How to complain about an online casino: steps and options

Key facts

Always complain to the operator first, in writing, and keep its reference number, screenshots and your transaction history.
For a licensed Australian bookmaker, go to its licensing authority next. The NT Wagering Commission wants complaints within 60 days and resolves most within 6 months.
For offshore casinos, ACMA says Australian regulators cannot help if an illegal operator withholds your winnings.
Curacao's regulator does not handle individual player complaints. Kahnawake may refuse a complaint you have already aired on a public forum.
If money is leaving your bank account without permission, call your bank today. AFCA handles complaints about banks for free.

Who handles what

To complain about an online casino, start with the operator's own complaints process, then take it to the body that licensed the site. Who that is, and whether they can do anything, depends entirely on where the site is licensed.

Where you played	First step	Next step	Can that body make them pay you?
Licensed Australian bookmaker	The bookmaker's complaints team	Its state or territory licensing authority	It can direct the licensee to resolve the complaint or declare a wager valid; compensation claims are outside the NT's scope
Offshore casino, Curacao licence	The casino's support and complaints team	Reporting to the CGA	No: the CGA says player disputes are outside its mandate
Offshore casino, Malta licence	The casino's support and management	The MGA complaint form	The form page does not promise any outcome
Offshore casino, Kahnawake licence	The licence holder (required first)	The Kahnawake Gaming Commission	It says it will try to facilitate solutions; no outcome is promised
Any illegal offshore site	Operator first	Report to ACMA; legal advice; ACCC	ACMA says Australian regulators cannot help with withheld winnings
A fake site or scam	Stop paying	Your bank, Scamwatch, police	Your bank may be able to stop or recall payments

Online casino games cannot legally be offered to people in Australia, so every online casino open to Australians sits in the offshore rows. That is the core problem: the protections that come with an Australian licence do not exist there.

Step 1: complain to the operator, properly

The usual flashpoints are withdrawals, verification and bonus terms. Make your complaint count:

Put it in writing, by email or the site's complaint form, not just live chat.
Quote the term you say has been breached, with its clause number. Check the casino bonus terms and conditions first: rules such as a maximum bet while a bonus is active are often written in as grounds for cancelling winnings.
State the outcome you want, for example "release my withdrawal of $850 requested on 3 October".
Ask for a complaint reference number and a date by which they will reply.
Keep everything: screenshots of your balance, bet history, chat logs, emails, document uploads and transaction IDs.

If your withdrawal is stuck rather than refused, our guide to a casino withdrawal pending explains the usual causes, and casino verification covers document problems.

Step 2a: a licensed Australian bookmaker

Licensed Australian providers are on ACMA's register, which names each one's licensing authority. Many big online bookmakers are licensed in the Northern Territory, and the NT process shows what these schemes look like.

NT Wagering Commission rule	Detail
Before you lodge	Make every reasonable effort with the operator and get a dispute reference number
Deadline	Within 60 days of becoming aware of the issue; later only with a reason, and never after 2 years
How long it takes	Most complaints are resolved within 6 months
What it handles	Breaches of the Racing and Wagering Act 2024, its rules and codes, and how a wager was handled
What it does not handle	Compensation or damages, customer service disputes, bets refused or never accepted (including cash outs), account restrictions and bet limits, accounts the operator closed, BetStop complaints
Possible outcomes	No action, a direction to the licensee to resolve it, a wager declared void or valid, a hearing, or disciplinary action

Lodge through the online wagering complaint form on the NT Government site, with the wager details, your account details, the operator's reference number and copies of slips and correspondence. For bookmakers licensed elsewhere, use the authority listed on ACMA's register.

Go to ACMA instead if a licensed provider is offering you credit or in-play online betting, both of which are banned. Complaints about BetStop itself have their own ACMA form.

Step 2b: an offshore online casino

This is where honesty matters. ACMA says that if you use an illegal service, Australian regulators will not be able to help you if the provider treats you poorly or withholds your winnings. For problems recovering money from an overseas site, it lists three options: independent legal advice, a complaint to the ACCC, or the relevant licensing authority. Here is what the main licensing authorities say about player complaints.

Curacao Gaming Authority. Curacao is the licence claimed most often by the offshore casinos we have reviewed. The CGA's own online gaming page says it does not handle individual complaints against gaming providers and that resolving disputes between players and operators is not within its mandate. You can email it a complaint about an operator, but it says it will not disclose the status of investigations or actions taken. Our Curacao gaming licence guide covers the regulator in more depth.

