Common Issues with Online Casino Withdrawals (And How To Solve Them)
Dean McHugh
One of the most common complaints that players have with online casinos is the matter of withdrawals. Whether they are being slow or outright blocked, there can be several potential issues that cause the money to get stuck. Sometimes, delays can happen from the casino’s side, but there are other times when it comes down to rules and regulations.
This guide will help you understand what exactly the casinos do with your withdrawals and tips on how you can speed up your withdrawals when playing at any licensed online casino.
Using Different Payment Methods to Withdraw at an Online Casino
Most payment methods are able to process deposits instantly. However, when it comes to withdrawals, there tends to be a much longer waiting time. Some methods can still process withdrawals instantly. E-wallets such as Neteller, Skrill, and PayPal can allow for instant withdrawals at some casinos, but card or bank transfers will take longer.
Many popular online casinos promise withdrawals are processed within 72 hours at their end. It should also be noted that while the casino may process the transaction within 72 hours, your bank may also need some time to handle the payment. The casino uses this handling time to perform checks in accordance with anti-money laundering regulations and confirm your payment details to be sent to your account for the specified amount.
KYC Verification Process
No matter the payment method you choose to make transactions with, you will need to verify your account at some point if you plan to withdraw. This is the ‘Know Your Customer’ (KYC) process that online casinos must follow to keep their gambling licence. Following this procedure ensures that the casino is conducting proper player protection measures, as well as anti-money laundering standards. It provides a safety net that allows the casino to confirm that people are using their own personal and payment details. The procedure can be started as soon as you open your account, and you will be asked to complete it at some point, usually when requesting a withdrawal.
Completing the KYC procedure is relatively simple and requires that you send the online casino some documentation. These documents can either be sent via email or an on-site uploader, depending on how the casino has set it up.
Most online casinos promise that your documents will be handled within 72 hours of receiving them. Licensed online casinos are equally bound by data protection laws, meaning that they are obligated to store your personal information and documents in a highly secure environment.
Common Online Casino Withdrawal Issues
The KYC process can cause a delay when withdrawing, but there are also other common online casino withdrawal issues to be aware of. Awareness of the different issues that can arise when attempting to access your winnings will help avoid any unwanted surprises.
Fraud Prevention
Online casinos are required by their licensor to ensure that anti-money laundering practices are in place. The casinos use automated systems to check the transactional activity of people’s player accounts. This can sometimes lead to false positive results where the system may believe your activity could potentially look suspicious.
Activity that might be flagged up on the system could include making several smaller transactions in a short amount of time or attempting to withdraw immediately after making a deposit. If you receive a message that your account has been suspended, you will likely be asked to contact the customer support team and provide a brief explanation of your activity so they can begin the process of unlocking your account.
Withdrawals Without Wagering
Any cash deposit you make must be wagered at least once on any game or bet before it can be withdrawn. You can split up your deposit in as many bets as you want, but your cash stakes must equal at least what you deposited before it can be paid out. This is a requirement that all licensed online casinos follow in order to be in line with anti-money laundering policy. Casinos, in general, are prime targets for money launderers and, therefore, must follow strict regulations to prevent this kind of activity.
Payment Method Mismatch
Withdrawals that you request must be sent back via the deposit method that was originally used to top up your balance. If you deposit with a specific Visa card, for example, the casino requires that your next withdrawal goes back to that same Visa card. Again, anti-money laundering policies are the reason behind this.
Essentially, sending the money back to where it came from imposes far less risk of a transaction being related to money laundering activities. The requirements that a licensed online casino must follow are done more to protect you and other players rather than provide the site with any benefit.
Bonus Terms
Certain deposits may be locked to a promotion, such as a casino welcome offer. Promotions that offer deposit bonuses can provide a large increase to your player wallet, with many offering to double your playable money. These do, however, come with added wagering requirements attached and will lock your deposit to them. Bonus funds can not be withdrawn. You may be required to cancel your deposit bonus if you do not intend to play through the requirements before withdrawing.
