What can I do if an online casino refuses to pay out?
If players who are registered in an online casino have the problem that the provider doesn't want to pay out the money or something isn't working technically, then trouble is of course inevitable.
But what do you do if an online casino refuses to pay out? Of course, denied first of all means that a supposed claim exists - at least from the player's point of view. However, a distinction must be made here as to whether there really is a claim or whether there are perhaps other problems, such as a lack of verification.
But if it is actually because an online casino is refusing to pay out, we will also explain in this guide what options players have in this situation. Much more often, however, a lack of entitlement is the problem, which we will also discuss in detail.
The most important information at a glance:
- In most cases, the refused payout is justified - the most common reasons are a bonus that has not been released, incomplete identity verification or a violation of the terms and conditions.
- The first step is always customer support: Many cases are resolved as technical problems or misunderstandings.
- If there is no answer or no explanation, a lawyer may make sense - but the best protection is to play with a licensed provider from the outset.
At the beginning there is an exam
The first thing every player should do when one of the best New Zealand online casinos refusing to pay out is a self-reflective examination of the situation to see whether this may be justified. This means that a player must check whether it is possible that no payout may actually take place. There are a few scenarios that qualify for this. We'll go through what these are exactly below.
Violation of bonus conditions
A common case where withdrawals from online casinos may be refused is related to the welcome bonus. For example, if a player has claimed a welcome bonus from the casino, then it must be “unlocked”.
Free spins mean that the player has to invest a certain amount X again in casino games. There are a lot of things to consider here, which are set out in the bonus conditions.
For example, the amount is prescribed. Depending on the type of bonus, this is usually a multiple of the deposit amount. It is also usually stipulated which games can be played for free play and, above all, which ones cannot. The bonus conditions usually state directly what could happen if the rules are violated. The transparency of the bonus conditions is a feature of the best online casinos.
This means that when you claim the welcome bonus it is clear that in the event of a violation there will be no payout or at least that can happen. Anyone who still plays games that have been expressly excluded or plays with stakes that are too high (which can sometimes be excluded) must expect the corresponding consequences.
A player may not even be aware that the refused withdrawal is related to the bonus. You automatically assume that a certain account balance means that a payout is authorized.
However, if this account balance comes from the welcome bonus and it was not released correctly, it may be that the winnings from this bonus do not “apply” and cannot be paid out. In this case, it would be legal for the casino to refuse the withdrawal because the player violated the bonus terms and conditions.
Incomplete or refused identity verification
Another scenario why a payout in the online casino could possibly be refused is related to identity verification. For example, it could be that certain documents are still missing as proof and the identity check simply cannot be completed.
In this case, the casino is not allowed to make a payout. The online casino is obliged to verify your identity because these are requirements and not an arbitrary “idea” of the casino. Before a payout can be made, the provider must check whether the person is real and authorized. This also means that proof is required, such as an identity card.
All of this serves both player protection and, above all, fraud protection and money laundering prevention. Refusal to verify your identity would mean that the payout cannot be ordered. This is also stated in the terms and conditions of all casinos, which is why players know this in advance before completing registration.
Not eligible for withdrawal because you are under 18 years old
Another scenario is also difficult to solve. What is meant is the fact that a person was not authorized to play in the casino. For example, if someone under the age of 18 creates an account at an online casino, it is sometimes possible to deposit money and play, but of course there are problems when it comes to the withdrawal and the associated identity verification.
There the ID check is either refused (which also makes the payment impossible) or it turns out that the person is still under 18 years old. According to the New Zealand Youth Protection Act, gambling is prohibited for children and young people under the age of 18. In this case, even after successful identity verification, the withdrawal could be refused because the person is not authorized to play in an online casino.
More than one account per household
In some online casinos the terms and conditions state that only one account is allowed per household. It doesn't matter whether several people actually live at this address or not. So if someone has an account at an online casino and a brother in the same apartment also wants to get an account with the same provider, then there can be payout problems, especially with these casinos.
These are actually authorized, even if the people can prove that they are two people (with two IDs). However, according to the terms and conditions, it was forbidden to create a second account for this household.
The regulation may seem nonsensical, but it also serves to protect against fraud, which is why users in such a situation have no choice but to choose an online casino other than that of their family members.
The rare case – the black casino sheep
We have now presented some scenarios in which players more or less knowingly or unknowingly violate bonus conditions or the terms and conditions and therefore the refused payout would actually be justified. But of course there are other cases too. Since this is generally rather rare, we call it the black casino sheep.
No matter what industry it is, unfortunately there can always be black sheep, i.e. Dubious companies. The good thing is that we only have reputable companies on our site, for example safe casino sites introduce. Black sheep do not deserve a place on our pages, which is why players can make a choice without hesitation when the online casino is described or mentioned on these pages.
However, things look different when a user searches for themselves and registers with a casino that is not listed here. Then it could of course be the case that it is a black sheep in the industry (of course this is not a must, but then it is your own risk).
These online casinos may also look reputable and secure , perhaps even displaying a license number from the Malta Gaming Authority or another reputable licensing authority. But how often do players actually check the validity of certificates and licenses? That's exactly the problem, which is why even black sheep can create websites that look legitimate and secure.
Step 1: Request customer support
If a user has actually deposited money at a completely dubious online casino and is not receiving any winnings paid out, it might be an idea to go to a lawyer. However, it is important that users should always contact customer support beforehand.
It may be that the casino is reputable and it is just a technical error or a misunderstanding. Nobody is perfect and companies also make mistakes, which is why the first step should always be to contact customer support.
For example, if there is no response after two weeks or the casino simply refuses to pay out for no reason (i.e. Without giving a reason), then step 2 could make sense.
Step 2: Request a lawyer (optional!)
The second step is of course only optional. We don't want to generally recommend a visit to a lawyer, we just want to point out that this is also an option after a fruitless support contact.
However, we would like to remind you again that players should first rule out the possibility that the error is on their part and that it may have something to do with terms and conditions or bonus conditions. Even then, good customer support would have to respond promptly, but there would still be no reason to consult a lawyer.