Consumer FAQs

We get asked a lot of questions about our services, and none of them are silly.

Below are some of the most frequently asked questions. If you don’t see your question listed, feel free to contact us and we’ll be happy to answer it for you.

What are your top tips for using IBAS service?

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  • If you have a problem with a gambling business, try to solve it directly with the company first. This is usually faster than going through IBAS.
  • Be patient and keep records of all information related to the dispute. If you need evidence from the business, ask for it in writing.
  • Check the company’s rules and terms. If you think they haven’t followed them, make a note and include this in your submission to IBAS.
  • When submitting a claim form on the IBAS website, make sure to include your account number, username, and any reference number from the business.
  • If you feel that you have been treated unfairly, you can contact us for guidance, seek advice from a local Citizens Advice Bureau or a lawyer. You can also use someone to represent you in your dealings with IBAS, but we don’t recommend paying anyone for this. We handle all disputes fairly, regardless of whether a third party is involved.
  • Please be polite when contacting us about disputes. Abusive or threatening behaviour may result in the discontinuation of your complaint and being denied access to our service in the future.

How much does the service cost?

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Our service is free and available to most gambling customers with a complaint. This has been our policy and is now also a legal requirement for all Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) services as of 2015.

How long will it take to reach a verdict?

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We aim to resolve all gambling disputes as quickly as possible. The length of time to settle your dispute depends on a range of circumstances, including:

  • How complicated your dispute is
  • Whether the gambling business decides to concede the case during the process
  • The length of time it takes your gambling business to reply to our questions
  • The length of time it takes you to reply to our questions

Typically, it takes us 8-10 weeks to reach a decision on a claim after it’s been submitted. Some disputes are resolved quickly, while others may take longer due to their legal complexity. We’re always here to keep you informed, so don’t hesitate to reach out if you’d like an update. We’ll make sure to get in touch with you once a decision has been made or if we need any additional information.

Is the decision of IBAS binding on me and the gambling business?

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The Gambling Commission, the body that approves our status to resolve gambling complaints requires that our rulings are not legally binding on customers, so if you are dissatisfied with the outcome of our process you are free to pursue the issue through the court system.

The Gambling Commission requires that gambling businesses must follow our rulings up to £10,000. In reality, there have been few instances where a business has not followed our decision, regardless of its value. If the value of the dispute exceeds this level, then the business is free to proceed via the courts system.  

If you receive an adjudication in your favour but the business does not act upon it, please let us know so we can investigate further and enforce our decision.

Does collecting a sum less than what I expected to be paid stop me from using the service? Will doing this weaken my case?

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This depends on how any sum you have been offered is described. If a gambling business makes you an offer to resolve a dispute or complaint as a “full and final settlement” (or something similarly described) you are unlikely to make a reasonable claim at a later date for any further payment.

However, if for example a gambling business is willing to pay you, £50 but you believe that you should be entitled to a total of £100. You are fully entitled to collect the £50 (which we describe as the undisputed part of the settlement) and continue to contest you are owed the remaining £50.

Collecting the undisputed part of a payment does not weaken your case at all. If you do collect an undisputed part of a payment, it is important to explain to the company you are collecting only the undisputed part of the settlement, that you do not accept you have been treated fairly and you plan to complain further both to the company’s customer service department and, potentially, to IBAS.

If you do not explain this, the business may reasonably believe you have accepted their settlement, which could result in important evidence not being retained, making it harder for IBAS or a court to adjudicate on your dispute at a later date.

Why should I trust IBAS to be fair when it is the gambling companies whose fees pay for the service?

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IBAS is funded by gambling companies because all ombudsmen and complaint handling services are funded by the industries or companies whose complaints they investigate.

Our independence and commitment to fairness comes from our team which consists of industry professionals, experienced sports and betting journalists and Case Managers with decades of experience.

Gambling companies don’t have a say in our decisions. There are no gambling industry representatives on our Board of Directors or Adjudication Panel. In case of a dispute, they are asked to explain the situation just like customers. We make fair and transparent decisions based on facts and rules. Our panel may evaluate the fairness of terms with the help of independent experts, but customers still have the right to take legal action if they wish.

Can I appeal against my ruling?

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Yes – if you think our decision is unfair, you can appeal but only within 40 days of getting the decision and only if there’s a mistake in the decision or if you have new evidence. We don’t change decisions just because someone is unhappy with it, this goes for both customers and businesses. When we make a decision, we understand that one of the parties may not agree with it.

If you find in my favour can you guarantee that I will get paid?

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In 99% of our cases, customers receive their agreed settlement.

To be a part of IBAS, gambling companies must follow our decisions and usually this is not an issue. If you win a case but have trouble getting paid, let us know right away. We’ll remove any company from our list that doesn’t follow our decision, unless they win an appeal, or the decision is changed in court. Although we don’t have legal authority to make a company pay, we will do everything we can to help you get paid if our panel decides in your favour.

Are there any circumstances where you won’t adjudicate on a dispute?

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We’ll try to handle any gambling dispute, but there are some situations where we can’t help. These are listed in our terms and conditions and include:

  • Not enough attempts have been made to resolve the issue with the gambling company
  • The disagreement seems to have no serious or likely chance of success
  • It has been more than a year since you last tried to resolve the disagreement, which makes it hard for us to investigate due to missing records or faded memories
  • The disagreement is too legal or technical for us to handle or involves a crime that needs police attention
  • The disagreement involves a customer with a gambling issue that should be addressed by experts at the Gambling Commission
  • The company you are disagreeing with is not part of IBAS and has chosen another service to handle customer complaints