Can a casino refuse to pay out? The short answer is yes. The gambling industry is worth billions of dollars globally and the value is increasing steadily daily. People spend a lot of money betting in casinos and they cash out significantly as well. When you win a bet either in a brick and mortar or an online casino, the casino has to pay you your winnings. It is the obligation of your casino to pay you but it would interest you to know that the casino may decide to withhold the earnings in some cases. What do you do when this happens? How do you get your prize from a casino that is refusing to pay? The first thing you need to do is find out why the casino is withholding your money.
Reasons Why A Casino Can Decide Not To Pay You
1. Your Identity Hasn’t Been Verified
This is one of the most common reasons why an online casino might decide to withhold your earnings. These casinos must follow KYC policiesby law. KYC is an acronym for “know your customer”. It requires that companies collect certain details about the customer they are dealing with whether it’s a casino or a trading platform. Some casinos allow you to create an account and even make a deposit without providing any KFC detail.
However, when you win and you want to withdraw your money, they restrict you until you provide the details. The KFC details include full names, valid identification, utility bill as proof of address, and proof of casino deposit. They ask for these details because they want to be sure that you’re the rightful owner of the winnings and because it is a good way to prevent money laundering. Always signup with your real data, because it’s one of the most common reasons for a casino to refuse a pay out.
2. They Want You To Warger Your Winnings
Casinos, like other business establishments, exist for profit making. This is why the house always prefers to win. Unfortunately for the casinos, those gambling are entitled to their funds if they win. Some of these casinos look for ways to delay the cash out process to seduce gamblers into betting their earnings again. This usually works on compulsive gamblers. Rather than patiently wait for the alleged ‘issue’ fixing, they wager the money they have won in a bid to win even more. Unfortunately, you may not be fortunate enough to get lucky the second time and your money will go back to the casino.
3. You’re Yet to Meet Your Wagering Requirements
Most casinos offer bonuses to new clients or clients who meet certain requirements. If you wager using money from your bonus account, you need to meet certain requirements before you cash out your earnings. Sometimes, you need to wager with your win from a bonus several times before you can cash out. Pay close attention to the bonus terms. This may be annoying but it’s usually another scheme by the casino to minimize their losses.
4. You’re Not Requesting Within The Withdrawal Range
If the money you’re trying to withdraw is above or below the withdrawal limit, your request will be denied. If the money is more than the withdrawal limit, you can request for half first and half later. Finally, if it is below the withdrawal limit, simply increase it. The withdrawal limits are usually stated in the terms and conditions so all you have to do is read. Some gambling websites may place restrictions on your account if you try to withdraw outside the limit. They do this for your protection in case someone else has somehow gotten access to your account.
5. You Violated Their Terms
“I have read and agreed to the terms of services”. Most people check that box without reading the terms because these terms are usually long and boring. Well, this isn’t a risk you want to take especially when you’re visiting an online casino. Always read and if you don’t understand a particular part of the terms, ask questions. They will be happy to help you answer your questions. Some of these sites have terms that allow them to withhold your earnings under certain circumstances. So, read about them to protect yourself. If you’re not comfortable with the terms, don’t agree. Look for another website with more favorable terms. If things escalate and it becomes a legal case, they will point out the parts of their terms you agreed to but ended up violating.
How Do You Get Your Money If The Casino Refuses To Pay You if you didn’t violate any terms?
Now you know that there are many reasons why a casino can decide not to pay you, it’s time to learn how to work your way around it and get your cash. First of all you need to make sure you’re not trying to exceed the limit, you’ve met all the wagering requirements, and you have submitted all the required documents for identification. If your funds aren’t being blocked for any of these reasons, you should consider talking to a customer care representative. If the agents aren’t helping you, you need to take more drastic action. Unfortunately, some casinos can even ban you from winning “too much”. Below are some things you can try if you find yourself in such a situation:
- Gather Enough Evidence
It’s possible for an online casino to block your IP from accessing their website. This is why you need to take as many screenshots before things get out of hand. Apart from taking screenshots of your account, you should also take screenshots of your conversations with the customer care agents and anything else that proves you were in contact with them and they blew you off. These documents will be especially important if things get bad and legal action is required.
- Drag Them On Social Media
The power of social media in the 21st century is huge. Businesses are made and destroyed through the influence of social networks. If you’re trying to resolve the issue with the casino and they are not responding properly, call them out of social media. You’d be surprised to see other people who have suffered a similar fate speak to and help repost your complaint. They will be pressured into paying you your money to avoid a messy PR situation. Apart from calling them out on social media, you should call them out on casino community forums as well.
- Find Out How to Make a Formal Complaint
It would interest you to know that the gambling industry has many regulations just like many other industries that have to do with money. There are several tools that can guide you when you want to lodge a complaint about a casino depending on your location. They will ask you to provide certain documents to prove your case and advise you on the fastest way to resolve the issue. These platforms are usually free to use so you don’t need to worry about spending any money.
- Make a Formal Complaint
After using the required tools to find out if you’re eligible to make a formal complaint against the casino, the next way forward is to contact the gambling commission. This is a serious step that should only pursue if every other step fails. The regulators you will contact depend on your location. Also, find out which bodies the casino answers to and contact them. They will force the casino to pay you and may take disciplinary actions against them if necessary.
The bottom line is that as long as you’re going to get your money if you’ve not violated their terms and the casino is accountable to a higher authority. If it’s a scam website you’ve been gambling on, you can kiss your deposits and your winnings goodbye. You can try all the steps above and still not be able to claim your money. This is why you need to be careful about where you gamble. Always confirm that the website has a good reputation before you start gambling. Apart from robbing you off your winnings, a scam site can use your credit card details to scam you. They can even steal your identity. Also, you should avoid sites that share your information with third parties. Even if the casino may not use your details for anything bad, the third party site can’t be trusted.
