Patron Inquiry/Complaint

Your Rights

All gambling companies have to give details of their complaints procedures. These details will be available at the operator's high street outlet and online. If you feel that you've been treated unfairly by a gambling company, you can use Resolver to make a complaint to an alternative dispute resolution (ADR) service. If you feel that the ADR is unable to resolve your complaint, the Gambling Act 2005 allows you to bring your issue to court. When you place a bet with a gambling company, you're entering a legally enforceable contract with them.

Non regulatory issues

Customers occasionally wish to complain about matters that the regulator does not directly supervise as they are not directly related to the actual gambling, or may even be undertaken for the operator by a third party. These include complaints about chat room members, chat room staff, affiliate payments and 'spam'. Whilst we have an interest in the wider activities and reputation of our licence holders, and will take note of such matters and may bring them to their attention if you have not, we will not normally examine such complaints in any detail.

To file a complaint or dispute with the PGCB, please select one of the following:

Responsible gambling

If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, you can get help through Gambling Help Online.

If you need help to stop yourself gambling at a licensed venue, you can apply for a self-exclusion notice.

Last updated: 02 March 2022

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On Monday, the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board put out a public notice in an effort to put a spotlight on the state’s process of resolving complaints and disputes between patrons and online casinos.

The PGCB said it was “reminding the public of the availability of online forms” that help resolve these issues. Under state law, the PGCB is required to investigate all potential non-criminal violations of the Pennsylvania Race Horse Development and Gaming Act and the accompanying regulations.

The PGCB has distinct definitions for a “complaint” and a “dispute.”

“A complaint is a difference of opinion between the licensed gaming entity and the patron, which does not involve money or items of value. A dispute is a claim for a specific amount of cash or merchandise,” the state regulatory agency based in Harrisburg said Monday.

“Patrons that have a complaint or a dispute with a licensed gaming entity in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania may request that the Board investigate such complaint or dispute,” the PGCB said in the presser. “All patron complaints and disputes are taken very seriously by the Board with each complaint assigned a case number and an investigator. Any criminal violations of the [Gaming] Act alleged by a patron will be referred to the Pennsylvania State Police for investigation.”

For a dispute or complaint involving online casino gambling or online sports betting, the patron must first file a complaint or dispute with the interactive gaming provider.

“This is critical since the PGCB’s interactive form will require entry of a complaint number generated by the interactive gaming provider when you file with them,” the PGCB said.

Patrons have 30 calendar days from the date of the incident to file a complaint or dispute, via the PGCB’s website. If you have any questions about the process, the PGCB asks that you send inquiries to casinocomplaints@pa.gov for further guidance.

The PGCB stressed that all information regarding a patron’s complaint or dispute is confidential.

Advertising

Online Gaming Support

The below form is the formal channel enabling players to lodge a complaint against MGA-licensed Online Casinos.

It is strongly recommended that you actively seek to resolve your dispute directly with the operator’s support and management prior to lodging your complaint with the Malta Gaming Authority.

The Authority reserves the right to request identification in order to process complaints. Instances of fictitious or fabricated details as well as threats or abusive language will lead to immediate rejection of your complaint and may also be reported to the relevant authorities.

All information shall be treated in strictest confidentiality and in accordance with the Privacy Policy.

Online casinos in the UK could face a crackdown on exploiting the superstitions of local gamblers after the country’s advertising regulatory body rolled out an investigation into a gambling company’s claims regarding certain games being “hot” or “cold”.

As revealed by The Guardian, the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) s likely to back a complaint lodged against PlayOJO 7 months ago. According to the complaint, in 2021, the gambling operator promoted a feature that provided customers with a unique chance to see the games on winning streaks. At the time, PlayOJO’s gambling platform informed players that switching between “hot” and “cold” would reveal the most and least profitable games of the hour.

The online casino company, which is owned by Skill On Net Ltd and operates under a licence issued by the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC), suggested that players could either choose to play what it described as “hot” games to check whether they were still paying out or choose the “cold” games and try to change the luck and make them start paying out.

At the time of the publication, the advertising material was no longer available on the PlayOJO online gambling platform. The feature was also promoted by TV ads in which a tarot card reader gave her customer advice while informing her predictions on the PlayOJO mobile phone application. The online gambling operator noted that it had not been specifically requested to remove the page offering the “hot” and “cold” feature from its website. However, PlayOJO revealed that it was in the process of making certain adjustments to some marketing materials, which was why the pages had been no longer available on the website but noted they would be replaced soon.

Before you make a complaint

You must make every reasonable effort to resolve the complaint directly with the wagering operator.

All licensed operators have systems in place to review, record, manage and investigate complaints. In many cases, a phone call can fix the problem.

Before making a complaint, follow these steps:

Step 3. Contact the racing commission

If your dispute still hasn’t been resolved, you may lodge a dispute with the commission.

