Okay, I want to start by saying that I understand that the state of Illinois has the least common sense laws in the nation. That said, I can not think of any reason why WGT has chosen to not allow resident's of IL to receive ANYTHING, other than a virtual trophy, for scoring well enough in any type of tournament to place in the money.
I played for 3 months, buying credits the whole way to buy better equipment and balls, to help me get my scoring down, to help me compete in tournament's. After plenty of practice, a bit of help from a friendly WGT player, A LOT of cash money out of my wallet, I finally placed 4th in a Tour Pro Ready Go. After not getting an email, or seeing credits added to my account, re-checking the list of states not eligible in the 1st place it is written and mentioned, I was told by WGT that they chose not to pay anyone in this state.
Now, this makes as much sense as the laws here do. But, what makes even less sense, is that WGT didn't even have the integrity to reimburse me, in any amount or in any way, for all the money that they had no problem taking every single time I've bought credits. I didn't ask for money back, although I've spent close to a grand easily by now.
So, what I'd like to know is how, in the United States of America, can it be right for a business to take your money, yet refuse to pay you money that you rightfully and fairly won, simply because "the gaming laws in the state of Illinois are 'vague'", in their opinion? I have a casino 10 minutes drive from me, but WGT can't pay me winnings just like I pay the casino its winnings?
It's really just a shame for me, because I absolutely love the site, even with its hiccup's & glitches. And it's not like I think I'm gonna pay my rent by winning tournament's. Heck, I don't think it's even possible to transfer credits into cash, which makes the decision made by WGT all that much worse. I pay to play because, for me, it adds to the competitive nature of the game. It's the same reason I play Fantasy Football every single year, and have since it began almost. Oh, but that's illegal. Give me a break....
Sincerely,
Kevin R.