While it is relatively rare, online casinos sometimes suspend or limit a customer’s account. When this happens, the player can no longer place bets and may have other limitations on their activity. In some cases, the player account is blocked altogether. If you get your online casino account suspended, it can be confusing and frustrating, especially if you feel you did nothing wrong.
The best live casino sites have rules and regulations to protect themselves from fraud. As many of these preventive procedures are applied automatically, a casino account can sometimes be suspended or limited without a valid reason. So, the good news is that if you did nothing wrong, you just need to contact the casino to clarify the misunderstanding. The casino will then happily reinstate your account. In the following guide, our team of experts at Casinos.com explains the potential reasons why casinos suspend accounts. We also discuss what you need to do to get your account reinstated and avoid problems in the future.
There are a few common reasons for casinos to suspend and limit player accounts. Being aware of these can help you avoid the unnecessary frustration and inconvenience of having your account affected.
Winning streaks happen, and casinos know this. However, there comes the point where the casino decides that a player wins too much. Sure, this may seem undetectable to you, but it is actually one of the common reasons a player accounts to get. There are a few reasons for an online casino to close an account when a player is winning too much:
Over the decades, the concept of bonus abuse has changed. It previously meant a player is taking advantage of bonuses to make a profit. In response, online casinos created wagering requirements, which remain attached to bonuses to this day. In the modern era, casino bonus abuse means something else.
A casino site does not like it when a player only bets on bonuses. In other words, if you only ever use slot bonuses to play and do not deposit and bet in other circumstances, you are probably not making money for the casino. Some players will also try to collect multiple bonuses (e.g., welcome bonuses) by creating multiple accounts. This can often lead to getting your online casino account suspended. The simple way to avoid this issue is to make some non-bonus bets at your chosen casino site.
Arbitrage refers to the practice of hedging risk by betting on contradictory outcomes. For example, betting on both teams to win at a sporting event or betting on both red and black at the casino’s live roulette table.
While arbitrage is mainly used in sports betting, it can also be used as a betting strategy when playing online casino games. You should avoid arbitrage betting because casinos do not like it. Some arbitrage betting is hard to detect because players will bet on two outcomes across two casino sites. By leveraging favorable odds, it is possible to make a profit. If caught, casinos will waste no time shutting an offending account and potentially reporting the player to other casino sites.
Nothing will trigger a casino’s fraud-prevention team quite like holding several player accounts at the same time. Not only will you get one online casino account limited, but the operator will also suspend all your accounts and put your name on a blacklist, preventing you from registering again. It is worth noting casinos go to great lengths to ensure users do not have duplicate accounts. For example, IP tracking and ID proof, but some players still find workarounds. Also, before cashing out, a casino will require players to verify their accounts by sending copies of a photo ID, proof of residence, and a statement from their bank account.
While the casino can track the IP and stop two players from the same network playing, VPNs make this tricky to do. That said, casino sites also have some trade secret methods for finding players with duplicate accounts. In our experience, operators are very good at this, and most players with multiple accounts are quickly banned.
While casino games are based on chance, some people have mastered the art of winning through various online gambling strategies and complex statistical models.
These are known as professional gamblers, and they are not welcome at most online casinos. A pro gambler will win more than they lose, harming the casino’s bottom line. Never forget the primary goal of the casino is to turn a profit.
One thing casino sites check for is if players are quickly placing large bets on specific games and then leaving the site. Casual gamblers usually stick around and check out other games and make sporadic bets, while a pro will jump from casino to casino looking for the best games and odds. If a casino suspects you are a professional gambler, they may issue a warning or outright close your betting account.
Your player account can also be suspended if you have irregular betting patterns. This is one of the biggest red flags to the casino’s fraud team and a quick way to draw attention to yourself. Irregular betting would be wagering strange amounts, such as betting $1.71 instead of $2 or $1. Odd bet numbers point to a pro gambler or someone practicing arbitrage.
