How to complain about a casino app
To complain about a casino app, raise the problem with the casino first through its complaints process, giving dates, amounts and screenshots. It then has 8 weeks to resolve it. If you’re still unhappy after that, you can take the complaint to an independent Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) provider, which is free. This guide covers the evidence to collect on your phone, each stage, and which body handles what.
By the Best Casino Apps UK team. Last checked .
Key takeaways
- Always start with the casino’s own complaints process; ADR won’t take a case until that’s done.
- The casino has 8 weeks to resolve a complaint, then you can go to a free, independent ADR provider.
- The Gambling Commission doesn’t decide individual disputes, but it does use reports about rule breaches.
- Screenshots, round IDs and chat transcripts from your phone are the most persuasive evidence.
- First step
- Casino’s own complaints process
- Casino’s deadline
- 8 weeks from receiving the complaint
- Next step
- Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR)
- ADR cost
- Free
- UKGC role
- Doesn’t resolve individual disputes
- Free tool
- Resolver (optional)
How to complain about a casino app: the five stages
Every casino licensed by the Gambling Commission must have a complaints procedure and must offer access to an independent dispute service. The route is the same whichever app you use, and the Commission’s own guidance sets it out in this order.
- Check the terms and conditions that apply to your account, game or offer, so you know what the casino has promised.
- Contact the casino’s support team through the app (live chat, email or phone) and explain the problem. Many issues end here.
- If that doesn’t fix it, make a formal complaint under the casino’s complaints policy, with full details: dates, times, amounts and any evidence. Keep a copy of everything.
- Wait for the casino’s response. It has 8 weeks from receiving your complaint to resolve it and must tell you the outcome and how to escalate.
- If you’re still unhappy after that, refer the complaint to the ADR provider the casino names. ADR is free and independent.
The casino may send a ‘deadlock letter’ before the 8 weeks are up. It confirms the casino’s final position and means you can go to ADR straight away.
Gather your evidence on your phone first
Complaints succeed on evidence, and a phone makes it easy to capture, provided you do it at the time. Before you contact anyone, collect the following.
| What to capture | How on a phone | Why it helps |
|---|---|---|
| Round ID and game history | Open the game’s history or clock icon and screenshot | Lets the casino pull the server log for that exact spin or hand |
| Transaction history | Screenshot the cashier or account history with dates | Proves deposits, withdrawals and pending payments |
| Offer terms | Screenshot the promotion page and terms as they were | Terms can change; your copy shows what applied |
| Chat transcripts | Use the chat’s email-transcript option or screenshot each screen | Shows what support promised and when |
| Error messages | Screenshot or screen-record the error | Helps separate app faults from account issues |
| Bank statement | Screenshot from your banking app | Confirms money left or arrived |
To screen-record on iPhone, add Screen Recording to Control Centre; on Android, open quick settings and tap Screen record. Round IDs and transaction records are located in check your play history.
Raising the problem with the casino’s support team
Start informally. Support teams can fix most problems, such as missing spins, stuck withdrawals and verification queries, quickly. Here are the published support channels for the apps we cover.
| Casino | Live chat | Phone | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Coral | 24/7 (per third-party review) | help@coral.co.uk | Not published |
| Ladbrokes | 24/7 (per third-party review) | support@ladbrokes.com | Available; hours not published |
| Casumo | Check the app; UK support hours 7:00–23:00 | hey@casumo.com | Not published |
| 10bet | 08:00–01:00, log-in required (FAQ says 08:00–23:00) | support@10bet.co.uk | 0808 175 0550, 08:00–23:00 daily |
| PlayOJO | Check the app’s help section | Check the app | Check the app |
Say clearly at the start that you want the issue resolved, what outcome you’re looking for, and that you’d like it treated as a complaint if support can’t fix it. Brand pages such as Coral customer service and 10bet customer service have more contact detail.
Making a formal complaint and the 8-week clock
If support doesn’t sort it out, ask how to make a formal complaint, or find the complaints policy in the casino’s terms (often under Help, Terms, or a ‘Complaints’ link in the app footer). Some casinos use a complaint form; others accept email. Put your complaint in writing even if you started on chat, so there’s a clear record and a clear start date.
