Online Casino Disputes/Problems & How to Solve Them
Inevitably from time to time, you are going to run into issues with your online casino. In fact, the large majority of online casino players are lucky enough never to experience any issues with their online casinos.
However, if you do happen to be one of the few that runs into a casino dispute/problem, the one thing you can be sure of is that there is always help available. You have FAQs, terms and conditions clauses, as well as customer support agents.
Plus, there are also third-party entities that will mediate between you and the casino. For example, if you signed up for an online casino recommended by our team here on the PlayCasino website, then our conflict resolution team will help mediate.
The purpose of this guide is to elaborate on these channels of support available to you and how to use them to make sure any online casino conflicts you have are resolved quickly and amicably.
Identifying and Understanding The Problem With Your Online Casino
Firstly, you need to make sure that you understand exactly what your issue is. We have outlined some of the main online casino issues below. You should then follow the 4-Step process below.
Once the problem has been identified, you can follow this process:
Step 1: Read the sections below: ‘common online casino problems’ to see if you can find answers
Step 2: Use your online casino’s FAQ and Terms & Conditions to find answers
Step 3: Contact customer support and try to resolve the issue
Step 4: If the casino cannot help, then escalate the issue to a third-party
Hopefully, you will be able to solve your issue in one of the earlier stages. However, if you get to Step 4, then you will need to read our ‘Conflict Resolution with Online Casinos Guide’ for further assistance.
What Should You Do in Case of Deposit or Withdrawal Issues?
We will begin with deposits and withdrawals because this is arguably an area of online casino operations that support agents have to deal with the most.
Why Was My Withdrawal/Deposit Denied?
Looking in the FAQ and Terms & Conditions For Information Such As:
- Daily, weekly, and monthly withdrawal limits not being exceeded
- Have you provided adequate ID and/or proof of address
- It could be a suspected fraud (logon from abroad, via a VPN, or on a new computer)
- Are there any other accounts registered at your address?
- Is your withdrawal method up to date? (a new card, new e-wallet password)
Why Has My Deposit Not Been Updated and Financial Account Debited?
One of the main deposit issues these days is related to cryptocurrency.
- If it is a crypto deposit problem, then you will need to make sure you use the correct public key to make the deposit. If you didn’t, then it could be bad news, and you will need to contact the crypto wallet to see if the crypto is recoverable.
- For fiat currencies, the casino may have withheld the deposit for security reasons. Check your email or contact the casino immediately, as the casino will be able to tell you if the issue is with them or your financial facility. Unlike crypto, the money will be held somewhere and recoverable as long as your account is legal and you own it.
What are the Most Common bonus complaints/issues, and why do they happen?
99.9% of bonus disputes are because the terms and conditions of the bonus are misunderstood. Those that tend to raise bonus-related issues are usually players that are new to playing at online casinos and are not yet fully acquainted with exactly how the bonuses work.
Here is a list of the most common online casino bonus issues
All the points we have made will have a clause related to the issue in the casino’s bonus terms and conditions. Consequently, should any of these situations apply to your circumstances, then you should be able to find the answer in one of the t&c clauses. Also, Before we begin, it is important to note that all bonus money has a wagering requirement before it can be withdrawn in cash.
As such, you will have two casino balances:
- ‘Bonus Money’ Balance
- ‘Real Money’ Balance
Higher than expected wagering requirements
This usually occurs for two main reasons:
- Not all games contribute 100% of the bet made towards the wagering requirement. For example, slots may count 100% towards the wagering requirement, but when you read the terms and conditions, there are some slots excluded from the bonus. Also, most table game bets such as blackjack or roulette will only count 5% towards to wagering requirement. Every casino has a table that explains which games contribute towards the wagering requirements in their bonus terms and conditions.
- There is often a maximum amount of your bet that will count toward the wagering requirement. This could be €5, for example. Therefore, if you are betting €10, and the maximum is €5, then only half your bet will contribute to the bonus wagering requirement, or the casino may void the bet completely. In most cases, the maximum you can bet is 20% of the ‘bonus money’ balance. If you have €200, then the maximum bet is €40. Some casinos will have a consistent maximum and not have the 20% rule. It is up to you to find out how your casino bonus places a maximum on your bonus money bets.
Bonus funds disappear from the player’s account
As soon as the bonus money is credited to your account, it will normally have a time limit/expiry period. When the time limit is up, the bonus money will disappear, and you will be left with your ‘real money’ balance because you did not meet the wagering requirements.
Also, some ‘bonus money’ balances will disappear if you do not log on for a specified time period, such as 10 days, even though the bonus expires after 30 days.
