What should you do when an online casino is not paying out a withdrawal? Find out why it has stopped, complain to the operator in writing and keep every record. If that fails, the next step depends on who licensed the operator: an alternative dispute resolution (ADR) provider, a regulator or, in some cases, nobody. Never pay a fee or a tax to release winnings.

A typical case runs like this. A player wins, requests a withdrawal and sees the status "pending". A few days later the operator asks for more documents. The player sends them, hears nothing, and then finds the account closed with a reference to the terms and conditions. The same pattern covers three different situations: an ordinary delay, a dispute over the terms, and a site that never intended to pay. The steps below begin in the same way for all three and end in different places. This guide gives general information and is not legal advice.

Online casino not paying out: the steps in order

The order of the steps matters more than the wording of any message. Work through them one at a time, and note the date of each.

  1. Read the withdrawal status and the operator's terms, and find the reason given for the delay.
  2. Check whether a bonus or an unfinished identity check is holding the withdrawal.
  3. Complain to the operator in writing, following its complaints procedure.
  4. Find out who licenses the operator, and take the complaint to the body that the licence points to.
  5. Pay nothing to release winnings, and report any site that asks for a fee.
What is happeningWhat it usually meansFirst step
Withdrawal shows "pending"Processing time or an open checkCompare the request date with the terms
Documents requestedIdentity checkSend them through the account and note the date
Bonus terms citedWagering requirement or a capAsk which clause applies
Account closedA term in the conditions is citedAsk for the clause and the decision in writing
Fee or tax demandedWarning sign of a scamStop paying and read the section on sites with no regulator

Step 1: find out why the withdrawal has stopped

Start with what costs nothing to check. Open the withdrawal page and read the status, the date of the request and any message from the operator. Then compare that date with the processing time in the operator's terms. This guide gives no general time limit, because no official source checked for it sets one that applies to every operator. The terms state how long a withdrawal takes, and that is the figure to compare with the date of your request.

Delays are common enough to appear in regulator statistics. A blog post by Great Britain's Gambling Commission, dated 18 July 2024, says that "withdrawal delays remain the number one subject of complaints we receive", and that its contact centre receives around 2,000 complaints a year about delays to withdrawals. The figure covers Great Britain only and is two years old, so it describes a pattern, not today's market.

Next, look for an active bonus. For operators licensed by the Gambling Commission in Great Britain, the Commission's guidance says that players must not be made to meet wagering requirements before withdrawing from their deposit balance, and that deposit and bonus funds must be kept apart. Elsewhere, the operator's terms and the rules of its own regulator decide, so read the terms as they stood on the date of the request.

Finally, read the reason the operator gives. The Commission expects an operator that refuses a withdrawal to give a full explanation, including the basis for its decision. Ask for the reason in writing.

When the casino asks for documents before it pays

Identity checks, also called know-your-customer (KYC) checks, are normal at licensed operators, and a request for documents does not by itself mean that a casino is refusing to pay. In Great Britain, the Gambling Commission says that operators must verify at least a player's name, address and date of birth before the player gambles. The date of the request matters here, because the rule for withdrawals depends on timing.

Licence condition 17.1.1 of the Gambling Commission reads: "A request made by a customer to withdraw funds from their account must not result in a requirement for additional information to be supplied as a condition of withdrawal if the licensee could have reasonably requested that information earlier." The same condition adds: "This requirement does not prevent a licensee from seeking information on the customer which they must obtain at that time due to any other legal obligation." Both sentences belong together. The rule does not mean that a casino may never ask for a document at withdrawal.

The Commission also expects operators to tell players, before a deposit is accepted, which documents may be requested and when. All of this applies to licences issued by the Gambling Commission. For the MGA, the CGA and other licensing authorities, no equivalent rule was found in the sources checked for this guide, so read the operator's terms and the regulator's website.

  1. Send documents only through the channel named in the account.
  2. Note the date and time of each upload.
  3. Ask for confirmation that the documents were received.
  4. Never alter a document, and never open a second account to avoid a check.

Why a casino asks for a bank statement, ID or proof of income has its own guide: why a casino asks for a bank statement, ID or proof of income.

