What Happens to Unclaimed Casino Winnings in Ireland?

Why Do Casino Winnings Go Unclaimed?

The most common reasons for unclaimed winnings are positive account balances that have been completely forgotten, attempted withdrawals that expired due to incomplete Know Your Customer (KYC) checks and completely inactive accounts. This last one is particularly unfortunate because most casinos charge for player inactivity, so watch out for this! 

Forgotten account balances are one of the easiest ways to forget to claim casino winnings, especially if it’s only a low amount. Casinos won’t penalise you for having a positive balance, but it’s always best to remember if you have withdrawable funds available.

Many casinos use KYC checks to verify your identity when you make a withdrawal. These protocols are in place to ensure that only you can withdraw your winnings, protecting your funds when playing online. However, due to the importance of these checks, they need to be completed before a withdrawal attempt can be processed. These checks will most likely be sent by email and can get lost in your inbox. When attempting to make a withdrawal, it’s always best to keep checking your trash and spam folders in your email so that you don’t miss a check. 

As I mentioned earlier, inactive accounts are quite a nasty mishap if you forget to play at an online casino for a while. This is easily done, but casinos will most likely attach a fee to your account for the amount of time it remains inactive. If you’re looking to stop playing at a casino, always remember to close your account rather than just stop visiting.

Irish Gambling Laws on Unclaimed Winnings

Casino regulation in Ireland has just begun at the time of writing, with applications for licences currently in progress. The Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland (GRAI), the country’s dedicated gambling authority, is a new face on the scene. While the GRAI are not responsible for disputes between you and the operator, you can still contact them on their online form if the operator has breached the law, as operators still have to abide by the Irish laws on gambling. Each operator will have its own rules and regulations in place, so it’s always best to be fully aware of what your casino’s licence provider has implemented. It’s also worth mentioning that we do not recommend visiting a casino without a verifiable licence, as they aren’t required to have any protection in place.

What Happens to Unclaimed Lotto Jackpots?

Unlike Irish online casinos, the Irish National Lottery will retract unclaimed winnings. After 45 days of winnings not being claimed, the Irish National Lottery will try to get in touch with you repeatedly. If this goes on for 90 days or more and they still haven’t heard anything from you, then the National Lottery will move your winnings into a special reserve fund, which the company can use in accordance with the licence. Players who are looking to take part in the Irish National Lottery should familiarise themselves with this and the other terms and conditions of the draw, in order to ensure that they don’t miss out on some massive wins. I know I wouldn’t want to!

Resources

• Extra.ie

• Oireachtas.ie