Key facts
- ACMA takes reports about websites offering illegal gambling, and “You do not have to give us your name.” It does not recover money.
- Three of the licensing bodies named on offshore casino sites say they do not decide individual disputes: Curaçao, Anjouan and Malta send them to alternative dispute resolution (ADR), a dispute service separate from the regulator. Kahnawake handles complaints itself.
- BetStop, the national self-exclusion register, covers licensed Australian wagering only, not offshore casinos.
- Gambling help: the national gambling helpline is 1800 858 858.
Who handles what
Among the bodies an offshore casino complaint can reach, only the Kahnawake Gaming Commission says it rules on a player’s complaint itself; the rest take reports, refer you to a dispute service or cover licensed Australian wagering only. Why no Australian regulator covers offshore casinos is set out in our guide to Australian online gambling law.
| Body | What it accepts | What it does not do | Source | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ACMA (Australia) | Reports of websites offering illegal gambling, anonymously; complaints that a licensed provider offers credit or in-play betting | Recover money. Other complaints about licensed providers go to “their licensing authority” | ACMA | Checked 11 Oct 2026 |
| ACCC / Scamwatch | Scam reports; tells victims to contact their bank and, for cybercrime, the police | No dispute process for gambling described on the page we read | Scamwatch, archive copy | Copy of 7 Oct 2026, read 11 Oct 2026 |
| State regulator, licensed wagering only (example: Northern Territory) | Complaints about a bookmaker it licenses, after the bookmaker’s own process | “requests for compensation or damages”, “customer service disputes”, closed accounts; operators licensed in another state go to that state’s regulator | NT Government, archive copy | Copy of 21 Mar 2023, read 11 Oct 2026 |
| Curaçao Gaming Authority (CGA) | Player complaints, free, up to six months after the bet or incident | Resolve or decide disputes; mediate | CGA Player Complaints Policy Guidelines v1.1 (18 Jun 2025), archive copy | Copy of 3 May 2026, read 11 Oct 2026 |
| Anjouan | Refers players to the operator, then to an approved ADR provider | Handle, mediate or adjudicate complaints | anjouangaming.com | Checked 11 Oct 2026 |
| Malta Gaming Authority (MGA) | Complaints about illegal or unfair conduct of games | Look into the merits of a dispute, since 1 Apr 2019 | MGA | Checked 11 Oct 2026 |
| Kahnawake Gaming Commission | Player complaints, through a Dispute Resolution Officer, “not less than seven (7) days and not more than six (6) months” after the issue arose | Nothing excluded on the page we read; it may dismiss a complaint as unfounded | Kahnawake Gaming Commission | Checked 11 Oct 2026 |
The NT row comes from a 2023 copy of the page; the live page did not open for us, so current NT timeframes are not given here. The Anjouan site calls itself the “Internet Gaming Regulatory Authority”; we have not independently confirmed that this domain is the regulator’s official site, and our licence guide explains why we treat Anjouan licences as unverified. Full addresses are under Sources.
Step one: the casino’s own complaint process
The Curaçao, Anjouan and Kahnawake rules make the casino the first stop; Curaçao and Anjouan also set the casino a deadline to reply.
- Curaçao. The operator must respond “within four weeks” and may extend this once by four weeks. For complaints about responsible gambling, operators must use their best efforts to resolve them “within five business days”. You have “up to six months” after the bet or incident to complain.
- Anjouan. The operator has 30 days. Gameplay disputes must be raised within 14 days of the session; payments, account blocks and bonuses within 30 days.
- Kahnawake. The page we read sets no deadline for the casino’s own reply. Your complaint to the Commission must describe the steps you took with the operator, and the operator then has “seven (7) days” to answer the Commission.
If the casino does not settle, Curaçao and Anjouan rules send the dispute to an ADR provider, not to the regulator, and both say the operator pays for it. Each deadline runs from the bet, the session or the complaint, so a dated written complaint is what every later step relies on; that is our reading of the rules, not a quote.
Many disputes start as a withdrawal that has not arrived. Our withdrawal times guide explains the pending period and verification.
Find the licence, then the regulator
The regulator to complain to is the one named in the casino’s own footer or terms, and only once its register confirms the licence. Note the operating company and licence number, then search for both on the regulator’s register; a clickable seal on its own proves nothing.
Our five-minute method is in how to verify a casino licence yourself, and which casinos share an operator lists the companies and licences behind the brands we review. What a licence is worth when no online casino is licensed in Australia is covered in what “safe” can mean.
ACMA keeps a register of licensed Australian providers and accepts a complaint about an operator that is not on it. If a casino names no licence at all, the routes left in the table above are that ACMA report and, for a scam, Scamwatch.
What the regulators say they will not do
Curaçao, Anjouan and Malta state in writing that they do not decide a player’s dispute; Kahnawake is the exception.
