Complain to the casino first, with evidence. If that fails, many licences provide an independent dispute body (ADR). Regulators are mostly for reports that a casino broke the rules, not for getting your money back: the UK Gambling Commission says it does not decide complaints about gambling-related transactions, and the Curaçao Gaming Authority says it does not mediate in individual disputes. This guide gives the order, what each body says about its own role in its own words, and the route for each of the 15 casinos we profile. It is not legal advice.
The order that works for most complaints
- The casino’s complaint process. Use the written complaint route in the terms and tell the casino everything: dates, times, amounts and evidence. The UK Gambling Commission says the business “has 8 weeks to resolve your complaint from when they receive it”; Anjouan Gaming says operators must make every reasonable effort to resolve complaints within 30 days.
- ADR, once the casino has answered or the time is up. The casino’s terms name the body. You normally cannot skip step 1.
- The regulator, for rule-breaking. Use it to report unlawful or unfair conduct, not as a court. See the table below for what each says.
- A court or consumer advice. The UK Gambling Commission notes a small claims route and adds that you “should seek your own independent legal advice before making that decision”.
What an ADR body will and will not take
- The UK Gambling Commission says an ADR provider “will not accept complaints regarding a customer service issue, the refusal to accept a bet or your custom”.
- eCOGRA says the fairness of games “is considered a regulatory issue” and should be raised with the regulator, and that you must first use the operator’s complaints procedure, which operators must finish within a maximum of eight weeks.
- Anjouan Gaming states that the cost of ADR proceedings is borne by the licensed operator, and lists the approved providers: EGIS ADR, Axion ADR, iGaming ADR and CADRE B.V.
What each body says about its own role
Quotes are taken word for word from the page linked in the last column, on the capture date shown.
| Body | Role in short | What its page says | Source · captured |
|---|---|---|---|
| UK Gambling Commission | Does not decide individual complaints | We do not resolve or make decisions on complaints regarding gambling-related transactions. | Page 14 Oct 2026 |
| UK Gambling Commission – how to complain | Operator first, then ADR | The gambling business has 8 weeks to resolve your complaint from when they receive it. You cannot take your complaint to an ADR without first going through the gambling business's complaint process. | Page 14 Oct 2026 |
| UK Gambling Commission – ADR | ADR scope and next step | An ADR provider is a free, independent service. An ADR provider will not accept complaints regarding a customer service issue, the refusal to accept a bet or your custom. you may decide to take your case to the small claims court. However, you should seek your own independent legal advice before making that decision. | Page 14 Oct 2026 |
| Malta Gaming Authority – lodge a complaint | Complaint form; operator first | The below form is the formal channel enabling players to lodge a complaint against MGA-licensed operators. It is strongly recommended that you actively seek to resolve your dispute directly with the operator’s support and management prior to lodging your complaint with the Malta Gaming Authority. | Page 14 Oct 2026 |
| Malta Gaming Authority – ADR directive (3 Dec 2018) | Disputes go to the ADR entity; complaints about compliance to the MGA | will no longer be delving into the merits of a dispute between a player and a B2C licensee, since this function is reserved for the relevant ADR entity. Complaints are understood to be a report by any individual that any aspect of the provision of the gaming service by an MGA licensee is unlawful, or conducted in a manner which is not safe, fair, or transparent. | Page 14 Oct 2026 |
| Curaçao Gaming Authority – Player Complaints Policy Guidelines v1.1 (June 2025) | Does not mediate individual disputes; operators must offer free ADR | While the CGA does not mediate in individual disputes it will use the information to support its supervisory and enforcement actions. If a complaint cannot be resolved internally, players are entitled to escalate the matter to an independent ADR provider, free of charge. For avoidance of doubt, the operator will bear all costs of the ADR process. Players may lodge a complaint free of charge at any time up to six months of the settlement of the bet or the incident about which they are making a complaint. The operator will assess and respond to complaints within four weeks. the operator must not restrict the player’s ability to contact the CGA directly with regard to matters including but not limited to malpractice, breach of license conditions or whistleblowing. | Page 14 Oct 2026 |
| Gibraltar Gambling Division | Accepts complaints only after the operator procedure is exhausted | We are unable to accept your complaint unless; You can show you have grounds to complain (e.g., there has been a breach of regulations or terms and conditions); Your complaint concerns gambling undertaken through a Gibraltar remote gambling licence holder ; You have used and exhausted the operator's own complaints procedure; They do not supersede or over-ride the agreed terms and conditions of each operator. | Page 7 Oct 2026 |
| Anjouan Gaming Authority – ADR providers | Operator first (30 days), then an approved ADR provider | Players must first submit their complaint directly to the licensed operator via the operator’s license validator page and allow the operator’s internal complaints procedure to run its course. Operators are required to make every reasonable effort to resolve complaints within the prescribed timeframe of 30 days. The cost of such ADR proceedings shall be borne by the licensed operator, in accordance with Anjouan Gaming requirements. The following providers are currently approved by the Authority to handle disputes between players and licensed operators. Select a provider below for contact details and further information. Provider EGIS ADR Axion ADR iGaming ADR CADRE B.V. | Page 7 Oct 2026 |
| eCOGRA – ADR service | ADR for disputes about transactions and terms | Gambling operators are required as a condition of their licence to resolve the complaint, or agree that no resolution can be reached, within a maximum time of eight weeks from receiving the complaint. The fairness of games is considered a regulatory issue and does not fall within the remit of an ADR service provider and should therefore be raised as a complaint with the regulator. If you are not satisfied with the decision of an ADR provider, you have the option to refer the matter to a court | Page 14 Oct 2026 |
The route for each casino we profile
The regulator route comes from the licence finding on each profile; the ADR column shows what the casino’s own terms name (see governing law and arbitration in each casino’s terms). “Not found” means the stored terms did not name one.
