Resolving online casino disputes – a complete guide

Most of the time, when playing at online casinos, everything goes smoothly. However, disputes can occasionally arise. If you’ve run into an issue, the good news is that you have rights – more than perhaps you were aware of. 

For British players, there’s a process to go through and organisations who can help you to try and resolve things with the casino – hopefully amicably. But before you pursue this course, it’s worth asking yourself if you followed protocols and did everything correctly. Rest assured that, if the casino is at fault, you should be able to get the support required to reach a resolution.

Disputes aren’t common but they do happen

Disputes between players and casinos can occur for a number of different reasons. We’ll look at some of the most common issues that can lead to the need for dispute resolution.

Refused withdrawals

One of the more common causes of clashes between players and casinos is a refusal to pay out. This is where the casino blocks withdrawals. Most of the time it can be traced back to one of a few specific issues.

Perhaps the most common reason for a casino refusing to pay out is a breach of bonus terms, such as: 

• Exceeding the max bet limit when using a bonus
• Failure to meet the wagering requirements 
• Using bonus funds to play non-approved games 

If you have withdrawal refusal issues, check that you have fulfilled all of the necessary requirements for withdrawing. Double check any bonus terms, and then consider escalating the issue.

Delayed withdrawals 

There are certain issues that cause temporary delays to withdrawals, which sometimes lead to an outright refusal to pay out.

Know Your Customer (KYC) requirements force casinos to carry out certain verifications and checks on their customers before allowing them to withdraw. To avoid delays, be sure to verify your ID by submitting the requested documents when you sign up to the casino. If you wait until you want to withdraw, you’ll likely experience delays.

Different casinos have different policies on how long it takes to approve withdrawals – which often needs to be done manually. Check the site’s FAQs or banking terms for specifics. Note that, even after a payment is approved, it can take several days to hit your account, depending on your chosen payment method.

If you experience significant delays when you withdraw, contact the casino. If they fail to provide a reasonable explanation, you should escalate. 

Misleading promotions

Sometimes, the terms and conditions (T&Cs) of a bonus can be murky. Casinos are obliged to ensure that T&Cs are legible, clear, and understandable. Vagueness and ambiguities can lead to frustrating disputes between players and casinos. 

In some cases, the headline value of a bonus doesn’t reflect its true value. Casinos are responsible for making sure their bonuses aren’t presented in a misleading way, but it’s the player’s responsibility to read the T&Cs properly before claiming. Keep an eye out for things like high wagering requirements or low max win limits.

Remember, you’ll only find no wagering casinos and low wagering casinos on our site!

If you encounter anything that’s unclear, you can raise a dispute with the casino, or even report it to the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA).

Incorrect bet settlements

In very rare cases, the winnings received might be less than expected. There are a few reasons why things like this can happen, such as technical problems and system errors, or misinterpretations of game outcomes. 

Both humans and machines can be responsible for these problems, so it’s best to double check everything. If your win was registered as a loss, or if your payout doesn’t meet your expectations, get in touch with the casino. 

In some cases, the resolution of a dispute can come down to nuances in the T&Cs, even when it’s caused by a technical problem. An example of this is the five-year-long dispute between Paddy Power and a jackpot winner, which went to High Court and eventually resulted in the player being awarded her £1 million jackpot. 

Fraud 

Most casinos will reserve the right to withhold any account funds if they suspect the player of fraudulent activity. Sometimes players get flagged by accident, and you should be able to clear things up by contacting the casino directly.

Common forms of account fraud include creating multiple accounts to abuse welcome bonuses. Always read and adhere to the general casino terms and conditions as well as those connected to a bonus. They will often stipulate that you can’t have more than one account per household or per IP address.

Casinos are under particular scrutiny when it comes to money laundering by criminal gangs. Fines, sometimes well into the millions, have been dished out to negligent casinos for not keeping on top of their AML (anti-money laundering) monitoring responsibilities.  

What to do if you dispute a casino’s decision

There’s a series of escalating steps you can take if you disagree with a casino’s decision. Note that a dispute will not necessarily be resolved in your favour. There are many factors and variables at play – sometimes the customer is right, but not always.

If the casino isn’t licensed by the UKGC, skip ahead to the ‘Not licensed by the UK Gambling Commission?’ section below.

If you have a problem with a UKGC-licensed casino, you are covered by both UK consumer law and Gambling Commission regulations, and can follow these steps:

1: Gather your evidence

Some disputes, particularly those concerning larger amounts of money, or those related to ambiguous terms and conditions, can be time consuming. You must be adequately prepared. Before you contact the casino, gather evidence to help you make your case clearly and succinctly.