Maximum Withdrawal Limits
Online casinos can have withdrawal limits that vary greatly in certain jurisdictions. Nothing can deflate a life-changing win quite like being blocked from cashing it all out. UK operators must be licensed by the UK Gambling Commission, which requires that no maximum withdrawal limit be imposed. Other jurisdictions, such as those included in a Curacao licence, may have limits.
These limits specify the maximum amount you may withdraw over a specified period. As mentioned, these can vary wildly, with some sites mentioning £5,000, while others can go beyond £100,000 every week or month. It's worth noting that at some online casinos (especially those with the Malta Gaming Authority license), these withdrawal limits mean that online casino needs to provide additional security checks for withdrawals above a certain amount. This can make the withdrawal process take longer; however, rest assured that the player will ultimately be able to withdraw funds in the end. Make sure to check a site’s terms and conditions to confirm their set amounts.
Technical Issues
When dealing with computers and other devices, there is no escaping the dreaded technical difficulties. These can happen from either the casino’s or the player’s side. You may have experienced slowdowns and crashes with sites before. This could be related to server issues from the site, where it could, for example, be handling a lot of players at once. Casinos that offer sports betting can often experience such issues during big international events. In those cases, it is just a matter of waiting until the site stabilises again.
Other common issues can occur from your browser. This is often related to caches and cookies, which store information and activity from previous times you were using the browser. These are the same tools that save your login information on different sites, as well as your payment information so that you don’t have to type it out every time. However, this can cause the saved information to ‘get stuck’ sometimes. This means you will need to delete it and type it out manually again. You can access and clear cache and cookies from your browser settings or by simultaneously pressing the Control, Alt, and Delete keyboard keys.
Tips for Speeding up your Withdrawals
You can take proactive steps to speed up your withdrawals by being prepared and potentially avoiding any potential delays. The first piece of advice is to verify your account immediately upon registration. This means confirming your email address and sending in KYC documentation. The online casino will often block a withdrawal until KYC has been completed, but this process is only required once every few years (as long as the documents you provided are valid) for most people. You will then not have to worry about an additional delay of up to 72 hours to cash out your money.
Account inactivity can often be a factor that slows down your withdrawals. If you have a cash balance on a player account that you’ve not visited in a long time, you may come back to find it locked. The online casino will consider your account dormant and will lock it to keep it safe. The solution usually requires that you contact the customer support team to unlock your account. The support team can often deal with this in just a few minutes, so it is recommended you contact them via phone or live chat if possible. However, in some instances you may need to give proof that the account belongs to you. Therefore, you may have to provide some additional information such as proof of deposits or personal documentation linking you to the account.
If you run into a problem with your withdrawal, it is often advised that you contact the online casino’s customer support team. When doing so, try to collect all of the information you have about the transaction. A timestamp, transaction amount, and brief explanation of what happened are usually enough. Sometimes, the online casino may ask you to send in some documents in certain circumstances. This may be a screenshot of the transaction from your payment method, for example. Having this ready doesn’t hurt either. There can be times when the online casino is unable to help, as the issue may be from the payment provider’s side. In that case, you will have to contact the customer support team of said provider.
Conclusion
As you may have discovered by now, most issues with casino withdrawals tend to either be due to technical or regulatory reasons. Understanding the different reasons and how to act on them will help prevent any further delays. Miscommunication can often happen between the player and the casino when both are not on the same page about the issue, which will invariably cause further delays in resolving the matter. That’s why it’s good to know if your withdrawal was blocked due to the KYC process or if it might have been a browser or website issue.
In addition to speedy withdrawals, it pays to take notice of the different payment methods and fees that an online casino may outline. Specific payment methods may come with a fixed or percentage transaction fee in certain jurisdictions. If a site doesn’t support your native currency, you will also likely be subject to currency conversion fees. You can find more information on this from the casino’s cashier page, FAQ, or general terms and conditions.
It pays to be aware of the different terms a casino sets out for handling transactions. This is where you will be able to find information regarding withdrawal limits, bonus terms, and other useful information that will help you decide whether an online casino is worth your time and money. Remember to check the site’s gambling license while you're at it. Playing at a licensed online casino is the best way to ensure that your payments and personal details are kept secure.