Closing your casino account

For most South African online gamblers, playing in their favourite casino is not an activity that causes any problems. But for some people, gambling online can become an addiction, which can lead to severe consequences. Gambling addicts can end up losing everything they have when they play, including their homes, their savings and their relationships. Some even turn to crime to fund their habit.

The first step in overcoming any gambling addiction is to admit that you have a problem, but in many ways, this first step is the hardest. Luckily, many casinos allow players to close their casino account permanently or to take a breather. Let us take a look at the process you can initiate to close your account below.

By Adiela de Bruyn - Updated 2024/02/08 - Estimated reading time: 8 minutes.

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Closing your casino account
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Reasons People Close Casino Accounts

People order a closure on their casino accounts for various reasons. The most common reasons that occur in most cases are:

  • Disregard for responsible gambling or gambling problems such as gambling addiction.
  • The casino no longer meets expectations and the player would like to try their luck elsewhere.
  • Lost interest in gambling online.
  • Affinity for the bonuses and promotions in a different casino website.
  • Security concerns, as casino account closure may provide more peace of mind.
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How Do I Know If I Have a Problem

If you use a responsible and reputable South African online casino website with the interest of their player at heart, locate the section of their website dedicated to tackling problem gambling. This will usually give you full details of the tools they offer to help, as well as, a guide to spotting whether you have a gambling problem. Some of the common indicators of gambling addiction to note are:

  • Gambling for longer than you intend in each session
  • Spending more money on gambling than you intend
  • Losing track of time while gambling
  • Neglecting other areas of your life to spend time gambling
  • Gambling to win back money you have lost
  • Gambling with money that should be used for something else
  • Borrowing funds to gamble
  • Reluctance to tell people about your gambling habits
  • Regret how much funds you have lost on gambling.
  • Feeling restless when denied the opportunity to gamble

If any of these indicators regularly apply to you, then you may have a gambling problem. So how do you tackle it, and how can online casinos help?

Limits

Some online gambling sites will give you the option of setting up daily, weekly or monthly limits on how much money you can wager on their games if you are concerned about your gambling. This can be arranged by contacting customer support to assist you.

Once the limit is in place, it becomes impossible for you to spend more than that figure. But while this is a useful feature for South African players who want to control their gambling, those with a more serious gambling problem may need to consider self-exclusion.

Self Exclusion

This is a process through which an online casino will make it impossible for you to gamble with them for a set period. The timeframe can be a matter of months, years, or even a permanent exclusion.

Any responsible, reputable online casino should offer the option of self-exclusion. It can be arranged by contacting the casino's customer support department and explaining why you want to withdraw or self-exclude for some time or permanently closed.

Self-exclusion means that you become unable to gamble on any of the casino's games using the account you have already set up.

During the post self-exclusion period, the casino does not only block you from gambling with your account but prevents you from using your personal information to set up a new account. Plus, they refrain from sending you any promotional material related to betting promotions and gambling in general.

For self-exclusion to work, however, you must ensure that you make the self-exclusion request with every gambling site you have an account with. Unfortunately, as the South African online gambling market is unevenly regulated, not every casino offers self-exclusion as an option, which means that closing your account is the only way forward.

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Types of Casino Account Closure

There are different types of account closures. However, the reason for the action often determines the one a player adopts. For example, an individual may initiate a temporary closure to recover from a gambling problem. That said, below are the common casino account closures:

Regular Closure

The regular account closure option is closing the account indefinitely. To do this, the player has to contact customer support team. Notify them that you want to delete your account via live chat or email, and your request will be processed immediately.

Permanent Closure

As the name implies, this type of casino account closure is irreversible. Put differently, once it is a closed casino account, the player cannot reactivate it under any circumstance. The reason is that the casino deletes all information related to the player from the database.

This type of closed account is possible under the account settings or by chatting the customer support and stating that you want to delete your account.

Temporary Closure

In this scenario, the player takes the option to cool off for some time. Also referred to as time out, casinos allow players to use the break as part of their responsible gambling tools. As a result, the player determines the cooling-off period before resuming play. The individual won’t have access to the casino account until the break elapses.

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Closing Your Account

The best way to earn a chance to beat your gambling problem is to ensure all your casino accounts are temporarily or permanently closed. This seems drastic, but it will give you a clean break from gambling, enabling you to get to grips with your problem.

Some casinos offer the facility to simply delete your details with a ‘Close My Account' option, but it is usually a good idea to contact them directly. This way, you can explain why you want to delete your account, ask them to withdraw you from their promotional emails list, and add your details to a list of customers who are not allowed to open accounts with them.

Unfortunately, not all online casinos offer this service, so you may need to resort to blocking software. These come in two types: general blocking software used to limit access to certain categories of sites. Gambling-specific software, such as NetNanny, GamBlock, BetFilter, and GamBan, also ensure that you are unable to access any site that has a gambling connection.

Step-by-Step Guide On How to Close Online Casino Account

That said, the most common path for closing your account goes like this:

  • Log in to your existing casino account
  • Click on the live chat support agent. Alternatively, visit the Contact Us section and click on your preferred communication channel.
  • Explain your reason for requesting the casino to terminate your account.
  • Verify your identity with the requested information to confirm you are the one requesting the closure.
  • Confirm the account closure and log out.
  • Wait for about 24 hours for a confirmation.

If you have any remaining balance higher than the minimum withdrawal amount, the casino will process a refund immediately after the confirmation. The same is true for a pending withdrawal.

Closing an online casino account is fairly straightforward. Plus, there are different types of closure. Hence, it is suited for various player preferences. Since players have various reasons for closing accounts, we always recommend you explore alternatives to permanent account closure and only use it as a last resort. But if you’re sure of what you want, simply follow the steps above and take control of your online gaming journey.

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Conclusion

If you think you have a problem like gambling addiction, you must take action and contact customer support to assist you at your earliest convenience. Ultimately, only the concerned player can overcome a gambling issue. By using the tools that the gambling industry provides, you can increase your chances of beating your gambling problem. They include self-exclusion, account closure, and gambling blocking software.

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Frequently Asked Questions about Closing Your Casino Account

Can I reopen a closed casino account?

It depends on the type of account closure you initiated. For a regular account closure, contact the customer support team by email or live chat to reinstate your account. A temporary closure will automatically open after the predetermined time, while such action is impossible for a permanent closure.

What other options can I explore instead of closing my account?

If the reason for the account closure is related to problem gambling, use responsible gambling tools instead. Take a break for a few days or up to 30 days to cool off. Resume playing when you're ready. In the worst case, ask the support agent for links to helpful organizations like Gamblers Anonymous to seek professional help.

What happens when you close a casino account?

Closing a casino account means you can no longer access it or place bets. The casino refunds your balance, deletes personal information, and excludes you from future promotions, depending on the closed account setting you initiate. They may also ban you from opening a new account.

Author: Adiela de Bruyn

Adiela de Bruyn

Adiela de Bruyn, our founder, launched this site in 2016. Since then, she's written over 100 pages filled with crucial info to enhance your gaming experience. Her goal? To provide you with the best, most reliable online casino knowledge.

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Article published 2017/08/25