Where to complain about a casino

Where to complain about a casino: the order that works

UK gambling complaints follow a fixed ladder, and skipping a rung usually means being sent back to the bottom. The casino gets the first chance to put things right. If it does not, an independent ADR service looks at the evidence from both sides. Separate bodies handle advertising and regulatory breaches. The Gambling Commission’s complaints hub (opens in a new tab) sets out the same order.

Step one: complain to the casino

Every casino licensed for Great Britain must publish a complaints procedure, usually linked from the footer or help centre. The Commission’s step-by-step guide on how to complain (opens in a new tab) says the business has 8 weeks from receiving your complaint to resolve it. Live chat is fine for a first attempt, but put a formal complaint in writing so there is a clear start date.

1. Find the casino’s complaints procedure in its terms or help centre and follow the method it names.
2. State the problem in one or two sentences: what happened, when, and the amount involved.
3. Quote the bonus term you think applies, word for word, and say what you want: the bonus restored, winnings paid or an explanation.
4. Attach evidence: screenshots of the offer page, cashier history, chat transcripts and emails.
5. Note the date you sent it and any reference number you are given.
6. If 8 weeks pass without a resolution, or you receive a final response you disagree with, move to ADR.

Step two: take it to an ADR provider

Alternative dispute resolution is the independent stage. It is free for players and only starts once the casino’s own process has finished. The casino should tell you which ADR provider it uses, often in a final “deadlock” letter. The Commission’s ADR guide (opens in a new tab) explains when you can refer a dispute, and providers must accept disputes for at least 12 months after the casino’s final response.

The best-known provider is IBAS. Its guide to raising a dispute (opens in a new tab) asks you to finish the operator’s process first, and companies registered with IBAS agree to be bound by its decisions up to £10,000. Our walkthrough on escalating a bonus complaint to IBAS covers the forms and evidence.

The ADR system is changing: the Commission is amending its licence conditions so that ADR refers to providers accredited by the Secretary of State under the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024. Check the current list of approved ADR providers (opens in a new tab) before you file.

Can you complain to the Gambling Commission?

You can tell the Gambling Commission about a casino, but it will not settle your personal dispute or order a refund. Its role is to grant licences to operators and regulate them; what you report helps it decide where to investigate. That makes it the right place for patterns, such as a casino that repeatedly hides significant terms or ignores self-exclusion, and the wrong place for getting a single bonus restored.

When the Commission does act, the results appear as fines and settlements. Our page on Commission enforcement on promotions lists cases where bonus failings were part of the picture, and our guide to how UKGC fines relate to bonuses explains what a settlement means for players.

Where to complain about a casino advert

If the problem is the advert rather than your account, the Advertising Standards Authority is the right body. It enforces the CAP Code, which requires significant conditions such as deposit, wagering and payment exclusions to appear in the advert itself. A bonus advert that calls something free without stating the deposit, or buries an excluded payment method in small print, can be reported to the ASA. Our pages on significant conditions in adverts and the word free in gambling ads set out what the rules require.

Complaints about casino bonuses: what usually goes wrong

Bonus disputes are a steady share of ADR work. Commission data for October 2019 to September 2020 showed that 8.2% of the 4,475 disputes IBAS handled concerned bonus or promotional offer terms. The common triggers are familiar: a maximum bet breached while a bonus was active, a deposit made with an excluded payment method, play on a game outside the offer, and an expiry deadline missed. Our guide to bonus mistakes covers each one.

The rules give you solid ground in several of these. Under the Commission’s guidance, casinos must clearly specify prohibited play in advance and must not reserve sole discretion to decide what counts as a breach. You must also be able to withdraw your own deposit balance while a bonus is active. Our pages on whether a casino can void winnings and unfair bonus terms show how to use those points in a complaint.

A worked example of a bonus complaint

Imagine a player takes a 50% match: £200 deposited, £100 bonus, 10x wagering of £1,000 within 7 days and a £5 maximum bet. On day 3 they place one £6 spin, and the casino later removes £140 of bonus winnings. The complaint should quote the £5 limit, ask the casino to confirm where that term was displayed, and request a full explanation of the breach. If the term was clearly shown, ADR is likely to side with the casino. If it was hidden or vague, the player has a real argument.

The cash part of the balance is a separate question. Money from the player’s own £200 deposit that was not used as stakes remains theirs under Commission guidance, whatever happens to the bonus. Our explainer on what happens to a bonus when you withdraw covers that split.

Complaining about an unlicensed casino

None of the routes above works for an unlicensed or offshore site. There is no Commission licence to report against, no ADR provider bound by UK rules and no UK regulator able to step in. That is the single strongest reason to check the register before you open an account; our guide to telling a licensed casino from an unlicensed one shows how. If you have already lost money to one, speak to your bank promptly and keep every record.

If the complaint is about gambling harm

A complaint about self-exclusion or a casino ignoring signs of harm is serious, and casinos must stop marketing and new bonuses for customers showing strong signs of harm. Raise it with the casino and its ADR provider, and get support at the same time. The National Gambling Helpline, run by GamCare (opens in a new tab), is free on 0808 8020 133, 24 hours a day. Our responsible gambling page lists more help, including GAMSTOP and NHS clinics.

Complaints routes at our partner casinos

All of our partners hold Gambling Commission licences, so the full ladder applies: Coral and Ladbrokes through LC International Limited (account 54743), PlayOJO through Skill On Net Limited (39326), Casumo through Recro Limited (61549) and 10bet through Blue Star Planet Limited (43173). Each brand’s complaints page on this site, such as Coral complaints and PlayOJO complaints, shows the contact routes from published details. PlayOJO lists live chat and email but no phone line.

If you are choosing an offer, the spins deals below have simple terms that leave less room for disputes. Coral: bet £10 on slots, get 100 free spins at 10p, no wagering on winnings, 48 hours to accept and 7 days to use. Ladbrokes: spend £10 on slots for 50 spins a day over 10 days, up to 500 at 10p, no wagering. PlayOJO: 80 spins at 10p on Big Bass Bonanza with a £10+ first deposit, winnings paid in cash. All are 18+, new customers only, and terms apply, including payment exclusions. More answers sit on our questions hub.

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.