Last Updated on September 28, 2023
Heart Bingo is one of the most beloved UK gambling sites. Their support is known for being helpful, and their software is very reliable by industry standards. But that doesn’t mean that things always go smoothly. You can always get your Heart Bingo account closed.
Sometimes, mistakes get made. In early 2022, their parent company paid a preemptive penalty to atone for some oversights in their process, including gaps in social responsibility and transparency.
This shows that even the most beloved names in UK gambling, operating under some of the world’s strictest real money online gambling regulations, mess up occasionally. This can result in fines and negatively impacted customers, and bad press.
With that in mind, the casino’s relatively good image will be reflected in a helpful and knowledgeable support staff that can assist you after you understand your situation!
This article covers some of the most common reasons people get their Heart Bingo account closed as of June 2023. We’ll cover mistakes from their end and errors from your end. We will further give you the preparation you want before contacting Heart Bingo support to see if you can rectify the situation.
Things to Avoid Doing if You Have a Heart Bingo Suspended Account
You should refrain from doing some things, particularly if you’re the impulsive type of reader who would skip right to the end of an article like this, looking for easy answers.
We’re here to give you the best possible advice without wasting your time, but if you jump the gun, you can worsen matters.
Do NOT use any third-party service that claims to get accounts unbanned
Anyone who claims to be a ‘professional unsuspension service’ is a scam! They’re trying to get your personal information and login details to defraud and hack you. Only the official Heart Bingo support staff can unlock your account—only the support links from their official website when possible. Don’t use third-party links since they could be doctored. After
If you read this article and have at least an educated guess as to the cause of your Heart Bingo closed account, use the link from their help page to contact them.
Do NOT try to log in over and over again or to create a new account
Dozens of login attempts are precisely what they would expect to see from a hacker or scammer. And making a new account is against their Terms of Service (ToS), considered a ‘ban evasion’ tactic. The site’s automation might also see it as an attempt to manipulate the account creation process and issue an IP ban (prohibiting anyone from that address from using their services). Instead, use your energy to finish reviewing this article’s suspension possibilities, then contact their support team for help.
Do NOT yell at Heart Bingo’s support staff
Remember that the customer service representative had nothing to do with your account closure or limitation. Less than 10% of all online gaming accounts get suspended manually! Over 90% of accounts get suspended by a bot or automated process that thought strange behavior was occurring. We’ll review the possibilities shortly but understand there’s no reason to be abusive to the only people who can help you. If you remain calm and polite, they’re much more likely to go the extra mile to help you.
Now that you know the pitfalls to avoid when you get your Heart Bingo account closed let’s look at the most common issues that will get your Heart Bingo account closed.
Why is My Heart Bingo Account Suspended?
Heart Bingo doesn’t offer sportsbook or event betting opportunities, unlike some gambling sites. That means a locked account must result from Bingo activities, general ToS violations, financial or identity issues, or activities on their casino games. So we can skip the usual spiel about insider betting, odds manipulation, and betting cabals!
As of early June of 2023, the most common reasons why people have their Heart Bingo account closed or locked are:
- You created a duplicate account, either accidentally or on purpose.
- Your account was hacked or shared without your authorization.
- You violated an article of the Heart Bingo Terms of Service (ToS).
- Your account was dormant for over 396 consecutive days.
Some of these reasons are simpler than others. Some require an investigation, while others are quickly fixed after just a few steps.
Remember that if you’re suspended from Heart Bingo, it’s very likely that you’ll be barred from playing at any of the Heart Bingo sister sites. So if the suspension is a mistake, it’s probably well.
Worth contacting support to get it resolved. Otherwise, you can look into similar sites not part of the BetVictor network (owned by BV Gaming Limited).
Let’s cover these scenarios one by one to see which is most likely in your case so that you can prepare for your conversation with Heart Bingo support.
You Created a Duplicate Account
Creating a duplicate Heart Bingo account is prohibited, whether accidentally or intentionally. Sometimes Heart Bingo will only let you make an account if it detects you already have one. Occasionally, creating an account will get your new Heart Bingo account suspended.