| Casino | Licence finding | Regulator route (from the regulator’s own page) | ADR named in the terms |
|---|---|---|---|
| 888casino | Domain match not confirmed | Gibraltar Gambling Division: after the operator procedure is exhausted | not captured |
| BC.Game | Listed in issuer registry | Anjouan Gaming: operator first (30 days), then an approved ADR provider | not found in the stored terms |
| Betway | Confirmed in registry | Malta Gaming Authority: complaint form for compliance; disputes go to the ADR entity | eCOGRA |
| BitStarz | Confirmed in registry | Curaçao Gaming Authority: does not mediate individual disputes; operators must offer free ADR (its complaints policy) | not named (the terms mention a "designated gambling dispute resolution service") |
| Gamdom | Listed in issuer registry | Anjouan Gaming: operator first (30 days), then an approved ADR provider | not found in the stored terms |
| Guts | Confirmed in registry | Malta Gaming Authority: complaint form for compliance; disputes go to the ADR entity | eCOGRA |
| LeoVegas | Confirmed in registry | Malta Gaming Authority: complaint form for compliance; disputes go to the ADR entity | eCOGRA |
| mBit Casino | Confirmed in registry | Curaçao Gaming Authority: does not mediate individual disputes; operators must offer free ADR (its complaints policy) | not named |
| Mirax Casino | Confirmed in registry | Curaçao Gaming Authority: does not mediate individual disputes; operators must offer free ADR (its complaints policy) | EGIS |
| Mr Green | Confirmed in registry | Malta Gaming Authority: complaint form for compliance; disputes go to the ADR entity | eCOGRA |
| Rizk | Confirmed in registry | Malta Gaming Authority: complaint form for compliance; disputes go to the ADR entity | eCOGRA |
| Roobet | Confirmed in registry | Curaçao Gaming Authority: does not mediate individual disputes; operators must offer free ADR (its complaints policy) | not found in the stored terms |
| Shuffle | Confirmed in registry | Curaçao Gaming Authority: does not mediate individual disputes; operators must offer free ADR (its complaints policy) | not found in the stored terms |
| Wild.io | Listed in issuer registry | Anjouan Gaming: operator first (30 days), then an approved ADR provider | not found in the stored terms |
| Winz.io | Confirmed in registry | See the licence row of the profile | EGIS (operates under the regulations of the Tobique Gaming Commission, per the terms) |
Where the licence is not confirmed in a register, the route above is the one the casino’s licence claims; read the licence finding first. For Curaçao and Anjouan licences, more detail on timing and the law behind the licence is in escalation routes by licence.
What to have ready
- The terms version you accepted, saved with the date.
- Dates, amounts, the withdrawal request and, for crypto, the transaction ID (see how to find a TXID).
- All messages with support, as screenshots or exported chats, in order.
- A short written summary: what happened, what you asked for, what the casino answered.
Complaint sites and forums are not regulators or ADR bodies. We do not use their data in the Smarter Score.
Frequently asked questions
Can the gambling regulator get my money back?
The UK Gambling Commission says it does not resolve or make decisions on complaints about gambling-related transactions. The Curaçao Gaming Authority’s complaints policy says it does not mediate in individual disputes but uses the information to support its supervisory and enforcement actions.
Do I have to complain to the casino first?
In every source we checked, yes: the UK Gambling Commission, Gibraltar Gambling Division, Anjouan Gaming and eCOGRA make the casino’s own process the first step, and the Malta Gaming Authority “strongly recommends” it.
How long does a casino have to answer a complaint?
The UK Gambling Commission says 8 weeks; eCOGRA says operators must resolve or deadlock a complaint within a maximum of eight weeks; Anjouan Gaming refers to a prescribed timeframe of 30 days. The casino’s own terms may set shorter periods.
What if the casino is not licensed by any of these regulators?
Then these routes may not apply. Check the licence finding on the casino’s profile and use the casino’s own complaint process; for legal options, seek independent advice in your country.
Gambling can harm. If play is no longer fun, use our responsible gambling page. How we verify casinos is described in our methodology.