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Direct answer: if you suspect a casino scam, stop sending money, documents or codes, save the evidence trail, identify the exact operator, domain, account, payment route and timeline, then choose the route that matches the issue. Use FTC for fraud, scams or bad business practices; IC3 for phishing, fake domains, account takeover or cyber-enabled crime; a state gaming regulator only when a licensed-operator dispute route applies; your bank, card issuer, wallet or payment provider for transaction issues; and IdentityTheft.gov if KYC or identity data may be exposed.
Reporting can create a record and support official review, but it does not guarantee recovery, refund, payout, legal finding, investigation, account restoration, deletion, complaint success or legal advice.
The Playbook USA may earn commissions from some destination pages. This guide is educational and does not accept official reports, investigate operators, add operators to a blacklist, recover funds, guarantee chargebacks, provide legal advice, replace law enforcement, replace regulators or ask users for passwords, 2FA codes, seed phrases, payment data or KYC documents.
Choose the route by issue type. FTC fits fraud, scams and bad business practices. IC3 fits phishing, fake domains, account takeover and cyber-enabled crime. A state gaming regulator fits licensed-operator disputes only when the operator and jurisdiction match. Payment providers fit card, bank, wallet or transaction issues. IdentityTheft.gov fits identity/KYC exposure. NCPG fits gambling pressure, urgency, debt or loss of control.
A report can preserve a record and support review, but it does not guarantee refund, payout, investigation, enforcement, legal finding or account restoration.
Use these sources to separate evidence records, fraud reporting, cybercrime reporting, licensed-operator complaint routes, payment-provider complaints, identity-theft response and gambling-support routing.
| Source | Source owner | Checked | What it proves | What it does not prove | Safest use |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| User records: operator, domain, account, payment IDs, KYC, bonus terms, support transcripts, screenshots and timeline | User, operator account, payment provider, device/email records and support team | Before reporting or deleting evidence | Your account-specific timeline, money trail, document trail, support trail and issue classification. | Fraud, criminal conduct, recovery, regulator action, payout approval or legal conclusion. | Save before filing FTC/IC3/regulator/provider reports or contacting support again. |
| FTC ReportFraud.gov | Federal Trade Commission | June 29, 2026 | A federal route exists for reporting fraud, scams and bad business practices. | Refund, private recovery, legal advice, investigation or casino-specific payout approval. | Use for fraud, scam or deceptive business practice concerns after saving evidence. |
| FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) | Federal Bureau of Investigation | June 29, 2026 | IC3 is the central FBI hub for reporting cyber-enabled crime. | Guaranteed investigation, refund, account recovery or casino dispute resolution. | Use for phishing, fake domains, fake apps, account takeover, crypto theft or cyber-enabled scam evidence. |
| PGCB Patron Complaint and Dispute Forms | Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board | June 29, 2026 | A state gaming regulator can provide complaint/dispute routes for qualifying licensed-operator issues. | Coverage for offshore/unlicensed operators, complaint success, payout, refund or universal state applicability. | Use as a source-backed example of licensed-operator dispute routing; always match state/operator first. |
| CFPB Submit a Complaint | Consumer Financial Protection Bureau | June 29, 2026 | A consumer financial-product complaint route can exist for covered bank, card, money transfer or financial-company issues. | Casino dispute coverage, chargeback approval, refund or gambling-operator liability. | Use only when the issue is with a covered financial company or payment provider, not as a casino recovery route. |
| IdentityTheft.gov | Federal Trade Commission | June 29, 2026 | A federal recovery-planning route exists when identity information is exposed or misused. | Casino payout, refund, legal advice or account restoration. | Use if KYC, SSN, ID, selfie, address proof or payment documents may be exposed. |
| Verified operator support / in-account ticket | Operator support, account dashboard or verified app | Before regulator/payment escalation | Whether an operator-first ticket, case ID or support response exists. | Regulator review, refund, payout, legal status or support legitimacy if the route is unverified. | Use the known URL/app; avoid social DMs, private chats, recovery agents and search-result phone numbers. |
| NCPG Helpline Chat | National Council on Problem Gambling | June 29, 2026 | Call/text 1-800-MY-RESET and NCPG chat are gambling-support routes. | Scam reporting, legal advice, account recovery, refund, payout or payment dispute resolution. | Use if disputes, losses, deposits, support pressure or recovery promises create urgency, secrecy, debt, chasing or loss of control. |
Use this before treating every dispute, delay, support message or blacklist label as the same kind of report.
