How-to
Complaining about a betting app: operator, GRAI, ASA or CCPC
Complain to the operator first, in writing, and keep its reply. For adverts, complain to the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA). For unfair consumer practices, use the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC). The GRAI publishes what it accepts in its Compliance and Complaints FAQ. Its advert powers are not yet in force.
Editorial team · checked
What to attach
- Screenshots with the date and time.
- Your account name or number, but never your password.
- Bet slip details: event, stake, odds and the time. See reading a bet slip.
- Your betting history for the dates concerned (where to find it).
- Earlier replies from the operator, with dates.
In short: attach dated screenshots, bet details and the operator's earlier replies.
The order to follow
- Check who the operator is. Use the licence check.
- Result: you know the licensee and licence number to quote.
- Common mistake: complaining to the brand when the licensee differs.
- Complain to the operator in writing. Use the contact route in its terms.
- Result: a dated record of your complaint.
- Each operator's complaints process and timescale: Not checked.
- Wait for the operator's stated timescale. Use only what the operator publishes.
- Result: you know when to escalate.
- Escalate by subject. Use the table below.
- Result: the right body gets the right complaint.
- Keep a record. Save every message.
- Result: you can show the order of events.
In short: identify the licensee, complain in writing, wait, then escalate by subject.
Who handles what
| Body | Handles | Use it when | Timescale |
|---|---|---|---|
| The operator | Your account and bets | Always first | Not checked |
| GRAI | Licensing and compliance; scope set by its FAQ | The operator has not resolved a licence or compliance issue | Not checked |
| ASA | Adverts, under Code Section 10 on gambling | An advert promises wins, targets under-18s or hides that it is an ad | Not checked |
| CCPC | Unfair or misleading consumer practices | A practice misleads consumers | Not checked |
The GRAI is expected to take complaints about licensees' adverts once its advertising powers are in force. Until then the ASA is the route. For fake apps and adverts, see reporting a fake betting app.
In short: operator first; then GRAI, ASA or CCPC by subject.
What this page does not promise
- A result, a refund or a timescale.
- That the GRAI will take your complaint. Read its Compliance and Complaints FAQ at grai.ie.
- Legal advice. Ask a solicitor for that.
In short: we explain the routes; we do not promise outcomes.
If it does not work
- The operator does not reply. Escalate once its published timescale has passed. Quote your dates.
- A body says it cannot help. Try another route from the table, for example the CCPC for a consumer practice.
- The app crashed during a bet. Read what happens when the app crashes first.
In short: quote your dates and try the next route.
How we checked
- Bodies and powers come from our country notes, based on the ASA Code, CCPC guidance and GRAI pages.
- Still to capture: the GRAI Compliance and Complaints FAQ (what it accepts and what it does not); ASA and CCPC complaint routes; complaints terms of three operators. Each needs a date.
- We did not file a complaint to test any route.
In short: the bodies are sourced; their complaint rules are not checked yet.
What changed
- 7 November 2026: first version of this page.
In short: no earlier versions exist.
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