The casino has 8 weeks from receiving your complaint to resolve it. During that time it should investigate, which may include asking the game studio for server logs or reviewing account notes, and then send you its final decision with an explanation of how to escalate. If 8 weeks pass without a final response, you can go to ADR anyway. Keep calm and factual in follow-ups; it doesn’t change your rights, but it does keep the record clean.
Taking your complaint to an ADR provider
Alternative Dispute Resolution providers are independent bodies approved to adjudicate disputes between gambling businesses and customers. ADR is free for you. The casino’s final response or its terms will name its ADR provider; IBAS and eCOGRA are two of the providers UK operators use. You can only refer a complaint after completing the casino’s own process.
- Find the ADR provider named in the casino’s final response, deadlock letter or terms.
- Complete the provider’s online form, attaching your evidence and the casino’s response.
- The provider reviews your information and the casino’s side, then decides whether it can adjudicate.
- If it accepts the case, it contacts the casino and runs the adjudication; check your junk folder for its emails.
- You receive a decision. If you disagree, you may be able to appeal under the provider’s appeals procedure.
ADR providers won’t accept complaints about customer service standards, or about a business refusing a bet or refusing your custom. They deal with disputes over gambling transactions: unpaid winnings, voided bets, bonus terms, withdrawal refusals and similar. The ADR glossary entry explains the system.
What the Gambling Commission can and can’t do
The Gambling Commission licenses and regulates casinos, but it states that it does not resolve or make decisions on complaints about gambling transactions. It won’t get your winnings paid or overturn a voided bet. What it does do is use information from the public to spot operators that may be breaking licence conditions, and it can take regulatory action, including fines, against them. If you think a casino has broken the rules, for example on safer gambling or advertising, you can tell the Commission as well as complaining to the casino.
The Commission’s public register also lets you confirm a casino is licensed before you play. Our guide on how to check a casino licence shows how, and the UKGC entry explains its role.
Which body handles which kind of complaint
Not every problem with a casino app is a gambling dispute. Sending your complaint to the right place saves weeks.
| Problem | Who to complain to |
|---|---|
| Unpaid winnings, voided bets, bonus terms, withdrawals | The casino, then its ADR provider |
| Casino ignored a data request or misused your data | The casino, then the Information Commissioner’s Office |
| Misleading or irresponsible gambling advert | The Advertising Standards Authority |
| Casino breaking licence rules (e.g. safer gambling failures) | The casino, and report to the Gambling Commission |
| App crashes or store listing issues | The casino’s support team; store problems via Apple or Google |
| Payment you didn’t authorise | Your bank or card provider straight away, then the casino |
| Site or app with no UK licence | Report to the Gambling Commission; don’t deposit |
For data issues, see get a copy of your casino account data. For an unauthorised payment, read casino app account hacked first.
Common casino app complaints and how they’re usually resolved
| Complaint | Usual first step | Often resolved by |
|---|---|---|
| Withdrawal pending for days | Ask what checks are outstanding | Providing verification or source-of-funds documents |
| Free spins not credited | Quote the offer terms and your qualifying deposit | Support checking eligibility, e.g. excluded payment method |
| Winnings voided | Ask which term was breached | Review of bet sizes against max-bet rules, or ADR |
| Game froze during a win | Give the round ID | Server log confirming the result |
| Account suspended | Ask for the reason and what’s needed | Verification or an affordability review |
| Spin result looks wrong | Give the round ID and screenshot | Studio log showing the outcome |
Before escalating, check the help pages on a pending withdrawal, free spins not showing and max bet rules, since some issues come down to a term that can’t be changed.
How to write a complaint that gets a clear answer
- Headline – one sentence: ‘I’m complaining that my withdrawal of £120 requested on 3 October 2026 hasn’t been paid.’
- Account details – your username or account number and the email on the account.
- Timeline – dates and times in order, including every contact with support.
- Evidence – list your attachments: screenshots, round IDs, transcripts.
- What you want – payment of a specific amount, credit of a bonus, an explanation, or reopening an account.
- Escalation – ask the casino to confirm receipt and to name its ADR provider.
Using Resolver from your phone
Resolver is a free online tool that gives advice and helps you submit and track a complaint. It’s independent, and the Gambling Commission isn’t involved in how it works. Gambling businesses aren’t required to use it, so some may not accept complaints sent through it; if a casino doesn’t respond via Resolver, complain directly through the casino’s own channels. It can still be a useful way to keep all your messages in one place.
