Casino complaints and ADR

How casino complaints and ADR work in the UK

Every casino licensed by the Gambling Commission must have a complaints procedure and should name its alternative dispute resolution (ADR) provider. That gives you a clear path when something goes wrong: a withdrawal held up, winnings voided, a bonus term applied in a way you didn't expect, or an account closed without explanation.

The path has two stages. You complain to the casino. If it fails to settle the matter within eight weeks, or sends a final response you don't accept, you take it to the named ADR provider, which looks at both sides and reaches an independent decision. The Commission's guide on how to complain (opens in a new tab) sets out this order, and ADR providers will usually turn a case away if you skip stage one.

This page covers the rules behind each stage. For a practical walk-through with template wording, see our guide to complaining to a casino, and for the wider regulatory picture, start at our UK rules hub.

Stage one: making a complaint to the casino

Most disputes are settled here, often in the first reply. A clear, factual complaint gets further than an angry one, because the person reading it has to match your account to their records and their terms.

1. Find the casino's complaints procedure, usually linked in the footer, help centre or terms and conditions.
2. Write to the address or form it names, and state clearly that this is a formal complaint.
3. Give your username, the date and time of the events, the amounts involved and the game or offer concerned.
4. Say what outcome you want: money released, a bonus restored, an explanation, an account reopened.
5. Attach screenshots, emails and chat transcripts, and keep copies of everything you send.
6. Note the date the casino received the complaint; the eight-week clock runs from there.
7. If you get a final response you disagree with, or eight weeks pass, move to ADR using the provider the casino names.

The eight-week rule and deadlock letters

The casino has eight weeks from receiving your complaint to resolve it. If it hasn't, it must offer you referral to its ADR provider. Some casinos close the internal stage sooner by issuing a final response, sometimes called a deadlock letter, which says they won't change their position and tells you which ADR provider to approach.

A deadlock letter is helpful rather than final. It confirms you have finished stage one, so the ADR provider can take your case straight away. It also starts the clock on how long you have to go to ADR. Providers can refuse disputes brought too late, but they must allow at least 12 months from the casino's final response.

Keep the final response somewhere safe. ADR providers commonly ask for it, and it fixes the date your 12-month window starts.

What casino ADR is, and what it costs you

Alternative dispute resolution is an independent review by a body that is neither the casino nor a court. It is free to you, and you can only use it once the casino's own process has run. The Commission's page on taking a complaint to an ADR provider (opens in a new tab) explains this and was updated on 15 May 2026, when some ADR information was removed because of changes under the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024.

ADR suits the disputes casinos most often face: whether a term was applied correctly, whether a game result was settled properly, or whether an account restriction was justified. It is not a route for asking a casino to refund money simply because you lost. Every game has a house edge, and losing within the rules is not a dispute.

Approved casino ADR providers

The Commission keeps a list of approved ADR providers (opens in a new tab). Each casino picks one and should tell you which in its terms or final response. You use the one your casino names, not one of your choosing.

The list may change as ADR moves to accreditation under the DMCC Act. Check the casino's terms for its current provider before you file.

IBAS: decisions up to £10,000 and what disputes look like

The Independent Betting Adjudication Service (IBAS) is one of the best-known providers. It is free for consumers, and companies registered with it agree to be bound by its decisions up to £10,000. Its own page on how to raise a dispute (opens in a new tab) lists what to send.

Figures IBAS supplied to the Commission for October 2019 to September 2020, published on 21 October 2021, give a sense of what reaches ADR. They are dated, but they show the patterns.

Of the refused cases, 30.8% were turned away because the operator's own complaints process hadn't finished. That is the single most avoidable reason to lose time: finish stage one first.

Which casino complaints tend to have strong grounds

The rules give players solid footing in several areas, especially where a casino relies on vague or discretionary terms.

