It’s disturbing whenever you read about underage gambling, and the latest online casino group that needs to be condemned for allowing it is Grand Prive Bella Vegas.  The group cut off their affiliate partners, and this is not the first time the company has fallen under scrutiny and been filed under the classification of ‘rogue casino’.  The group has allowed underage players on their online casinos before, much to the industry’s – and parents – dismay.

Said Bryan Baily of the very popular CasinoMeister.com website who has knowledge of the underage casino player, “The player, who resides in Las Vegas, joined each one of these casinos, made deposits, and occasionally won here and there. She was never asked for her ID, and the fact that she was only 19 was never an issue. But when she made a larger withdrawal, the casino requested her ID. These are required by the agreement that the casino has with eCOGRA.  

“They must ensure that the player is a legitimate person who is lawfully allowed to play. Well, she lives in Nevada, and the gambling age for jurisdiction is 21. So the casino voided her cash-in and returned her deposits. Sounds fair? Well, fairness is not the issue here. The issue is a casino's accountability, responsibility, and their relationship with the online casino industry.  

“The casino failed to do its due diligence. They have all of the power within their means to prevent under age gambling. They relied solely on their terms and conditions, and in these times when underage gambling is such a hot topic - this is unacceptable.”

In addition to not properly screening their players, Grand Prive is under scrutiny because they recently announced that they would not be paying their affiliate partners.  The affiliates are groups and individuals who advertise the online casinos on their websites and through other online mediums for a small profit every time a new member joins.  By refusing to pay their affiliates, the Grand Prive group is technically committing a breach of contract and it is amazing to the entire online casino community that they are still in business.  ReferSpots and CPays are two of the biggest affiliates that are being affected.

It remains to be seen whether or not the Grand Prive Bella Vegas will be slapped with any type of charges, but one thing is clear.  The online casino group must start taking measures to ensure that underage gambling on the site does not happen again.