One difference matters. A document is a check. A fee is a warning sign. Scamwatch, the Australian government's scam-reporting service, lists this sign on a page dated 13 July 2026: "You are told to pay extra fees, charges or taxes before you can access your winnings." No identity check needs a payment, so a demand for money at this stage belongs in the section on sites with no regulator.

When the account is closed or the winnings are withheld

Operators that close an account or hold winnings usually point to a term in their conditions. Typical reasons include a breach of the terms that apply to a bonus, more than one account, details that do not match, or an identity check left unfinished. No official source ranks these reasons, so treat the list as an observation, not a statistic.

Ask for two things in writing: the exact clause the operator relies on, and the decision itself. Then separate what is in dispute. The deposit, the winnings and any bonus funds are three different amounts, and in Great Britain deposit and bonus funds must be kept apart and shown separately. The Isle of Man Gambling Supervision Commission asks complainants for the specific terms and conditions and for copies of all correspondence with the operator, and it warns that missing information may leave it unable to help.

In Great Britain, licence condition 7.1.1 requires terms that are not unfair within the meaning of the Consumer Rights Act 2015, and requires players to be told of material changes before they take effect. Whether a term is unfair is for an ADR provider or a court to judge. Save a copy of the terms as they stood on the date of the dispute, because terms change.

Step 2: complain to the operator in writing

Every regulator reviewed for this guide asks for the same first move. Great Britain's Gambling Commission tells players to complain to the gambling business and follow its complaints process first. The Malta Gaming Authority (MGA) strongly recommends trying to settle a dispute with the operator's support and management before lodging a complaint with the authority. A written complaint should contain these points:

  1. The username or account number, and the website address.
  2. The date and time of the withdrawal request, and the amount.
  3. What the operator answered, and when.
  4. The clause of the terms that the operator relies on.
  5. What you ask the operator to do.

The MGA's form asks for the website address, the username, the disputed amount and the date and time of the incident, so a complaint built on these points is ready for a regulator if it ever reaches one. Keep every email and chat transcript, screenshots of the withdrawal status and the balance, a copy of the terms, and confirmation of any documents sent. A chat window may disappear, so ask for the operator's answer by email.

Two things are better avoided while a dispute is open. Do not deposit more money to unlock a withdrawal, which is the point Scamwatch makes about winnings, and do not open a new account with the same operator.

A complaint depends on knowing who supervises the operator, not only the operator's name. That decides the next step.

Step 3: where to take the complaint next depends on the licence

First find out who licenses the operator, and for which jurisdiction. Check the regulator's own register, not the seal at the bottom of the page, because a seal is only an image. The guide on what a gambling licence does and does not cover explains the limits of a licence. Four kinds of route exist, and each ends in a different place. Each route is covered in more detail in the guide to online casino complaints by licence.

Great Britain: a free ADR provider after eight weeks

According to the Gambling Commission, a player who is not satisfied with the operator's result can take a complaint to an ADR provider after eight weeks (page updated 15 May 2026). An ADR provider is a free, independent service, and the operator should say which one to use. The operator may also issue a deadlock letter at the end of its own procedure, which confirms that the complaint can go to an ADR provider. The Commission itself does not resolve individual complaints.

Malta: the MGA's complaint form

After the operator, a player can lodge a complaint about an MGA-licensed operator with the MGA through an online form (page modified 22 September 2026). The MGA's website does not state a time frame for the outcome, and this guide does not guess one.

Regulators that take complaints themselves

The regulators of Gibraltar, the Isle of Man, Alderney and Kahnawà:ke accept complaints, and their routes differ in detail. The Isle of Man Gambling Supervision Commission (GSC) is one example: it takes complaints only about operators that it licenses, from players who are not based in the UK, and it does not investigate a complaint until the operator's own process has been completed.

Curaçao: the regulator does not decide disputes

The Curaçao Gaming Authority (CGA) says that resolving disputes between players and gaming operators is not within its mandate. It points players to the operator and to the appropriate legal channels. A Curaçao licence therefore gives no route for having an individual dispute decided by the CGA. The CGA adds that if a complaint, or a pattern of complaints, points to a possible breach of the law, it may take action against the operator, but it does not decide the dispute.

