Of course. The card is under my name, the exact same name as on my PokerStars account. That's a fundamental requirement to even make a deposit. Any other setup would be automatically declined by their system.

 

[corneliusmx]

20+ year Pokerstars player. Have never over them 20 years had a single problem withdrawing money. Always found it pretty simple , quick(for a poker site) and hassle free. I feel we're only getting half the story here. Pokerstars doesn't care about your $500.

Cheers!!!

After deposit did you see the money in your account?in balance?if you didn't see it, it might have been a Soft problem!PokerStars doesn't get dirty for $500!

I completely understand your point of view, and I'm glad you've both had such a positive experience for so many years. In fact, I did too, right up until this incident.

Maybe $500 is nothing to a corporation the size of PokerStars, but for the customer who deposited that money from their own pocket, it's everything. And the issue isn't just my isolated case. The real question is: how many other players are subjected to this same "silent investigation" tactic for months? If it happens to 100, or 1,000 players, suddenly it's not "just $500" anymore. My goal is to expose a broken process that, whether intentional or not, has the same effect as theft: the unjustified withholding of someone else's funds.

 

[corneliusmx]

imo you're leaving out some important details.

a) When I first deposited (or any time I've deposited) to Pokerstars, I didn't need to get verified and send in a bunch of documents (take a selfie??) BUT I did need to provide some info. when I requested a Withdrawal.

Perhaps the issue was with your method you used for making a Deposit? (I know they'll block accounts even if you've made a player-to-player transfer with another player on the site and that other player may have used a stolen credit card or have some other delinquent behavior on their account (or perhaps on their acccount(S) ??

You're telling us that your account has been frozen immediately after you made a Deposit... but your game play on Pokerstars (10 tournaments played) shows you cashing on Feb.20th for $178 (27th/2,923 in $22 Irish Open online 07);
And then cashing on Feb.22 for $3,890.00 (mini BB $55 HR 4th,1,762);
Feb. 23 cashing in SunMill Phase $137.50
And then also on Feb. 23 you played 2x $109 & 1x $320

How were you able to play these games? Did you attempt to make a deposit 'after' making a profit of $3,400 ???
(why would you be making another deposit with that in your account? Did you transfer it someone? )

Some deposit methods (ie. BANK Transfer), Pokerstars will deposit the money to my account before they're actually able to access it from my bank. (I think it's up to 7 days). Maybe your Deposit was declined 'after' you'd played on your 'new' account for 4 or 5 days? (I mean there's only 10 games played on this account in Total)

Thank you for taking the time to do such detailed research. I appreciate you bringing up the Sharkscope data, because it allows me to provide the full missing context and clarify the entire situation.

You are absolutely right about my results in February. Here is the exact sequence of events:

1. I had that good run and hit that ~$3,800 score.
2. Like any player, I proceeded to withdraw a portion of those winnings, which was processed without any issues because my account was already verified.
3. With the funds I left in the account, I continued to play, including some casino games. Unfortunately, I had a bad run and lost the remaining balance.
4. It was at that moment, with my account near zero, that I decided to make a fresh $500 USD deposit to keep playing.
5. Seconds after that deposit was approved and the money hit my account, my session was terminated and my account was frozen.

As you can see, the story makes perfect sense. I wasn't depositing while having a large balance. I was reloading my account after losing the previous funds. The freeze is unrelated to my winnings, but tied to a subsequent transaction. Regarding your card concerns, there were no P2P transfers or anything strange. It's my own card, which is protected by Verified by visa, so every transaction requires my confirmation via SMS. Thanks again for giving me the opportunity to clarify this.

 

[corneliusmx]

The little experience I have with eCOGRA is that they seem to dismiss every single complaint, just like poker sites they try wear you off. I think that they are not really neutral and/or they avoid doing any real work. Poker sites however seems to fear them as they tried to neglect giving me the eCOGRA case number to contact eCOGRA, even willing to give my complaint to their head of department before admitting the situation is "unresolvable" between customer and themselves.

I think the only complaints Malta licensed authorities take seriously are the ones related to responsible gaming.

"Casino stole money from their customers by changing terms of service mid-game" and I promise you, nobody, not eCOBRA, nobody from Malta or your country does not care but the moment someone even slightly hints at anything related to responsible gambling and it's like life or death situation for them, government is licking their lips and rushes to issue fines to the poker site, 20-80% of the company's country specific yearly revenue without hesitation, the poker site is issuing bans to everyone involved to avoid even accidentally being fined and eCOGRA is sending their fake email staff home and bringing the real workers from their yachts to the offices trying to wash themselves from the situation, siding with the poker site if government is not involved, but always siding with government if they are involved.

I only have personal experience with the 1st part, changing terms of service mid-game, my knowledge related to responsible gaming is theorical and comes from reading forums and news articles. (However, I have read a LOT)

We live in a clown world 😅

---

My recommendation is that do not let wear you out.
Keep at it!
And if eCOGRA tries to dismiss you I think taking this to your local government is way to make them side with you

I was sadly not able to do this, I was worn off after 3-4 dismissals from them, they tried to prevent me from contacting them with each attempt. I just didn't want the hazzle.

Thank you so much for your comment and for sharing your own experience. It's incredibly helpful. What you say about eCOGRA is concerning, but your advice is exactly what I needed to hear: do not let them wear me out. You've reaffirmed my decision to see this through to the end. I truly appreciate your support and your words; they give me more strength to continue.

 

[corneliusmx]

According to Sharkscope you played 10 tournaments in the period 20.02.2025 to 23.02.2025 for an average buyin of $81, and on 23.02.2025 you had a deep run and won a net of $3.890. So its not true, that you "did not play a single hand". But it is possible, that you made another deposit after winning $3.890, and then your account was frozen.

It does sound a little strange to me though, because most commonly people will consider withdrawing after a big win rather than making an additional deposit. You also moved up playing $109-320 games, where before the big win you played $22-55 games. So I think, what more likely happened here, was, that you deposited $500, played those 10 games for a net profit of >$3.000, and THEN your account was frozen.

Of course they suspect a TOS violation. They dont just randomly freeze peoples accounts for no reason. But its possible, their communication with you regarding the matter has been sub-standard. I dont know that, since I have not seen the communication.

Yes this makes sense. When I see a Sharkscope profile like yours playing mid and high stakes MTTs and hitting a deep run within the first 10 games, then my thought is, that this must be someone, who has been playing online poker for many years and is likely playing professionally. So the next question is, why does a mid to high stakes online MTT player with years of experience only now choose to open an account on PokerStars?

Now there could be legitimate reasons. Like maybe you have been living in a place, where PokerStars.com is not available, and you only recently moved to Mexico, where it is. But the other option is fake identity, fake address, using a VPN to hide your true location (like for instance in the USA) and/or multi accounting. So most likely this is, what they suspect, and what they are investigating.

I understand how, by only looking at my PokerStars account data, you arrived at that conclusion. But the reality is much simpler.

I'm 23 years old. My online poker experience doesn't come from a fake ID or using VPNs; it comes from playing for years on PartyPoker, a site I loved until it unfortunately withdrew from the Mexican market. That forced me to look for new options, which led me to GGpoker and finally to PokerStars.

The 10 tournaments you see on my Stars profile are just that: my first 10 tournaments on their platform, not the only 10 I've ever played in my life. My username on partypoker or GGpoker is different. I have never lived outside of Mexico. I'm simply an experienced player from other platforms starting fresh on a new one.

 

[bowserdon]

I FEEl sorry for u my freind my acct was. recenty frozen, not sure why went through hELL GETTING IT RE INSTATED.Ihave with drawn money no problem

Best wishes key boards acting up