This guide has everything you need to know for successfully raising a casino dispute. Read it carefully and see what steps you must follow!
Do you have an issue that needs to be solved with an online casino that has not been mediated internally? Then you must raise a casino dispute, a legal procedure that you need to engage in, to solve the problem.
Understand Casino Disputes and Why You Should Raise Them
A dispute is the main way to solve any type of issue with online casinos. To help you, we will outline the casino dispute process in this well-packed guide. This will help you understand these disputes better.
The online gambling industry is continuously changing its rules along the way. That’s why it is essential to have a third-party system that strives to solve all issues.
A complaint and a dispute are two different procedures.
When it comes to a complaint, a formal decision from the licensed company/service provider is necessary. On the other hand, such a formal decision is not necessary in the case of a dispute.
Because some issues can be really serious, UK gamblers must know exactly how to file a complaint against a gambling site. Here is what you need to do:
- What are the reasons that caused the issue?
This is a very simple way to check if you are dealing with a serious issue. We recommend you double-check all available features. Plus, you should also request clarifications from customer assistance regarding functionalities.
RECOMMENDATION
If the problem persists, then you must place a complaint against casino services.
- Have you read the terms and conditions carefully?
There are chances that your issue was caused by a stipulation mentioned in ’small print’. Therefore, you need to go through the T & C present on the site and check again. Yet, you should not take these for granted, as they can breach your rights as a UK player.
- Write your complaint
You should write your complaint carefully. Online casinos have various contact methods. So, contact the customer service as soon as possible. The best way to place your complaint is via email.
- Provide comprehensive data
This is important. For example, you could take screenshots of the gambling platform, keep the case ID, and maintain records of bank transactions.
KEEP IN MIND
By the United Kingdom's gambling regulations, a gambling site functioning in Great Britain has eight weeks to solve the complaint.
In case you are not satisfied with the result, then after eight weeks, you can take the complaint to an alternative dispute resolution provider.
Note that you must always go through the gambling business’ own complaints process before you are allowed to use ADR.
Continue reading to learn more about how we can help with casino disputes.
Here is how we can help you with casino disputes.
We want to help you. Yet, it is important to understand that we don’t directly solve disputes. What we do is offer you an in-depth guide that will guide you in the right direction when dealing with a casino dispute.
If choosing an ADR seems like a difficult job for you, then continue reading our guide and you will know exactly what choice is best for your needs.
Most Common Disputes with an Online Casino
The most common disputes with an online casino are related to:
- Payments method issues: It is important to understand that these issues include verification issues, declined payments, failed refunds, and delayed transactions. In some cases, they may also include withdrawal fees, extra deposits, and missing deposited sums.
- Promotions: Some gamblers deal with problems related to not receiving bonuses after depositing and even loss of promotions without a specific cause.
- Software: This type of issue is related to various aspects like glitches and funds that have gone missing without a specific reason.
- Profile: You can also place a dispute if you deal with any sort of difficulties when opening an account or ill-treatment and problems with the support staff.
If you ever deal with any of the above issues, we are here to tell you that you don’t have to worry as it can be solved. We will tell you the exact steps you need to follow to have it solved.
Therefore, let’s proceed to the next section where we are going to explain what are the necessary steps for solving a dispute.
Steps You Must Follow for Solving a Casino Dispute
Our main purpose is to create a relationship with our users based on trustiness. Hence, our experts do everything in their power to provide all the information you need to gamble safely. This is how this educational guide has been created. Each step has additional explanations which will come to your aide. So, let us be your guide.
Step 1: Figure out the root of your issue
It is very important to relax and see very clearly the broad image. By taking time to analyze the situation very well, you can set out the details of your issue, concisely. There are several questions you need to ask yourself:
- What did I do, when, and how did I do it?
- What did I expect the outcome to be?
- How did I interact with the casino operator?
All these questions will help you a lot understand better the issue you are dealing with. Therefore, you will know exactly if you breached unaware the imposed terms & conditions of that specific online casino.
Verify the terms & conditions
It is also very important to not forget to verify the terms & conditions. This way you can see if you have failed to respect the agreement as mentioned in the general terms & conditions.
Note that some gambling sites have their terms explained in a quite complicated manner. You need to be very careful when reading and interpreting them.
If you have already respected all conditions and you still need to raise a dispute, then you are going to have a strong case. You can contest every angle to support your arguments.
Know your rights
Yet, before actually escalating a complaint, you must be very well-informed regarding your rights and obligations.
Step 2: Give the online gambling site an ultimatum
So, you have already decided to take legal action. Yet, before you go any further, it is recommended to solve your issue with the casino operator.
Talk to the gaming operator about what went wrong. It is important to do this if you want to strengthen your argument and understand their point of view as well. Plus, you need to mention that you have all the records of the correspondence with them.
Yet, when you give an ultimatum, you must remain polite and calm at the same time. Listen to their side of the story as well before making your final decision. Let them show you evidence that justifies their action.
