Casino won't pay out? How to complain in Canada

This guide covers the questions people ask most after a withdrawal is held up or an account is closed: who to contact, in what order, what each body can and cannot do, and why the site may be asking for documents. It does not recommend or link to any gambling site.

Step one everywhere: the site’s own complaints process

Every official process we reviewed starts in the same place. The AGCO and AGLC both list the same three steps:

1. Check the terms and conditions that apply to your account or the transaction.
2. Use the site’s formal complaints process. A “formal complaint” means you followed the operator’s complaint process and received a complaint number. If you only chatted with support and never got a complaint number, ask the site how to file a formal complaint.
3. Wait for a decision. This can take up to 90 days, according to both the AGCO and AGLC. If you’re unhappy with the outcome, both suggest getting independent legal advice.

Before escalating, iGaming Ontario asks you to confirm that you gave the operator enough time under its own service standards, checked your spam folder for a reply, and followed up with the operator at least once.

Ontario: iGaming Ontario for disputes, the AGCO for rule-breaking

Ontario has two bodies, and they do different jobs.

iGaming Ontario (iGO) conducts and manages the regulated online market, and AGCO-registered private sites operate in that market. It takes disputes with a specific regulated site after you have used the operator’s process. It lists these issues as examples:

• whether you won, and how much you were paid
• how your payments were handled
• operator or game terms and conditions, and bonus offers
• ID verification
• closure of your account
• voided or cancelled bets, and technical failures
• customer service

How to escalate to iGO:

• File through iGO’s online complaint form, linked from its Player Support page.
• Have ready: the gaming site name, your player ID and the complaint reference number the site gave you.
• iGO’s service standards cover cases where the operator didn’t respond within 90 days of learning about the dispute, or you weren’t satisfied with its answer. They also cover sites that have since left the Ontario market.
• iGO acknowledges complaints within 1 business day. It will tell you how long any further review will take and explain the reasons for its decision.
• If you’re unhappy with how iGO handled it, its standards say you keep the right to go to the Ombudsman of Ontario.
• iGO customer service: 1-833-554-4263 (toll-free) or (416) 326-8283, igaming@igamingontario.ca.

Two limits to keep in mind. iGO says it “cannot directly settle any bets, refund wagers or award compensation.” iGO and the AGCO both also say they “do not resolve or make decisions on disputes regarding gambling-related transactions”, so do not expect a ruling on your withdrawal itself. It covers only products it conducts and manages, such as casino, sports betting and poker. It does not cover pari-mutuel horse racing.

The AGCO is the regulator. You can complain to it through its online service, iAGCO. You don’t need an account: click “Submit a complaint” on the iAGCO landing page. The AGCO says to complain when:

• you think a regulated site broke the rules (the Registrar’s Standards for Internet Gaming);
• you tried the site’s own process, waited up to 90 days for a formal decision and still have no resolution; or
• the issue involves responsible gambling, possible illegal activity or advertising. You don’t have to contact the site first for these. Enter zero in the “Complaint/Dispute Reference Number” field.

The AGCO says plainly: “We can’t get your money back or make a gaming site give you your money back.” If it finds broken rules, it can issue warnings, suspensions or monetary penalties. Its published timelines:

Stage	What happens	Typical time (AGCO)
Initial review	Complaint acknowledged; may ask for more info, refer you back to the site, refer you to another regulator, close it or escalate	About 2 business days
Compliance review	Compliance team checks whether rules may have been broken	Up to 5 weeks
Complex compliance review	Deeper review, which can include evidence from the site; can end in penalties	3–6 months, sometimes more

Relevant Ontario rules. These come from the AGCO’s Registrar’s Standards for Internet Gaming, which took effect April 4, 2022, when the market launched:

• Operators must record player complaints and address them in a “timely, fair, transparent and appropriate manner”. They must publish clear service standards, and disputes are resolved under Ontario and Canadian law (Standard 1.16).
• Withdrawals are allowed only after “appropriate verifications and authorization”. Funds must go to an account you legally hold, and withdrawals must be paid “as soon as is practicable” (Standards 5.70–5.71).
• Sites must tell you clearly about all rules and restrictions on deposits and withdrawals (Standard 5.78).
• If an account becomes dormant or is deactivated by you or another authorized person, you must be able to recover the balance owed to you (Standard 3.22).