- Usually, because the ‘bonus money’ balance has expired
- You did not log on within a certain time period
Bonus Free Spins Winnings Not Credited to ‘Real Money’ Balance
Although free spins sound like you are going to win free cash, usually, any winnings from free spins will be credited to your ‘bonus money’ and very rarely to your ‘real money’ balance. Once it becomes ‘bonus money’ you will need to meet specified wagering requirements, which are sometimes different from the main bonus playthrough amount.
- Free spins winnings added to ‘bonus balance’
- Wagering requirements apply to the free spins portion of the ‘bonus balance’
Only a Partial Amount of Bonus Free Spins Winnings Credited
Almost every free spins bonus comes with a ‘maximum win’ amount. For instance, if this is €250 and you win €450, then only €250 will be credited to your account.
- Free spins winnings usually come with a maximum win
- Any winnings in excess of the maximum are not credited
Voided bonuses
This is very rare but can happen. Mostly this is because more than one person at your address has participated in the same casino bonus. There are many other reasons why the casino may void the bonus, such as the country you are in may not be eligible for the bonus.
- Most casinos only allow one bonus per physical address
- Your country may not be eligible for the bonus
Lower than expected amount credited to my account
There are often maximum limits on the amount you can win while betting with bonus money or bonus free spins/credits. You may have been expecting a €500 payout, but then when visiting the bonus terms and conditions, the maximum winnings allowed are set to €200.
How do you deal with bonus disputes?
Bonus disputes require you to be deadly accurate with the information you provide. Make sure you follow the preceding steps to find out what the issue is:
- Identify the exact issue you have with the bonus
- Read the bonus terms and conditions thoroughly
- If the bonus t&cs do not solve your issue, then contact support
- Tell support your exact issue and how you have tried to solve it using the above steps
The support team may not be able to give you an immediate answer in some cases, as it could take time to calculate wagering requirement claims. However, if the issue arose due to the bonus being made void, you will normally be informed of this immediately.
PlayCasino Casino Reviews
You can also read our PlayCasino casino reviews here. Our reviews include a dissected version of the welcome bonus terms and conditions, such as:
- Wagering requirements
- Wagering contributions by game
- Bonus money expiration
- The maximum bet allowed using bonus money
My Account Was Banned Due To a Violation
Very rarely, player accounts are banned because the casino has spotted a violation of its terms and conditions. Most of the time, the casino is correct. Still, sometimes it could be because of a glitch as casinos generally ban accounts by using automated software that detects the violation, and sometimes the software is not always correct.
Multiple Accounts
Sometimes you might become a member of a casino because of the multi-table poker option or because your friend or family member that lives with you plays there and you like the look of it. It could also happen if a friend that also plays at the same casino logs onto your Wi-Fi router. In both cases, the casino may ban your account using its one account per IP address policy.
How to solve this issue
It may be a perfectly innocent mistake. You will need to contact the casino, which might give you the benefit of the doubt as long as you agree to close one of the accounts. If it was a friend logging on at the same time, then as long as you agree that you ‘now’ understand the terms and conditions of the casino’s dual account policy, the casino will usually reactivate the accounts for first-time offenders.
Multiple Email Addresses
You cannot open multiple accounts using different email addresses. Unfortunately, there is usually no coming back from this, and all associated accounts will be banned.
How to solve this issue
If this was a casual mistake because you wanted a fresh account, the casino might let you keep one of your accounts as long as this was the first offense.
Disconnected and My Balance Not Updated
This can be a common issue for mobile players and is usually very easily solved. 99.9% of the time, the casino session will time out, and your casino account will be credited. In the very rare event the money is not returned, you should be able to see this in your ‘game history’ area. The money may be stuck, and you will need to contact support to have it released.
Other Casino Issues
There are other issues that are less common than the above-mentioned casino problems that may arise. These issues usually result in escalating your dispute to a third party because no online casino is rarely going to admit to the following:
- Unfair treatment
- Inconsistent gaming results
- Incorrect odds/payouts
How To Deal With Online Casino Disputes and How To Report Them
With all issues, it is important to leave emotions to one side. Starting your online casino claim by sending a message full of negative comments is not the best way to get the problem solved – it could even lead to having your account banned if you are deemed to be abusive. If you are upset, then try to use a formal tone and give the casino a chance to solve the issue. If the casino does not appear to be helping you, then you can start to look at contacting the licenser or a third party for mediation.
For information on how to take your complaint further, read our ‘Conflict Resolution with Online Casinos Guide’.
