Cookies on the Gambling Commission website

The Gambling Commission website uses cookies to make the site work better for you. Some of these cookies are essential to how the site functions and others are optional. Optional cookies help us remember your settings, measure your use of the site and personalise how we communicate with you. Any data collected is anonymised and we do not set optional cookies unless you consent.

Set cookie preferences

You've accepted all cookies. You can change your cookie settings at any time.

Skip to main content

Guidance

Complaints and disputes: procedural, information provision and reporting requirements

Guidance to licensees’ on policies, procedures and controls for handling customer complaints.

2 - Defining complaints and disputes

For the purposes of this advice note and for social responsibility code provision 6.1.1, ‘complaint’ means an expression of dissatisfaction, whether spoken or written, about any aspect of the way the licensee conducts their licensed activities.

For example, a complaint:

  • about the outcome of a gambling transaction
  • about the way a gambling transaction has been managed
  • that concerns the way the licence holder carries out its business in relation to the three licensing objectives.

Customers may also complain about commercial matters, such as the quality of the licence holder’s facilities. Where such complaints do not pose a risk to the three licensing objectives, they are not within the scope of what we oversee. The licence holder should decide how best to resolve such complaints.

‘Disputes’ in this advice note and for the purposes of social responsibility code provision 6.1.1 are those complaints that are about the customer’s gambling transaction (including management of the transaction) and have not been resolved at the first stage of the operator’s complaints procedure. For example, disputes may include those linked to the application of bonus offers or to other terms and conditions, account management, or the ability to access funds and winnings.

Previous section
1 - The purpose of this guidance
Next section
3 - Complaints handling requirements
Is this page useful?
Back to top