Other countries publish their own routes, so look for the national regulator's website in the country that licensed the operator. Check the domain, not the seal.

When no regulator can be identified

If the register shows no licence for the site, the problem may be fraud, not a dispute. Eurojust, the European Union's judicial cooperation agency, described one case in a press release dated 16 October 2025. Authorities were alerted to suspected illegal online casino websites after people complained that they were unable to withdraw their winnings; according to Eurojust, turnover reached nearly €1 billion over five years. Several countries took part in the investigation. The case shows that a refused withdrawal can be the first visible sign.

The signs linked to withdrawals are consistent. A fee, a tax or a "verification deposit" is demanded before winnings are released. Small payments are requested again and again. An account is suspended after the first wins. The overview of the warning signs of an online casino scam covers the wider picture. Where no regulator can be identified, the options are limited. There are three:

  • Contact your bank or card provider if a payment went to a site that proves fraudulent. Procedures and time limits differ by bank and by card scheme, and a payment dispute is not a way to recover money lost by gambling.
  • Report the site to the fraud-reporting service where you live, such as Report Fraud (formerly Action Fraud) in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, Police Scotland on 101 in Scotland, or Scamwatch in Australia.
  • Ask a legal adviser what is possible where you live.

People who have already lost money are sometimes approached again by someone offering to recover it for a fee. Action Fraud (now Report Fraud) warns that genuine agencies never ask for fees to recover money lost to fraudsters. How gambling recovery scams work is explained in a separate guide.

What a complaint can and cannot achieve

An online casino not paying out is a dispute that an ADR provider or a regulator can look into, but only within limits. Both look at a dispute about a transaction, the terms, identity checks or the closure of an account. Neither returns money only because a player lost. No body guarantees an outcome, and outside Great Britain the sources checked for this guide give no eight-week rule. Before depositing anywhere else, find the licence and the complaint route first, not afterwards.

Where to get support while a dispute is open

When an online casino is not paying out, the dispute is stressful, and it can push people to deposit again or to keep playing until it is settled. 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. In England and Scotland, the National Gambling Helpline is 0808 8020 133. In Wales, the Gambling Commission lists 0808 2819 265, the free 24/7 helpline of the NHS All Wales Gambling Treatment Service. You must be 18 or over, or older if the law where you live sets a higher minimum age.

Frequently asked questions

What should you do about an online casino not paying out your winnings?

Find the reason first: the withdrawal status, an active bonus or an unfinished identity check. Then complain to the operator in writing and keep every record. If that fails, the next step depends on the licence. Never pay a fee or tax to release winnings, because that is a warning sign.

How long can an online casino take to pay a withdrawal?

No official source checked for this guide sets one time limit for all operators. The operator's terms state the processing time, so compare it with the date of the request. If the time has passed without a reason, ask for one in writing and then follow the complaint steps.

Can a casino ask for ID when you request a withdrawal?

In Great Britain, a licensed operator must not require extra information as a condition of withdrawal if it could reasonably have asked earlier. The rule allows information that another legal obligation requires at that time. Other regulators set their own rules, so check the operator's terms and the regulator's website.

Can an online casino close your account and keep your winnings?

Operators usually cite a clause in their terms. Ask for the clause and the decision in writing, and keep a copy of the terms. Whether the clause is fair is for an ADR provider, a regulator or a court to judge, depending on the licence. This guide cannot say who is right.

Should you pay a fee or tax to release casino winnings?

No. Scamwatch lists a demand for extra fees, charges or taxes before you can access winnings as a sign of a scam, and advises against paying money to unlock winnings. A document is a check, but a payment is a warning sign. Stop paying and report the site.

Does the regulator pay out the winnings if the casino refuses?

No regulator pays winnings itself. Great Britain's Gambling Commission does not resolve individual complaints and points players to ADR providers, and the Curaçao Gaming Authority says that player disputes are not within its mandate. Where a route exists, it reviews the dispute and does not promise to return money.

Can your bank get the money back if a casino does not pay?

Possibly, if a payment went to a fraudulent site, so contact your bank or card provider. Procedures and time limits differ by bank and by card scheme. A payment dispute is not a way to recover money lost by gambling, and nobody can promise the result.

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