Gather and assemble all of the evidence you have. Your evidence may include:

• Screenshots of faults, wins, error messages or anything else that’s relevant.
• A written account (including dates) of the problem, focusing on how the casino has violated the T&Cs.
• A clear explanation of how the issue relates to UK consumer law or UKGC regulations.
• Transcripts of customer service chats and logs of all correspondence from the casino.

2. Contact the casino first

Firstly, get in touch with the casino’s customer service people before you contact any other organisations. Give them the chance to resolve the problem directly. It’s best to do this via email, so that you have all of the time you need to make your point. Live chat could also work.

• Outline the issue clearly.
• State what resolution you’re looking for.
• It’s important to get the tone right and remain polite.
• Get the name of the contact you’re communicating with.
• Include a specific date by which you expect a response – make it reasonable.

No success? Still waiting? Not happy with the response?

3: Escalate the issue – with the casino

If the casino’s response isn’t satisfactory, request that your case be escalated. This is essentially taking the dispute to the next level within the casino. 

You can do this just by asking for a manager, but it’s preferable to seek out someone in a specific (and more senior) role, and if you can get a name, even better. It’s sometimes possible to find the contact details of CEOs and high-ranking employees online. Check their website first. If not, you may find useful names and information at Companies House if you search by correct company name.

Again, remain polite as you outline your case and present your evidence. Showing that you are organised, professional and serious will work in your favour.

Crucially, state how the casino is at fault, and how they have contravened either their own T&Cs, British consumer law, or Gambling Commission regulations. You might even want to cite some legal precedents if you know of any similar cases.

4: Try Resolver

If your issue remains unresolved despite escalating it, you have probably taken things as far as you can with the casino. The next port of call is an organisation called Resolver. 

Resolver is a consumer protection service that engages legal professionals and provides invaluable advice. It’s independent, free, and well-equipped to deal with matters like casino disputes. 

Resolver offers logical guidance about the process of lodging a complaint, and it’s helped many casino players in the past. You can make a claim or get some help on the Resolver website. 

5: Consider alternative dispute resolution

If your Resolver complaint hasn’t produced a satisfactory outcome, the next step is to contact an alternative dispute resolution (ADR) service.

An ADR is a third-party organisation. These are external and independent, and they have to be recognised and approved by official bodies. A casino with a UKGC licence must be registered with at least one ADR.

Alternatively, if the matter is especially complex or high-value, instead of engaging an ADR service you could consider legal proceedings (keep reading for more on this). 

In most cases, an ADR should be the right choice. An ADR will mediate, present your evidence, and essentially determine the outcome, which will be legally binding. Here are a selection of UKGC-approved ADR services:

• eCOGRA (eCommerce Online Gaming Regulation and Assurance) 
• ADR Group 
• Independent Betting Adjudication Service (IBAS) 
• Centre for Effective Dispute Resolution (CEDR) 

6: Consider legal action

As a last resort, if the above steps and organisations haven’t helped, or if you’re not satisfied by the ADR’s conclusion, you can consider legal proceedings. 

Please note that the steps outlined above are designed to resolve issues before they reach the point where you need to consider going to court. Legal cases can be costly for all concerned in terms of both time and money, not to mention being psychologically and emotionally draining. 

There have been some big cases that have even gone to High Court, and sometimes the casino has been forced to pay out, but these are few and far between. Don’t assume that a court case will necessarily go your way. That said, if you feel that justice hasn’t been done, it’s the next logical step.

Not licensed by the Gambling Commission?

A UKGC-licensed casino is subject to British laws, but there are sites that operate in the grey and black markets and aren’t answerable to the same organisations and legislations.

It’s a bad idea to play at these casinos in the first place. There are countless stories of players having funds withheld and their data stolen. This happens commonly. 

If you have a dispute with a non-UKGC casino, the UK system won’t be of much help. However, the same kind of process applies:

• Contact the casino
• Escalate with the casino if necessary
• Look into consumer protection law in the territory where the casino is registered, as well as where the licence comes from (not always the same thing)
• Explore the equivalent of ADR providers in the country where the casino is based
• Contact the authority that regulates gambling in the country where the casino is based

Regulators outside the UK aren’t as strict or exacting as the Gambling Commission. Be prepared for a long, arduous and ultimately probably unsuccessful journey. 

There’s a reason we only recommend Gambling Commission-licensed sites. 

Summing up

Players with legitimate complaints stand a good chance of getting a resolution if the casino is licensed by the UKGC. 

• Before you begin ensure you have a strong argument without any holes in your case
• Then gather your evidence and follow the procedure we have outlined above
• And remember that, as far as possible, it’s always best to avoid legal proceedings

Most casinos know the importance of customer service, and most disputes are resolved quickly and sensibly. The many helpful organisations that are available are a testament to the British gambling industry, which is undoubtedly one of the most player-friendly in the world.

At No Wagering we only ever recommend UKGC-licensed casinos, and we advocate making use of the responsible gambling tools that these sites make available.