What To Do If An Online Casino Won't Pay You

Picture the scene: you’ve signed up at a top online casino, made a deposit to claim your welcome offer and you’ve even got lucky enough to land a win! It’s not long until the money will land directly in your account, right? Well, things might not go that smoothly.
While most withdrawals are straightforward, sometimes you might experience online casino withdrawal problems, which can be really disheartening if you just want to get your cash. But don’t panic yet: a lot of problems can be solved very easily, for example, there might be an issue with your verification documents, or a simple technical glitch causing delays.
In our guide, we’re going to tell you exactly what to do if a casino refuses to pay you and give you some top tips to make sure your winnings get paid out with no delays.
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I Can't Withdraw My Winnings
If you’re experiencing issues withdrawing at an online casino, there could be technical problems, account verification difficulties, or even a problem with your payment method.
Firstly, if you haven’t verified your account, you probably won’t be able to withdraw. Make sure you do this early - it’s usually very easy via your account section.
Having an active bonus could also stop you from withdrawing. If you have unused bonus cash in your account, you might be blocked from withdrawing and the same thing can happen if you haven’t yet met the wagering requirements for a particular bonus.
A lot of online casinos require you to withdraw using a payment method which you’ve previously used to make a deposit, so if you use a different one, the payment might fail. The same thing could happen if you’re trying to use an expired card, or a payment method that doesn’t accept withdrawals, for example paysafecard.
Why Would an Online Casino Hold On to Your Winnings?
There are quite a few reasons you might run into online casino withdrawal problems, but don’t worry just yet, most are easy to solve. For example, your account might be pending verification, or you might be yet to meet the wagering requirements applied to a promo you’ve claimed.
There’s also a chance that some of your activity on the site might have raised a red flag, but as long as you’re actually compliant with all the T&Cs, any checks should come back clear.
Finally, if you're playing at an unlicensed site, they might be experiencing cashflow issues or simply breaching their own T&Cs - an excellent reason to only ever play at regulated sites. While popular online casino myths might say some sites just don’t pay, this quite simply doesn’t apply to casinos with a licence.
1. Unmet Wagering Requirements
Almost all gambling promotions come with wagering requirements and if you don’t meet them, you could run into online casino withdrawal problems. Wagering requirements define how many times you need to play through the bonus amount or free spins winnings before you’re eligible to withdraw cash, and at some casinos they can be as high as 35x or 40x.
Even if you think you’ve played enough to have met the wagering requirements, you might have been playing games that don’t contribute or you might have been outside of the time limits. If you’re not sure, you can check this with the support team.
2. Account Verification Issues
Almost all online casinos require account verification before you can withdraw. This usually involves uploading copies of your ID and proof of address (for example a utility bill). If you haven’t verified your account in advance, there might be some delays with your withdrawal while the team reviews and approves your account.
In some cases there might be issues with your verification, such as if the upload might have come out blurry, or there might be some type of mismatch between the details on the documents and those associated with your casino account. You might need to re-upload your documents or provide extra forms of verification before you can get your winnings.
3. Withdrawal Payment Method
Online casinos in certain jurisdictions (including the UK) follow a closed-loop system, which means that you can only withdraw using the payment method that you used to make the original deposit. This is to prevent money-laundering and to ensure that the correct person receives the withdrawal. If you try to withdraw using a different method, it’s very likely to fail. You might also need to verify that you’re the owner of a payment method, for example with pictures or screenshots.
Some payment methods like prepaid cards and Pay by Phone only support deposits, in which case you’ll be asked to withdraw using a different method such as a bank transfer.
4. Withdrawal Limits
If an online casino refuses to pay you, it could be due to a bit too much good fortune! Most casino sites have maximum withdrawal limits, usually applied by day, week, or month. This might vary depending on your loyalty level. Each payment method usually also has a maximum withdrawal limit per transaction.
If you’ve hit the withdrawal limit and you still have more cash to withdraw, make sure you check the T&Cs to find out exactly what the limits are and then simply come back at a later time to withdraw the rest of your money. In some cases, customer support can make an exception and allow you to withdraw more than the maximum.
5. User Misconduct: Multiple Accounts or Bonus Abuse
Casinos usually have strict policies to prevent bonus abuse. For example, you’re only allowed to have one account at a specific online casino and you can’t try to get around the rules by using different payment methods to claim the welcome offer multiple times. Some sites even restrict you to a set number of bonuses across a whole group of linked casinos.
If you’re found to be exploiting bonuses in any way or trying to place strategic bets to get through the wagering requirements quicker, your account might be flagged and you won’t be able to withdraw.
6. Casino Financial or Technical Issues
Technical issues and glitches can happen anywhere and online casinos are no exception. Problems like payment gateway failures, planned maintenance or system errors can have an impact on your withdrawals. You’ll also struggle to withdraw if there’s a problem on your side, for example a weak internet connection.
Most technical issues are resolved pretty quickly, so it’s usually just a case of coming back a little later and trying your withdrawal again. If the issue persists, you can get in touch with the support team.
7. Unlicensed and Unsafe Casinos
If you choose to play at an unlicensed casino, you shouldn’t be surprised if you don’t get paid out as advertised. These sites don’t have regulators and they don’t report to anyone, so you won’t have any outside support with payment issues. Misleading terms and conditions and lack of customer support can lead to severely delayed payments, or in the worst case scenario, you won’t get your money at all.
The best way to avoid online casino withdrawal problems is simply by choosing a licensed site which is legal in your country or state. All of the casinos we list here at Bookies.com hold valid licences, so they’re all completely safe.
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What to Do If an Online Casino Won’t Pay Out?
So, what exactly should you do if an online casino refuses to pay you? There are a few different steps you can take immediately, but we’d recommend checking the casino’s T&Cs to make sure you’re following all the rules, and then getting in touch with the support team. If you’re still not having any joy, you might need to escalate things to the regulator and finally take legal action, but very few cases require this level of intervention.
Review Terms and Conditions
If you’re struggling to withdraw your money at an online casino, the first thing to do is review the casino’s T&Cs, as well as any specific conditions on bonuses that you’ve claimed recently. You might be violating the T&Cs without even realising, for example by not having met the wagering requirements.
Contact Customer Service
Getting in touch with support is the next step, as they should be able to give you a clear explanation of exactly what the issue is. You can contact the team using live chat or email, but be patient and understand that the agents might need to raise your query with a specific team and get back to you.
Make A Complaint with Management
You can raise a formal complaint with management by going through the designated email address usually listed in the T&Cs section. Different online casinos have different complaints protocols and it might take some time to get a specific answer (for example in the UK, the casino will have up to eight weeks to respond).
Contact the Regulatory Body or Licensing Authority
You’ll need to go through the specific casino’s complaints procedure before you can escalate to the regulator. When you raise the issue with the regulator, they will conduct their own investigation and make a judgment. If you’re not happy with the outcome, you’ll be able to appeal.
Filing formal complaints takes time and you’ll need to be persistent. Make sure you document all communications with the online casino, in case the regulator asks for records.

