Key Takeaways
- Check the casino’s name in the list and read the reason on its review page before you deposit.
- Not being on the list does not mean a casino is approved. Check its licence and complaint history too.
- Already deposited? Save your evidence and follow the steps below.
Why Does AskGamblers Blacklist Casinos?
AskGamblers blacklists casinos that fail to meet our standards for business practices, player protection and complaint resolution. Here are the most common reasons why casinos end up on our blacklist:
- Loss of licence: We require casinos to hold a valid gambling licence when we first list them. If the casino loses its licence at some point, it becomes blacklisted and players are warned to stay away from it.
- Breach of an affiliate partnership deal: Casinos that don’t honour the partnership agreement with AskGamblers are automatically blacklisted.
- Unresolved player complaints: A large number of unresolved player complaints is one of the reasons casinos are blacklisted. There is no specific number of unresolved complaints that triggers blacklisting. However, if casinos repeatedly confiscate funds, deny payments or fail to operate in good faith, our team removes links directing players to the operator's website, thus blacklisting the site. Our experts from the AskGamblers Casino Complaint Service (AGCCS) keep a close eye on complaints, look for harmful patterns and act as soon as problematic behaviour is noticed.
- Unethical business practices: Sometimes, several unethical business practices can cause casinos to be blacklisted. These include, but aren’t limited to, bonus scams, shady Terms and Conditions, delayed payments, false accusations, and unfair treatment of players.
How We Investigate and Blacklist Casinos
The first time we add a new online casino to AskGamblers, we check its licence and our authors conduct a detailed review of the casino site, in accordance with the AskGamblers Editorial Guidelines. We fully test the platform by signing in, depositing, playing a few games, chatting with support and verifying the responsible gambling practices.
After that, our team monitors the casino closely. We occasionally test the casino, but our players do most of the work. They leave reviews on casino pages, stating both pros and cons, while players who encounter issues they can’t resolve directly with the casino submit complaints to our AGCCS team.
Should the casino breach the affiliation agreement, we blacklist it. However, the casino can respect the deal and still end up on the list.
For example, if a casino receives an unusually high number of negative reviews and complaints where players say their funds were confiscated or held, our team investigates. Once we have gathered sufficient evidence and completed our final checks, we make a final decision.
How Often Is Our Casino Blacklist Updated?
There isn’t a fixed schedule for updating the blacklist. For example, we can blacklist three casinos in a month or not blacklist any casinos in six months. It all depends on how casinos conduct themselves.
When a casino is blacklisted, it will show up on this page. On the casino's review page, you’ll find a sentence stating that the casino has been blacklisted and why. Our team also removes all bonuses and tracking links, preventing players from accessing online casinos through AskGamblers.
What Are the Risks of Playing at Blacklisted Casinos?
The AskGamblers team strongly advises all players against playing at blacklisted casinos to avoid any unpleasant and stressful situations. If you decide to proceed and register at casinos blacklisted on our site, you should be aware of potential risks:
- Delayed or denied payments: Malicious casinos tend to delay withdrawals, withhold players' funds until they give up, or refuse to process withdrawal requests.
- Confiscation of winnings: Players can have their winnings confiscated with no reason.
- Lack of player protection: Unlicensed casinos operate without oversight from a gambling regulator, leaving players without access to regulatory complaint procedures.
- Poor customer support service: Players may face delayed responses, misleading information or a lack of cooperation when attempting to resolve issues.
What to Do If You Have a Problem With a Blacklisted Casino
We strongly recommend avoiding blacklisted casinos. The operator is flagged for serious issues and playing there is risky.
Again, if you start playing at a blacklisted casino and encounter problems, you should:
- Stop making deposits: Don’t make any further deposits to avoid losing more money. This is the first step you should take if you notice anything fishy.
- Contact support: Although support at rogue casinos often misleads players, you can try resolving issues with customer service.
- Contact the regulatory body: If the casino has a licence and is blacklisted for another reason, you can submit a complaint directly to the regulator. Make sure you send the necessary evidence, docs, and screenshots. This step doesn’t work if the casino doesn’t hold a licence.
Our AGCCS team doesn’t accept complaints for blacklisted casinos. Therefore, AskGamblers can’t help you resolve issues with blacklisted sites.
You can read our casino complaint guidelines to learn which disputes AGCCS can help resolve.