Complaint Quick FAQ: How Do You Report an Online Casino to Ontario?
In the early years, the online gambling industry was a sketchy one at best. If you had a complaint and the casino’s support wasn’t helpful, there was no one to turn to. You were out of luck – S.O.L., as the abbreviated saying goes. Experienced players knew this, and stuck to the most reputable sites to minimize the chance of this happening.
Over time, some jurisdictions began imposing regulations. Authoritative agencies were implanted to monitor the market, giving players a route to resolution. Year after year, more jurisdictions adopted similar regulatory guidelines, making the iGaming industry a far safer place than it was two decades ago.
Today, the efficacy of online casino dispute settlement depends largely on where you live and who you game with. Of course, this applies to all internet gambling sites – online sportsbooks, poker rooms, bingo sites, etc.
Ontarians have been gambling online since the late 1990s, but it wasn’t until 2015 that the province began regulating its own market, and 2022 before that market expanded to competitive status. That move is making all the difference.
Ontario’s ever-growing iGaming market is attracting more than 1.35 million players. Provincial authorities are making sure operators stay on the straight and narrow. And if they’re not, players are given a direct path to report complaints for prompt review and resolution.
How to Report an Online Casino in Ontario
Let’s kick this off with a few basic facts. This will help you to determine what type of complaint you have, and where best to direct your complaint.
As obvious as that may seem, in reality, the majority of ‘complaints’ are actually issues that can be solved by contacting the online casino’s customer support department or reading over the FAQ section.
Topics that should be directed to the online casino (not the regulator):
- Management of a deposit or withdrawal;
- The amount of a payout;
- Whether or not you have won;
- Bonus and promotional offers;
- Identity verification;
- Account closure requests;
- Technical issues with the website or a specific game;
- Terms and conditions of a website, operator, or specific game;
- Customer service-related issues.
Ask yourself, what is your complaint about? There are two main categories:
- A complaint against an online gambling operator;
- A general complaint about Ontario’s iGaming regulation and market.
- For general issues, you will need to file your complaint with iAGCO.
If the complaint is about an online gambling operator, who regulates the website?
- iGaming Ontario (see the current list of iGO-licensed websites);
- Any other regulator.
- If the operator is not licensed and regulated in Ontario, you cannot file a formal complaint with iGaming Ontario (iGO).
Do you have a ‘Complaint Number’ from the online casino?
In order to file a complaint with Ontario’s regulatory body, you must first take the issue up with the operator. In doing so, you will be provided a Complaint Number. This number must be provided during your formal complaint with iGO.
Before filing a formal complaint, run through this checklist of questions first:
- Have you given the online casino enough time to review and respond to the issue?
- If, after ample, time, you’ve received no response from the operator, have you checked your spam folder?
- If you have received a response but are not happy with it, did you follow up and relay this to the operator?
Information you will need to file a complaint:
- Name / domain name of the operator’s website;
- Your account number / player ID with the website;
- The Complaint Number provided by the operator during your communication(s) with customer support.
Steps to File a Formal Complaint with iGaming Ontario
Before you attempt to submit a complaint about an online casino, make sure you have everything you need and are eligible to file a formal complaint with iGaming Ontario; (see the Quick Facts above.) When ready, follow these steps:
- Start by clicking this link to visit the iGaming Ontario Player Support Page.
- Choose ‘Dispute with a specific iGaming website‘.
- Select ‘Yes‘ to indicate the iGaming operator in question is regulated in Ontario. (If it is not, you cannot file a complaint through iGO.)
- Choose ‘Yes‘ to indicate that you have already filed a complaint through the online gambling website’s customer support department, and have received a Complaint Reference Number. (If you have not, you’ll need to do this first.)
- Read over the list of things to consider and, if you wish to proceed, press ‘Click here to submit your complaint‘.
- It’s time to fill out the formal complaint form. Start by providing your name, phone number and email address (or click the box marked ‘I want to submit anonymously‘. Note that, depending on the nature of the complaint, an anonymous submission could limit iGO’s ability to address the issue).
- Click on the drop-down menu and choose Internet Gaming as your type of complaint.
- Open the drop-down menu labeled ‘Made on behalf of‘ and select the appropriate response. Listed in alphabetical order, your options include Community Association, Municipality, Other, Public, and Self (with Self being the most common).
- Select the Incident Date and Time, if applicable.
- Use the input window to describe your complaint in detail. Include the name of the operator’s website, your Player ID, and the complaint Number.
- Use the Upload button to attach any supporting documentation for your complaint. This might include things like screenshots of live chat and email communications with the operator.
- Click the check box next to “I am not a robot” and complete the security captcha.
- Press the Submit Complaint button.
Done – Now what?
Now you wait. You should immediately receive an email verifying iGO’s reception of your complaint. From there, it could take anywhere from a few hours to a few days, or even weeks, to get a formal response. It all depends on the nature of the complaint and depth of the review process.
Be patient and know that when you report an online casino in Ontario, regulators take the matter very seriously. Player protection was the foremost concern when the province chose to open its market to competition.