| Claim | Could mean | Still verify | Do not assume |
|---|---|---|---|
| Casino scam concern | Fraud, phishing, fake operator, support impersonation, payment pressure, identity exposure or severe dispute pattern. | Exact operator/domain, timeline, records, payment route, support route and source owner. | Every dispute is criminal fraud. |
| Fraud / bad business practice | Deceptive claims, false prize/recovery message, misleading support, payment pressure or business-practice concern. | Messages, promises, payment demands, amounts, URLs and support records. | An FTC submission means money will come back. |
| Cyber-enabled crime | Phishing, fake login, fake app, account takeover, crypto theft, malware or impersonation. | URL, sender, device/account activity, wallet/payment records and timestamps. | Every casino dispute belongs at IC3. |
| Licensed-operator dispute | Withdrawal, KYC, bonus, payment ownership or support issue with a regulated operator. | State, license, legal entity, operator-first support ticket and regulator route. | A regulator covers offshore/unlicensed operators. |
| Payment-provider issue | Card, bank, wallet, charge, descriptor, transfer, refund or dispute issue. | Provider rules, transaction ID, statement, descriptor, receipt and operator record. | Payment dispute equals casino withdrawal approval. |
| Identity/KYC exposure | ID, SSN, selfie, address proof, card/bank record or KYC document sent to suspicious route. | Document type, upload URL, sender, account route and misuse signs. | Casino support can solve identity exposure alone. |
A report can create a record, but it is not proof of recovery, wrongdoing or outcome by itself.
| It does not prove | Why | Next check | Owner route |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fraud or criminal conduct | A user report is an allegation and evidence package, not a legal finding. | Official records, regulator/law-enforcement response, payment records and support trail. | Evidence packet |
| Recovery or refund | FTC, IC3, regulator and provider routes have limits and do not act as private recovery services. | Provider rules, case ID, support response and official route status. | Case ID follow-up |
| The right route was chosen | Cybercrime, fraud, licensed dispute, payment issue and identity exposure have different routes. | Classify issue type before filing. | Reporting route triage |
| Casino is licensed or unlicensed | Reporting does not replace legal entity, domain, license or jurisdiction checks. | Exact license/domain/legal entity route. | Check a casino license |
| Withdrawal should be approved | KYC, payment ownership, bonus terms and account review can still matter. | Withdrawal ID, KYC status, bonus terms, payment ownership and support ticket. | Casino not paying |
| Support or recovery agent is official | Scammers impersonate support and recovery routes after an initial dispute. | Known URL/app, official report confirmation and verified ticket route. | Phishing scams |
Start with the row that matches the strongest evidence you have. Some issues need more than one route, but do not shotgun reports before saving records.
