We offer over 32,178 free games. Start here.

You are here:

Formal Gambling Complaint Options | UK Guide

Formal complaint options are built into the UK regulatory system. These options are designed to safeguard players and bettors who have been treated unfairly by an online gambling operator. Through such channels, you can file complaints against any type of regulated online gambling site operating in the UK, from online casinos and sportsbooks to lottery and bingo sites.

In this guide, we cover everything you need to know about pursuing your complaint: what formal complaint channels are available to you, how to use them and useful tips on each method.

CasinoReviews

#1 UK Gambling Complaints Service

Visit CasinoReviews

Looking for a trusted UK gambling complaints service?

We recommend CasinoReviews, a free online gambling complaints service offering to mediate disputes between players/bettors and online gambling operators. If you feel you’ve been treated unfairly, CasinoReviews is here to help you reach a fair outcome.

To get started, go to CasinoReviews.com, fill out the online form and submit your online gambling complaint to the site's dispute resolution team.

10+ years of experience
8,000 complaints managed
CiARB qualified team

Legal Disclaimer: The contents on this page are provided for informational purposes only and are not intended as a substitute for legal advice. When pursuing a complaint against an online gambling operator, always seek legal counsel from the appropriate entities in your jurisdiction.

What Are Formal Complaint Options?

These options are player safeguards built into the regulatory system. The formal complaint options listed on this page are available to all UK players/bettors.

When Should I File a Formal Gambling Complaint?

When deciding whether to file a formal complaint against an online gambling operator, you must consider two factors:

Whether you’ve already taken your complaint as far as it can go through the gambling operator’s own support channels.
How far you wish to pursue your complaint (in terms of the time, energy, and sometimes, even finances, available to you).

⭐ Expert Tip: if you've already exhausted your options with the operator’s support team and still haven’t reached a satisfactory outcome, you may consider exploring some of the formal options available to you.

Types of Formal Gambling Complaint Options

If you wish to file a formal gambling complaint, there are 3 options available to you:

Submit a complaint to an Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) Service
Appeal to the online gambling regulator/s in your region
Go through the court systems

⭐ Expert Tip: Browse the overviews of each formal complaint option below to decide which course of action suits your needs best.

Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) Services for Online Gambling

ADR services for online gambling are intended to provide a more easily accessible means of addressing player complaints, acting as an alternative to the small claims courts.”

Gambling operators licensed by the UKGC are required by their license to provide players with what is known as an Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) service. The only valid license in the UK is the United Kingdom Gambling Commission (UKGC).

The operator cannot simply select any 3rd party to act as their ADR. They must choose from the list of approved ADR gambling services that have been confirmed competent to manage player disputes by the UKGC. You can find this list here: Approved Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) providers

ADR services for online gambling are intended to provide a more easily accessible means of addressing player complaints, acting as an alternative to the small claims courts.

How to Submit a Complaint to a Gambling ADR

To submit your complaint to a gambling operator’s ADR you will need to follow the steps below:

Go to the operator’s terms and conditions page. Locate and read the section on complaints and/or disputes. You should find contact information, including a link, for the relevant ADR included in this section of the operator’s terms.
Make sure you’ve completed the steps outlined in our online gambling complaints guide. These are the operator’s internal complaints policies. Most ADRs will decline any complaint if the player has not exhausted the operator’s internal complaints policies.
Submit your complaint. Go to the ADR’s website and submit your complaint. If you’re not sure where to submit your complaint, we recommend the CasinoReviews gambling complaints service as it’s free of charge and holds a great reputation in the industry.

Our #1 UK Gambling Complaints Service

For players and bettors facing unfair treatment by online gambling operators, we recommend submitting a complaint to the trusted team over at CasinoReviews.com. This free and impartial dispute resolution service will help you reach a fair outcome.

Visit CasinoReviews

📑 Important Information About Gambling ADRs

⭐ Expert Tip: keep the information below in mind when taking a complaint to an ADR.