PlayOLG / OLG.ca is run by the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation. Its player agreement says you can complain to OLG Player Support (live chat, email or 1-855-978-7529) and can also contact the AGCO, which regulates OLG. Watch the deadline: unless its lottery or pay-to-play game rules say otherwise, OLG won’t consider a dispute about a pay-to-play game more than 30 days after the game is completed, or about a draw-based lottery game more than 12 months after.

Alberta: the operator first, then AGLC

Alberta’s regulated market opened on July 13, 2026. The Alberta iGaming Corporation (AiGC) says 22 registered sites were approved at launch. AGLC regulates the market. AiGC handles commercial agreements, anti-money laundering, financials and income reporting. See our Alberta igaming launch tracker for the timeline.

AGLC’s route mirrors Ontario’s:

• Operator first. AGLC says that concerns about “account sign-ups and deactivations or deposit and withdrawal issues” should go to the operator or your financial institution. The operator’s decision can take up to 90 days.
• Then AGLC. Complain if you think a regulated site broke the rules in AGLC policy or Alberta’s gaming legislation and regulation, or if you waited up to 90 days without a resolution. You can also go straight to AGLC if the complaint is about responsible gambling, possible illegal activity or advertising. Use AGLC’s online form, linked from its iGaming disputes and complaints page.
• Have ready: the regulated site’s name, your player ID and the complaint reference number from the site.
• Timelines: initial review takes about 3 business days, compliance review up to 5 weeks, and complex review 3–6 months or more.
• Limits: AGLC says it “cannot get your money back or make a gaming site give you your money back”. A penalty against the operator “won’t resolve your dispute on the gaming site.”

To check a site, AiGC keeps a directory of every approved operator and says approved operators show the AiGC logo. If a site isn’t in AiGC’s directory, AiGC says it isn’t regulated.

Other provinces: start with the lottery corporation

Outside Ontario’s and Alberta’s competitive markets, the legal online site is run by a provincial body. Complain to that body’s customer service first. Where we found a primary source for the next step, we list it below.

• British Columbia. The province says PlayNow.com, run by BCLC, is “the only legal online gambling site in B.C.” PlayNow customer support: 1-877-706-6789. The Independent Gambling Control Office (IGCO) now regulates all gambling in B.C. The province lists two changes: the modernized Gaming Control Act came into force on April 13, 2026, and the former Gaming Policy and Enforcement Branch has transitioned to the IGCO. IGCO toll-free (Canada/USA, ask for a transfer to the right division): 1-800-663-7867. See the IGCO contact page for division emails.
• Manitoba. PlayNow Manitoba is run by Manitoba Liquor & Lotteries (support 1-877-706-6789). The Liquor, Gaming and Cannabis Authority of Manitoba (LGCA) investigates gaming complaints and says it is authorized to mediate disputes between customers and licensees. It says you must complain within 30 days of the incident (or, for a dispute, within 30 days of the dispute), with dates, a description and any documents. Phone 204-927-5300, or 1-800-782-0363 toll-free in Manitoba.
• Saskatchewan. PlayNow Saskatchewan is operated by the Saskatchewan Indian Gaming Authority (SIGA) (support 1-877-706-6789). SIGA is the operator, not a regulator. This guide does not cover Saskatchewan’s regulator; ask PlayNow Saskatchewan how to escalate an unresolved complaint.
• Quebec. Loto-Québec’s online gaming customer service is available 24/7. Email onlinegames@lotoquebec.com, or call 1-866-611-5686. Loto-Québec says its agents won’t discuss account details by email, so call for account questions. This guide does not cover Quebec’s regulator; ask Loto-Québec how to escalate an unresolved complaint.
• Other provinces and territories. Use the customer-service and complaint process of the provincial lottery corporation that runs the legal site. If that fails, ask it which provincial regulator oversees it.

Why the site wants your ID and “source of funds”

Document requests often hold up a withdrawal, and there is a legal reason behind them.

