While trustworthy online casinos abide by regulations and the rules set out in their terms and conditions, they may not pay out your winnings for a few reasons:
You didn’t meet the wagering requirements
In order to cash out your winnings or bonuses, you must meet the wagering requirements laid out in the online casino’s terms and conditions. If you want to withdraw winnings and are rejected, the casino should explain to you that this is the reason and provide how much you still need to wager.
In some cases, players may not realize that some games are not considered as part of wagering requirements. So be sure that you review the terms and conditions regarding any game restrictions when it comes to wagering or play-through requirements.
You didn’t verify your personal information and account
During the registration process, you are typically required to verify most of your personal identification and payment information to protect your identity and secure your account. Here are the items you may need to verify:
Your full name, age, and home address: To verify your personal identification information, you may be required to provide your valid ID or another valid document that confirms your identity and age.
Your email address and phone number: You may need to verify your phone number and email address through a link sent via email or text.
Your card or payment method information: To verify your payment method information, the casino may make small deposits or withdrawals (a few cents) and you will provide those amounts you see on your account.
You opened an account with false information
If you accidentally include incorrect information on your registration account or do so purposefully, an online casino may not pay your winnings because they cannot verify your identity. In some cases, you may have to go through a lengthy verification process in order to get your winnings, or you may not be eligible to get them at all.
However, if a casino does not ask to verify your information, it may not be a trustworthy online casino to play on.
You have duplicate accounts
If you accidentally or purposefully make duplicate accounts, an online casino may not reward your winnings.
Your name came up in the Gambling Intercept Payment System
The Gambing Intercept Payment System (GIP) is a database of persons who have monetary obligations, such as child support, alimony, or back taxes. If your name appears in the GIP when the casino verifies you before allowing you to withdraw winnings, you likely will not get your winnings. They will be sent to the state and used to pay your debts.
It’s important to note that this is a legal and viable reason for a casino to deny paying out your winnings.
You violated the terms and conditions
Any sign that you violated the terms and conditions regarding play or bonuses, you may not be eligible to receive your winnings.
You used someone else’s credit card or bank account to deposit funds
To make sure that people’s financial information and money are as secure as possible, many online casinos do not allow you to deposit money from another person’s bank account, debit card, or credit card. Even if the financial information is removed from your account, an online casino should be able to verify where your deposits came from, and if the card or account is not yours, the casino may refuse to pay out your winnings.
You cheated
If an online casino finds evidence of you cheating by way of abusing a signup bonus offer, they are not likely to pay out your winnings. Some players have found ways to take advantage of sticky (stay in your account) cashable bonuses (which are those that you can cash out after hitting the wagering requirements) that allow them to play certain games and come out on top at the disadvantage of the casino.
It’s important to note that many online casinos have discovered this method and have made bonuses a bit harder to take advantage of. They’ve also limited the types of games that you can play toward your wagering requirement for bonuses.
You played with a VPN
A virtual private network (VPN) is a network extension that creates a private network for users to hide their personal data, messages, and IP address online, prevent online surveillance, secure their connection when using private or public networks, and even access online content that is exclusive to other parts of the world.
If online gambling is illegal in the place where you are playing and you’re using a VPN to get around the block, you may be violating the online casino’s terms and conditions on play as well as breaking the law. For instance, if you’re playing games from another country, an online casino may refuse to pay out your winnings since you’re not a resident of the country in which online gambing is legal.
You were a minor when you played
All online casinos have age requirements for players. If you’re under the required age of 18 or 21 (depending on the country and the casino), you may be refused your winnings due to violating the online casino’s terms and conditions for play.
Other casinos that aren’t as trustworthy may refuse to pay when you win because they want to keep their money (and yours). A fraudulent casino is one that:
Cancels withdrawal requests without valid reason.
Refuses to pay winnings with unsubstantiated excuses.
Has unclear or misleading terms and conditions, especially regarding winnings, play requirements, and withdrawal procedures.
Doesn’t have a reputable license listed on their website and is not regulated by one of the recognized regulatory organizations, such as the Gibraltar Regulatory Authority and the Malta Gaming Authority.
Avoids your requests to speak with customer support or ignores issues you’ve brought up regarding your winnings.
What to do if a casino refuses to pay out your winnings
Follow these steps to take action:
1. Contact the online casino’s customer support
Let them know that you’re having issues withdrawing your winnings. They can check whether you’ve met the requirements laid out in the terms and conditions, and in the case that you haven’t, they should be able to provide you a specific amount of plays or wagers you must make before you’re eligible to withdraw.
If you have already reviewed the terms and conditions and find that you have met the requirements, show proof with screenshots of your winnings, balance, payment history, and all correspondence with customer support.
Should these approaches not work, take the next steps.
2. Reach out to the regulatory board listed on the casino’s website
Contact the regulatory board with the casino’s name, your issue, and the evidence you have (the screenshots mentioned above). The regulatory board can then investigate the issue and contact the casino giving you the hassle. In some cases, the casino will handle the situation and even offer bonuses or free spins to preserve their relationship with you.
3. Consider getting legal representation
If going to the regulatory board doesn’t work, then you can consider getting an attorney to contact the casino, present the evidence again, and give them a chance to reconcile out of court.
Should the settlement not be enough for you, especially if it doesn’t add up to the winnings you earned, then you might consider taking it to court. However, it’s important to note that going to court can be a time-consuming, expensive, and emotionally charged process. This last-ditch effort should be reserved for meager out-of-court settlements or exceptionally strong cases due to the chance that you’d have to pay the casino’s legal fees on top of your own.
