UK complaints and ADR rules

UK complaints and ADR rules in brief

If a bonus goes wrong, say your spins never arrived, a deposit match vanished, or winnings were voided for breaking a term you didn't know about, the rules give you a clear route. It has two stages: the casino's own process, then an independent adjudicator. Both are free.

These rules come from the Gambling Commission's Licence Conditions and Codes of Practice, which has a whole section on complaints and disputes, and from consumer law on alternative dispute resolution. They apply to every operator licensed in Great Britain, which includes all five of our partner casinos. The Commission's consumer guide on how to complain (opens in a new tab) sets out the same sequence.

This page covers the rules themselves. If you want a practical walkthrough for a specific dispute, our guide on how to complain about a bonus has template wording, and where to complain about a casino answers the quick version.

Who handles a casino complaint in the UK

A lot of frustration comes from writing to the wrong body. This table shows who does what.

The Commission's guide to complaining about a gambling business (opens in a new tab) is explicit that it won't take up your individual case. It does use reports from players to spot patterns, and its enforcement work is what gives the process teeth: our page on operator fines for bonus failings shows what happens when licensees get terms wrong.

Stage one: the casino's own complaints procedure

Every licensee must have a complaints procedure that is published and easy to find, usually in the help centre or the terms. It should explain how to complain, what happens next and who the casino's ADR provider is. Live chat is fine for a quick fix, but if the first agent can't help, ask for the matter to be logged as a formal complaint and for a reference number.

For bonus problems, the most useful thing you can send is evidence: the promotion page or terms as they were when you opted in, the time and amount of your deposit, the payment method, and screenshots of your bonus balance. Many disputes turn on a detail such as an excluded payment method or a maximum bet, so quote the exact clause the casino is relying on and say why you think it doesn't apply, or why it wasn't clear.

The eight-week rule and the casino's final response

The casino has eight weeks from receiving your complaint to resolve it. If it hasn't done so by then, it must offer to refer you to ADR. In practice most bonus complaints are answered far sooner, often within days, but the eight-week ceiling stops a dispute being parked indefinitely.

When the casino has finished looking at your complaint it gives a final response. Some operators call this a deadlock letter. It should say that the internal process is over and name the ADR provider you can go to next. Keep it; the ADR provider will ask for it, and the 12-month clock for taking your case further runs from that response.

If you receive a final response that doesn't name an ADR provider, ask for it in writing. Every licensee has to have one.

How ADR works for UK casino disputes

Alternative dispute resolution is an independent review by a provider approved to hear gambling disputes. It's free for players and designed to be quicker and cheaper than court. The Commission's page on taking your complaint to an ADR provider (opens in a new tab) describes the process and was last updated in May 2026, when some content was removed ahead of changes to the ADR regime.

1. Finish the casino's own complaints procedure, or wait eight weeks if it hasn't replied.
2. Find the ADR provider named in the casino's final response or terms.
3. Submit the dispute within the provider's time limit, which must be at least 12 months from the casino's final response.
4. Send the evidence: your complaint, the casino's replies, the bonus terms and screenshots.
5. The provider reviews both sides and issues a decision.
6. If you don't accept the outcome, you can still consider other routes, such as court, since ADR doesn't remove your legal rights.

Providers can refuse a dispute if the casino's process hasn't been completed or if it falls outside their remit, for example a self-exclusion issue that is really a regulatory matter.

Approved ADR providers for gambling disputes

The Commission keeps a list of approved ADR providers (opens in a new tab). At our last check it named the following. The list can change, so confirm it before you file.

You don't choose the provider: you use the one your casino has signed up to. Each casino should name its provider in its complaints procedure; check the complaints section of the terms or help centre, as we haven't confirmed which provider each of our partners currently uses.

IBAS and bonus disputes

IBAS is the best-known gambling ADR service. It's free for consumers, and companies registered with it agree to be bound by its decisions up to £10,000. Its guide on how to raise a dispute with IBAS (opens in a new tab) stresses that you must have tried to settle the matter with the operator first. Our IBAS glossary entry and ADR definition cover the terminology.

Figures the Commission published for October 2019 to September 2020 give a sense of scale. IBAS received 4,475 disputes, with an average resolution time of 45 days. Disputes about bonus or promotional offer terms made up 8.2% of the total. Nearly 44% of cases were refused, most often because they were regulatory matters such as self-exclusion or because the operator's complaints process hadn't been completed. That last reason is worth noting: going to ADR too early is one of the commonest reasons a case goes nowhere. The data is several years old, so treat the percentages as a rough guide.

Common bonus complaints and the rules that apply

Most bonus disputes fall into a handful of patterns. Knowing which rule is relevant makes your complaint sharper.

Background on each: what happens if a casino changes bonus terms, can a casino void my winnings, irregular play and the CMA bonus principles.

The DMCC Act 2024 and changes to UK ADR rules

The ADR system for gambling is changing. The Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 creates a new accreditation regime for consumer ADR providers. In its December 2025 consultation response (opens in a new tab), the Commission confirmed it would amend the LCCP so that ADR refers to providers accredited by the Secretary of State under that Act. The change was expected around spring 2026 but depended on the new regime starting, and we couldn't confirm a commencement date.

For you, the practical steps are unlikely to change: complain to the casino, wait for the final response or eight weeks, then go to the named provider. Check the provider named in the casino's terms at the time you complain, since names on the approved list may shift during the transition.

What UK complaints and ADR rules don't cover

• Unlicensed casinos. Sites without a Commission licence aren't bound by any of this and won't have an approved ADR provider. Our guide to offshore casino bonus risks explains the gap.
• Northern Ireland. Commission protections apply to Great Britain; don't assume the same route exists for a Northern Ireland account.
• Disagreeing with a game result. ADR looks at whether the casino followed its terms and the rules, not at whether a slot 'should' have paid more. Results come from certified random number generators.
• Adverts. Misleading bonus ads go to the Advertising Standards Authority, not ADR; see significant conditions in ads.
• Harm-related account action. If a casino restricts bonuses because of signs of harm, that's a regulatory duty rather than a contract dispute.

Complaints, ADR and our partner casinos

All five of our partners are licensed in Great Britain, so each must run a published complaints procedure and use an approved ADR provider. Simple terms also mean fewer disputes. Coral's offer is the most straightforward of the three below: 18+, new players, deposit (certain types excluded) and bet £10 or more on slots to get 100 free spins at 10p each on selected games, accepted within 48 hours and valid for 7 days, with no wagering on winnings. Neteller, PayPal, Paysafe, Skrill, prepaid cards and certain debit cards don't qualify, which is the clause most likely to cause a complaint if missed.

Ladbrokes gives new customers aged 18+ who deposit and spend £10 on slots 50 free spins a day for 10 days (up to 500 at 10p each, no wagering); claim each batch by 23:59 and use it within 7 days. Prepaid cards, PayPal, Paysafe, Neteller, Skrill and Moneybookers deposits don't qualify. PlayOJO gives new UK customers, excluding Northern Ireland, 80 no-wagering spins on Big Bass Bonanza at 10p each after a first deposit of at least £10, available only through the designated offer link. Terms apply to all offers; keep a copy of the terms when you opt in. Our casino bonuses hub and UK casino bonus rules section have more.

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.