Your ADR service is chosen by the operator
Whilst the regulator does approve multiple ADR organisations, it is the licensee (i.e.: the online gambling operator) that gets to select which ADR is used. You can only take your complaint to the ADR entity listed in the operator’s terms of use.
Service standards may vary between ADRs
The quality of service that you will receive from ADRs can vary quite substantially from ADR to ADR. From the time it takes to manage disputes, to the frequency/quality of communications, to the support you will receive from the ADR and even the proportion of rulings delivered for the different parties – there is significant divergence in the way different ADRs will approach managing complaints.
Outcomes and rulings are case-dependent
In most situations, the player is not legally bound by the ADR’s ruling and you are free to pursue other options available to you even if the ADR does not find in your favour. The only exception to this is where the case concludes with a negotiated settlement. In this case, you should be clearly informed before agreeing to the settlement that you will be legally bound not to pursue the matter further.

Online Gambling Regulators

Important to note: it is unlikely the regulator will assist you to recover your funds, though that may happen as a consequence of action taken if the regulator identifies wider problematic trends that it decides to intervene in.”

ADRs are approved to manage most types of complaints. But there are a few exceptions. Specifically, ADRs are approved to manage transactional complaints, but anything related to a breach of licensing conditions is reserved for the review of the online gambling regulator dedicated to licensed operators in your location.

Will the Regulator Intervene on My Behalf?

While it is possible to submit your complaint directly to the regulator, the regulator does not intervene directly in individual complaints and instead uses submitted evidence to identify problematic patterns across the sector.

The most commonly impacted types of complaint are those relating to the gambling operator’s duty of care, i.e. whether a player should have been allowed to play, or whether the operator should have identified indicators of gambling harm and prevented further access.

The practical implications of this policy are that it is unlikely the regulator will assist you to recover your funds, though that may happen as a consequence of action taken if the regulator identifies wider problematic trends that it decides to intervene in.

You can contact the regulator for the UK here: UKGC general enquiries online form

The Court Systems

This is a serious step and can have substantial consequences for you, so make sure you have considered your options fully before you start down this path.”

The final option within the official structure in the UK is to consider taking legal action against the gambling operator. This is a serious step and can have substantial consequences for you, so make sure you have considered your options fully before you start down this path.

While we cannot provide you with legal advice, we can direct you to sources with detailed information on pursuing your claim via the courts:

For claims of £10,000 or less: you can pursue your claim via the small claims court. The costs of this range from £35-£455 depending on the amount being claimed. You can find advice on pursuing your claim via the small claims court here: Deciding whether to make a small claim (citizenadvice.org)

For claims of £10,000.01 or more: your claim will be tracked to the commercial court. Costs for this can vary between £500-£10,000 depending on the size of your claim. You can find information on pursuing your claim via the commercial court here: How to take a business dispute to the Commercial Court (www.gov.uk)

📑 Important Considerations When Appealing to the Court Systems

⭐ Expert Tip: consider the information below when taking your gambling complaint to the courts.

Unlicensed operators pose a greater challenge
The courts system is only practically viable if your complaint is against a regulated gambling operator. Since gambling complaints must be brought before the courts in the operator's own regulatory jurisdiction, claims against unregulated gambling operators will be extremely challenging to pursue as it is near impossible to pinpoint where their legal holdings are located.

You must have exhausted your options beforehand

Always ensure that you try the operator’s published complaints policy and their ADR before you move on to considering court action.

Court claims are subject to legal fees

Depending on the monetary amount you are contesting, if your claim loses you may end up facing financial costs for both your own legal representation and potentially the legal representation and costs of the gambling operator.

Understanding the Next Steps

After going through this guide, you’re probably considering one of the formal online gambling complaint options described. If you’ve already exhausted your options with the operator’s internal support channels and still haven’t reached a satisfactory outcome, then you may have a valid case.

At this stage, you can take the following steps:

1) Choose one of the complaint options described in this guide

2) Follow our complete expert guide on how to file an online gambling complaint

More Gambling Complaint Guides From Our Experts

Online Gambling Complaints Guide UK

Learn what options are available to you, how to file a complaint against a casino or other gambling site, plus helpful advice and tips.

Informal Gambling Complaints UK

Pursuing a gambling complaint through informal channels offers an alternative way to build your case against an operator. Learn more here.

Responsible Gambling UK

These initiatives are designed to protect players from harm and enable informed choices. Find responsible gambling support, tools and resources for the UK.