| Issue type | Possible route | Evidence to prepare | Important limit | Next owner page |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fraud, scam or deceptive business practice | FTC ReportFraud.gov | Messages, promises, URLs, payment demand, screenshots, timeline, operator/domain details. | FTC report does not guarantee refund, recovery or individual legal advice. | Scam warning signs |
| Phishing, fake login, fake app, account takeover or cyber-enabled scam | FBI IC3 | Sender, URL, headers, screenshots, device/account activity, wallet/payment records, timestamps. | IC3 report does not guarantee investigation, response or recovery. | Phishing scams |
| Licensed operator withdrawal, KYC, bonus or account dispute | Operator support first, then state gaming regulator complaint route where applicable. | Operator ticket, legal entity, license/domain, withdrawal ID, KYC status, bonus terms, support transcript. | Regulator route depends on state, operator status and product category. | Casino not paying |
| Card, bank, wallet or payment-provider issue | Card issuer, bank, wallet, payment provider or CFPB where covered financial-product issue fits. | Statement, transaction ID, descriptor, receipt, provider ticket, operator cashier record. | Provider dispute rules vary; approval is not certain and may not resolve casino balance/withdrawal status. | Deposit FAQ |
| Identity/KYC document exposure | IdentityTheft.gov | Document type, upload URL, sender, account route, screenshots, support ticket, misuse signs. | IdentityTheft.gov is not casino payout recovery or legal advice. | Data protection |
| Blacklisted / rogue casino claim | Evidence-first blacklist review before repeating accusation. | Source owner, date, exact domain/entity, reason category, complaint pattern and correction route. | Blacklist label is not a legal finding. | Casino blacklist |
| Gambling pressure, chasing, secrecy, debt or repeated deposits | NCPG chat or call/text 1-800-MY-RESET | No evidence required to ask for support. | Support route is not fraud reporting, payment recovery or legal advice. | Responsible gambling basics |
A stronger report separates facts, evidence, route and requested outcome.
| Question | Ready if... | Not ready if... | Fix before reporting |
|---|---|---|---|
| Can you identify the operator? | You have legal entity, brand, exact domain, account page, app listing or terms screenshot. | You only have a nickname, logo, ad, social handle or messenger profile. | Run domain/entity/license check and save the result. |
| Can you show the money trail? | You have deposit, withdrawal, transaction ID, descriptor, wallet address, receipt or payment-provider record. | You only have a general statement that funds are missing. | Export statement/receipt and save cashier history. |
| Can you classify the issue? | You can tell whether this is phishing, fraud, KYC, bonus, payout, payment or identity exposure. | You only know scam, but not what happened. | Use the claim-definition and route triage matrices. |
| Can you show support history? | You have ticket IDs, transcripts, email headers, account messages and timestamps. | You only have screenshots without source/date/context. | Save full transcript and account-message route. |
| Can you avoid unsupported claims? | Your report states facts, dates, records and what you are asking the route to review. | The report only says they are criminals without evidence. | Use facts-vs-claims wording matrix. |
| Can you protect yourself from recovery scams? | You will not pay fees, crypto, gift cards or provide remote access to private recovery agents. | You are considering paying someone to unlock or recover funds. | Stop and use official reporting/support routes only. |
Use the same evidence structure before contacting operator support, a regulator, FTC, IC3, a payment provider or an identity-theft route. Keep timestamps and source URLs whenever possible.
| Record to capture | Why it matters | What to save | Do not do |
|---|---|---|---|
| Operator identity | Reports need the exact party involved. | Legal entity, brand, exact domain, app listing, account username, license/register result if relevant. | Do not report only a logo, nickname or social handle. |
| Event timeline | A timeline separates facts from conclusions. | Signup, deposits, messages, bonus claim, KYC upload, withdrawal request, support contacts, report submissions. | Do not rewrite dates from memory if records exist. |
| Money trail | Payment route determines provider/regulator/reporting options. | Transaction IDs, card/bank/wallet receipts, descriptors, crypto TXIDs, deposit IDs, withdrawal IDs, amounts and dates. | Do not send another payment to unlock funds. |
| Support trail | Shows whether you used verified support and what was promised or requested. | Ticket numbers, transcripts, sender addresses, account messages, phone/chat logs, escalation IDs. | Do not continue in private chat if verified support exists. |
| KYC / document exposure | Identity exposure changes the route and urgency. | Document type, upload URL, request wording, screenshots, support ticket, timestamp, misuse signs. | Do not upload more documents through suspicious links. |
| Bonus and terms evidence | Many disputes are terms/KYC/bonus issues, not scam reports first. | Bonus terms, opt-in, wagering, max bet, restricted games, cap, support reason for voided winnings. | Do not call every bonus dispute fraud before checking terms evidence. |
| Phishing / fake route evidence | IC3/FTC/provider routes need sender, URL and exposure details. | Email headers, SMS sender, URL, landing page, app listing, wallet address, entered-data status. | Do not repeatedly open suspicious links to investigate. |
| Report IDs and confirmations | Follow-up depends on reference numbers. | FTC, IC3, regulator, provider, operator support and identity-theft report IDs when available. | Do not expect one report ID to solve every route. |
Careful wording protects user trust and makes reports easier to review.
