Account under review, withdrawal held: what to do

Why accounts get frozen

Reviews are usually one of four things: identity verification (KYC that should have happened at signup catching up with you), source-of-funds checks (anti-money-laundering rules triggered by deposit size or pattern), offer-term checks (the casino auditing play made while a promotional requirement was active; max bet rules and restricted games are the usual flashpoints), or multi-account / location checks (duplicate accounts, VPN flags, geolocation mismatches). Legitimate reviews exist; the problem players face is reviews that are slow, opaque, and communicated by a chatbot.

The first 48 hours: do this

• Stop playing immediately. Any balance you gamble during a review is gone either way. Players describe casinos leaving the games available while funds are locked. Do not take the invitation.
• Get the reason in writing. Ask support one precise question: "What specific documents or issues does this review concern, and what is the expected timeframe?" Save the transcript. If the answer is "escalated to the relevant department" with no specifics, save that too; it matters later.
• Submit everything at once. Photo ID, proof of address, payment proof, and, if asked, source-of-funds evidence (pay stubs, bank statements). Partial submissions restart the clock.
• Keep records of everything: screenshots of your balance, the withdrawal request, the offer terms if one was active, and every email and chat.

How long is normal

Document verification at a functioning casino completes in hours to a few business days. Source-of-funds reviews legitimately take longer — one to two weeks at the outside. Beyond two weeks with no specific request outstanding, you are no longer in a review; you are in a stall, and it is time to escalate.

The escalation ladder (this is where Canada is different)

If the casino is AGCO/iGaming Ontario licensed (every casino on our index is), you have a real path:

• Step 1: Use the operator's formal complaints procedure (required by their licence; ask support for it by name). Operators must respond within set timeframes.
• Step 2: If unresolved, file with the regulator: AGCO accepts player complaints about registered operators directly through its website. An AGCO file number changes an operator's behaviour in a way no angry chat message ever will.
• Step 3: For payout disputes specifically, document the amount and timeline; regulated operators must hold player funds in a way that allows them to be paid even in insolvency.

From July 13, 2026, Alberta players get the same structure under the AGLC. Offshore, the ladder mostly is not there: an MGA-licensed casino has a complaints process of variable usefulness; with Curaçao-licensed operators the practical recourse is public pressure on complaint forums. Players win those sometimes, but nobody owes them anything. That difference is the entire reason this site lists licensed operators only.

What not to do

Do not open a second account to "rescue" your balance (an instant terms breach that converts a stall into a justified confiscation). Do not send anyone a "release fee"; a casino asking for money to release your money is describing a scam in plain sight. And do not rage-post before you have the paper trail; one documented, dated complaint beats ten furious ones.