What to do if an online casino does not pay out prize money? 

Winning at online casinos is fun as long as you get your money’s worth. In this article, we’ll give you some tips on how to avoid losing your prize money.

And what if you don’t get your money? Or have you been waiting for some time to receive your prize money from a casino? No worries. We also explain what to do in such a case.

Tip 1: Play only at reliable online casinos
Let’s throw in a bold statement right away. One we’re prepared to defend. Many players don’t get their money because they play at unreliable online casinos. Prevention is better than cure.

We receive many complaints about casinos. In at least half of the cases, just seeing the name of the casino is enough to know for sure that the player will never see his (or her) prize money.

Therefore, the tip is to only play at reliable online casinos. In our casino blacklist you’ll find all the casinos you should definitely stay away from. Staying away from them will help you avoid a lot of trouble.

Click here to find the best and most reliable online casinos.

Tip 2: Play by the rules
If you expect a casino to follow its rules, then you should follow them too. Many complaints are still caused by players not following the rules.

Annoying terms and conditions: if you agree to them, you have to stick to them.
Rules of the game. It often goes wrong with things like the maximum bet when playing with bonus conditions. Or when entering incorrect data when creating the account.

Casinos are very strict about this. Not following the rules means that, if you win, you can hand over your winnings. Excuses about not reading the conditions or not understanding the conditions do not apply. By creating an account, checking the box next to the terms and conditions and playing, you indicate that you agree with the terms and conditions.

Our tip is to read the casino rules carefully before playing. Don’t agree? Then find another casino to play at. Once you are playing, you need to play by the rules. If you play by the rules of a reliable casino, you can hardly go wrong.

Tip 3: Fill in the right details and verify your account
This third tip is somewhat similar to the second. One of the most important rules of a casino is to be honest about who you are. In the terms and conditions, it is actually always clearly stated that casinos check this and in case of incorrect data, your account will be closed.

Casinos know their secrets. An old address? Your maiden name? Depositing using your neighbour’s bank card who already has an account? All kinds of excuses pass by the staff responsible for these checks every day. The rule is that you are responsible for the data in your account. They must correspond to the data on your identity card, address card and bank statement.

Our tip: Want to be sure? Ask the casino to verify your account in advance. That way, if you win a handsome sum, you can be sure that the money will be in your account quickly.

Tip 4: Don’t be impatient
The best online casinos payout fast. Do you play via Neteller or Skrill? At Guts Casino, for example, you’ll have the money in your account within a few hours. It doesn’t happen that fast at every casino. Unfortunately.

At many casinos, you have to take into account one to five working days before the money will be in your bank account. Haven’t verified your account yet? If so, it can take even longer.

There’s no point in asking why you haven’t received your money within a few minutes of requesting a withdrawal. Many of the ‘complaints’ we receive are solved by waiting a few days. Have you no patience at all? Then play at a gambling hall where the prize money comes straight out of the machine or at an online casino which pays out very quickly.

Tip 5: Don’t waste your winnings
Many casinos, even some reputable ones, have a pending period. This is a waiting period of 48 hours. Why do casinos do this? Each casino can tell you its own story, but there is only one reason. The reason is that the casino hopes you will place your bets during the 48 hour waiting period. The chances are, of course, that you will lose your money.

No matter how much the casino dawdles, don’t be tempted to risk your winnings. Not only do you run the risk of losing your winnings. You will also be rewarding the casino’s procrastination.

Tip 6: Complaint to the Casino
Don’t get your way? Then it’s best to complain – in a nice way.
Is it taking too long? Then complain to the casino. It’s best to remain polite. Of course it’s tempting to let yourself go against the helpdesk staff, but that won’t get you your money any faster.

Complaining is best done via an official complaint e-mail. It is then clear to the casino that you are complaining. We often see players who don’t get their money put on hold by the helpdesk.

Don’t do it. The best thing to do is to write a nice complaint e-mail. How do you do that?

Clearly state that it is an official complaint;
State your account details, so that the casino knows who it is about;
Briefly describe the situation in the e-mail;
Include the dates you verified your account and the payout period the casino states in its terms and conditions;
Give the casino a final deadline of a few days to transfer the money;
Also, state that if payment is not made in time, you will take legal action and/or notify the regulator.
What should you not do? Threaten and abuse. Continuing to play at the casino will not strengthen your position. This will give the impression that you don’t have a problem with the casino at all.

Tip 7: Complaint to the regulator
Can’t work things out with the casino? Then it’s best to go to the supervisor. This is the person who issued the casino’s license. Regulators come in all shapes and sizes:

Belgium was one of the first Western European countries to regulate online gambling. The Belgians have a well-intentioned regulator in the form of the Kansspelcommissie, but legislation has made it difficult to start. The Belgian law on gambling does not mention anything about the payment of prize money. You will therefore have to turn to the civil courts.
Costa Rica has no gambling licences. Some casinos claim to have a licence in Costa Rica. This means that they are registered with the local Chamber of Commerce. As long as they do not offer their games to residents of Costa Rica, they can go ahead.
Curaçao does not have one central regulator, but four commercial telecom companies that issue sub-licences to gambling sites. A complicated story, but it comes down to knocking on the door of the telecom provider on duty. You can find the details by clicking on the logo of the licence. Is it useful? No. In general, there is little regulation for players in Curaçao.
Gibraltar has a regulator who is generally quite sympathetic to the licensees. You can, however, make complaints about casinos licensed in Gibraltar. The gaming regulator in Gibraltar will then deal with the complaint. Does it now? Yes, provided you have followed all the rules to the letter and you have not been badmouthing the helpdesk.
Malta, with the Malta Gaming Authority, is perhaps the best-known regulator. Filing a complaint is easy and can be done via this form. Is it useful? Yes, provided you have adhered to the rules of the casino.
The UK Gambling Commission is a very strict regulator that issues hefty fines to casinos and bookmakers. However, this is only useful if you are a resident of the United Kingdom. If not, the UK licence does not apply to you.
Regulators in Curaçao, Gibraltar and Malta will pass on their conclusions about your complaint. In Gibraltar and Malta, being proved right will generally mean that you get your money. In Curaçao, this is different. There are cases of players who were proven right, but still did not see their money.

Tip 8: Complaint on the Internet
It is possible that the supervisor does not agree with you, but that you still do not agree. Or that you could not complain in Costa Rica or Curaçao.

In such a case, it will sometimes help if you put your complaint on the Internet. Or let someone else do it. This can be done at CasinoVergelijker.net, among others. If you have a justified complaint, we will be happy to write an honest piece about this complaint and the casino’s actions.

What not to do? Don’t post unsubtle insults on internet forums or tell untruths. You are even guilty of slander. Threatening the casino owners is also best avoided. The most impressive thing to do is to tell an honest story that will make a neutral reader think you’re being unfair to the casino.

That’s negative publicity and online casinos are very sensitive to it.

Tip 9: Take it to court
If the worst comes to the worst, you can go to court. This is also possible in your own country. In a case between Unibet and a player, the Amsterdam Court of Appeal ruled that Unibet can conclude legally valid gaming agreements.

A valid gaming agreement means that you and the casino have agreed that you will both abide by the terms and conditions of the casino. Does this not happen? Then in extreme cases, you can go to court. For example, in Amsterdam.

But consider in advance whether this makes much sense. You can win a case against a vague casino that operates from Costa Rica, but that will not get you your money’s worth.

It is best to consult a lawyer specialised in contract law first. Of course, it is a bonus if this lawyer also has some experience with gambling.

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