Warren Cloud, online casino pioneer and South African died on his yacht near the party island of Ibizaunder questionable circumstances leaving a couple of creditors less than happy.
A mere two weeks after his death it was announced his US online sites have been closed down and RealTime Gaming warned players to remove their money by July 31 or risk forfeiting it. No reasons have been given for the closure.
Cloud was 34 when he died of a massive heart attack off the coast of Spain and has been known to use several aliases. His checkered past includes the lives of Don Fortune, Richard Brooks and Oliver Curran as well as his own. He was known as an eccentric and flew into SA just two months before his death to stay at the Michaelangelo Hotel, after landing by helicopter in Johannesburg and taking an armed guard from there to the hotel.
It was in Costa Rica he finally got his career off the ground when he hooked up with RealTime Gambling. Despite the several brand name casinos such as Lucky Coin Casino and Crystal Palace he was known for unsavory behavior in his businesses and on and off the “rogue” list at CasinoMeister, a consumer protection site.
One of the biggest player complaints was not paying out on wins from bonus money if they attempted to withdraw their winnings immediately. Cloud felt they were abusing the bonus. Also unhappy are two SA creditors, including an ad agency who already wrote off the money owed. Cloud leaves behind a wife and small child.