Can you get money back from an online casino?

Usually not, if the money was lost on bets that were settled fairly under the casino's terms. Losing is the outcome you agreed to when you placed the bet. You may have a claim where the casino holds money it arguably should not: a refused or stalled withdrawal, a confiscated deposit, winnings voided under a term, or a game or payment error. The route is the casino's own complaints process, then an independent dispute service where the licence provides one, and then the courts. Regulators generally do not order refunds, chargebacks are at your bank's discretion, and anyone charging an upfront fee to "recover" gambling losses matches a scam pattern that consumer agencies warn about.

This page sets realistic expectations. It cannot tell you what an operator, dispute service or court will decide in your case.

Which situations can lead to money back?

The strength of any claim depends on evidence. Our gambling complaint evidence checklist covers what to collect before you start.

Great Britain: complaint, ADR, then court

In Great Britain (UK Gambling Commission guidance, as of October 2026):

• Complain to the business first. It has 8 weeks from receiving your complaint to resolve it. You cannot take a complaint to alternative dispute resolution (ADR) without going through the business's process first.
• ADR is free and independent. The business should tell you which provider to use, and may issue a deadlock letter. ADR will not take complaints about customer service, or about a business refusing a bet or your custom.
• Outcomes depend on the provider. IBAS, one ADR provider, says businesses registered with it must follow its rulings on disputes up to £10,000; its rulings do not bind customers, who can still go to court. IBAS also says it cannot help if more than a year has passed since you last tried to resolve the disagreement.
• The Commission does not decide disputes. It says it does "not resolve or make decisions on complaints regarding gambling-related transactions". Small claims court is an option; the Commission suggests independent legal advice first.

On withdrawals, the Commission's July 2024 blog says operators should not confiscate deposits as a deterrent or because of terms breaches, and that terms letting an operator "reserve the right" to void or withhold winnings may be unfair under the Consumer Rights Act 2015. That gives you points to raise in a complaint. It does not decide your case.

Credit cards cannot be used for gambling in Great Britain: the ban on all online and offline gambling (except non-remote lotteries) took effect on 14 April 2020. See our United Kingdom complaints guide.

Ontario: operator first, then the AGCO

For regulated Ontario sites (AGCO guidance, as of October 2026), use the site's formal complaint process and keep the reference number. The AGCO says a decision "can take up to 90 days". You can then complain to the AGCO if you think the site broke the rules.

Be clear about what that achieves. The AGCO says: "We can't get your money back or make a gaming site give you your money back." It can review compliance and issue warnings, suspensions or monetary penalties, but a penalty does not resolve your individual dispute. For that, the AGCO suggests independent legal advice. See our Ontario complaints guide.

United States: state by state (New Jersey example)

Online casino gambling in the US is regulated state by state, so the route depends on where the casino is licensed and where you played. In New Jersey (Division of Gaming Enforcement, as of October 2026), you must file a complaint with the casino and receive its response first. You can then send the Division its Internet Gaming Dispute Form with a copy of your complaint and the casino's reply. New Jersey defines a dispute as an "unresolvable complaint after all reasonable means have been exhausted" by the casino. See our New Jersey complaints guide.

In other legal states, start with the regulator's own complaint page. Offshore sites that are not licensed in your state are outside these routes.

Malta and Curaçao licences

The Malta Gaming Authority strongly recommends trying to resolve a dispute with the operator first, then using its complaint form for MGA-licensed operators. See our Malta and Curaçao complaints guides for those licences.

Can you get a chargeback from your bank?

Possibly, but do not count on it. A chargeback is a process run under card-scheme rules (Visa, Mastercard, American Express) that lets your bank challenge a card payment in certain circumstances. The UK's Financial Ombudsman Service says:

• the rules differ between card schemes, so check them with your bank;
• you "usually have around 120 days" to raise a chargeback about goods or services, though limits can be longer or shorter;
• a bank "doesn't have to raise a chargeback".

The Ombudsman's page is about chargebacks in general and does not mention gambling. Our interpretation, not a statement from the Ombudsman or any bank: a chargeback is aimed at goods or services that were not provided as agreed, so it is unlikely to fit bets that were placed and settled normally. If a payment was made without your permission, that is a fraud matter to report to your bank straight away rather than a dispute about a service. Ask your bank how it treats gambling transactions, and read the operator's terms on payment disputes, before you decide.

Why are "loss recovery" firms a red flag?

People who have lost money are a known target. The US Federal Trade Commission says scammers "buy lists of people who've paid scammers", and that if someone contacts you asking for an upfront fee to recover money, "That's a scammer" (FTC consumer advice, December 2023). Report Fraud, the UK national fraud reporting service that replaced Action Fraud in December 2025, describes the same pattern as advance fee fraud, and warns that more costs will keep appearing once you pay. The Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre's advice: "Never pay an advance fee to obtain a refund."

Genuine, regulated legal advice exists in some jurisdictions. It does not normally arrive as an unsolicited message promising to get your gambling losses back. Our guide to why gamblers are targeted again covers the scripts these firms use.

What to do next

1. Decide which category you are in, using the table above. If it is lost bets on normal games, a refund is unlikely and further deposits will not change that.
2. Collect the evidence before you complain.
3. Use the operator's formal complaints process and keep the reference number. Our guide to what happens after a gambling complaint explains the stages.
4. Escalate only through official routes: the named ADR provider, then the regulator, then legal advice if the sums justify it.
5. Ignore anyone who contacts you first offering to recover money for a fee, and never share your login or ID with them.

If you are looking for ways to get gambling losses back, that urge itself is worth taking seriously. Chasing losses is a recognised sign of gambling harm. Our safer gambling page lists free, confidential support.