Leave a Public Review
If you’ve gone through all of the recommended channels and you still haven’t received your money, you might want to make things public. If you’re using an app, you can leave a review on the App Store or Play Store, otherwise you can use a public forum like Trustpilot to detail the problem.
Consider Legal Action
Legal action should be your last resort, if nothing else works. Regulators like the Malta Gaming Authority can refer you to an Alternative Dispute Resolution service, but if that doesn’t work you can seek advice from a solicitor and file a civil claim. Legal action can be difficult and expensive, plus enforcement isn’t always guaranteed even if the claim is successful.
How to Avoid Withdrawal Problems?
The key to avoiding online casino withdrawal problems is by following the T&Cs to the very letter. It’s a good idea to read the promo terms and the bonus terms before you sign up and start playing, so that you know exactly what’s required of you. Make sure you’re completely familiar with the wagering requirements and the bonus abuse policy, so that there’s no chance you’re violating any rules without even knowing.
We’d recommend verifying your account as soon as you sign up so that there’s no chance of a delay later on, and you might also want to choose a payment method that supports both deposits and withdrawals, to avoid any complications.
Remember, technical issues do happen and if you’re playing at a licensed online casino, chances are there’s just a small issue preventing your withdrawal from coming through successfully. Be patient and always speak to the customer support team if you have any problems.
Gamble Responsibly
Responsible gambling is very closely linked with online casino withdrawals, as online casinos might pause your account (including deposits and withdrawals) if there are any signs of concerning patterns. Depending on your region, the site might need to do additional checks, for example to ensure you can afford your spend.
You should always set yourself limits and make use of the casino’s tools like reality checks, time out and, if necessary, self-exclusion. If you need any additional help, you can contact the site’s support team or reach out to a resource in your area, for example one of these:
Final Thoughts
If you’re having online casino withdrawal problems, the first step is not to panic. There are multiple things you can do to solve the issues and get your money as soon as possible.
Always make sure that your casino account is verified with your real, legal details and ensure that you only ever use secure payment options. If you’re experiencing withdrawal problems, be sure to get in touch with the customer support team as soon as possible, so that they can assist and if the casino simply refuses to payout (despite no T&Cs violations on your side) you’ll have the support of the regulator if you’re playing at a licensed site.
Online Casino Withdrawal Problems FAQs
Can I use a VPN at an online casino?
Some online casinos are advertised as “VPN-friendly” but in general we wouldn’t recommend using one to change your location. If you manage to sign up at a casino outside of your jurisdiction by using a VPN, you’ll likely run into issues when you try to withdraw.
Where can I find a casino’s contact information?
The casino’s contact information is usually easy to find via the help centre, FAQs page, or contact page, or alternatively you can ask on live chat. Most online casinos also list specific complaints email addresses within their T&Cs.
Do I need to verify my online casino account to withdraw my winnings?
As a condition of licensing, most online casinos require you to verify your account using your ID and proof of address before you can withdraw any money. In some regions, you need to verify before you can even deposit.
About the Author

Farah is an online casino expert, having worked in the customer retention and marketing comms department at Betway in the UK, before becoming a professional online casino content writer. Farah’s areas of expertise include slot reviews, casino reviews, bonuses and sweepstakes casinos. When she\\\'s not writing about all of the latest casino and slot releases, you\\\'ll find her planning her next trip to Las Vegas.
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