| Instead of writing | Write this evidence-based version | Attach | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| "This casino stole my money." | "I deposited $___ on [date], requested withdrawal ID ___ on [date], and support replied ___ on [date]. The funds are not received as of [date]." | Deposit/withdrawal IDs, cashier history, support transcript. | Shows facts without unsupported legal conclusion. |
| "They are criminals." | "I received a message from [sender] asking for [fee/crypto/gift card/credentials] to release funds. I did not find a matching verified support ticket." | Message, sender, URL, payment demand, account inbox screenshot. | Supports FTC/IC3 review and avoids unsupported accusation. |
| "The license is fake." | "The website displays [license claim], but I could not match [domain/legal entity/license number] in [official source] as of [date]." | Footer screenshot, register result/no-result, domain, legal entity. | Separates source check from legal finding. |
| "They scammed my ID." | "I uploaded [document type] through [URL/channel] after receiving [message]. I am concerned the upload route was not verified." | Upload URL, sender, document type, screenshots, timestamp. | Routes identity exposure correctly. |
| "Chargeback should be approved." | "I am asking my provider to review transaction [ID/descriptor/date] based on [evidence]." | Statement, transaction ID, receipt, operator/payment record. | Payment providers apply their own rules. |
Save confirmations and understand that each route has different response limits.
| Route | Save this | Follow-up use | Do not expect |
|---|---|---|---|
| FTC ReportFraud.gov | Submission confirmation and report copy if available. | Evidence that a fraud/scam/bad business practice concern was reported. | Private recovery or individual legal advice. |
| IC3 | Complaint ID, submitted evidence and cybercrime timeline. | Reference for cyber-enabled crime, phishing or account-takeover evidence. | Guaranteed investigation or refund. |
| State regulator | Operator support ticket, regulator complaint ID and supporting documents. | Licensed-operator dispute record where jurisdiction/product matches. | Coverage for offshore/unlicensed operators. |
| Payment provider | Provider case ID, transaction ID, statement, descriptor and decision. | Payment transaction review or financial-provider complaint trail. | Casino withdrawal approval or balance correction by default. |
| IdentityTheft.gov | Recovery plan, report confirmation and identity-exposure notes. | Identity document exposure or misuse response. | Casino payout/account recovery. |
| Operator support | Ticket number, account message, transcript and response timestamps. | Required first step for many licensed-operator disputes. | That a private chat or social DM is verified support. |
| Signal | Why it is dangerous | Safer response | Evidence to save |
|---|---|---|---|
| "Pay a release fee to unlock winnings" | Advance-fee pressure can compound losses. | Do not pay. Save message and use verified routes. | Sender, amount, payment method, promised payout. |
| Gift card, crypto, wire or wallet transfer requested | Payments can be hard or impossible to reverse. | Stop communication and classify as fraud/cyber concern. | Wallet address, QR code, gift-card request, transcript. |
| Recovery agent guarantees refund | No private agent can guarantee official recovery. | Use official reporting and provider routes only. | Website, ad, message, fee request, contact details. |
| Remote access or screen-share requested | Can expose accounts, documents and payment records. | Do not install software or share screen. | App name, caller/contact, instructions, timestamp. |
| Seed phrase, password, 2FA code or backup code requested | Can cause account takeover or wallet theft. | Do not provide credentials; secure account routes. | Message, sender, account activity, login alerts. |
| Generic advice | What it leaves unclear | What this page adds | Do not assume |
|---|---|---|---|
| Report fraud to the FTC | Cybercrime, licensed-operator disputes, identity exposure and payment issues may need different routes. | Route triage by issue type. | FTC report is private recovery. |
| Report cybercrime to IC3 | Not every withdrawal/KYC/bonus dispute is cybercrime. | Cyber vs dispute classification. | IC3 solves casino payout disputes. |
| Contact the operator | Support itself can be impersonated. | Verified support/ticket boundary. | Social chat equals official support. |
| Dispute the transaction | Provider rules, casino balance and withdrawal status are separate. | Payment-provider boundary. | Payment dispute equals refund or withdrawal approval. |
| Keep evidence | Casino evidence includes KYC, bonus terms, cashier IDs, support tickets and account messages. | Casino-specific evidence packet. | Screenshots alone are enough. |
Use one owner route after the reporting issue is clear. Do not use this as a full safety directory.
