Start with the business, not the regulator
The Gambling Commission says it does not resolve or make decisions on complaints about gambling-related transactions. If you disagree with a gambling business about the result of a transaction or the service you received, you should first complain to the business [1].
The Commission lists the kinds of complaint this covers, among them whether you have won, how much you have been paid, how your payments were managed, terms and conditions, ID verification, closure of your account and decisions such as voiding or cancelling a bet [1].
The steps, in order
- Check the terms and conditions linked to your account or to the transaction [2].
- Find the business's complaints procedure on its website. For a shop or other premises you can ask for a copy of the complaints policy in person [2]. The Commission also points to Resolver, a free online tool, and says not every business accepts it [2].
- Give the business everything: dates, times, amounts and any evidence, and keep a copy of all of it [2].
- Wait for the answer. The business has 8 weeks from receiving your complaint to resolve it, and should tell you the result and what happens next [2].
- If you are not satisfied, you may be able to take the complaint to an Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) provider. You cannot do that without first going through the business's own process [2].
What a licensed business must offer
Licence condition 6.1.1 sets the rules for complaints and disputes. A licensee must put in place policies and procedures for accepting and handling complaints in a timely, fair, open and transparent manner [3].
- It must have arrangements for you to refer a dispute to an ADR entity if its own procedure has not resolved it to your satisfaction within eight weeks of receiving the complaint, where you cooperate with the complaints process in a timely manner [3].
- The ADR entity's services must be free of charge to you [3].
- Its terms must not restrict your right to bring court proceedings against it [3].
- Its procedures must give you clear information on how to complain, the procedure, the timescales for a reply and how to escalate [3].
Taking it to an ADR provider
An ADR provider is a free, independent service. After the 8 weeks, if you are not satisfied with the business's result, you can take the complaint to one. The business should tell you which provider to use and give you its contact details, and may give you a letter confirming you can go there, called a deadlock letter [4].
The provider looks at your information and the business's response and decides whether it can adjudicate. It will not accept a complaint about a customer service issue or about a refusal to accept a bet or your custom [4].
If you are unhappy with the final decision you may be able to appeal it, and the provider should tell you whether there is an appeals procedure. The Commission says you may also decide to go to the small claims court, and that you should take your own independent legal advice before doing so [4].
| Step | Example date | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| Complaint received by the business | 3 November | The 8 weeks start when the business receives your complaint |
| End of the 8 weeks | 29 December | The business should have given you its result. If you are not satisfied you can go to an ADR provider |
| ADR provider | After 29 December | The provider decides whether it can adjudicate. It is free for you |
The dates are an example to show how the 8 weeks are counted. They are not a real case.
Check the licence first
These routes apply to a business that holds a licence. The Commission says a gambling business without a licence is acting illegally and that illegal activity can be reported to it confidentially [5]. How to check a licence takes a couple of minutes.
This guide covers Great Britain. The Commission says it does not regulate the provision of remote gambling in Northern Ireland [6].
Sources
The numbers in the text point to these pages. Each was opened on the date shown.
- Gambling Commission, Complain about a gambling business. Read 5 October 2026.
- Gambling Commission, How to complain. Read 5 October 2026.
- Gambling Commission, LCCP condition 6.1.1: complaints and disputes. Read 5 October 2026.
- Gambling Commission, Taking your complaint to an Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) provider. Read 5 October 2026.
- Gambling Commission, Opening accounts. Read 5 October 2026.
- Gambling Commission, What we regulate. Read 5 October 2026.
About this guide
Published by Avenmark Media. A separate pass re-opened every source above and checked each claim against it, on . A second, independent check compared a sample of the claims with the same sources. How we research and correct our pages.
Found a mistake? Email [email protected]. We correct the page, change its updated date and say what changed.