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Online casinos want you to feel like a winner. Thus, most of the time, operators will encourage you to try different games to invest and also earn money in the long run. But what happens if they can’t pay you? Sometimes, online casinos won’t allow you to cash out your winnings. On our page, you’ll discover the reasons behind this situation, tips on how you can prevent it, and what to do if it happens to you.
Can Online Casinos Refuse To Pay You?
Usually, online casinos must have a valid reason to refuse to pay you out. They must comply with strict rules imposed by their regulators, ensuring you enjoy a fair game and a trustworthy site.
All casino sites have their own set of rules that you need to know and agree on before becoming a customer. Breaching any of those rules could allow casinos to block or restrict your payment.
As you probably know, there are platforms regulated and licensed by competent authorities like the UKGC, Malta Gaming Authority, Gibraltar, Kahnawake, or Swedish Gambling Authority. You should also know that not all authorities are as strict as the UK Gambling Commission. That’s why it’s best to be aware of the license and regulators of the casino you want to join.
Some sites are unlicensed and are considered the most dangerous as they are not regulated by any authority. These platforms usually can quickly get away with not paying their users.
While reputable casinos will refuse to pay out due to some irregularities with your account, those that are unlicensed will just do it because they want to.
SlotsCalendar Advice: We recommend you only play at licensed casinos that protect your personal data and money, as unlicensed platforms might be an unsafe environment for your information.
15 Reasons Why You Can’t Withdraw Your Money
There are different valid reasons why an online casino might not pay, block or restrict your winnings. While you may solve some of the issues with the help of the site’s customer support team, some decisions are permanent. In the following paragraph, you’ll read about the common reasons why casino payout refusal may occur:
1. Using Incorrect Information
They might refuse to payout because you provided false or incorrect information when you signed up. If you manage to open your account with the wrong information, the staff will soon notice.
In most cases, the casino will just shut down your account, considering you were trying to cheat, but some operators will contact you to solve the false information issue.
2. Not Using Your Own Payment
Whether you’re using a credit/debit card or an e-wallet, the payment method must be issued under your name. This is a core rule for every gambling site; you should use your own payment method for deposits and withdrawals as well.
Remember that even if you manage to link a payment option that doesn’t belong to you, the transaction from the casino won’t work. So make sure you use your own.
3. Declined Payment Option
Sometimes gambling sites will only allow you to use for withdrawals the same payment method you tried for deposits. Operators usually use this practice for safety matters, to protect your funds.
They will only approve your cash-out request if your chosen option is available on the site. To avoid this situation, checking the list of available withdrawal options before the request might be a good idea.
4. The Wagering Requirements Are Incomplete
The main benefits of using a gambling platform are the multitude of bonuses. Most sites will offer you a welcome bonus right after you sign up, and if you want to can out your winnings resulting from the bonus, make sure you meet all the requirements.
If you don’t manage to fulfil bonus requirements, then you won’t be able to windrow your funds.
5. Suspicious Gameplay
A clause that may block your payouts is irregular play. What is considered suspicious gameplay depends on the platform’s Terms and Conditions. Every site has its own T&Cs, which you must understand and, of course, respect.
Irregular play might be patterns observed by the trained staff and the AI, which indicate that you placed a specific bet at a certain time or changed games and bets too often.
6. Questionable Transactions
The playing patterns, as well as transactions, are carefully observed and analysed by the casino’s staff. These procedures are not considered a violation of your privacy but practices that ensure your safety and the casino.
Fraud, like money laundering, can be detected from this procedure. Thus, if you’re making massive deposits and not playing any money at all, then requesting to cash them out might be considered a suspicious transaction.
As soon as the personnel spot this type of activity, they will cancel all your bonuses and decline any washout requests.
SlotsCalendar Advice: When playing online casino games, we recommend you create a fixed budget for them. This way, you may charge your account whenever necessary with a fixed amount, and it won’t raise any concerns.
7. Questionable Account Activity
Whether it is desktop or mobile you prefer, you are free to choose any device to play your favourite games. You may even use them both.
Yet, if the casino staff sees you’ve been logging in from too many devices from different places, they may block your access and withdrawals.
In this case, they will deny your access as a safety measure protecting you and your funds from possible “hacker attacks.”
8. Owning a Duplicate Account
You probably know that having a duplicate account is against every casino rule. Even if you want to enjoy casino bonuses more than once, there are better methods to claim them than creating a second account at the same casino site.
Even if you manage to create one, claim your bonus, and gain nice winnings, the casino has all the right to refuse your withdrawal request. They even have the power to close both your accounts for good. So instead of risking your luck, it’s best to register at a new site.
9. The KYC Process Is Incomplete
Right at the start of your gambling journey, you must complete the KYC process when registering at a new site. In order to have a fast withdrawal process, all your detail need to be on point. Usually, the KYC process requires you to use one of the following documents to prove your identity:
- Picture of ID;
- Utility Bill;
- Bank Statement.
SlotsCalendar Advice: When filling in the KYC process, ensure you provide the details in the casino’s time frame. Also, use clear copies or photos to keep everything in order. In case you don’t follow their requests, the casino has the right to refuse to pay you.
