It is possibly little surprise to anyone that the most significant number of complaints received about online casinos surrounds the non-payout of casino winnings. Of course, when a casino takes your money to wager on casino games and refuses to pay out when you win, you have every right to complain. Indeed, you should. But before you do, you should make an effort to understand why the casino can’t or won’t pay.
Often, there is a legitimate reason why a casino can’t payout. Sometimes an action on your part is required to resolve this issue. Other times, a breach of casino policies may be at fault, which gives the casino a justifiable reason to withhold payment. In exceptional circumstances, players can sometimes fall in the crosshairs of a fraudulent casino.
This article looks at several of the most common reasons why casinos refuse to pay out winnings.
False or Incorrect information used to open an account
All online casinos, except for ‘No KYC Casinos’, require a verified account before the withdrawal of winnings. This requirement is usually a result of regulations set forth by the regulatory authorities within the industry, which enforce policies on player protections, money laundering and gambling addiction etc. The process of ‘know you customer’ checks (KYC) usually requires ID to be submitted. Often, a mistake on the form, such as information supplied that doesn’t match the ID submitted, can lead to a casino withholding withdrawals until the correct data is presented. Usually, you will also have to upload a copy of your Passport, Utility bill address, along with credit card details to process verification fully.
More than one player account opened
There are legitimate reasons why someone might open more than one account. Perhaps, for instance, they have forgotten they opened an account with a particular casino and opened another by mistake. It can happen. Nonetheless, players with multiple accounts can claim more than one free bonus, in theory. Modern online casinos have a policy stating that a player can only have one account to prevent this from happening. The only account that a casino will accept is the first one opened. Subsequent accounts are considered duplicate accounts and, when discovered, will result in the confiscation of winnings. Be careful not to fall into this trap.
Wagering Requirements not met
It is common for new players to sign up with an online casino to take advantage of an enticing casino bonus. Unfortunately, what is not understood by many is that casino bonuses almost always have wagering requirements attached. This prevents players from withdrawing winnings immediately and moving on to the next casino to do the same. Quite understandable when you think about it. Wagering requirements are the number of times a bonus must be played through before they become winnings you can withdraw. On average, this will be represented around X25-35 of the total amount claimed and may sometimes include cash deposits. It is therefore highly recommended that you read the terms and conditions before accepting a casino bonus.
Violation of the Terms and Conditions
Few people bother to read terms and conditions, especially when they’re looking forward to jumping on the slots. But failing to abide by the T&Cs can lead to the confiscation of winnings and closure of an account. There are several policies that online casinos typically enforce that can lead to an unsatisfactory outcome. Two of the most prominent include:
Using a payment card in someone else’s name to make casino deposits
For anti-money laundering purposes, casinos do not allow players to use a debit or credit card in another person’s name to deposit funds. From an operator’s point of view, they also have no idea if permission was granted to use another person’s card. For these reasons, never use a card to make a deposit that is not in your own name. You may also not be doing a friend or relative a favour by deposit money in their account, since ultimately, winnings may be confiscated.
Signing up and playing as a minor
By law, casinos place age limits on who can play and gamble on casino games. Typically, the legal age is 18, but in some countries, it may be 21. Read the terms and conditions before opening an account, and never pretend to be older than you are. Even if you are 18 when you tried to withdraw cash, winnings can still be confiscated if it is established that you were underage at the time of opening an account.
Using a VPN to play online casino games
Many players desire anonymity when playing casino games for several reasons, hence the appeal of using a VPN to hide location and identity information. Using a VPN to mask your actual location is undoubtedly appealing to those who live in countries where gambling is prohibited, for example. Online casinos rarely ever accept players from all countries. The exception to this rule is generally cryptocurrency casinos registered in Curacao. However, suffice it to say that if you use a VPN to play from a country that the casino does not accept, you stand a very high chance of losing your winnings if discovered. Since many use VPN’s for legitimate reasons, it is possible to play casino games while forgetting to turn your VPN off during gameplay. Be careful not to make this mistake.
Untrustworthy Casinos
Unfortunately, it can still sometimes happen that the casino has a dirty tricks playbook designed to cheat you out of your winnings. Scam casinos still exist, and they are not always easy to spot. As a general rule of thumb, it is always a good idea to play at a casino that has a licence issued by a credible licensing authority. The United Kingdom Gambling Commission (UKGC) and Malta Gaming Authority (MGA) are two of the best since they have strong player protection policies. If an online casino fails to abide by the terms and conditions of the guidelines set by these gambling authorities, it may lose its licence. Keep this in mind when choosing a casino.
Alternatively, you can use the filtered search lists available here on Gamblescope. We combine expert investigation with advanced algorithms to find the safest and most trusted online casinos available to players in the country you reside.
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Casino Payment withdrawals and timeframes
There are no hard and fast rules when it comes to casino withdrawals and timeframes. The procedure and length of time it takes to withdraw winnings vary from one casino to another. Some casinos may require verification and ID checks before a withdrawal can be made, especially when done for the first time. Withdrawal processes can take anywhere between one to five days, depending on the procedures undertaken by the casino you are using. Details of which can also be found in the terms and conditions.
Key Takeaways
Ultimately, online casinos tend to have a long list of policies that account holders must follow. Failure to do so could lead to the casino not paying out winnings in a timely fashion. Worst still, not at all and possibly the suspension of your account. Many problems arise when players fail to read or understand the terms and conditions. While no one wants to spend time reading through such policies word for word. For all the issues highlighted on this page, it is highly advisable to at least skim through. Familiarise yourself with the main issues that may affect you and the safe receipt of your casino winnings. Be aware that casinos do not generally accept misunderstanding of the Ts and Cs as an excuse for contravening its policies.
