Where can you lodge a complaint about an online casino? It starts with the operator, in writing, and then depends on who licensed it. Great Britain has free ADR providers, Malta has the Player Support Unit, and Gibraltar, the Isle of Man, Alderney and Kahnawà:ke take complaints themselves. The Curaçao Gaming Authority does not decide individual disputes.

This guide maps the official routes, what each institution does and where it stops. It does not promise that any body will return money. Every fact carries the date it was checked, 5 October 2026 unless stated otherwise. The guide gives general information and is not legal advice.

First steps for any online casino complaint

The order of the steps matters more than the wording of the complaint. Follow them one by one, and note the date of each.

  1. Find out who licenses the operator, and for which jurisdiction. Use the regulator's own register, not the seal at the bottom of the page. The guide on how to check an online casino licence in the regulator's register shows the method.
  2. Lodge the complaint in writing with the operator, following its complaints procedure. Keep every email, chat transcript and screenshot, with dates.
  3. Wait for the operator's final response. In Great Britain, that means up to eight weeks, or less if the operator issues a deadlock letter.
  4. Take the complaint to the body that matches the licence. The table below shows the next step for each jurisdiction.
  5. If no licence can be found, read the section on when no complaint route can be found.
Licensed byNext step after the operatorWhat it does not doChecked
Great Britain's Gambling CommissionA free ADR provider, after eight weeks or a deadlock letterThe Commission does not resolve individual complaints or recover money5 October 2026
The Malta Gaming Authority (MGA)The MGA's Player Support Unit or another ADR entityIts website does not state a time frame or say whether the outcome binds the operator5 October 2026
Gibraltar's Gambling CommissionerWritten complaint to the Gambling Commissioner, after the operator's processNo telephone complaints; individual UK customer disputes are not ordinarily investigated5 October 2026
The Isle of Man Gambling Supervision Commission (GSC)Online complaint form, after the operator's processNo investigation if the operator's process was not used first, and none for players based in the UK5 October 2026
The Alderney Gambling Control Commission (AGCC)Formal complaint to the Commission, after the licenseeNo telephone complaints5 October 2026
The Kahnawà:ke Gaming Commission (KGC)Complaint by email or form, after the licence holder, within six months of the matter first arisingNo complaints by telephone; some complaints are not processed5 October 2026
The Curaçao Gaming Authority (CGA)An independent ADR provider, at the licence holder's expense; the complaint to the licence holder must be made within six months (LOK, article 5.3)The CGA does not handle individual complaints5 October 2026
Anjouan or Costa RicaNo published complaint route was found on an official siteNot applicable4 October 2026

Why the operator always comes first, and what to keep

Almost every official body in this guide asks for the same thing: use the operator's own process first. Great Britain's Gambling Commission tells players to complain to the gambling business before anything else. The MGA strongly recommends resolving the dispute directly with the operator's support and management before lodging a complaint with the authority. The GSC says it will not investigate a complaint if the business's own process has not been exhausted. The AGCC advises players to bring the matter to the licensee. The KGC asks for complaints to go to the licence holder before they reach the commission.

This is why the first complaint needs care. The written complaint is the record that a later regulator or ADR provider can read, so it should say clearly what happened, when and what outcome the customer wants.

Prepare the following before writing:

  • the account number or username, and the dates and amounts involved;
  • the terms and conditions the operator says were broken;
  • the full correspondence, including chat transcripts and screenshots.

The GSC lists similar items in its own complaint form: the specific nature of the complaint, copies of all correspondence, and the terms the business says the customer breached. Gibraltar's Gambling Commissioner also asks players to refer to the time and date of any telephone call in the written complaint.

A licence covers only the operator and the website addresses that the regulator's records connect to it. What a gambling licence does and does not cover is explained on the page about licensed online casinos. Keep that limit in mind when reading the routes below.

Great Britain: a free ADR provider after eight weeks

In Great Britain, the route has two stages. According to the Gambling Commission's guidance, a player can take a complaint to an alternative dispute resolution (ADR) provider after eight weeks, or earlier if the operator sends a deadlock letter. An ADR provider is a free and independent service. The gambling business should be able to tell the player which provider to use and how to contact it.

The duty sits in the licence conditions. Under social responsibility code 6.1.1, a dispute that remains unresolved after eight weeks can be referred to an ADR entity, and that service must be free of charge to the customer. The code also says a licensed operator may not use terms that restrict the customer's right to go to court, with one exception: a binding outcome reached through an ADR entity, if the customer agrees. Keep the date of the first complaint: the eight weeks are counted from the day the operator receives it.

