What to Do When a Casino Refuses to Pay Out
Online casinos licensed by the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) must adhere to strict regulations, ensuring that they pay out your winnings. If a casino delays or refuses your payouts, there are steps you can take, the most important of which is to seek an Alternative Dispute Resolution. In this article I will show you how you can defend your rights.
Steps to take when your casino pay out is refused
Can a Casino Refuse to Pay Out?
I am often asked this question. Well, the quick answer is yes, they can. There are some valid reasons why a casino might refuse your payout requests or delay withdrawal payments.
These can include identification verification issues and suspicious activity or account irregularities. Another common reason may be that you haven’t met the bonus wagering requirements.
Steps to Take if a Casino Refuses to Pay Out
Should you encounter the unfortunate situation, whereby a withdrawal request is delayed or refused without a valid reason, don’t stress or panic. Keep calm and carefully follow these steps:
- Contact the Casino’s Customer Support: Begin by reaching out to the casino’s support team. Explain your issue, provide any requested documentation, and ask for clear reasons why your payout is being withheld. Often, simple verification issues can be resolved at this stage.
- Review Terms and Conditions: Double-check the casino’s terms and conditions, especially regarding withdrawals, bonuses, and wagering requirements. Ensure you haven’t unintentionally breached any rules. Ask customer support for clarification if there’s anything you don’t understand.
- Submit a Formal Complaint to the Casino: If you don’t get a satisfactory response, file a formal complaint with the casino. Casinos licensed by the UKGC are required to provide a transparent complaints procedure. They should also confirm the receipt of your complaint and provide a timeline for resolving the issue.
- Escalate to Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR): If the casino’s response is unsatisfactory, you can escalate your complaint to an independent ADR provider. UK-licensed casinos must partner with approved ADR bodies, such as eCOGRA or IBAS, and Resolver. These organisations offer impartial mediation services and can investigate your case.
- Report to the UK Gambling Commission: Although the UKGC does not handle individual disputes, reporting the casino to the Commission helps them monitor the operator’s behaviour, which may lead to broader investigations into non-compliant practices.
In addition, consulting with Citizen’s Advice in the UK can also be useful. They provide general legal advice on gambling disputes and consumer rights and can be reached via their website or their national phone line for England and Wales.
Reaching a Satisfactory Conclusion
Thankfully, in the vast majority of cases, withdrawal delays and refusals can be resolved quickly via customer support at online casinos. In my experience, the issue is usually the need for additional KYC verification.
Should an online casino refuse to pay out or address your issue in a satisfactory manner, you do have support from ADR bodies and can elevate your complaint. Likewise, you can also keep the UKGC in the loop, should you feel that a casino site has breached compliance requirements.
