Casino Complaint Routes by Licence: Where to Go When a Casino Will Not Pay

Where you can complain about an online casino depends on its licence. Every route starts with a written complaint to the casino itself. After that, Malta sends you to an independent ADR body, Curaçao to one of its certified ADR providers, Anjouan and Tobique to a procedure that runs through the casino’s licence seal, Kahnawake to its own commission, and Estonia, for players abroad, mainly to the courts. No regulator in this directory rules on individual disputes for players outside its country, with the partial exception of Kahnawake.

This page sets out each route, the deadlines we could confirm, and a template you can adapt. It is general information, not legal advice.

Step one, whatever the licence: complain to the casino

Every regulator and ADR body expects you to give the casino a fair chance first, and many will not accept a case until you have. Write to the support or complaints address in the terms, not only in live chat, and keep a copy.

1. Identify the problem precisely. A withdrawal pending for six days, a bonus win removed, an account closed: one issue per complaint.
2. Quote the terms. Name the clause you rely on, for example the withdrawal processing time.
3. State what you want. Payment of a stated amount, reinstatement of a balance, or a written reason.
4. Set a reasonable deadline. Fourteen days is normal unless the licence sets another.
5. Ask for a reference number and the name of the ADR body or complaint route the casino uses.

Subject: Formal complaint, account [username], withdrawal [ID]. I requested a withdrawal of EUR [amount] on [date]. Under clause [x] of your terms, withdrawals are processed within [time]. My verification documents were approved on [date]. Please pay the withdrawal or give me a written reason with reference to your terms within 14 days. Please also confirm which dispute resolution body handles complaints under your licence.

Evidence to keep from day one

Malta (MGA): independent ADR

The Malta Gaming Authority’s Player Support Unit stopped ruling on individual disputes on 1 April 2019. If the casino does not resolve your complaint, take it to the alternative dispute resolution body named in its terms; Elmst Limited’s brands, such as Spin Sweet, name eCOGRA. ADR is free for players. You can still report licence breaches to the MGA, which uses them in supervision, but it will not order a refund for you. More in our MGA casinos hub.

Curaçao (CGA): certified ADR providers

The Curaçao Gaming Authority does not mediate individual disputes between players and casinos. After the casino’s own process, use one of the ADR providers the CGA has certified; the list dated 31 August 2026 named seven. You can send information about possible licence breaches to [email protected], which the CGA uses for supervision. Its licensing portal suffered unauthorised access in September 2026 and was still offline on 2 October, though existing licences remain valid. See Curaçao-licensed casinos.

Anjouan: the seal procedure

The Anjouan authority does not handle complaints itself. You file through the seal on the casino’s site; the operator then has 30 days to respond, and disputes about the outcome of a game must be raised within 14 days. Unresolved cases go to an ADR service paid for by the operator. Details in Anjouan-licensed casinos.

Tobique (TGC): the shield complaint and ADR after two months

For a Tobique-licensed casino, complain to the operator first; licensees must accept complaints at any time and investigate gaming disputes promptly. If the dispute is not resolved within two months, the operator must refer it to an approved ADR entity. The Tobique Gaming Commission asks players to use the complaint link inside the Tobique Shield on the casino’s own site, not its general contact form. See Tobique Gaming Commission casinos.

Estonia (EMTA): courts, and a committee for residents

Estonia’s Tax and Customs Board supervises licensees but does not settle individual disputes. The Consumer Disputes Committee handles complaints from consumers resident in Estonia only, so it is not a route for players elsewhere. For an Estonian-licensed brand such as Jackpot Cow, the options are the casino’s own process, a report to EMTA about licence breaches, and the courts, under the Estonian law that governs the terms.

Kahnawake (KGC): the one regulator that takes player complaints

The Kahnawake Gaming Commission, founded on 10 June 1996 and licensing online gambling since 8 July 1999, runs its own complaint procedure under its Regulations concerning Interactive Gaming. After you have complained to the operator, you can submit a written complaint through the KGC’s form or to [email protected], no earlier than seven days and no later than six months after the matter arose. The KGC says it acknowledges complaints within 24 hours and requires the operator to give a detailed response within seven days. None of the brands we currently list holds a KGC authorisation, but you may meet KGC-licensed casinos elsewhere; check the permit holders list on gamingcommission.ca.

All routes at a glance

What ADR can and cannot do

An alternative dispute resolution body reviews your complaint and the casino’s records against the terms and the licence rules, then issues a decision or recommendation. It is usually free for players and faster than court. It cannot rewrite fair terms you accepted, award compensation beyond the dispute, or help when the casino has closed. Expect it to ask for the same evidence listed above.

Complaint sites and chargebacks

Public complaint forums run by review sites can draw a casino’s attention to a case, but they have no legal power, and some are commercially linked to casinos. Use them after, not instead of, the official route. A card chargeback is meant for unauthorised or undelivered payments; using it to reverse losses at a casino that did nothing wrong usually ends with the account closed and can be treated as fraud. For a payment that genuinely never arrived, ask your bank how to dispute it.

When a complaint is unlikely to succeed

• You played from a country on the casino’s restricted list, or used a VPN to get in.
• You broke a bonus rule such as the maximum bet, even once.
• You opened more than one account, at the same brand or at sister sites, to claim offers.
• Your documents did not match your account details.

In those cases most terms allow the casino to void winnings, and an ADR body will usually agree. Our guide to restricted countries explains the first point in detail.

Frequently asked questions