| Question | Use this route | Why | Boundary |
|---|---|---|---|
| The issue is a suspicious link, fake login, fake app or support impersonation | Phishing scams | Owns fake route, entered-data and account-access response. | Do not keep using the suspicious link. |
| The issue is withdrawal, KYC, bonus or payment review | Casino not paying | Owns payout/KYC/bonus/payment/support evidence. | Delay is not always a scam report first. |
| The issue is operator identity or license status | Check a casino license | Owns domain, legal entity, license and product-category checks. | License check does not guarantee payout or safety. |
| The issue is blacklisted/rogue casino claim | Casino blacklist | Owns evidence standards and watchlist boundaries. | Blacklist label is not legal finding. |
| The issue is KYC, ID, payment document or privacy exposure | Data protection | Owns upload-route, masking and identity exposure boundaries. | Do not upload documents through unverified links. |
| The issue is password, 2FA or account takeover | Password security and 2FA | Own account-hardening and recovery evidence. | Account security does not prove payout approval. |
| You need broader safety context | Casino safety hub | Use only when the question is broader than reporting. | Do not replace report-route triage with a hub. |
Stop sending money or documents, save the operator/domain/payment/support evidence, classify the issue, then choose the route that fits: FTC for fraud or scams, IC3 for cyber-enabled crime, state regulator for qualifying licensed-operator disputes, payment provider for transaction issues and IdentityTheft.gov for identity exposure.
Use FTC ReportFraud.gov for fraud, scams or bad business practices. Use IC3 for phishing, fake domains, fake apps, account takeover, crypto theft or other cyber-enabled crime. Some cases may involve both routes, but save evidence first.
Reporting can create a record and support official review, but it does not guarantee refund, recovery, payout, investigation, legal finding or account restoration.
Save the exact domain, legal entity, account username, payment IDs, transaction records, KYC status, bonus terms, support transcripts, screenshots, messages, timestamps and any report or support case IDs.
No. A withdrawal delay can involve KYC, payment ownership, bonus terms, account review or support backlog. Use the casino-not-paying route first if you are still gathering payout evidence.
Save the upload URL, sender, document type, screenshots and timestamp. Stop uploading more documents, secure account access, contact verified support and use IdentityTheft.gov or IC3 if identity exposure or cyber-enabled scam evidence exists.
Do not pay. Release fees, gift cards, crypto transfers, wires, remote access, seed phrases and private recovery agents are stop signals. Save the message and use verified support and official reporting routes.
Do not pay a private recovery agent that guarantees a refund or asks for crypto, gift cards, wire transfers, remote access or credentials. Use official FTC, IC3, regulator, payment-provider and identity-theft routes instead.
Reviewed casino scam reporting routes, evidence packet structure, FTC and IC3 routing, state regulator complaint examples, payment-provider boundaries, identity-theft response, support impersonation stop signals, recovery-scam warnings and responsible-gambling support routing.