You will need to include the dispute reference number provided by the wagering operator.

What types of complaints are covered under this policy?

This policy applies to all complaints from members of the public and from regulated entities regarding:

• the conduct of a business or an individual regulated by the AGCO,
• the quality of service received from the AGCO when accessing programs and services,
• the AGCO’s application of its policies and procedures,
• the conduct of AGCO staff or Board Members.

Self Exclusion – How to Opt out of Casino Gaming

Check out Betting.co.uk’s Other Betting Guides

Now that they are familiar with making bookmaker complaints UK bettors might find it useful to check out some of our other guides here at Betting.co.uk. You can find useful information about combined betting, and guides on how to read betting odds and how betting exchanges work. We also have an accumulator betting guide, a system bet guide, and much more besides. There’s no doubt about it: you can find a host of useful tips, guides, accounts and other articles here at Betting.co.uk!

Word of advice

There’s one last but very important bit of advice I can offer: when it comes to your complaint, DOCUMENT EVERYTHING! When you send an email related to your complaint, save a copy. If you can get screenshots to document your issue, grab them. If you have an exchange with the casino on their chat service, get a transcript. I put it this way: Proof keeps everything friendly. Without proof anyone can claim anything and, as it happens, they usually do.

Over and above the types of complaints, players should know that 50% or more of their complaints relate to casino Bonuses. Over the years I’ve heard some pretty shocking things from casinos but the gist of it seems to be that many casinos view the Bonus money they offer to players as “their money”, that is they see it as the casino’s money in the player’s account. Needless to say they are very reluctant to part with “their money” and as such no end of “problems” arise when it comes to players trying to hang on to (nevermind cash out) winnings they may have derived. Many of us believe that casino Bonuses are far more hassle than they are worth. Many players can’t seem to resist the “free” money. The Complaints inbox is never empty and Bonuses are a primary reason for that. Caveat emptor.

If you have any complaints-related questions you can reach me on the Casinomeister forums via Private Message (PM): my handle is maxd and any forum member can send me a PM via https://www.casinomeister.com/forums/private.php?do=newpm&u=1552. If you are not a Casinomeister forum member you can reach me at [email protected]

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How to Make A Complaint Against A Bookmaker in UK: 5 Key Points

For bookmaker complaints UK residents have a number of options available to them. Your first port of call should always be the customer service team of the bookmaker against whom you have a major objection. You can contact customer services by a range of methods. The best bookies will have a 24-hour phone line available. Others have live chat available all round the clock. If you have a serious customer complaint, it is a good idea to put it in writing in an email and provide them with your best contact details.

Here are five key factors to consider when you are readying yourself to make an accusation against a bookie in the UK.

Gaming Commission Complaint Investigation

Upon receipt of a formal complaint, the Gaming Commission will review the allegations to determine if the Commission has jurisdiction and assign the complaint to a gaming agent for investigation. The gaming agent will investigate the complaint and review the facts. When the investigation is complete, the Commission will mail to you a summary of their findings of the investigation.

If you require expert advice and assistance with a gambling dispute, we can help.

The gambling and gaming industry is a legal maze.  Without expert advice and assistance, an operator may inadvertently or purposefully breach gambling regulations and legislation, causing you to lose out significantly. If you have become involved in a gambling dispute, you need a lawyer you can trust to fiercely defend your interests.

At Selachii, our team of experts have experience in dealing with a range of gambling disputes.  We offer a friendly and confidential service while looking to protect your best interests.  Our specialist gambling lawyers have experience in tax, dispute resolution, corporate and regulatory matters, and EU and Competition Laws.

We offer competitive rates, because we understand that our clients may be facing financial difficulties, and understand that a one-size-fits-all approach is not the way to deal with legal problems.  We will work with you to find out the circumstances of your case before agreeing the best and most affordable way to move forward with your gambling dispute.

Go direct

As you might expect, the first option available to you is to make direct contact with the casino itself and explain your complaint to a customer support agent. All reputable sites will have an email address or an online form to fill out so that you can get in touch via the web and searching for this information is straightforward.

Some sites will even operate customer service hotlines, which may be a more immediate way to seek a resolution to your complaint. However, calling to complain comes with its own caveats and so it may be better to keep all of your correspondence in writing, especially if the issue at hand is significant.

Online casinos are legally obliged to do their utmost to field customer complaints effectively and resolve them in a reasonable manner. However, it is worth noting that such rules only apply to those sites that are officially licensed; any site which is not covered by a license does not have to abide by the same standards and stipulations.

You can file a complaint to the courts

If you disagree with the gambling operator’s settlement of your complaint, you can refer the case to the courts. In this respect, the rules of a judicial review apply.

For more information about conduct of a case at court, we refer you to the website domstol.dk.

Read more about conduct of a case at court on domstol.dk

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