A good way to avoid getting your betting habits flagged is to simply round up and down to the nearest whole unit. For example, if you only have $4.23 left in your bankroll, do not bet the full amount, but instead round it down to $4. Other irregular betting examples include betting very high on one wager when your history shows you always bet small.
The short answer is yes. Every online casino has the right to block a player account and refuse service to anyone that has not complied with its terms and conditions. When you visit a casino site, the operator reserves the right to limit or block your account with absolute discretion. Online casinos are private companies that can choose which customers they do business with.
Sometimes we see an online casino account suspended because the player legitimately does something wrong. Other times it can be because the casino operator sees the player is harming their profits. Remember, all casino sites want to make a profit before anything else. If you are in doubt about legalities, it is best to read the terms and conditions on the casino’s website.
While it is perfectly legal for an online casino to limit or ban a player, it is not always because the customer does something wrong. Sometimes, it is a misunderstanding, mistake on the casino’s part, or other situation that you can resolve quickly. So, the important thing to do if you get your online casino account suspended is not to panic!
Below are some quick tips for handling a situation where your player account is suspended:
With the information above, the next step is to contact the casino’s customer support. Depending on your online casino, you can choose between email, live chat, or phone support. Top casino operators have friendly and knowledgeable customer support teams that can explain your account suspension and what you can do to lift account limitations.
Of course, the best way not to have your online casino account limited is to avoid many of the practices that could potentially be flagged as suspicious activity to casino operators. If you want to avoid drawing attention to yourself and stay in the casino’s good books, the following tips can help:
Sometimes, casinos want customers to spend a lot of money and will even reward loyal big payers with VIP perks. However, there are some instances where betting big can get your player account suspended. For example, new players who instantly start making large bets can be flagged by the casino, who may think you are a professional gambler. That is why it is better to start with small wagers when you join an online casino.
Aside from preventing you from getting your online casino account suspended, we advise making small bets as a new account holder. Small wagers allow you to ease your way into betting and become familiar with the online casino. It is also the best way to manage your bankroll and have a more enjoyable, safer gambling experience.
Managing your bets also extends to making a whole number of wagers. Casinos usually do not like players who make odd bets, such as $14.81. When we say odd, we mean strange bets instead of bets with an odd number. If you make irregular bets frequently, the online casino could think you are arbitrage betting.
So, when you make a wager on a casino game, try to choose a whole number, such as $1, $10, $2.50, and so on. Basically, it is good to round up/down to the nearest whole or half number.
Bonuses are a big part of the online casino experience, and gamblers love them. It is also worth remembering that casinos use bonuses to entice new players and maintain interest with current customers. Still, if you do not use promotions wisely, you could find your player account suspended. Casinos use plenty of tools and resources to discover players who abuse bonuses.
When a player only wagers bonuses, the casino may suspect they are abusing the system. Luckily, it is easy to avoid this by placing bets on regular non-bonus games. Sure, you can and absolutely should tap into bonuses, but choose wisely and do not abuse them.
When gambling, it is very easy to get stuck on a few games and only ever bet on those. However, casinos might see a player wagering on just one game as a potential professional or arbitrage player. Either way, this could get your online casino account suspended. To avoid this from happening, wager your money across various games such as online slots, roulette, blackjack online, live casino poker, etc.
We only recommend on Casinos.com casinos that are trustworthy and licensed by the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) or other respective jurisdictions. So, assuming you aren’t doing anything wrong, a licensed, legal casino will welcome you with open arms and never intend to interfere with your account. However, sometimes misunderstandings and errors happen. In this case, you should contact the casino’s customer support team, which will be happy to assist you and resolve the situation.
Colm Phelan has spent several years working in the iGaming industry and has plenty of experience when it comes to writing, researching and rigorously testing online casinos and sportsbooks. While Colm has invested a lot of his time into the digital marketing world but his other passions include poker and a variety of sports including golf, NFL and football.
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