Advertisements on a dozen television channels, including TF1, and a promise of miraculous returns: Pronoclub, a site presenting itself as “The number one platform connecting bettors and prognosticators”, has attracted, in recent months, many punters and amateur investors in France.
But the promises were a bit too good: as revealed The ParisianOn Monday, September 13, at least 40 complaints against the site had been received at the beginning of September by the public prosecutor of Nanterre. They have since been much more numerous, according to the testimonies published in several discussion areas by angry users.
Prognosticators cite a long list of problems : money withdrawal requests, even though displayed as in progress or made on the service, which never arrive on the accounts; abusive withdrawals from subscriptions; or even paying “training” at 500 euros mandatory to be able to attempt to withdraw funds …
At the heart of criticisms aimed at the service, its system of copy-betting, allowing to automatically copy the bets of other users, with guaranteed income. An illegal practice in France … And paid on the site, which charged subscriptions between 20 euros and 50 euros for this service. In return, PronoClub promised a return of 10% per month – a totally unrealistic amount. Users could also receive bonuses and freebies if they sponsored new members, a practice that was legal under certain conditions, but often used by pyramid-type Ponzi schemes.
Advertisements validated then prohibited
PronoClub presented itself as a “zero scam” site. With its address in the Paris region and its television advertisements, the company has inspired confidence in many Internet users who are disillusioned today, after having invested several thousand euros that they despair of seeing again one day. In June, the National Gaming Authority (ANJ) issued an alert on PronoClub, identified as “A problematic site with deceptive marketing practices”, explains the ANJ to Parisian.
However, its advertisements could still be broadcast for several weeks – they had previously been validated by the Professional Advertising Regulatory Authority, before the Superior Audiovisual Council banned them at the end of July.
Since then, the site’s CEO, Thomas Boursin, 24, has been heard by investigators from the Departmental Directorate for the Protection of Populations (DDPP). Shortly after, he published this September 10 a bravado message, claiming to have closed the copy-betting option on “Recommendations” police officers, and promised to reimburse the sums due at the end of current contracts, while threatening users who “Have defamed [PronoClub] on social networks » of “Sanctions”. “Thank you to the DDPP who greatly helped us to put PRONOCLUB on the right track! “, he writes.
In a brief voicemail message posted on September 13 on a chat channel for users of the service, he congratulated himself on the “Free advertising” offered to PronoClub by the revelations of Parisian – to which questions he did not follow up – and promised a “Rebirth” of service. Few of the site’s customers seem to believe it. The numbers of half a dozen lawyers considering setting up collective proceedings have been circulating for several days on discussion groups of disgruntled users.
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