Warren Cloud Death Casts Cloud Over Online Gambling Sector

Written by :

C Costigan

Published on :

13 July, 2008

His online casinos shut down with little notice

When Gambling911.com first reported two weeks ago that online casino pioneer Warren Cloud had prematurely passed awaymany found the news difficult to accept being that the father of one was only in his 30's when he suffered a massive heart attack while sailing off the coast of Spain.

The smart one's pulled their money out.....and with good reason.

Cloud was the biggest licensee of Real Time Gaming software. That firm warned punters to remove their money before July 31, or risk forfeiting it. No reasons for the closure have been given.

The Silver Sands brand , which includes the much publicised Silver Sands Casino, has other shareholders and is still operating, FM Tech reported Sunday..

That site reported that Cloud was seen as reclusive and eccentric. Just two months before his death, he visited SA on business, flying into Johannesburg by helicopter and travelling with an armed escort to the upmarket Michaelangelo hotel, where he always had the same R35 000 suite.

Cloud's online casinos were regularly featured on websites "rogue" listings including that of CasinoMeister.com.

Most of the complaints involved Cloud's unwillingness to pay out bonuses to those he deemed as "bonus abusers".

Warren Cloud used a variety of aliases, including Don Fortune , Richard Brooks and Oliver Curran.

Brian Bailey, who runs the CasinoMeister website believed in the end that Cloud was not a bad man.

"Even though we didn't see things eye to eye concerning running a casino, he had a family and a young daughter he loved very much. My condolences go out to them," Bailey stated on his message forum shortly following news of Cloud's death.

But it was clear that the online casino pioneer had rubbed many the wrong way, including Lou Fabiano of CasinoAffiliatePrograms.

"I don't like to speak ill of the dead, but I am not sure he will be missed by many."

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Christopher Costigan, Gambling911.com Publisher CCostigan@CostiganMedia.com

Originally published July 13, 2008 12:53 am EST

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