But there are times when creating a duplicate account will get both your new and your old Heart Bingo account closed. This can happen if an automated bot thinks you’re trying to take advantage of the bonus offers only available to new players. Another reason is the bot thinks you’re trying to use the identity of family members to circumvent a ban. As they state in the ToS:
‘We reserve the right to close your account if we believe, in our sole and absolute discretion, that you have opened or are using multiple accounts or a duplicate account with the intent to defraud us and to abuse these terms and conditions.’
Even if no bonus offer fraud occurs, this is serious because it can circumvent self-exclusion. That’s a big deal in the eyes of UK law and the gambling regulators. Another possibility is that using a family member’s identity can financially impact them and ruin their credit rating. So, in both scenarios, the casino has to err on caution.
Duplicate Accounts from The Same Houseland
Of course, this can lead to false positives. For example, another family member might be trying to play from the same household. However it’s difficult to tell the difference between this activity and account duplication attempts. The result might be having the new Heart Bingo account suspended after registration.
Whether the duplicate account was created accidentally or intentionally, you must deal with the aftermath. Innocent mistakes are usually forgiven when explained to support. The issue is generally resolved relatively quickly as long as the explanation matches the evidence.
But if there’s evidence of intentional account duplication attempts that either use a family member’s identity or attempt to claim new player bonuses, the situation can be far more permanent. Heart Bingo support can explain your options: refunding your account balance and asking you to play at another site.
Your Account Was Hacked or Shared
Intentionally or accidentally allowing others to access your account is one way to get your Heart Bingo account frozen.
There are many reasons for this, but primarily because UK online casino laws require an identity to be associated with anyone who plays for real money. This is a consumer protection and anti-money laundering issue (more on that later).
So if you intentionally allow someone else to access your account, also known as account sharing, you would immediately break Heart Bingo’s and the gaming regulator’s guidelines.
If you accidentally give someone access to your account, or if they manage to break your password via a hacking method (on your account specifically, not on Heart Bingo’s servers – they’re still responsible for those), you are still liable for their actions. Any money lost due to your account being hacked will remain lost. As stated in the ToS:
“You must keep your account username and password confidential. We will not be responsible for any losses arising from misusing your username or password or unauthorized access to your account. Suppose you have set the auto-login facility and believe someone else may be accessing your account. In that case, you should immediately turn off the auto-login facility from your devices and contact our Customer Services Team. You are responsible for the security of your device(s) and all activity on your account.”
Heart Bingo Casino
If the automated bots detect any hacking activity, unusual betting patterns associated with a hacker, chip dumping, or alternative identity, it will freeze your Heart Bingo account.
When you see your account frozen, you should contact customer support. An investigation will occur based on your claims. Upon confirming your identity, they will most likely return your control of the account.
However, the result of most hacks is a zero account balance. You would need to be incredibly lucky to still have money in your account upon it being returned.
Remember never to reuse your passwords between sites or apps! If another site gets hacked, and your account shares a password with Heart Bingo, it might be used to break into your account. Hackers publish username and password lists from the sites they’ve victimized. To check if this might have already happened, check out HaveIBeenPwned.
You Violated the Terms of Service (ToS)
This is the broadest category for people getting their Heart Bingo account closed. The site’s ToS is comprehensive, covering all manner of inappropriate uses of the site, circumstances that they are not liable for, and the rules that UK regulators insist they abide by. Here are just some of the more common ways you can get your Heart Bingo account closed:
Chip Dumping or Collusion
Although there’s no such thing as chip dumping or collusion in bingo, it is a practice that is sadly seen with some table games (live and otherwise). With games such as poker, you aren’t allowed to ‘team up’ and share information or intentionally lose to another player so that they gain an advantage. These are supposed to be competitive single-player games, and team play is incredibly unfair to the other players.
So, if the system believes you’re working in tandem with other players in any way, it can close Heart Bingo account. It does this by analyzing your action to see how much it benefits another player and looking for patterns. Of course, that means it isn’t perfect, and innocent people can sometimes get caught in enforcing this policy.
Money Laundering
Money laundering happened when money acquired illegally (through the drug trade, gang activity, or other illegal products or services) is deposited at a real online casino. The player then rolls over that money or intentionally loses that money to another account.
When it gets withdrawn, it comes out ‘clean’. The site’s money laundering detection automation will notice anything that looks like an intentional money transfer between accounts or a suspicious-looking series of deposits and withdrawals. This is why the site warns you: ‘We accept several different payment methods, but they must be in your name, and you must not deposit funds to withdraw them immediately’. Because this activity violates UK national laws and international banking standards, the site must immediately stop this activity.
