Start with the site's own complaints process and get a reference number. If there is no answer within up to 90 days, or the site seems to have broken the rules, file through iAGCO. The AGCO can penalize an operator, but it cannot make it refund you.
- Wait for the operator's decision
- up to 90 days
- Reference number for RG, illegal-activity or advertising complaints
- 0
- AGCO initial review
- about 2 business days
- Complex compliance review
- 3 to 6 months
Two separate things: your dispute and the operator's compliance
Most players expect a regulator to act like an ombudsman. Ontario's does not. The AGCO's page on internet gaming complaints says plainly that it cannot get your money back or make a site refund you. What it can do is act against a site that broke the rules: warnings, suspensions or monetary penalties. The page adds that a penalty does not resolve your dispute with the site.
So a complaint has two possible outcomes, and they are not the same thing. Your money question is settled between you and the operator, under the operator's terms and, if it comes to that, in the courts. The AGCO's question is whether the operator followed the Registrar's Standards for Internet Gaming. A complaint to the AGCO is still worth filing when a site has broken a rule, because that is the only route that leads to enforcement.
What the Standards already require of the site
Before you go anywhere else, it helps to know what the operator owes you under the Standards, because those are the terms you can quote back to it.
| Standard | What it requires | Why it matters to your complaint |
|---|---|---|
| 1.15 | A way for players to contact the operator in a timely fashion with issues and complaints, including about accounts, funds, game play or compliance with the Standards; the Registrar is notified of such complaints under a notification matrix | The site must have a working complaint channel, and some complaints reach the regulator through the operator |
| 1.16 | Complaints, disputes and inquiries recorded and addressed in a timely, fair, transparent and appropriate manner; clear service standards available to players; disputes resolved under Ontario and Canadian law | Ask for the service standards in writing; a dispute cannot be pushed to a foreign forum |
| 4.13 | Clearly defined policies for treating players fairly when a game or system fault occurs, including when outcomes or bets cannot be recovered; the policies available to players | If a game froze or a bet vanished, ask which published fault policy was applied |
Standard 1.16 is the strongest card for a player. It requires the operator to record your complaint, so a written complaint creates a trail even before the AGCO is involved. It also says disputes must be resolved under Ontario and Canadian law, which matters if the terms you accepted point somewhere else.
Step one: the operator's formal complaints process
The AGCO sets the order. First, read the terms and conditions that apply to your account or transaction. Then contact the site and use its formal complaints process, which gives you a complaint reference number. Then wait for a decision, which the AGCO says can take up to 90 days. If you are unhappy with the outcome, the page suggests considering independent legal advice.
How to make this step count:
- Write it down. A live chat that ends with "we'll look into it" is not a formal complaint. Ask for the formal process by name and for the reference number.
- Keep it factual: the date and time, game or market, amounts, transaction IDs and what you expected to happen.
- Quote the rule. For a frozen game, ask for the fault policy under Standard 4.13. For a delayed withdrawal, ask for the service standards under Standard 1.16.
- Save everything: screenshots, emails, chat transcripts and your player ID.
Step two: when and how to go to the AGCO
The AGCO lists three situations in which you can come to it: you think a regulated site broke the rules; you tried to resolve the dispute with the site and waited up to 90 days without a resolution; or your issue involves responsible gaming, suspected illegal activity or advertising, where contacting the site first may not be appropriate.
The complaint goes through the online iAGCO service, using "Submit a complaint"; no account is needed. Include:
- the site's name, after checking it in iGaming Ontario's directory of regulated sites;
- your player ID on that site;
- the site's complaint reference number, if you have one.
For responsible gaming, suspected illegal activity or advertising complaints, the AGCO asks you to enter 0 in the "Complaint/Dispute Reference Number" field, since there may be no operator reference for those. A general complaint about igaming in Ontario that is not tied to one site can also be submitted directly.
How long it takes
| Stage | Typical time given by the AGCO |
|---|---|
| Operator's own decision | Up to 90 days |
| AGCO initial review | About 2 business days |
| Compliance review | Up to 5 weeks |
| Complex compliance review | 3 to 6 months, sometimes longer |
Added together, a disputed withdrawal can take many months from first contact to a regulatory outcome, and even then the outcome is about the operator's conduct, not your balance. That is why the first step matters most: a well-documented complaint to the operator is the one that most often settles the money question.
What the AGCO will not handle
- Unregulated sites. The AGCO only handles disputes with regulated sites and does not oversee unregulated ones. If the site is not in the iGaming Ontario directory, the complaint route described here does not exist.
- How often ads run. The AGCO says it does not regulate the frequency of advertising in Ontario and points to other bodies, such as the CRTC and Ad Standards, for concerns outside its scope.
- Getting your money back. As above, refunds are outside its powers.
This is why the site you choose matters before any dispute starts. Our Ontario casino guide covers only regulated sites, and how we evaluate casinos explains which complaint and payout points we look at.
If the dispute is part of a bigger problem with gambling, the AGCO page points to ConnexOntario: free, confidential and available 24/7 at 1-866-531-2600, by text at 247247 or by chat at connexontario.ca. More options are on our responsible gaming page.
This is general information, not legal advice.
Questions readers ask
Can the AGCO make a casino site pay my withdrawal?
No. The AGCO says it cannot get your money back or make a site refund you. It can issue warnings, suspensions or monetary penalties to a site that broke the rules, but a penalty does not resolve your dispute.
Do I have to complain to the site first?
Usually yes: use the site's formal complaints process, get a reference number and wait up to 90 days for a decision. Complaints about responsible gaming, suspected illegal activity or advertising can go to the AGCO directly.
What do I enter if I have no complaint reference number?
For responsible gaming, suspected illegal activity or advertising complaints, enter 0 in the Complaint/Dispute Reference Number field on iAGCO.
Can I complain to the AGCO about an offshore site?
No. The AGCO only handles disputes with regulated sites. Check the iGaming Ontario directory to see whether a site is regulated.
Sources
This explainer is general information about Canadian rules, not legal, tax or financial advice. Laws and agency policies change; check the source documents or ask a professional before you rely on them.
