Come to us first

Believe us when we say we are listening and take every complaint seriously. Victoria Gate Casino fully supports the Gambling Act 2005 and embraces fair and open gambling. Speak to a member of our management team if you don’t agree with a gambling related decision. They should be able to settle the issue for you there and then, so you can keep up the fun. If you’re not happy with the outcome and you’ve exhausted our internal way of dealing with disputes you can take it to the next level. Contact the Independent Panel for Casino Arbitration (IPCA) who’ll be happy to help. The IPCA simply reviews disputes or complaints against the land based casino industry that can’t be solved internally.

Our complaints process & how it works

Any problems should be raised with your dealer straight away.

Not happy with their decision? Speak to the pit boss or floor manager who’ll be happy to help. Again it’s better if it’s raised at the time.

If you’re still not satisfied, write to our venue director. Keep it informative and to the point.

We’ll consider and answer all complaints formally. If you still don’t agree, we’ll give you the details of an approved alternative dispute resolution body (ADR) who’ll help you.

We usually settle disputes quickly and amicably. We want everyone to have a great time at Victoria Gate Casino. If you’re still not satisfied once all our internal avenues have been explored you can email or write to the IPCA.

Here are their details:
NCF-IPA, Carlyle House, 235 Vauxhall Bridge Road,
London, SW1V 1EJ

info@ipca.org.uk
www.ipca.org.uk

Independent panel for casino & bingo arbitration

Who is the IPCA and what’s their role?

As a deciding body, it’s good to know the IPCA is made up of retired senior members of the Gambling Commission or other independent, reputable industry experts who really know their stuff. Find a list of IPCA Officials at www.ipca.org.uk. It’s worth remembering the IPCA only consider disputes made in writing. You can submit it through any medium. You must also have tried all possible internal solutions first. If you haven’t, then the IPCA will refer you back to us to try and resolve it.

Is it expensive

Great news. The IPCA ADR service is free to players. All parties are not obliged to have their own legal advisor, but you can seek independent advice or be represented by a third party at any stage.

What you need to do.

Everyone involved must agree to provide all documentation and evidence needed. Everyone must agree to be available to be interviewed by the ADR Official. Everyone has the right to withdraw from the process at any time. Personal data is safe and secure, as the ADR procedure complies with the Data Protection Act1998.

Is every case heard?

Unfortunately your case can be refused. Regulations are outlined in Grounds to Refuse to Deal with an Alternative Dispute Resolution section 2(e).

A guide to the IPCA ADR process

If you don’t agree with our opinion and would like to take it further, here’s what it involves:

1. The ADR controller will assign an ADR official to investigate your complaint and notify everyone concerned.
2. The same official will ask for evidence and documentation from everyone involved and inform all parties of their right to withdraw at any time.
3. After receiving the evidence, the official notifies all parties that the evidence constitutes a ‘complete complaint file’. They aim to arrive at a decision within 90 calendar days from the date the ‘complete complaint file’ was received. However, in ‘certain exceptional cases’ or complex disputes the ADR official is free to extend this deadline at their discretion.
4. The ADR official will usually draft a report which includes any statements made and opinions given by experts. All parties will be given a reasonable time to comment.
5. Any comments will be considered before the official completes the report.
6. The final report is submitted to the ADR controller outlining the outcome and grounds on which the proposed decision is based.
7. When the ADR controller is satisfied that the process has been followed and the decision in the report is valid, the controller will forward the report to everyone involved.
8. According to the Gambling Commission’s expectation, gambling operators will offer ADR which, (if accepted by the consumer) is binding on the operator for disputes which would otherwise be taken to the small claims court (disputes under £10,000). For disputes over £10,000, the ADR procedure need not be binding. This would allow, for example, that mediation could be employed for disputes of more than £10,000 or for adjudication decisions to be non-binding on the operator.
9. Regarding consumer protection, the player is not legally bound by any IPCA decision and maintains all his or her UK statutory consumer protections.

Why might your claim be refused?

Your claim or dispute can be refused by the ADR body. They’ll usually let you know and give you the reason why within 3 weeks of receiving the ‘complete complaint file’. Some of the reasons include*:

1. Not having attempted to resolve it with us directly before contacting the ADR.
2. They consider the dispute to be ‘frivolous’ or ‘vexatious’.
3. The dispute is or has been considered by another ADR entity or by a court.
4. The claim value falls above or below the monetary thresholds set by the body: the IPCA does not set monetary thresholds.
5. Not submitting the complaint within the correct time. Provided that the time period is not less than 12 months from the date upon which Victoria Gate Casino has given notice to you, and is unable to solve the complaint with you.
6. Dealing with such a complex dispute would seriously impair the effective operation of the ADR.

Everyone’s welcome at Victoria Gate Casino the gamers and the good-timers, the winers and the diners. Thankfully, disputes are few and far between but now you know what to do, let’s get on with the fun and have a great time at the Super Casino of the North.

*For current refusal information, please visit www.ipca.org.uk