So, if your Heart Bingo account is frozen for money laundering, understand that it’s for investigation purposes beyond their control. If they didn’t comply with Anti-Money Laundering (AML) standards, they would be fined. They can be even shut down by gaming authorities when their license gets revoked. You should contact support if you believe your account was flagged for money laundering accidentally.
They’ll run an investigation, and with your help, they should be able to clear things up if the activity was innocent. On the other hand, if you think there are genuine legal issues you might be dealing with, you should consult a legal professional.
Overseas And VPN Use
The rules for overseas play on Heart Bingo are pretty simple. If you come from the UK or live in the UK, you can’t play when you’re outside the UK. And if you come from outside the UK, you can’t pretend to be from another country. These rules are in place to comply with UK gambling laws and the regulations of each government worldwide.
So, when people try to use VPNs or other network proxies to pretend, they’re from other countries, or when UK players try to use them to pretend, they aren’t abroad, things get dicey. If you try to log in to your Heart Bingo account while country shifting on a VPN, you’re breaking the ToS.
Moreover, if they catch you, they will close your Heart Bingo account immediately. There are some cases of innocently tapping the wrong icon when on vacation. And in those cases, as long as no actual financial or gambling activity took place, support should be able to help you (as long as it was a one-time thing).
Bug Abuse
Heart Bingo wants you to report a bug if you see one. At the same time, avoid using that bug after encountering it for the first time. In other words, if it happens once, you aren’t in trouble, they’ll possibly even be grateful that you let them know about it. However if you abuse that bug or show other people, you may get your Heart Bingo account closed.
If you or anyone you show try to gain an advantage over the games or manipulate the financial system on the site or app, all winnings will likely be reversed. This will further result in your account being banned. With that said, some bugs are entirely simply invisible to the user.
You could accidentally abuse a bug and not even know it! Contact Heart Bingo’s support staff and determine what happened. Usually, they’ll be able to reverse any winnings gained with the bug. As long as this is your first incident, your account will be acceptable. But if there’s evidence of intentional bug abuse in your past, expect the result to be a Heart Bingo suspended account.
As we’ve said, there are plenty of other ToS violations; these are just some of the more common ones. You should read the terms of the site and the app carefully, particularly if you plan to use it regularly. If there’s anything you need help understanding, ask the support team about it.
You Were Absent for 396 Consecutive Days
This might seem very specific, but the inactivity may close your Heart Bingo account if you are idle for 396 days (idle being no logins and no gameplay under that account). This is called the ‘one year, one-month policy.
Why? Because inactive accounts are a security vulnerability, and in fact, they can be a financial liability to you as well. Understand that your account is linked to a payment method, identity information, and maybe even a bank account. If a hacker got into that, it might mean disaster (see the ‘account hacked’ section above).
It’s far safer for automation to flip the switch and make your Heart Bingo account frozen. That way, whenever you come back, they can confirm your identity, update any parameters they need from their end, and unlock your account.
UK national guidelines for casino accounts
Before judging them for this policy, understand that UK national guidelines for real-money online casinos mirror this caution. On the security side, it’s an intelligent thing to do, and it simultaneously protects your data. If anything, thank them for not letting an idle account sit around forever.
Reactivating an idle account is easy. Just give support a call so that they can reaffirm your identity and account recovery methods. They’ll reactivate your Heart Bingo account, and you’ll be ready to play again.
There is also a ‘softer’ version called ‘account inactivity.’ This happens after 91 days with no logins. Once again, this action is taken as a security measure. But recovering an inactive account is far more accessible. Contact support, and they’ll do a quick confirmation. They will reactivate your Heart Bingo account, then you’ll be on your way!
There’s also an account idle deadline of 5 years. Any account inactive for five years will be fully closed out. Any balance left in the report will be donated to the GambleAware charity.
How Do I Get My Heart Bingo Account Reopened?
If things have gone that route, you (or your legal representative) will want to contact support via the link from their help page. Remember, you should assume that no third-party ‘unbanning service’ is legitimate; they’re generally all phishing scams.