Curaçao. “The CGA will not resolve or make decisions on any player complaints regarding gambling-related transactions.” It still reads them: “While the CGA does not mediate in individual disputes it will use the information to support its supervisory and enforcement actions.” Under the same policy, ADR is mandatory and the operator bears its cost.
Anjouan. “The Authority does not handle, mediate, or adjudicate player complaints.” Its approved ADR providers are EGIS ADR, Axion ADR, iGaming ADR and CADRE B.V., and “The operator bears the cost of ADR proceedings.” Reviews of the Anjouan site on Trustpilot from January and February 2026 say the regulator does not answer complaints; these are user reports we have not verified.
Malta. The MGA’s ADR Directive applies from 3 December 2018. From 1 April 2019 its Player Support Unit “will no longer be delving into the merits of a dispute”; disputes go to an ADR body, and licensees must not refer players to the MGA. The unit still takes complaints about illegal or unfair conduct of games.
Kahnawake. Complaints go to its Dispute Resolution Officer at complaints@gamingcommission.ca under Part XXIV of its regulations (sections 267–281). The Commission may dismiss a complaint, uphold it or order the operator to act.
Its 2022 summary shows what that means in practice: 460 complaints accepted, 232 of them about “late, delayed, or non-payment”. Of the 455 resolved, 367 (80.66%) were closed or dismissed as unfounded and 88 (19.34%) “were upheld in whole or part”. About half the complaints were about being paid, and about one in five of those resolved was upheld at least in part. A 2024 summary exists as a PDF we have not read.
Your bank and card
Scamwatch, run by the ACCC, gives scam victims one instruction about payments: “Contact your bank or credit card provider now and tell them to stop any transactions.” For cybercrime it adds that “you can make a police report”.
This comes from the Scamwatch report-a-scam page as archived on 7 October 2026; the live site did not open for us. It is advice for scams. We have not verified how Australian banks treat a disputed payment to a casino, so this page makes no claim about refunds.
If you are losing control
Safer play. ACMA gives the national gambling helpline as 1800 858 858. You must be 18 or over to gamble. More contacts are on our support resources page.
BetStop lets you “exclude yourself from all Australian licensed online and phone wagering services in a single step”: about 150 licensed wagering providers, for a minimum of 3 months and up to a lifetime, with no way out in the first 3 months. Its wording covers licensed providers only, so offshore casinos are outside it. Registration is at betstop.gov.au.
Online casino complaints FAQ
Is there an online gambling ombudsman in Australia?
No. For a dispute with an offshore gambling site, ACMA lists independent legal advice, the ACCC and the casino’s licensing authority, names no ombudsman and does not recover money itself.
How do I make a complaint about an online casino in Australia?
Complain to the casino first, in writing, under its own procedure: Curaçao rules give the operator four weeks and Anjouan 30 days. Kahnawake accepts a complaint 7 days to 6 months after the issue arose. Then take it to the dispute service or regulator named in the casino’s licence. You can also report an illegal gambling website to ACMA without giving your name.
Can ACMA get my winnings back?
No. ACMA says that if an illegal service withholds your winnings, “Australian regulators will not be able to help you”, and that “you are unlikely to see your money again”. A complaint to ACMA is a report about the website, not a claim for your money.
What can I do if an online casino refuses to pay?
Complain to the casino in writing, then take the dispute to the ADR provider or regulator its licence names. Curaçao, Anjouan and Malta do not decide disputes themselves; Kahnawake does. ACMA also lists independent legal advice and the ACCC.
Does BetStop block offshore casinos?
No. BetStop excludes you from “all Australian licensed online and phone wagering services”. Offshore casinos are not licensed in Australia, so they are not covered.
Sources and method
- Australian Communications and Media Authority, checked 11 October 2026: Protect yourself from illegal gambling operators (options when money is withheld, “unlikely to see your money again”, blocking risk); interactive gambling complaint form; Check if a gambling operator is legal (what ACMA accepts about licensed providers); BetStop – the National Self-Exclusion Register (coverage, periods, national gambling helpline)
- Scamwatch (ACCC), Report a scam, Internet Archive copy of 7 October 2026, read 11 October 2026
- Northern Territory Government, Complain about a bookmaker or betting exchange operator, Internet Archive copy of 21 March 2023, read 11 October 2026
- Curaçao Gaming Authority, Player Complaints Policy Guidelines, version 1.1, 18 June 2025, Internet Archive copy of 3 May 2026, read 11 October 2026 (the original address did not resolve on that date)
- Anjouan, Third-party complaint policy and Authorised ADR providers, checked 11 October 2026
- Trustpilot reviews of anjouangaming.com, January–February 2026 (user reports, not verified)
- Malta Gaming Authority, MGA publishes Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) Directive, checked 11 October 2026
- Kahnawake Gaming Commission, 2022 Dispute Resolution Summary, checked 11 October 2026
- “About half” and “about one in five” are our arithmetic from the Kahnawake 2022 figures
Written by: Helene Berner · First published: 11 Oct 2026 · Last updated: 11 Oct 2026