Getting Gambling Losses Back
Gambling online is a risk, and even legitimate sites have glitches and can sometimes suffer system errors. But can you get your money back from gambling sites? The short answer is no. You cannot reclaim gambling losses just because you lost. However, the UK does give players a way to raise complaints, backed by free independent Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR).
Start with the operator
The first step is to try the operator’s own complaints process. Gambling businesses must put in place complaints procedures.
They must provide clear, accessible information on how to complain, timescales for responses, and escalation routes. The process must be timely, fair, open and transparent.
In essence, this means a complaint to the operator is the first step, before raised with an ADR body, or. However, the consumer must complain promptly and stay patient: a two-month back-and-forth with the business is not unusual.
If the complaint stalls
If the operator’s complaint process is not fair, or does not resolve the issue, the next step is an independent ADR service. After 8 weeks, or sooner if the parties reach a “deadlock”, all registered players can access free, independent ADR. The two main UK-approved providers are IBAS and eCOGRA.
The operators have to respond in writing and supply all relevant information. The ADR service looks at the business to reach a decision. The business' managers take part if appropriate, though a consumer complaint would be decided in their absence.
Importantly, the ADR service is independent and free for the consumer. The Gambling Commission, not the operator, approves ADR providers, and charges the operator, not the player, for the ADR service.
What the Gambling Commission does — and does not do
The Gambling Commission is the gambling industry regulator, and it does not assess disputes or order refunds. It also cannot directly help gamblers with queries about gameplay, bonuses, or financial details.
Instead, the Commission’s role is to take and review information about suspicious activity or potential criminality within the industry, and act on it. This intelligence-gathering work includes risk-checking, money-laundering, and vulnerabilities in regulated operators.
This could be one avenue for consumer complaints about illegal activities, but is not a route to claims for refunds. Inquiries to the Gambling Commission should focus on helping them gather information, not seeking refunds for losing bets.
Where chargeback fits
Most online gambling is played on credit. For many people, the deposit method of choice is credit or debit card.
If this is the case for you, you might wonder whether you can use the card-issuing bank’s “chargeback” process to claw back gambling losses. Chargeback lets customers dispute a transaction they believe is fraudulent, incorrect, or improper.
But in practice, this mostly applies to cases where the business is fraudulent, suspicious, or criminal, and is less applicable to casinos, bookies and the mainstream gambling sector. You can certainly ask your bank, but do keep expectations in check — chargeback would not simply be allowed for the fact of losing money gambling, even if there were procedural errors by the gambling business.
What to do first
The takeaway is that if you are owed money from a problematic gambling experience, you cannot simply "get it back", but you can follow the complaints process set out by the Gambling Commission.
Start by keeping records of the issue, then try the operator's complaints department. Gambling operators must supply fair, open and transparent complaints processes. If it is taking a long time, or not being managed well, after 8 weeks’ waiting (or sooner if the operator agrees) you can escalate to free, independent ADR.
Keep asking at every step, but the regulator is here to gather information, and chargeback would only apply in exceptional circumstances.
The National Gambling Helpline is free and confidential, open 24 hours a day: 0808 8020 133. More options on our help page.