Now that you’ve been armed with all the information, reasoning, and processes we’ve discussed, you should be prepared for anything. Remember to remain calm. If you get accused of money laundering, when you know you’re completely innocent, remember that it was an automated system that did the analysis, not the support person you’re talking to. It’s hardly their fault that you’re in this position, so try to keep your frustration to a minimum.
Once you’ve been told the situation, you can decide what you want to do. If you were accused of something, you may wish to cooperate and provide evidence of your innocence. Or you’d like to close your account entirely (see below for more details).
If it’s a simple procedural issue (your account was too idle, for example), it should be a relatively simple fix! But it’s still up to you whether or not you want to provide them with updated contact, identity, or financial information if it comes down to that.
What Happens to Your Account Balance and Ongoing Commitments on a Suspended Heart Bingo Account?
If you somehow get your Heart Bingo account closed, your current balance may be impacted in several ways depending on the situation, ongoing investigations, and UK gaming standards.
Most of the time, assuming this isn’t a violation of fair gaming practices or a government, police, or legal action (due to money laundering, crime, civil activity, fraud, etc.), the balance will remain intact. If your account is closed after the investigation, Heart Bingo will usually refund your entire positive account balance.
However, those funds will be taken from your balance if you cheated or broke ToS to cause the company or other players any financial loss (collusion, bug abuse, etc.).
Violations of either international law or UK national gaming guidelines can result in some or all of your account balance being awarded to the UK Gambling Commission.
If you wish to withdraw money from your suspended account, you’ll need to contact Heart Bingo support. Assuming the balance is still being determined for one of the reasons above, you’ll be asked to submit a series of documents confirming your identity. You must also agree to stop using their services (apps, sites, etc.). They’ll inform you that you’re banned from all Heart Bingo sister sites. The resolution process will begin once you agree to all this and submit your withdrawal method’s details.
Ongoing commitments (reserved spots in upcoming tournaments and the like) are generally refunded if you paid for them, and they have yet to occur by the time you contact support.
Freeroll and satellite tournament entries may be deemed to have no cash value. Therefore don’t expect to get anything back from those. All of these things are considered on a case-by-case basis, however.
If I Think Heart Bingo has Unfairly suspended me, What Are My Options?
Heart Bingo is part of BV Gaming, an independent company known to the UK gambling authorities. They have the right to refuse customers, including those who violate their Terms of Service (ToS) or who they deem as an unacceptable risk. In other words: They choose their clients. They are remarkably uninterested in patrons who they believe to threaten their security, ruin the enjoyment and fairness of the site for other players, or pose a legal liability.
However, there are ways to challenge any suspensions or bans you feel were mishandled. If Heart Bingo was unresponsive, unprofessional, or otherwise unfair, options are available.
You can contact the Independent Betting Adjudication Service (IBAS) for a start. They are experts in the negotiation and arbitration process for online casinos in the UK. They’ll present the results of their arbitration to you, and you have two choices: Accept the settlement proposed or go your own way. You can always independently take Heart Bingo and BV Gaming to court at your own cost.
There is a separate process if Heart Bingo breaks UK law or violates gaming statutes that pertain to gambling establishment conduct. However, this is strictly a regulatory action; it’s unlikely to result in personal compensation. You can send your report to the UK Gambling Commission.
They will investigate any operator misconduct in your case and the cases of dozens or hundreds of other complaints. If they see a pattern of misconduct, they can levy fines against the institution in question.
How to Close Your Heart Bingo Account
If you want to close your Heart Bingo account permanently, it’s easy. Contact their Customer Services team and tell them you want to complete your account. This process usually takes around 24 hours. Your account balance will be refunded to you. If you reopen your account, you may do so under the same name after passing the average identity and funding checks.
If you want to close your Heart Bingo account temporarily, you can use the Safer Gambling tools to set up the same options. This includes various ways to implement self-exclusion or a timeout period.
What Do I Do if Heart Bingo Closes My Account?
If your suspension becomes a permanent ban, you can assume you’re not welcome on any Heart Bingo sister sites, either.
If you want to continue to gamble online for real money, you’ll need to find a new place to go. There are several Heart Bingo similar sites that you can pick from, of course. Change things up and look at some sister sites with new themes and game selections.
Either way, Sister Casinos is here for you! We’ll do our best to provide you with the information you need to enjoy yourself as safely as possible.
