Seen by some punters as the most useless organisation in the UK, but they are the present UK government choice of the regulator for the gambling industry.
In general they DO NOT deal with individual disputes between bookmakers and punters, you will be told by them who the approved alternative dispute resolution organisation is for the company you are in dispute with. This, of course, is the choice of the company, not yours; a rather poor start. Under EU consumer legislation adopted in the UK in 2015 you can refuse this choice and recommend an alternative organisation, however the company can then refuse your choice, so that is the end of line: Great. The reality therefore, is that you end up working with the company’s chosen arbitrator.
A full outline of what the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) want you to do if you think you are being mistreated can be found by clicking here. You just need to read the instructions under the first heading: Complain about a gambling business.
In conclusion, we have to live with the UKGC at present (far better to have an independent ombudsman), so please do let them know when you feel you’ve been ‘conned’ for whatever reason and if you receive a service that you are unhappy with complain about the UKGC themselves (click here to know how to do this) and scroll down to ‘Complain about the Gambling Commission’. In addition make sure your MP gets a copy of your correspondence.
Footnote:
The most commonly used alternative dispute resolution organisation is the Independent Betting Arbitration Service (IBAS). You need to treat the word ‘independent’ with some care, as this organisation is funded by the gambling industry. They claim to do their best despite the obvious conflict of interest. It is very difficult to obtain data about the specific outcomes of their work, e.g. how decisions are made. There is plenty of evidence that some of their decisions are ‘turned-over’, if and when, somebody can afford to take legal action, which is not a good sign.
