You asked for a withdrawal a couple of hours ago and it is still showing as "Pending". You're not alone in this feeling, as a pending casino withdrawal is a common problem reported by many online casino players. The fact is: there is almost always a good reason for it, and in most cases, the solution is quick and easy.
Want to know why your casino withdrawal is being held up? Here are the 7 most common reasons in order of likelihood with easy-to-execute solutions to get you playing faster.
1. KYC Verification Not Complete
KYC is short for Know Your Customer. It is the identity check that Casinos must perform prior to being able to make withdrawals. If you have not sent through your ID documents, or if your ID documents have not been approved by the Casino, your withdrawal will remain in a pending status.
Most casinos will require you to provide 3 types of documents. These include: A photo ID (Government issued) which can be your passport or driving licence. A proof of address which can be any bill or statement that is no more than 3 months old, such as your utility bill or bank statement. A photo of the card/debit card you used to deposit to the casino.
FIX: Log into your account, proceed to verification and upload the necessary documents. Verification can take between 1-24 hours. Some casinos, for example Rooster Bet, may be faster and finish the KYC verification within 1 hour during working hours.
KYC is a MUST in the online casino business. Most casinos have to complete KYC regulations before they can pay out winnings to a player. Having your identity verified means that once you win some real cash, you can start withdrawing it right away as you have already verified your details. Tip: Complete your KYC verification right after you have created an account in a casino. Most casinos allow you to create an account and start playing right away, and you can always do your KYC verification in between spins. By doing your KYC verification before depositing and playing in a casino, you'll never have to worry about running into any issues when winning and withdrawing your real cash.
2. Active Bonus With Unmet Wagering Requirements
If you have ever received a welcome bonus or free spins, you probably know that any withdrawal request will be blocked until you meet the wagering requirement (WR) for that specific bonus. So, let's take an example of a welcome bonus, where the casino offers a €100 bonus with a 40× WR. In this case, you will have to wager the amount of the bonus 40 times, which in total amounts to €4,000.
Many players are unaware that they still have an active bonus. We recommend that you always check your bonus section on your account to make sure that there is no pending wagering left.
FIX: You must either play through the deposit to meet the wagering requirements or forfeit the bonus. Most casinos allow you to cancel any active bonus at any given time, which will leave your real money balance available for withdrawal. You will forfeit the bonus value that was awarded to you, but will still retain the original deposit and any wins generated from play through the deposit. For the lowest wagering requirements at instant withdrawal casino sites, view our instant withdrawal casino bonus page.
3. The Casino Has a Pending or Reversal Period
Some casinos will have a pending period of 24-72 hours on withdrawals after you request them. This means that the withdrawal is not actually processed and you can change your mind. They introduce this pending period to try and get you to reverse the withdrawal request and carry on playing.
Periods when certain games are not available for play come under the term "pending periods". It's a terrible nuisance, to say the least, and basically a pure advantage for the casino.
FIX / TIP This can catch a lot of players out. We recommend steering clear of any casino that has a pending period in place. We've already mentioned that the fastest withdrawal casinos we test have zero pending time, and this request is just another reason to avoid them altogether. Also remember that it's very tempting to try and cancel a withdrawal that's been marked as pending. This can be very tempting as you might feel you're leaving some money on the table. Remember though that that money is already yours - you've already won it and it's time to get paid.
4. You Exceeded the Withdrawal Limit
Every casino has daily, weekly and monthly limits for withdrawals. In the event that a player's withdrawal exceeds any of these limits, it may be paid out in instalments or the amount that exceeds the limit will be held over until the next allowed withdrawal.
Limits change over time. One day a casino might have a limit of $500 but by the next day it will be $10,000. And if your winnings have yet to be processed and you ask for a payout it might not be released yet as payouts are scheduled to take place only at designated intervals.
FIXED: Casino Terms and Conditions may have a withdrawal limit. In this case, withdrawals above the daily limit will be divided into installments. WildTornado for example has a daily limit of $2,500, while Rooster Bet has a daily limit of $2,000.
5. Manual Processing Queue (Casino-Side Delay)
Not all casinos are instant withdrawal casinos. There are some casinos that have a manual approval process for withdrawals. When you request a withdrawal, the withdrawal request has to be looked at by a real person in the casino's payment department. This approval process can take some time, and there are some casinos where this manual approval process can take up to a couple of days. However, some of the casinos with a manual approval process are quite small, and some casinos can have staff only approve withdrawals on weekdays. Weekends can be especially long at these casinos.
Manual processing can add 12-72 hours to your withdrawal time, even if the payment method itself is instant.
FIX: Contact the live chat team and ask to know the status of your withdrawal. Asking will help to bump your request up in the queue. Generally casinos that have an automated withdrawal process are recommended and we include them in our instant payout casinos.
A pending withdrawal isn't necessarily a problem but a pending withdrawal that isn't explained is usually a bad sign. Ask about this and find out why its happening.
6. Payment Method Mismatch
Anti-money-laundering legislation requires that any winnings are sent back to the same method as the deposit. So if you deposit via Visa, you will not be able to have the casino send your winnings to your Skrill e-wallet. The casino will not allow this transfer.
Fix: Use the same payment method you deposited with to withdraw your funds. If your deposit method is only good for deposits (for example some prepaid cards or mobile payment methods) let our support team know.
7. Suspicious Activity or Security Flag
Casinos keep an eye on accounts for suspicious activity. This includes things such as having multiple accounts from one IP address, taking advantage of welcome bonuses and other promotions, making chargebacks to the casino and otherwise unusual gambling behavior. If your account is flagged by the casino's security team you may find your withdrawal requests are suspended until they have finished investigating.
This is relatively rare for average users, but may occur in multi-player households or if you have tripped some automated fraud-detection systems for unusual betting patterns.
FIX: Contact support. They may ask you for verification of some sort, be patient as most investigations last less than 48 hours if you are a legit player. If you strongly believe a casino is cheating you, report them to the regulatory body that granted them a license.
How to Avoid Pending Casino Withdrawals Entirely
Your Number One defense against an overdraft is prevention. If you follow these steps, you'll probably never find yourself looking at a pending withdrawal:
- Complete KYC immediately after registration.
- Use e-wallets or crypto for deposits and withdrawals.
- Read bonus terms before accepting - know the wagering requirement.
- Choose casinos with no pending period and automated processing.
- Stay within withdrawal limits or choose casinos with higher caps.
Instant payout casinos are casinos that remove the frustrating delay when you request a payout. We check these out so you do not have to. Take a look at our full list of fastest withdrawal casinos to confirm.
