Grand Fortune went online in 2013 and is operated by Audeo NV, a company associated with the notorious Virtual Casino Group. The site runs on Realtime Gaming software that was already becoming outdated by the time of its launch, and customers are expected to use a downloadable Windows app to play the 200+ games listed in its catalog.
A small Spinlogic slots package hardly compensates for dealing with technology that would be unusable for many players if not for the Instant Play option, and the 200% Welcome Bonus would be the only thing that could sweeten this unattractive deal – if it was offered in good faith, that is.
Unfortunately, Grand Fortune is a casino run by scammers, and the bonuses they offer serve both as bait and as an excuse to rip players off. This is because Grand Fortune’s bonus terms and conditions allow the casino to void player winnings for the slightest misstep. On top of that, the casino refuses to pay customers who abide by its rules and frequently employs stalling tactics when dealing with perfectly valid payout requests.
People who run rogue operations of this kind typically seek out low-information customers because they are more susceptible to their gaslighting. Thus, we do not expect Grand Fortune to update its software anytime soon – combined with their atrocious reputation, it keeps savvy gamblers away and ensures that they mostly get to deal with easy marks.
While most Virtual Casino Group sites lie about their licensing situation, Grand Fortune simply does not disclose it. This is because the site is based in Costa Rica, a country that allows local businesses to offer real money casino gambling over the Internet but does not have a regulatory body tasked with issuing licenses and providing oversight over local gambling sites. In short, Grand Fortune is both unlicensed and completely unregulated.
Instead of providing basic facts and business information, their FAQ harps on online safety, encryption, and RNG certification to create a false sense of security among potential depositors.
Unfortunately, even these statements need to be corrected. Grand Fortune software was indeed audited by third-party consultants (TST, to be specific), but the certification process was handled on Realtime Gaming’s side. Grand Fortune is simply one of many offshore online casinos that use RTG’s software, and there is no direct connection between Grand Fortune, Audeo NV, or Virtual Casino Group and any widely recognized independent testing lab.
Lying by omission and using reasonable player expectations against them is Grand Fortune’s whole schtick, and nowhere is it as apparent as in their terms and conditions.
The bonus rules are particularly insidious, and the problems start with game restrictions, which effectively force players to play slots. To beat the casino at slots, you need to score a massive payout and complete the playthrough before the built-in house edge grinds down your account. However, the withdrawal limits introduced by Grand Fortune turn any jackpot-based win into a somewhat pyrrhic victory.
Yes, you might turn a profit, but the potential payout will be capped by the size of your deposit. The risk remains the same as in every other casino, but the potential gain is limited. And if you break the rules at any point, your winnings will be voided.
On top of that, Grand Fortune payouts are very slow – according to withdrawal terms and conditions, cashing out $3,000 is likely to take an entire month:
At this point, it should come as no surprise that the casino staff typically treats this particular section of the rules as non-binding guidelines, so the entire process is almost guaranteed to involve dealing with Grand Fortune’s customer support.
Grand Fortune’s staff pretends to be helpful and responsive before you make a deposit. When they have your money, they become oblivious to the existence of the rules that could result in them voiding your winnings. And when you request a withdrawal, they typically tell you to wait and then vanish without a trace.
In short, Grand Fortune will be playing games with you if you manage to turn a profit, and the only somewhat reliable way to force them to treat you seriously is to request third-party arbitration.
If, at that point, you are still willing to give them the benefit of the doubt, you can use the Spinlogic Mediation Service. However, this process will not be transparent, and the resolution will likely not be satisfactory. Instead, we suggest posting a complaint on a reputable independent site, as this has been proven to generate positive results in a number of cases.
As mentioned above, Grand Fortune belongs to a larger network of rogue international casinos known as Virtual Casino Group. They all operate in the same manner, their terms and conditions are a carbon copy of one another, and they all run on obsolete RTG / Spinlogic software.
Virtual Casino Group was founded in 2002 by Navtej “Tej” Kohli, a businessman who served four years in federal prison for running a mail fraud operation targeting property owners in the United States. Unfortunately, due to the fact that his casinos remain unregulated, all the stunts pulled by them are unlikely to land him in jail again.
Grand Fortune tries to cheat you out of your money by masquerading as a normal RTG casino and then flipping the script when it comes to terms and conditions and the withdrawal process. If you do not familiarize yourself with their outlandish rules, they will likely void your winnings. If you read the fine print, you can get lucky and then maybe force them to issue a payout.
The catch is that as soon as you understand how Grand Fortune works and how to beat their games, you also realize that the winning move is not to play. Compared to a safe and fair casino, the mathematically expected returns are lower, the potential payout is capped, and you need to deal with the additional danger of the casino refusing to honor your withdrawal request with no explanation.
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