How do I report an unfair bonus?

How do I report an unfair bonus? The short route

The route has a fixed order, and skipping a step usually means your case is turned away. You complain to the casino; the casino has up to 8 weeks to deal with it; if you’re still unhappy, you go to the independent alternative dispute resolution (ADR) provider the casino names. Separately, if the problem is an advert, the Advertising Standards Authority can act, and if you think the casino broke its licence, you can tell the Gambling Commission.

This page explains each step, what counts as unfair, and what evidence to collect. It is part of our casino bonus questions; our complaints and ADR rules page covers the regulations in detail.

What makes a bonus unfair under UK rules

Not every disappointing bonus is unfair. Losing a bonus during wagering, or a max-bet rule you agreed to, is the deal working as written. A bonus or the way it’s handled may be unfair if it breaks consumer law or Commission guidance. The Commission’s guide to fair and transparent terms (opens in a new tab) and the Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 62 (opens in a new tab) set the standards.

If you’re unsure, our pages on what happens if you break bonus terms and unfair terms under the Consumer Rights Act help you judge.

Gather your evidence before you report an unfair bonus

• Screenshots of the offer page and full terms as they were when you opted in (note the date).
• Your account transaction and bonus history: deposits, bonus credit, wagering progress, balance changes.
• Game history for the sessions in question, if the casino says you broke a rule.
• All emails and chat transcripts with support, with dates and reference numbers.
• The casino’s written reason for voiding, removing or withholding anything.

Step by step: how to report an unfair bonus

1. Contact support, explain the issue briefly and ask them to fix it. Many problems end here.
2. If not, ask to make a formal complaint under the casino’s published complaints procedure and get a reference number.
3. Set out what happened, the term involved, why you think it’s unfair, and what you want (for example, winnings reinstated).
4. Wait for the final response. The casino has 8 weeks from receiving the complaint.
5. If unresolved after 8 weeks, or you disagree with the final response, ask which ADR provider the casino uses (it must tell you).
6. Submit your dispute to that ADR provider with your evidence. It is free.
7. If the advert itself was misleading, report it to the ASA as well.

The Commission’s own page on how to complain (opens in a new tab) sets out the same order. For contacting support in the first place, see how to contact support about a bonus.

Taking an unfair bonus complaint to ADR

ADR providers are independent and free for players. The Commission’s list of approved providers has included IBAS, eCOGRA, Pegasus ADR, CEDR, ADR Group, ProMediate, Blexr and the Tattersalls Committee; the list may change as new accreditation under the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 comes in, so use the provider your casino names. Providers must accept disputes for at least 12 months after the casino’s final response.

IBAS’s guide to raising a dispute (opens in a new tab) explains its process. IBAS says registered operators agree to be bound by its decisions up to £10,000. In the Commission’s 2019–20 data, disputes over bonus or promotional terms made up 8.2% of cases IBAS handled, and a common reason for refusal was that the operator’s own complaints process hadn’t been completed. Read more under IBAS.

Reporting an unfair bonus to the Gambling Commission

The Commission does not resolve individual complaints, but it wants to hear about possible licence breaches, and reports help it spot patterns. Its enforcement can be significant: in July 2025 it fined Taichi Tech £170,000, partly over a term letting it close accounts or forfeit winnings at its discretion. See Gambling Commission enforcement on promotions for more cases.

Reporting a misleading bonus advert to the ASA

If an advert, email or affiliate page left out a significant condition – a deposit requirement, excluded payment method, wagering or a time limit – the ASA can rule on it. Its guidance on promotional terms and significant conditions (opens in a new tab) explains what must be shown up front. The ASA has upheld complaints where an excluded payment method sat only in small print. It won’t get your money back, but it can stop the ad. Our page on ASA rulings on casino bonuses summarises examples.

What to write in an unfair bonus complaint

Keep it factual and short. A structure that works:

1. Your account username and the date of the problem.
2. The offer name and the date you opted in.
3. What happened, in order, with amounts.
4. The exact term the casino relied on, and why you think it doesn’t apply or is unfair.
5. What you want the casino to do.
6. A request for a final response and the name of its ADR provider.

Stay calm and stick to evidence. Never try to get round terms by opening another account or using someone else’s details; that breaks the rules and can lose you any claim.

Complaints at our partner casinos and their offers

Each partner publishes its own complaints process; see Coral bonus complaints, Ladbrokes bonus complaints and PlayOJO bonus complaints. Coral and Ladbrokes are both run by LC International Limited (UKGC account 54743), PlayOJO by Skill On Net Limited (39326). Their current offers are 18+, new customers only, and terms apply:

• Coral: bet £10 on slots to get 100 free spins at 10p on selected games, no wagering on winnings; accept within 48 hours, valid 7 days. Neteller, PayPal, Paysafe, Skrill, prepaid cards and certain debit cards don’t qualify.
• Ladbrokes: play £10 on slots to get 50 free spins a day for 10 days (up to 500 at 10p), no wagering; claim before 23:59 daily, valid 7 days. Prepaid cards, PayPal, Paysafe, Neteller, Skrill and Moneybookers don’t qualify.
• PlayOJO: 80 free spins at 10p on Big Bass Bonanza on a first deposit of £10+, winnings paid as cash; excludes Northern Ireland and can’t be combined with other offers.

Reading these conditions before you deposit – especially the payment exclusions – avoids the most common disputes.

18+. Gambling should be entertainment that costs money, not a way to make it. Decide a budget before you play: set a budget. Free, confidential help: National Gambling Helpline 0808 8020 133.