How to complain to a UK online casino

If something goes wrong with a UK-licensed casino — a withdrawal, a voided bet, a closed account, a bonus dispute — there is a set route. The Gambling Commission does not decide individual complaints, but it requires operators to handle them properly and to give you access to free, independent dispute resolution. This guide walks through each step, what to include, and what to expect.

Your rights: a bet is a contract

The Commission explains that when you place a bet with a licensed business, you enter a legally enforceable contract (opens in a new tab). The business must make the terms of the bet available to you, and must give you a way to complain. Because it is a contract, you have the right to take a gambling transaction to court if you think the outcome does not match the terms, but you should use the complaints procedure and ADR first.

The flip side is that there is no legal right to bet. A business can decide whom it accepts bets from and on what terms, and it can withdraw offers or refuse bets to manage its own risk.

Step 1: complain to the operator

Every licensed gambling business must publish its complaints procedure. Find it on the operator’s website (often under Help or Terms). Before you start, check the terms and conditions that apply to your account or the transaction in question.

The Commission lists common complaint topics, including whether you won, how much you were paid, how payments were handled, terms and conditions, bonus offers, ID verification, account closure, voided or cancelled bets, IT problems and customer service.

When you complain:

• include dates, times, amounts, your account number or username, and what you want to happen;
• attach any evidence, such as screenshots, emails or live chat transcripts;
• keep a copy of everything you send and receive.

You can also use Resolver, a free online tool, to prepare and send a complaint — though the Commission notes that Resolver is independent and not every operator accepts it.

Step 2: allow up to eight weeks

The operator has eight weeks from receiving your complaint to resolve it. When it finishes its investigation, it should tell you the outcome and what you can do if you are not satisfied, which may first be to ask someone more senior in the business to look again.

You may be sent a “deadlock letter”, which confirms the business can do no more and explains how to refer the dispute to ADR. If the operator offers part of what you are asking for, you do not necessarily have to choose between all or nothing. IBAS, one of the ADR providers, says you can collect an undisputed part of a payment and still pursue the rest, as long as you explain to the operator that you are collecting only the undisputed part and do not accept the outcome.

Step 3: take it to ADR

An alternative dispute resolution provider is a free, independent service. It looks at the information from you and the operator and decides whether it can consider your complaint. You must go through the operator’s own complaints procedure first, and the operator should tell you which ADR provider to use and how to contact it.

Several providers handle gambling disputes, including IBAS (the Independent Betting Adjudication Service), eCOGRA, ProMediate Gambling, ADR Group and the Tattersalls Committee. Each operator chooses which one it uses. For example, the terms of LeoVegas, BetUK, Pink Casino, Slot Boss and 21.co.uk all name IBAS (clause 21, read on 12 November 2026).

Since April 2026, the Chartered Trading Standards Institute (CTSI) (opens in a new tab) has been responsible for approving ADR providers in the gambling sector, under the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024. The Commission (opens in a new tab) remains the regulator of gambling operators. CTSI publishes a list of approved ADR bodies.

What ADR will not look at

The Commission says ADR providers will not take complaints about customer service, or about an operator refusing a bet or refusing to accept you as a customer. Providers can also turn a dispute down for other reasons. The Commission’s listing for IBAS, for example, includes: you have not tried to resolve it with the operator first, the complaint is frivolous or vexatious, another ADR provider is dealing or has dealt with it, the amount is outside the provider’s limits, or you have left it too long. Any time limit for coming to ADR cannot be less than 12 months from when the operator told you it could not resolve the complaint.

What happens at IBAS

As an example of how ADR works in practice, IBAS (opens in a new tab) says:

• its service is free to customers, and its panel decides on written submissions from both sides, with no hearings and no need for a lawyer;
• you register, complete a claim form online or by post, and set out what you did and when, what outcome you expected and why, what actually happened, the operator’s explanation and your contact since;
• a decision typically takes 8 to 10 weeks after a claim is submitted;
• it may not take a case if more than a year has passed since you last tried to resolve it, if it is too legal or technical, or if it involves a crime that needs the police.

If an ADR provider has not confirmed it has received your complaint, the Commission suggests checking your junk folder before contacting the provider.

Step 4: if you disagree with the outcome

The provider should tell you whether it has an appeals procedure, the grounds, and the time limits. At IBAS, for example, you must say you intend to appeal within 10 days (opens in a new tab) of the decision and submit the formal appeal within 20 days. Appeals are only considered if evidence was misunderstood or overlooked, and you get one appeal.

The Commission’s listing describes the outcome at IBAS as non-binding, and IBAS says you remain free to take the matter to court if you are unhappy. Some people then consider the small claims court; the Commission suggests getting independent legal advice first.

Other complaints

• A gambling advert — complain to the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA), which covers the whole UK. Unwanted marketing texts or emails are different: see how to stop gambling marketing.
• Your personal data — raise it with the operator first, then the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO). Our account guide explains how to ask for a copy of your data.
• An unlicensed site, or gambling while self-excluded — you can report it to the Gambling Commission. It cannot get your money back, but it uses the information to decide on regulatory action.
• A scam or fraud — this is a matter for the police, not ADR. See gambling scams and fraud.

Northern Ireland

The Gambling Commission says it has no role in resolving complaints about gambling transactions in Great Britain or Northern Ireland. Players in Northern Ireland should follow the operator’s complaints process and check whether ADR is available on its website.