10. You’ve Been Using A VPN While Playing
The use of a VPN (Virtual Private Network) software to access a casino platform is not allowed. Over the years, casino sites have developed intelligent systems that detect when a user is using the VPN software and take standard measures for those situations.
Normally, the consequences for using a VPN end with the refusal for withdrawal and the block of the account.
11. Underage Gambling
Many underage “players” attempt to gamble online, and some even manage to do so by creating a false account. With their false account, they are able to perform casino activities, claim offers and even play it before the operators discover their false information.
Eventually, especially in the moment of payout, the casino will take action and cancel all active bonuses, block all funds, and decline any cashout requests. The player will lose everything as he is violating one of the golden rules of the T&Cs.
SlotsCalendar Advice: If you think gambling is your kind of fun activity, we recommend you wait until you are of legal age to try them. Any attempt to break the rules will attract consequences, so it’s best to have a clean start in your gambling journey.
12. Game Malfunctions and Platform Errors
Most platforms want a top-notch system, yet site and game errors might still happen. If you ever stumble on any error, don’t use it to your advantage.
Even if it may seem impossible for operators to find out you’ve obtained funds from exploiting an error, they will eventually catch you. As they discover your activity, you risk losing all your winnings.
13. Winning Too Often
Even though it sounds unfair, winning too much too often might be suspicious. The operators may consider that you use cheating methods like specialised AI to win every time, and they will refuse to pay you.
However, hitting the jackpot is not considered suspicious activity, so you can cash out your winnings without any hassle.
14. Not Respecting The Payout Limit
Players usually overlook the payout limits. Payout limits are attached to casino promotions like the welcome offer. When claiming such an offer, check its terms and conditions to see how much you can cash out from the amount you’ve won using the promotion. You won’t always be able to cash out the whole amount.
15. Using the Self-Exclusion Option
A self-exclusion option is a tool you’ll find available on any gambling platform. Part of the responsible gambling page, the tool excludes you from the site for a specific time, thus blocking your cashout funds.
Therefore, before using the tool it is best to withdraw all your remaining funds from all platforms. Once you self-exclude, you are no longer allowed to access the site or withdraw your money.
What To Do If a Casino Refuses to Pay Out?
If you think none of the reasons, we’ve discussed above, apply to your situation, there are several ways you can use them to make them unlock your funds.
Contact the Support Team, Backed Up By Evidence
If it happens to win a significant amount of money and the casino refuses to pay you, the first thing you should do is stop playing until you solve the issue. Try to gather evidence of your winnings with screenshots of the total amount, payment history, balance, and chat history, and save the emails sent by the casino. All this evidence will be vital in case of a dispute.
After you collect everything, contact the customer support service and explain your situation. This is the part where you’ll also find their side of the story. Probably, unknowingly you violated one of the terms. Let them explain the rules you’ve broken in detail, and ensure you understand every word.
However, if they only try to push you away without any explanation or evidence, you should seek help outside the casino.
Reach Out to Gambling Commissions To Help You
Gambling Commissions, like the UKGC, have dedicated pages to help players who struggle to claim what’s theirs to keep. They provide a guide with the necessary legal steps you must take to get your winnings.
Thus, when choosing a gambling site, ensure you know which gambling commission regulates it. You may find this information on the website’s footer, and they will also provide you with an email.
Usually, online casinos try to solve their issue without the involvement of their regulators, as they need to keep an impeccable reputation online. Yet, if they still don’t pay you, contact their gambling commission.
Another way to make a casino pay your winnings is to start a legal process. However, the process of filing a lawsuit might be expensive and exhausting. Most casino sites are based offshore, so you’ll need a lawyer from the casino’s location to represent you.
Using your evidence, the lawyer will formally contact the casino and allow them to respond. In cases like this, most casinos agree to solve the issue without the court’s implication.
SlotsCalendar Advice: If your case gets judged in court, you’ll have to be present to give your testimony. Once a judge listens to both sites’ evidence, he’ll give a verdict. If the odds are on your side, you’ll get compensated, but in case of loss, you’ll be asked to pay legal fees for yourself and the casino as well.
Tips To Ensure An Online Casino Will Pay You
If you want to ensure a gambling platform pays you, just follow the rules and pay attention to details. Don’t forget that a big part of your experience is gambling responsibly and fairly. Here are some rules you should follow to make sure you’ll get paid:
- Play at licensed casinos: Always choose a site strictly regulated by a capable authority, as they will surely offer a fair gambling experience.
- Study Terms & Conditions: This section includes all the details you need to know about what is accepted by the operators. You’ll know how to play safely without risking blocking your withdrawals.
- Provide valid information: As you sign up for a new platform, ensure you only give accurate information. Even the slightest mistake can ruin your verification process and have your transaction requests declined.
- Don’t skip the bonus terms: Read the promotion’s terms and pay attention to the payout limits. Don’t forget that you only cash out winnings from a bonus for which you’ve completed the wagering requirements.
- Check the payment methods: Some sites will ask you to use the same payment method for deposits and withdrawals. Yet, sometimes the same option might not be available on the site for withdrawals. It’s best to check their payments before making the deposit.
Fill in the KYC correctly: We recommend you fulfil this process right after you sign up if the casino allows you. It will take a few minutes to confirm your identity, but it will process your withdrawal requests faster.