• Federal law. FINTRAC says that under the Proceeds of Crime (Money Laundering) and Terrorist Financing Act (PCMLTFA), a “casino” includes a lottery scheme offered to the public online (online bingo and lottery-ticket sales excluded). The legal entity is whichever body the province delegated to “conduct and manage” the games.
• ID before any payout. A casino must verify the identity of every person it opens an account for before any funds are disbursed. It also can’t open an account if it can’t verify your identity.
• Other triggers. Identity checks are also required for casino disbursements of $10,000 or more and for receipts of $10,000 or more in cash or virtual currency. For a transaction the casino reports as suspicious, FINTRAC says it must take reasonable measures to verify identity, with some exceptions.
• Ontario’s source-of-funds rule. Operators must “ascertain and reasonably corroborate a player’s source of funds” in situations their risk assessment sets (Standard 6.03). Their anti-money-laundering controls must align with those of the designated reporting entity under the PCMLTFA (Standard 6.02).
• What this looks like on PlayNow. You must give your occupation before a withdrawal “as required by Federal anti-money laundering regulations.” Deposits you didn’t play through generally can’t be withdrawn to a bank account and are refunded to the original payment method instead. BCLC asks you to allow up to three business days to process a withdrawal.

On a regulated site, a verification request is a legal requirement, not a sign of wrongdoing. Send clear copies of what’s asked through the site’s own secure channel. If verification drags on past the site’s own service standard, that delay can become a formal complaint.

Unregulated sites: no provincial recourse

iGaming Ontario and the AGCO both say they have “no legal relationship with unregulated igaming Operators” and can help only with regulated sites. AiGC lists formal dispute resolution as one of the protections you lose on an unregistered site. The same goes for security and financial standards and access to self-exclusion.

Card chargebacks have limits. The Financial Consumer Agency of Canada’s guidance on disputing card transactions covers unauthorized transactions: ones “you didn’t make or approve.” A deposit you made yourself generally isn’t one, and each institution defines unauthorized transactions in its own card agreement. For deposit accounts, you usually have 30 days after the statement date to dispute a transaction, but this varies by institution. Regulated sites may act on a chargeback too. OLG’s player agreement lets it suspend your account while a chargeback dispute is resolved.

If you’re dealing with an unregulated site, stop depositing. Keep every record (see below) and talk to your bank. For larger amounts, get independent legal advice.

Documents to keep

Regulators ask for the site name, your player ID and the complaint reference number. It also helps to keep:

• screenshots of your balance and the withdrawal request, showing date, amount and status;
• every email and chat transcript, including the operator’s complaint number and its final decision;
• the terms and conditions and any bonus terms as they read on the day you played, saved as a PDF or screenshot;
• deposit and withdrawal records from both the site and your bank or card statements;
• copies of the ID and documents you sent, with the dates you sent them;
• any account-closure or suspension notice, with the reason given.

What changed recently

• July 13, 2026: Alberta’s regulated market launched. Complaints about registered sites now go to AGLC after the operator’s process (AiGC; AGLC).
• April 13, 2026: B.C.’s modernized Gaming Control Act came into force (Government of B.C.). The province separately lists the former GPEB’s transition to the Independent Gambling Control Office.

Next steps and where to get help

• Check a site is legal: iGO’s list of regulated operators and our Ontario registered operators tracker. AiGC’s approved-operator directory and our Alberta registered operators tracker.
• Take a break or self-exclude: in Ontario, BetGuard (linked from iGaming Ontario). In Alberta, AGLC’s centralized Self-Exclusion Program at selfexclusion.ca covers all registered igaming sites, land-based venues, or both.
• Free, confidential help:
  • Ontario: ConnexOntario, 1-866-531-2600 (24/7), or text 247247
  • Alberta: 211 (call, text INFO to 211, or chat)
  • British Columbia: Gambling Support BC, 1-888-795-6111
  • Manitoba: Problem Gambling Helpline, 1-800-463-1554 (24/7)
  • Saskatchewan: Problem Gambling Help Line, 1-800-306-6789 (24/7)
  • Quebec: Gambling: Help and Referral, 1-800-461-0140 (24/7)

We checked the steps and phone numbers on this page against the official pages listed in Sources on September 30, 2026. Processes change, so confirm on the regulator’s own site before you file.