The Problem with Unlicensed Casinos
Operating without a licence means the casino is not required to follow the standards and regulations that licensed casinos must adhere to protect the player - see our full guide on what a casino licence protects you from. These include segregated gaming funds, regular audits of the games offered, guarantees on withdrawals and procedures for resolving player complaints.
The UKGC received over 11,000 contacts from players in the 2022/23 year relating to withdrawals or misleading promotions. Almost all of these were from licensed casinos. If a casino is not licensed there is no way to report issues with the gaming operator. For a side-by-side view of which regulators offer the strongest protections, see our casino licence comparison.
9 Warning Signs of a Rogue or Unlicensed Casino
Impossible Bonus Offers
A welcome bonus of 500% up to £5,000 with no wagering requirement sounds incredible, but it isn't. Mainstream licensed casinos offer bonuses of 100% up to £200 with wagering requirements of 30 to 40x. Any bonus better than the market standard is likely set up to be unclaimable. Rogue casinos use high welcome bonuses to attract new casino depositors. The terms make it impossible to claim the bonus.
Endless Withdrawal Delays
Licensed casinos under the UKGC or MGA must process player withdrawals without undue delay. The industry standard for licensed casinos is for e-wallet and card withdrawals to take place within 1 to 3 and 3 to 5 working days, respectively. More than 5 working days for a standard withdrawal is a warning sign. Rogue casinos delay withdrawals in the hope that players will cancel their withdrawal request and continue gambling with their funds. If a casino advertises withdrawal times of up to 10 business days for a standard withdrawal or 10 to 15 working days for a standard e-wallet, players should question the legitimacy of the casino before depositing.
Hidden or Unreadable Terms
Any terms and conditions for bonuses that require a PhD to understand or that can be changed at the casino's discretion are a warning sign. The licence conditions require that licensed casinos such as those under the UKGC or MGA must use clear and fair terms and conditions for any bonuses offered.
No Working Customer Support
Players should try to use the casino's live chat before depositing in the company. If the live chat is with a chatbot that cannot answer the player's most important questions or if the live chat is offline or does not respond to e-mails, players should not deposit their money. Licensed casinos must have live chat support that is available during opening hours.
Unusual or Only Crypto Payment Methods
If a casino only takes cryptocurrency or obscure e-wallet services, this could mean that players cannot request chargebacks on their deposits. While not a direct warning sign, most legitimate casinos will offer cryptocurrency and e-wallet options. A casino with no payment methods for the general public warrants extra scrutiny by potential players.
No Traceable Company Information
Every licensed casino must state the legal entity name and registered address of the company that owns and operates the licensed casino. Rogue or unlicensed casinos will likely omit this on their About page or use the term "the company" without specifying the legal entity. The registration of the company can also be used to verify the legitimacy of the entity.
Fake or Unverifiable Licence Claims
Rogue casinos may state that they hold a licence to operate from the regulator but the licence number will not be present on the regulator's register. Additionally, the logo for the company's website will likely link to a suspicious website rather than the regulator's official website. See our detailed guide on how to spot a fake casino licence.
Mass Player Complaints About Non-Payment
Search for the name of the online casino plus the words "won't pay" or "complaints". Players can find a wealth of information online about the experiences of other players at the same casino. While one or two complaints are likely the result of an issue with one player, dozens of complaints from various players indicate a scam.
No Responsible Gambling Tools
All major licensed online casinos will offer player deposit limits and self-exclusion tools in their account settings. These tools allow players to limit their deposit amounts to a desired figure or self-exclude from playing at the online casino for a period of time. If these are not found on the online casino website, the website is not licensed or not complying with the licence conditions. Either way, it is not a safe place to gamble.
What If You Have Already Deposited?
If you have deposited money into a casino that exhibits several of the warning signs listed above, try to withdraw your balance. If the casino refuses your withdrawal request without a valid reason, contact your bank and card company to dispute the transaction. Most companies allow for disputes within a 120-day window.
See our full guide: What to do if a casino won't pay.
The Simplest Solution
Every casino listed on our website under the licensed category has had its licence checked against the register of the casino regulator prior to being published on our website: