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Reviewed by P. Szreder

My child gambled at an online casino: what should I do?

Gambling is illegal for minors. Depending on the country, the minimum age is 18 or 21. Block the payments first. Then get the account closed, ask for a refund and stop a new account being opened.

Warning

Send your child's ID only to a site you have checked. Keep their name and photo off the internet too.

See the 5 steps  Copy the report 
What to do · in order

The 5 steps, in order

  1. Block the payments

    Remove your bank card from the phone, the app stores and payment services. Change your passwords and PIN codes, including the one for mobile money. If your card was used without your consent, call your bank.

  2. Write down what happened

    Write down the exact site address, the account name, the dates, the amounts and the payment method. Take screenshots. Also look for the licence shown at the bottom of the site, because it decides where you can complain.

  3. Report the account to the casino

    Send the template below by email or through the site's form. Ask for the account to be closed, the identity used to be blocked and the deposits to be refunded. Casinos are forbidden from accepting minors, but a refund depends on the casino and its licence. If the account was opened with your documents, it is in your name. Report it anyway as an account used by a minor, and change the passwords of your email and payment accounts.

  4. If the casino refuses, contact the organisation linked to its licence

    If the casino refuses, use the same method as for a blocked withdrawal. Where you can complain depends on the casino's licence.

    Licence from your countryContact the official gambling authority in your country. The button below shows you who to contact.
    Malta licence (MGA)Fill in the MGA's online complaint form.1
    Isle of Man licenceWrite to the casino first. Then fill in the online form of the Gambling Supervision Commission, which decides what happens next with your complaint.2
    Alderney licenceWrite to the casino first. Then send a written complaint to the AGCC. The AGCC first tries to reach an agreement, then it can decide who is right.3
    Gibraltar licenceGo through the casino's complaints process to the end. Then send the Gambling Division's complaint form by email. Forcing the casino to pay you back is beyond its powers.4
    Curaçao licenceAsk the casino to pass the dispute to the service it uses to settle disputes. This service is free for you.5
    Anjouan licence (Comoros)File your complaint through the licence seal shown on the casino's site. You have 14 days to challenge a game result and 30 days for an account problem. If the problem persists after 30 days, contact an approved service that settles disputes. The Anjouan authority leaves disputes to these approved services.6
    No licence you can checkAsk your bank or mobile money provider whether the payments can be disputed. Also report the site to the gambling authority in your country.
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    Find who to contact in your country 

  5. Stop a new account

    Turn on parental controls on the phone and the computer. Install a gambling site blocker. Talk to your child without punishing them straight away: they need to feel they can tell you if it happens again.

    BetBlocker, free on every deviceBlock gambling on mobile money
Money spent · by payment method

Depending on how your child paid

If your child paid with a bank card, call your bank. Explain that the payments were made by a minor, without your consent, on a gambling site. Give the dates and the amounts. The bank will tell you whether you can dispute these payments.

If they paid by mobile money (M-Pesa, MTN MoMo, Airtel Money…), contact customer service and report that payments were made by a minor. Also ask them to block payments to gambling sites.

If they paid through the phone account (app store or a purchase added to your phone bill), contact this service and ask for a refund of the purchases made by a minor.

If they paid with a prepaid card or crypto, the money is very hard to get back. Focus on closing the account and blocking the payments.

Template · to copy

Report template

Replace the text in [square brackets]. Keep your child's ID for later. If the casino asks for it, insist on a secure way to send it.

Subject: Account used by a minor, request to close it [username]

Hello,

I am the [parent / guardian] of [first name], aged [age]. My child used the account [username] on [site address] between [date] and [date].

I am asking you to:
- close this account immediately
- block the identity and payment methods used, so no new account can be opened
- refund the deposits, a total of [total amount]
- reply to me in writing.

Please treat this message as a formal complaint.

Licence shown on your site: [authority, number].
Attachments: [screenshots of the payments], [screenshots of the account].

Kind regards,
[Name]

Other situations · same method

In a different situation?

Casino refuses to pay your withdrawalSelf-exclusion ignored by a casinoOnline casino scamHelp someone who gambles too muchYour country's register and helplineThe 10-step guide
Official sources (6)
  1. 1. Malta Gaming Authority, Lodge a Complaint: mga.org.mt
  2. 2. Gambling Supervision Commission (Isle of Man), Complain about a licence holder: isleofmangsc.com
  3. 3. Alderney Gambling Control Commission, Player Complaints: gamblingcontrol.org
  4. 4. Gambling Division (Gibraltar), Complaints: gamblingdivision.gov.gi
  5. 5. Curaçao Gaming Authority, official publications: cga.cw
  6. 6. Anjouan Gaming, Third-Party Complaint Policy: anjouangaming.com

The steps and the template are practical advice written by stoprisk. The official documents are the sources listed above.