• Unclear terms. Under the Consumer Rights Act 2015, an unfair term isn't binding on you, and where a term could mean two things, the meaning most favourable to the consumer wins.
• Undefined banned play. Commission guidance says terms must clearly specify every prohibited type or pattern of play, and casinos must not keep sole discretion to decide what breaks them. If winnings are taken, you must get a full explanation of the breach.
• Late ID demands. A casino can't make ID a condition of withdrawal if it could have asked earlier, unless the law requires it at that point. Our page on ID checks for withdrawals has more.
• Confiscation and caps. Deposited money you haven't staked stays yours, and casinos must not cap withdrawals from your deposit balance.
• Cancelled withdrawals. Casinos must not offer to reverse a withdrawal once requested; see pending withdrawals.

Enforcement backs this up. In July 2025 Taichi Tech (Fafabet) was fined £170,000, partly for a term letting it close accounts or forfeit winnings at its discretion.

A worked example

Say you deposit £20, claim a bonus, and win £300. The casino voids the £300 for ‘irregular play’ without saying what you did. A strong complaint asks which clause defines the prohibited play, how your bets breached it, and points out that the guidance requires a full explanation. If the term is vague, consumer law reads it your way. If the clause is clear and you did break it, for example a stated maximum bet per spin, the casino is on firmer ground; our page on what happens if you break the max bet rule covers that case.

What the Gambling Commission won't do, and where else to go

The Commission does not resolve individual complaints or order a casino to pay you. You can still tell it about an operator you think is breaking the rules, but reporting a concern is a separate step from settling your own dispute.

For data problems, the ICO's complaint service (opens in a new tab) is the right body. Our page on gambling advertising rules explains how ad complaints work. If the dispute is about how a casino treated signs of harm, the customer interaction rules set out what it should have done.

The DMCC Act and changes to casino ADR

The Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 is changing how ADR is approved across consumer markets. The Commission's consultation response on DMCC-related LCCP changes (opens in a new tab) says the LCCP is being amended so that ADR refers to providers accredited by the Secretary of State under the Act. That was expected in spring 2026, dependent on commencement.

We could not confirm whether the new accreditation regime had started by October 2026. For players the practical steps stay the same: complain to the casino, wait for a final response or eight weeks, then go to the provider it names. The DMCC Act's unfair commercial practices provisions, in force since 6 April 2025, also now apply to how casinos deal with consumers.

Timeline of UK casino complaints and ADR rules

Complaints and our partner casinos

Each partner below is licensed by the Commission, so each must run a complaints procedure and name an ADR provider; check its terms for the current one, as we haven't listed them. The welcome offers are slot offers, and bonus terms are a common source of disputes, so read them before you opt in. 18+ and terms apply.

• Coral (LC International Limited, 54743): for new players between 1 October 2026 and 1 February 2027, deposit and bet £10+ on slots for 100 free spins on selected games, 10p each. Accept within 48 hours; spins valid 7 days; no wagering on winnings. Neteller, PayPal, Paysafe, Skrill, prepaid cards and certain debit cards don't qualify.
• PlayOJO (Skill On Net Limited, 39326): new UK customers, excluding Northern Ireland, get 80 free spins on Big Bass Bonanza at 10p each with a first deposit of £10 or more. No wagering, winnings paid in cash, not combinable, designated link only.
• Ladbrokes (LC International Limited, 54743): new customers who deposit and spend £10+ on slots receive 50 free spins daily for 10 days, up to 500, at 10p each on selected games; claim before 23:59 each day, valid 7 days, no wagering. Prepaid cards, PayPal, Paysafe, Neteller, Skrill and Moneybookers deposits don't qualify.

Coral and Ladbrokes share an operator, so new accounts at both may not be allowed. Our Ladbrokes casino review covers its withdrawals and support.

18+. Every casino game has a built-in house edge, so over time you should expect to lose what you stake. Set a budget before you play and stop when it’s gone: safer gambling tools and support. Free, confidential help: National Gambling Helpline 0808 8020 133.