The Gambling Commission itself does not settle individual disputes. Its page on why it cannot resolve individual complaints says that it is not an ombudsman and has no power to resolve gambling complaints or help consumers get money back. It does use information from customers in its supervision and enforcement work. The Commission's licences apply to Great Britain, so this route is for operators holding one.

The Commission also publishes a list of approved ADR providers. The page was dated 15 January 2025 when checked. Two providers are named here as examples: IBAS and eCOGRA.

  • IBAS describes itself as an alternative dispute resolution service that provides impartial adjudications. According to its website on 5 October 2026, its rulings are binding on registered operators for amounts up to £10,000. It does not take a dispute if the customer did not first contact the operator.
  • eCOGRA is approved as an ADR entity by the Gambling Commission and by Malta's Competition and Consumer Affairs Authority. According to eCOGRA, as of 5 October 2026, a dispute cannot be submitted if more than one year has passed since the operator's internal complaints procedure ended. It deals with disputes about a gambling transaction or misleading terms and conditions.

Use the Commission's list, not a search engine, to confirm that a provider is approved.

Malta: the MGA's Player Support Unit or an ADR entity

The MGA sets out the same sequence in its player complaint FAQ. The player first complains to the authorised person, which means the operator. After that, the complaint can go to the MGA's Player Support Unit or to another ADR entity. The MGA also offers an online complaint form, last updated on its website on 22 September 2026.

Some details are not published. The MGA reviews the complaint, but its website does not state a time frame, and it does not say whether the outcome is binding on the operator or whether the unit can order a payment. Treat any promise of a result with caution. Name the operator's MGA licence and the domain in the complaint, so the unit can match both.

Gibraltar, the Isle of Man, Alderney and Kahnawà:ke: complaints to the regulator

Four jurisdictions let players write to the regulator itself. In each, the regulator tries to deal with the complaint, and in each, the operator's own process comes first. Each also has a limit, and the limit is worth reading first.

Gibraltar

Gibraltar's Gambling Commissioner (the Gambling Division of HM Government of Gibraltar) takes complaints through its complaints page. After the operator's process, the player completes a Complaint Resolution Request Form and sends it by email to gccomplaints@gibraltar.gov.gi. Complaints cannot be made by telephone. The office aims to give an initial response within a week, and complaints that date back more than two years are not investigated except in exceptional circumstances.

The limit is stated clearly. The Gambling Commissioner says it will not ordinarily investigate or determine individual disputes with UK customers. Check the page before writing.

Isle of Man

The Isle of Man's GSC takes complaints about its licence holders through an online form, and everything must be in English. The GSC says it will not investigate if the business's process has not been used first. According to its page, the GSC does not investigate complaints from players based in the UK, or complaints about operators it does not license. Read that section before sending anything.

One number needs care. The GSC allows a request to review one of its decisions in writing within 14 calendar days of that decision. That is a deadline for a review of the GSC's decision, not a deadline for lodging the original complaint.

Alderney

The AGCC explains on its player complaints page that Regulation 238 allows a registered customer of an Alderney licensee to lodge a formal complaint with the Commission. Complaints cannot be dealt with by telephone. The route is a contact form, the email address info@agcc.gg or the post. The Commission first tries to help the two sides reach a solution. If that fails, it can investigate and decide whether the complaint is established in full or in part. The page gives no filing deadline, so none is stated here.

Kahnawà:ke

The Kahnawà:ke Gaming Commission (KGC) is the regulator of the Mohawk Territory of Kahnawà:ke. Its complaints page gives the email complaints@gamingcommission.ca and a form, and says that disputes are not accepted or addressed by telephone. The KGC says that every attempt will be made to find a suitable solution between player and operator. Under its Regulations concerning Interactive Gaming, the operator must give a final decision within 45 days, and a complaint must reach the KGC within six months of the date the matter first arose, unless it was already lodged with the operator within that period (sections 270 and 272).

The KGC does not process a complaint that has been addressed before, is being handled by another jurisdiction, or has been discussed on public forums or in the media. Read the KGC's conditions before posting the dispute publicly.

For all four, the question to ask is what the regulator actually checks. In practice, it checks whether its own licence holder followed its rules and its own complaints procedure. It does not act as a general court of appeal, and it does not promise to return money.

Curaçao: the CGA does not decide individual disputes

The Curaçao Gaming Authority (CGA) is clear about its role. On its online gaming page, the CGA says it does not handle individual complaints against gaming providers and that resolving disputes between players and operators is not within its mandate. It advises players to seek a solution with the gaming provider and to use appropriate legal channels if necessary.

The CGA does accept reports about possible violations of the law. If a complaint or a pattern of complaints points to a violation, it may take action against the operator, but it does not disclose the status of any investigation. The page gives an email address for such reports. It also says the CGA is not a civil court and cannot order operators to compensate players.