Malta Gaming Authority. The MGA has a formal complaint form for players of MGA-licensed operators. It strongly recommends trying to resolve the dispute with the operator first, may ask for ID, reviews cases in English or Maltese, and asks for the website, your username, the game, the disputed amount and the date and time. Its form page does not set out what remedies are available.

Kahnawake Gaming Commission. Complaints must go to the licence holder before the Commission. You can then use its online form or email [email protected]. It says every attempt will be made to facilitate appropriate solutions, and that it may decline a complaint already ruled on elsewhere, discussed on a public forum, or shared with the media. Details are in our Kahnawake gaming licence guide.

None of these bodies is Australian, none of the pages we read promises that a player will be paid, and at least one casino we reviewed lists Australia in its own terms among the countries it cannot serve. Go in with realistic expectations.

You can also report any site offering illegal online gambling to ACMA through its interactive gambling complaint form, without giving your name. That will not get your money back, but it feeds ACMA's investigations and blocking.

Step 3: protect your bank account

If an operator keeps taking money after you have stopped using it, which ACMA lists among real complaints it receives, call your bank today and ask it to stop the payments. The same applies to any transaction you did not authorise.

If your bank will not help, the Australian Financial Complaints Authority (AFCA) handles complaints about banks and payments for free. AFCA recommends raising the problem with the bank first. If the site turned out to be fake, follow the steps in our guide to online casino scams, including reporting to Scamwatch and contacting IDCARE on 1800 595 160 if you sent ID documents.

A complaint letter you can adapt

Subject: Formal complaint, account [username], withdrawal [ID]

I am making a formal complaint about [the withdrawal of $___ requested on ___ /
the cancellation of my winnings on ___].

Under clause [__] of your terms, [explain why you believe you are entitled to the money].

I provided [documents] on [date] and have contacted support on [dates], reference [__].

I ask that you [release the withdrawal / reinstate the balance] within 14 days.
Please confirm this complaint's reference number and the name of your licensing
authority.

[Name, email on the account]

Fourteen days is a reasonable request, not a legal deadline. Keep a copy of everything you send.

Two traps to avoid

Recovery services. After a loss you may be contacted by someone offering to get your money back for a fee. Scamwatch says to never accept an offer from anyone who says they can recover your money.

Chasing. A frozen balance can make you want to deposit and play again to "make it back". That is how one bad experience becomes a bigger loss. If that urge feels familiar, Gambling Help is free and confidential on 1800 858 858, any time, and our gambling help Australia page lists more support.

Pundit tip: before you deposit anywhere, find out who you would complain to. If the honest answer is nobody, that tells you how much protection your money has.

Our partner sites

Terms checked 8 to 9 October 2026

We earn a commission if you join through these links; it pays for the site and does not change the facts we show. Listed in no particular order. Every detail comes from the casino's own terms, except ACMA notes, which come from ACMA's blocked list. These are offshore casinos without an Australian licence, so BetStop and Australian dispute services do not cover them: read whether online pokies are legal in Australia and our affiliate disclosure.Commission links. Offshore sites with no Australian licence or BetStop cover: is it legal?

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Wild Tokyo

Partner · termsTerms checked 8 Oct 2026

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18+ Offers and terms change often; the casino's own terms always apply. Never gamble money you need. Free help: Gambling Help 1800 858 858, 24/7.

Frequently asked questions

Where can I complain about an online casino in Australia?

There is no Australian body that can resolve a dispute with an offshore online casino. You can report the site to ACMA as an illegal gambling service, and ACMA lists your options for recovering money as independent legal advice, a complaint to the ACCC, or the overseas licensing authority.

Can ACMA get my winnings back?

No. ACMA says that if you use an illegal service, Australian regulators will not be able to help if the provider withholds your winnings. ACMA can investigate and block illegal sites, but it does not recover players' money.

Can I complain to the Curacao Gaming Authority?

You can report an operator to it by email, but the CGA says it does not handle individual complaints against gaming providers, that resolving player disputes is not within its mandate, and that it will not tell you the status of any investigation.

How long do I have to complain about a bookmaker?

For bookmakers licensed in the Northern Territory, within 60 days of becoming aware of the issue. Later complaints need a reason for the delay and must be within 2 years. Other states and territories set their own rules.

Should I post my casino complaint online?

Not before you have used the formal routes. The Kahnawake Gaming Commission says it may not handle a complaint that has been discussed on a public forum or shared with the media, so going public first can close that door.