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File a Complaint with the Commission

If you have an unresolved disagreement with a North Carolina gaming licensee involving the result of a gambling transaction or the service provided by that licensee, you may choose to file a complaint with the North Carolina State Lottery Commission.

Before filing a complaint with the Commission, however, take the following steps.

First, attempt to resolve your complaint with the licensee who accepted your wager.  Common complaints that can be quickly resolved with the licensee include:

  • whether a bet won or lost
  • amount paid on a bet
  • management of payments or funds
  • licensee terms and conditions
  • ID verification or source of funds verification
  • account closure or suspension
  • voided or canceled bets
  • technical issues
  • account closure or suspension
  • customer service issues

Check any terms and conditions linked to your gaming account that apply to your transaction. Next, contact the licensee and submit your complaint or wager dispute as soon as possible after the disputed transaction so that all evidence can be collected and preserved. Contact information and customer service channels are available on each licensee’s websites and within their mobile apps.

The Commission requires all licensed sports wagering and pari-mutuel wagering licensees to have procedures in place for receiving, investigating, and responding to disputes and complaints that players submit to them. Licensees are required to post information on how to submit a dispute on their website, mobile app, and if applicable, within their physical wagering facility. In most cases, a licensee will provide a response to a wager dispute within 10 days.  It is important for players to report all wager disputes to the licensee before reporting a dispute to the Commission.

If your complaint remains unresolved by the licensee after they have investigated and responded to your dispute, you may submit a complaint to the Commission using the form below. Before filing this report with the Commission, you must exhaust all resolution procedures with the licensee with whom you are in dispute.

The Commission’s mission is to ensure public confidence in the integrity of gaming and to provide strong oversight of wagering in the State. To that end, the Commission staff will review your wager dispute to ensure licensees are complying with the law, Commission rules, and their internal controls and house rules. If appropriate, the Commission will take regulatory enforcement action in the manner dictated by the circumstances and the governing law. If your complaint falls within the jurisdiction of another local, state, or federal agency, we may refer your report to that agency. Please be advised that the Commission is unable to act as a mediator to resolve wager disputes, make final decisions concerning wager disputes, or order monies be paid or refunded to you. Importantly, the Commission cannot provide legal advice or bring legal action on your behalf. You may wish to consult a private attorney regarding your dispute to evaluate any legal remedies that may be available to you.

In addition to wager disputes, the North Carolina State Lottery Commission also investigates other complaints against sports wagering and pari-mutuel wagering licensees accused of violating the law, Commission rules, or their own internal controls and house rules. If you know about or have witnessed a licensee commit a possible violation, please file a complaint with the Commission. After Commission staff review the complaint, the Commission or its staff may open an investigation and, where appropriate, take regulatory enforcement action.

Please note that the Commission’s jurisdiction is limited to investigations and regulatory enforcement actions against licensed sports wagering and pari-mutuel wagering actors in the State. If you have witnessed a crime or have been a victim of a crime, please report the incident to law enforcement. If the Commission receives a complaint involving a crime under state or federal law, it will refer the complaint to the appropriate law enforcement agency. In some instances, the Commission may conduct its investigation in concurrence with the law enforcement investigation.

File a Complaint

Frequently Asked Questions

If you wish to file a complaint against a sports or pari-mutuel wagering licensee, please complete a complaint form online by clicking on the button above.

If you have exhausted all avenues offered by your operator to resolve a wager dispute, and the dispute remains unresolved, you can file a complaint with the Commission. The Commission is unable to act as a mediator to resolve these disputes, make final decisions concerning wager disputes, or order monies be paid or refunded to you. Commission staff will review your wager dispute to ensure licensed operators are complying with the law, Commission rules, and their internal controls and house rules. If you have a wager dispute, you are encouraged to consider seeking your own legal counsel for advice about your rights.

The North Carolina State Lottery Commission is unable to act as a mediator to resolve disputes, make final decisions concerning disputes, or refund your money. The Commission’s mission is to ensure public confidence in the integrity of gaming and to provide strong oversight of wagering in the State. That means Commission staff will review your dispute to ensure licensees comply with the law, Commission rules, and their internal controls and house rules. If appropriate, the Commission will take regulatory enforcement action in the manner dictated by the circumstances and the governing law. Even if the Commission is not in a position to resolve your dispute directly, learning about it helps Commission staff monitor potentially questionable business practices, set priorities for audits and enforcement efforts, and make recommendations for changes to the law.

Commission staff review complaints and disputes and, if appropriate, conduct an investigation. If Commission staff begin an inquiry or investigation, they will gather evidence and document events surrounding the disputed wager or complaint.

If staff determine that a licensee violated the law or Commission rules, it may require a corrective action plan or institute a regulatory enforcement action. If your dispute or complaint falls within the jurisdiction of another local, state, or federal agency; however, staff may refer your complaint or dispute to that agency.

It depends. The Commission is an independent state agency subject to the North Carolina Public Records Law, North Carolina General Statutes, Chapter 132. However, the Commission may keep certain records and information confidential where disclosure could impair or adversely impact the security or integrity of its investigation. You should be aware that information provided in the complaint form or wager dispute report may become public record. Additionally, during the course of an investigation, information included in or related to the complaint may be shared with the relevant sports or pari-mutuel wagering licensee(s) in the course of the Commission’s investigation.

The length of an investigation varies widely depending upon the nature of the complaint or the underlying dispute, including any alleged or discovered misconduct. An investigation can take a few weeks or up to several months to complete.

The Commission represents the State of North Carolina when investigating or pursuing regulatory enforcement action against a licensee. The Commission cannot provide legal advice to a complainant or bring legal action on the complainant’s behalf. If you are filing a complaint, you can consult a private attorney to evaluate any legal remedies that may be available.

In some cases, wager settlements can happen after the end of an event when a call in that event is reviewed and changed by a league governing body or a game official. For example, a player in a baseball game could be charged with an error that is reviewed and overturned hours after the game. This could result in a player receiving a hit rather than an error. This change to an official statistic from a sporting event could affect multiple types of wagers. You should always review an operators’ terms and conditions or rules on the length of time a settlement of a wager can be reversed.

The Commission cannot provide legal advice or bring legal action on behalf of someone. If you are filing a complaint or have a dispute with a Commission licensee, you can consult a private attorney to evaluate any legal remedies that may be available.

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