Step 3: Don’t hesitate to seek help from experts
If you have already completed Step 2, but you still believe that you need further guidance, then you must get in touch with experts.
If you want to find out what third parties can help you solve a dispute or escalate it, take a look at the next section.
IMPORTANT
The law enforces gambling sites to offer all gamblers at least one dispute resolution system. Note that it can take up to 90 days to solve such sensitive matters.
Where to Escalate the Complaint
ADR (Alternate Dispute Resolution) denotes accredited mediating bodies that can objectively assess a casino dispute. You must know that every online casino has an ADR agency it collaborates with.
You must place a dispute with casino services with this company first. Before contacting the ADR agency, you need to go through the internal gambling site dispute resolution procedure.
RECOMMENDATION
Your application must be placed in a timely manner. According to the law, ADR companies will ONLY consider disputes that occurred within six months.
| AGENCY | ROLE | CONTACT |
|---|---|---|
| ADR Agency | 020 7347 5883 | |
| ADR Agency | +44 20 7887 1480 | |
| ADR Agency | ||
| ADR Agency | ||
| ADR Agency | 0203 621 3908 | |
| ADR Agency | +44(0) 20 7730 6444 | |
| ADR Agency | ||
| Ad-Related Complaints | 020 7492 2222 | |
| Small Claims Court | Legal Mediator | |
| Legal Advice | 0800 144 8848 |
PLEASE NOTE
Most ADRs will ONLY take into consideration those applications related to gambling sites registered with the UKGC or MGA. Many of the ADR bodies are under the jurisdiction of the UKGC.
Reasons why you need to follow the casino’s dispute resolution procedure
- It is effective – A team of professionals will consider your application
- It considers less drastic cases – Lawyers may refuse a case that is related to a minor issue
- It is free – This option is part of the United Kingdom Gambling Commission's efforts to protect players. If you contact a lawyer specialized in this area, his services will come with fees.
More Useful Information about ADR Agencies
- ADR is a non-profit organization that offers excellent resources and services. It strives to provide accurate information, promote ideas, and maintain great professional standards. Professionally, it implements and administers dispute resolution strategies, programs, and processes.
- eCOGRA’s services are quite extensive as well as effective. This is one of the most renowned ADR agencies in the world.
- It is important to be aware that for Resolver, the UKGC cannot intervene. This can be a huge disadvantage since this organization is one of the most useful bodies for players’ rights.
- IBAS specializes in sports betting. If you deal with any sort of issue in this area, you can confidently contact this government-funded operation.
- BACTA represents in a super professional manner the interests of the UK’s amusements and high street gaming manufacturers & operators.
Learn How to Successfully Avoid Disputes when Gambling
Many online gambling disputes can be avoided if you follow our recommendations. Check the below information for gambling without any problem whatsoever.
Always play at trusted casinos
Even if it’s quite hard to believe, every gambling site that has been in the industry for a long time most probably has had some customer disputes. Yet, many of these disputes are from gamblers who are trying to scam the gambling site.
Plus, some players are trying to take advantage of a loophole. Even the most popular online casinos that provide excellent customer service can still have issues.
The main difference is that the most trusted gambling sites do really hard work to correct these issues fairly, while bad ones do not. Therefore, the question is – how can you find trusted online casinos?
Well, a great place to start is reading about the casinos listed on our site. It is also recommended to see how long the casino has been in the industry. Check out what country is licensed in, and what software the platform uses.
Look for favorable terms and conditions
Before you start gambling, it is essential that you carefully read the general terms and conditions. You must also do these before taking any bonus. The truth is that more than 90% of disputes could be avoided if gamblers just understood these documents.
Online casinos terms & conditions are created by lawyers who want to protect online gambling sites. This means that many of the issues that may come up are being covered.
Many of the casino disputes involve the terms & conditions that are being attached to the bonus. Gambling sites also feature T & C that covers just about everything that is not bonus-related.
REMEMBER
In some situations, you won’t be able to play certain games while clearing a bonus. These games could be craps, roulette, video poker, and blackjack. If you play any of these games, some gambling sites will forfeit your promotion.
Use the customer support service
This is a very important aspect to consider. Why? Well, let’s suppose you deal with a problem on a gambling site and you don’t have the necessary means to solve it. In a situation like this, the best thing to do is to contact the support staff.
Yet, why it is recommended to verify the support service before opening a casino account? For a better understanding, take a look at the following three reasons:
- You need to check if the support is available 24/7. If it’s not, then you will not be able to solve your issues when you need.
- Verify if the staff provides relevant and accurate solutions.
- Test the response time of their support. There are cases when their response time was rather long even though it was mentioned to be available 24/7.
Final thoughts
It is very important to know exactly what to do if you want to escalate a dispute, or how to avoid a situation like this. For this reason, we have created this easy-to-understand guide.
We must emphasize once again that the best thing you can do is to always be prepared and well-informed before making a move. Taking time to read the terms & conditions and also finding the best gambling site will help you avoid just about every complaint that can come up.