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May 15, 2023 - 2:46 PM
A retired Kelowna lawyer is suing an offshore online casino alleging it didn't pay out almost $300,000 he says he won in a card game.
Former lawyer Victor Janicki has filed a civil suit against BetOnline and Visionary iGaming claiming the company owes him US $220,550 after he was dealt three diamond sevens in an online blackjack game.
The court documents say Janicki paid a US $1 entry fee for the chance to win the jackpot if the player was dealt three diamond seven cards.
Janicki says he was dealt that hand Feb. 23 winning the jackpot pay of almost $300,000 and receiving congratulations from the online gaming company.
Through a messaging service on the gambling site, Janicki says he spoke to a supervisor "Mango 7" who confirmed his win and gave him instructions on how to receive the cash.
However, the casino has since refused to pay up and denies he ever won the jackpot.
The online casino also denies that "Mango 7" ever worked for the company or told Janicki about his win.
The Notice of Claim says the online casino has refused to provide Janicki with a copy of the video of the win, or a copy of the text conversation with the supervisor, "despite repeated request... for the release of both."
The court documents say the company sent the retired lawyer a video of the game which shows that he wasn't dealt the three diamond sevens and didn't win.
However, the court documents say the reference number for the game is different and has an extra number added.
Janicki calls this video "fake" and a "ruse."
"The video... depicts a completely different hand of cards which were never dealt to (Janicki) at any time. The cards dealt to someone in this video were not the winning 3 Diamond 7s that were dealt to (Janicki)," the Notice of Claim reads. "This video is fake in its portrayal of the cards... all the events depicted in this video are a ruse."
The Notice of Claim goes on to say the video is "pure nonsense" and that BetOnline and Visionary iGaming "conspired together to concoct (a) fake" game "for the purpose of cheating" Janicki out of the jackpot win.
"They have committed the offences of fraud relating to the production of this fake video and theft by conversion in failing to pay the Plaintiff the sum of $220,550.00 US Dollars," the court documents read.
The retired lawyer is claiming the lost jackpot plus interest and fees.
The court documents say BetOnline is registered in Panama and iGaming in Costa Rica.
None of the allegations have been proven in court, and the defendants have not yet filed a response.
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