The route therefore runs first to the licence holder and then to an independent ADR provider. Under the Landsverordening op de kansspelen (LOK), Curaçao's gambling law that took effect on 24 December 2024, a complaint to the licence holder must be made within six months of the event and is free of charge. This comes from article 5.3 of the legal text, not from the CGA's page (checked 5 October 2026). The same article requires the licence holder to offer alternative dispute resolution at all times, at the licence holder's own expense.

How the licence and its domain certificate work is covered in the guide on how the Curaçao licence and its domain certificate work.

When no complaint route can be found

Some operators name a jurisdiction that has no published complaint route. For Anjouan and Costa Rica, no published complaint route was found on an official site (checked 4 October 2026). No official source found for this guide describes Anjouan as a licensing jurisdiction. What is known about Anjouan licences comes from news reporting, not from a regulator. Costa Rica does not issue gaming licences under Law 9050; the law taxes data-processing companies (checked 4 October 2026).

Without a regulator, three general options remain:

  • the bank or card issuer, if a payment is disputed (the process differs by country and by card scheme, and success is not guaranteed);
  • the fraud-reporting service where you live, if the site appears to be fake;
  • a legal adviser, for a dispute about a specific sum.

Be careful with offers to recover lost money. According to Action Fraud (since December 2025 Report Fraud, the reporting service for England, Wales and Northern Ireland), genuine agencies never ask for fees to recover money lost to fraudsters. Without an identifiable regulator, there may be nowhere official to take the complaint.

What a complaint can and cannot achieve

An ADR provider or regulator looks at a dispute about a transaction, a term in the conditions or a closed account. The Gambling Commission's page on complaining about a gambling business lists complaints about payouts, payments, bonus terms, account closure and cancelled bets as typical examples. A complaint that says only that the player lost and wants the money back is not that kind of dispute. Nothing here can promise a refund.

Going to court also remains possible. In Great Britain, the licence conditions say an operator may not use terms that restrict that right, except for a binding ADR outcome the customer has agreed to. Elsewhere, ask a legal adviser where you live.

Other countries publish their own routes. The guide on who licenses online casinos in each country shows where to start. Check whether operators need a local licence where you live.

Where to complain and where to get support

For online casino complaints, the order is the operator first, then the body that matches the licence. A dispute over money can add stress, and gambling can cause harm whether or not a complaint is open. Gambling Therapy is a global online service from Gordon Moody, offering free practical advice and emotional support to anyone affected by gambling. Its website works from any country and has no telephone line. In Great Britain, the National Gambling Helpline is 0808 8020 133. You must be 18 or over, or older if the law where you live sets a higher minimum age.

Frequently asked questions

How do online casino complaints work, and where can you lodge one?

Start with the operator, in writing, using its complaints procedure. The next step depends on the licence. Great Britain uses ADR providers, Malta uses the Player Support Unit or an ADR entity, and Gibraltar, the Isle of Man, Alderney and Kahnawà:ke take complaints themselves. The Curaçao Gaming Authority does not handle individual disputes.

How long must you wait before taking a complaint to an ADR provider in Great Britain?

According to the Gambling Commission, a player can go to an ADR provider after eight weeks, or earlier if the operator sends a deadlock letter. The operator should say which ADR provider to use and how to contact it. Keep the date of the first complaint, because the licence conditions count the eight weeks from the day the operator receives it.

Does the Gambling Commission get money back for players?

No. The Commission says that it is not an ombudsman and has no power to resolve gambling complaints or help consumers get their money back. It does use information from customers for its supervision and enforcement work, so a report can still be useful. For a dispute, the route is an approved ADR provider.

Does a complaint to an ADR provider or regulator cost anything?

In Great Britain, the licence conditions say the ADR service must be free of charge to the customer. In Curaçao, the LOK makes a complaint to the licence holder free of charge and puts the cost of ADR on the licence holder. For the other regulators in this guide, the pages checked on 5 October 2026 did not describe fees for lodging a complaint, so check the regulator's page before sending anything.

Can you complain to the Curaçao Gaming Authority about a casino?

The CGA says that resolving disputes between players and operators is not within its mandate. It does accept reports of possible violations of the law and may act on a pattern of complaints, but it does not share the status of investigations. A dispute goes first to the licence holder, within six months under the LOK, and then to an independent ADR provider at the licence holder's expense.

What is the difference between an ADR provider and a regulator?

An ADR provider is an independent service that looks at a dispute between a player and an operator. A regulator supervises licence holders and decides whether they followed its rules. In Great Britain, disputes go to ADR providers; in Gibraltar, the Isle of Man, Alderney and Kahnawà:ke, the regulator takes complaints itself.

Sources