What is IBAS?
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IBAS (Independent Betting Adjudication Service) is a UK-based Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) scheme that handles complaints between players and gambling operators. It provides an independent adjudication service when a direct complaint to a casino has not been resolved satisfactorily.
How IBAS works
If you’ve complained to a casino and they haven’t resolved it to your satisfaction, you can submit the dispute to IBAS. IBAS reviews the evidence from both sides and issues a ruling. Their decisions on betting and gaming disputes are binding on member operators. The service is free for players. IBAS handles disputes about bonus terms, settlement of bets, account closures, and similar commercial disagreements.
IBAS scope and limitations
IBAS adjudicates on the application of gambling terms — whether a casino has fairly applied its rules. It doesn’t regulate the regulatory compliance of the operator (that’s the UKGC’s job) or handle complaints about fraud. IBAS can find in favor of the player and require the casino to pay out, or find that the casino applied its rules correctly. Their ADR registration is a UKGC requirement — all UKGC licensees must use an approved ADR provider.
Ben Barber got into the gambling industry through the poker rooms of London in the early 2000s. After building up a solid grounding in casino, sports betting and poker, he made the move to Malta where he spent close to a decade writing for some of the biggest affiliate networks in the region. A few years ago he relocated to Bali, which shifted his focus toward website strategy and affiliate marketing. The casino side never really left, though. He still writes reviews, how-to guides and in-depth pieces on everything from slots and live dealer tables to crypto casinos and sweepstakes sites. His approach is fact-first: help players understand how online gambling actually works before they deposit a cent.