If ADR doesn’t settle the dispute
If you remain unhappy after the adjudication and any appeal, the Commission’s guidance says you may consider the small claims court, and recommends getting independent legal advice first. Court action costs time and money, so weigh it carefully against the amount at stake. Remember that gambling losses themselves are not grounds for a complaint; a claim needs to show the casino got something wrong under its terms or the rules.
Complaints about gambling harm and safer gambling duties
If your complaint is that a casino let you gamble far beyond your means or ignored signs of harm, raise it with the casino in the same way, and consider reporting it to the Gambling Commission, which uses such reports in its regulatory work. Whatever the outcome, support is available now: the National Gambling Helpline is free and confidential on 0808 8020 133, 24/7, and GAMSTOP lets you block all UK-licensed gambling sites and apps at once. Our gambling support services UK and responsible gambling pages list more help, including GamCare and NHS gambling clinics.
18+. Gambling should be entertainment that costs money, not a way to make it. Set a deposit limit before you play: how to set limits. Free, confidential help: National Gambling Helpline 0808 8020 133.
Frequently asked questions
Can I complain directly to the Gambling Commission about a casino app?
You can report concerns to the Gambling Commission, but it doesn’t resolve individual complaints about gambling transactions. It won’t get winnings paid or reverse a decision on your account. It uses reports to identify operators that may be breaking licence rules and can take regulatory action. To get your own dispute settled, follow the casino’s complaints process and then go to its ADR provider. Our UK casino app rules guide summarises the rules casinos must follow.
How long does a casino have to answer a complaint?
A casino has 8 weeks from receiving your complaint to resolve it, according to the Gambling Commission’s guidance. Within that time it should investigate and send a final response explaining its decision and how to escalate. If the 8 weeks pass without a resolution, you can take the complaint to the casino’s ADR provider. A casino can also issue a deadlock letter earlier, which lets you go to ADR straight away. Our ADR glossary entry explains the next stage.
Does it cost anything to use ADR?
No, ADR is free for players. The gambling business pays for the service as a condition of its UK licence. You’ll need to complete the provider’s form and supply evidence, but there’s no fee for submitting or for the adjudication. ADR providers won’t accept complaints about customer service standards or a casino refusing a bet or your custom. The casino must tell you which provider it uses. Our casino app safety guide covers your other protections.
What evidence should I include in a casino complaint?
Include the dates, times and amounts involved, plus screenshots of your game history with round IDs, your transaction history, the offer terms as they appeared, chat transcripts and any error messages. A bank statement screenshot helps with payment disputes. Keep originals and send copies, and list your attachments in the complaint so nothing is missed. Capturing evidence at the time is far easier than reconstructing it later. Our guide on how to check your play history shows where to find records.
Can I complain if my winnings were voided for breaking bonus terms?
Yes, you can complain, and voided winnings are one of the disputes ADR providers deal with. Ask the casino which specific term it says you broke and for the evidence, such as a bet above the maximum allowed while a bonus was active. Compare that with the terms you saw when you opted in, ideally using screenshots. If the term was clear and you did breach it, the decision is likely to stand. Our guide to max bet rules on casino apps explains common terms.
What is a deadlock letter?
A deadlock letter is the casino’s written confirmation that it has reached its final position on your complaint and won’t change it. It tells you that you can now refer the complaint to the ADR provider, even if 8 weeks haven’t passed. Ask for one if the casino has clearly finished investigating but hasn’t said so. Keep it with your evidence, as ADR providers may ask to see it. Our ADR glossary entry explains how adjudication works after that point.
Should I leave an App Store or Google Play review instead of complaining?
A store review won’t resolve your dispute, because it doesn’t start the casino’s complaints process or give you access to ADR. Reviews can help other users and may prompt a developer reply, but the formal route is the only one with deadlines and an independent adjudicator. If you do write a review, avoid posting personal or account details. Complain to the casino first, then decide whether a review adds anything. Our guide to casino app store ratings explains how reviews work.
Can I keep playing while my complaint is open?
Usually yes, unless the casino has suspended or restricted your account, but it’s wise to pause if the complaint involves your balance or a pending withdrawal, so the records stay clear. Playing on money that’s in dispute can complicate the investigation. If the complaint is about gambling more than you can afford, consider a time-out or self-exclusion instead. Pausing your account is explained in how to take a time-out on a casino app.