The short answer
When can an online casino keep your winnings?
When its terms give it a ground and it relies on one. In seven operators’ terms read in September and October 2026, the grounds include a missed 30-day document deadline, hiding your location with a VPN, a chargeback, suspected fraud or bonus abuse, inactivity fees and caps on bonus winnings.
Read the evidence and limitations ↓A clause is not a verdict
Casino terms list the grounds on which the operator can void winnings, keep a balance or charge it. Some grounds are tied to something you do, such as missing a deadline; others rest on the operator’s own suspicion. The table below sets out the grounds in seven operators’ general terms, read on (PlayBaze, Wintino and AquaSpins) and (TuffPuff, Winshark, Slots Vader and Rivo).
A clause shows what an operator may do. It does not prove that the operator applied it fairly to your account, or that it could be enforced where you live. What it gives you is the question to ask, and the clause number to quote when you ask it.
Grounds for keeping winnings or a balance
| Ground | What the terms allow | Operators and clauses |
|---|---|---|
| Missing a document deadline | Winnings confiscated and the account closed if documents are not provided within 30 calendar days of the withdrawal request or of the casino’s own request. Wintino and AquaSpins also allow 30 days but say only that payment can be withheld until the documents arrive. | TuffPuff and Winshark 2.5; Slots Vader 2.6.1; Wintino and AquaSpins 5.3 |
| Refusing a verification call | Counts as failed verification: winnings confiscated and the account kept closed. The call can be moved up to 3 times for events outside your control. | Slots Vader 2.7 |
| Hiding your location | Winnings voided and the whole balance, deposits included, forfeited if the casino believes a VPN or another step was used to disguise the IP address. Rivo can block the account and forfeit all balances. See using a VPN at an online casino. | TuffPuff and Winshark 14.7; Rivo 3.4.13, 17.3 |
| A chargeback | The whole balance or part of it withheld, and EUR 50 deducted from the refund for each notification email; at PlayBaze, winnings from charged-back funds forfeited and EUR 50 charged; at Rivo, chargebacks prohibited and any loss left with the player. | TuffPuff, Winshark and Slots Vader 6.2, 13.3; PlayBaze 7.4, 9.1; Rivo 4.11 |
| Suspected fraud, collusion, forged documents or bonus abuse | Winnings voided, pending withdrawals cancelled, and the balance confiscated or withheld, in several clauses including deposits. | TuffPuff and Winshark 14.5, 14.7; Slots Vader 14.6, 14.8; Wintino and AquaSpins 9.4; Rivo 9.2; PlayBaze 6.3 |
| An inactive account | EUR 5 a month after 180 days without a login, until the balance reaches zero; or EUR 5 a month after 12 months without use. PlayBaze and Rivo set no inactivity fee. | Wintino and AquaSpins 6.18; TuffPuff, Winshark and Slots Vader 5.1, 5.4 |
| Bonus caps and stake limits | Winnings above a cap are not paid: by default at most 10 times a deposit bonus can be withdrawn at Wintino and AquaSpins, and Rivo caps winnings at 25 times a deposit bonus. At Rivo, a bet above EUR 2 while a bonus is active can cost the winnings from it. | Wintino and AquaSpins 7.16; Rivo 7.10, 7.16 |
| A daily winnings cap | Winnings capped at EUR 100,000 a day. | Rivo 5.7 |
| An unplayed deposit | A charge or a refusal until the deposit has been bet once, or three times at TuffPuff, Winshark and Slots Vader. See withdrawing an unplayed deposit. | All seven |
| Closing an account with a balance | All funds voided on an account closed with a balance or a pending withdrawal. See closing an account with money in it. | Wintino and AquaSpins 3.7 |
Verification deadlines you can miss
The 30-day clock at TuffPuff, Winshark and Slots Vader starts on the day you ask for a withdrawal, or the day the casino asks for documents, and the Slots Vader terms count requests made by email or by phone. Read every message from the casino while a withdrawal is open, and send documents only through the upload page or address the terms name.
A verification call at Slots Vader is not optional: it can be rescheduled up to 3 times for events outside your control, but refusing it counts as failing verification. Our verification guide covers what each operator asks for and how to send it safely.
Clauses that rest on suspicion
Several grounds turn on the operator’s own view rather than a fact you can check: “strong reasons to believe” at TuffPuff and Winshark, a “reasonable ground to suspect” at Slots Vader, “reasonably suspects” at Rivo. If a casino relies on one, ask which ground it used, what it relied on, and whether deposits are affected as well as winnings.
Some of these clauses reach deposits. TuffPuff’s and Winshark’s clause 14.5 makes the balance non-refundable after a closure for fraud, collusion or a breach of the terms; Wintino’s and AquaSpins’ clause 9.4 allows the real-money balance to be confiscated; and PlayBaze’s clause 6.3 allows any money in the account, including the deposit, to be withheld when it closes an account for a breach.
Dormant accounts and inactivity fees
An account you stop using can be charged until nothing is left. Wintino and AquaSpins treat an account as inactive after 180 days without a login and can then take EUR 5 a month until the balance reaches zero (clause 6.18). TuffPuff, Winshark and Slots Vader count 12 months without use, then EUR 5 a month (clauses 5.1 and 5.4).
For example, EUR 30 left at Wintino would be used up six months after the account became inactive. Withdraw what you can before you stop playing, then close the account in the right order.
If a casino keeps your money
- Ask for the decision in writing: the clause applied, the reason, and the amounts affected, with winnings, deposits and bonus funds shown separately.
- Answer document requests within the deadline, through the operator’s own upload page or verified address, and keep proof of what you sent.
- Keep the record: the terms version you agreed to, your transaction history and every message.
- Use the complaint route in the terms, then any outside body that covers the operator’s licence; our pending-withdrawal guide sets out how to write the complaint.
- Do not deposit again or keep playing to unlock the money.
The withdrawal enquiry builder turns what you can see in your account into a clear message for support.
Continue with our review methodology, responsible gambling information or the casino directory.
Frequently asked questions
Can a casino refuse to pay out winnings?
Yes, when its terms give it a ground and it relies on one. The terms we read allow winnings to be voided or confiscated after a missed 30-day document deadline, a refused verification call, VPN use, a chargeback or suspected fraud. Ask for the clause and the reason in writing.
Link to this answerCan a casino keep my deposit if I use a VPN?
Under some terms, yes. TuffPuff and Winshark can void winnings and forfeit the whole balance, deposits included, if they believe you disguised your IP address (clause 14.7), and Rivo can block the account and forfeit all balances when a VPN is used to mask location (clause 17.3).
Link to this answerWhat happens to my winnings if I miss a verification deadline?
At TuffPuff, Winshark and Slots Vader they are confiscated and the account is closed once 30 calendar days pass from the withdrawal request or the casino’s request. Wintino and AquaSpins also set 30 days but say only that payment can be withheld until the documents arrive.
Link to this answerDo online casinos charge inactivity fees?
Some do. Wintino and AquaSpins can charge EUR 5 a month after 180 days without a login, until the balance reaches zero, and TuffPuff, Winshark and Slots Vader EUR 5 a month after 12 months without use. PlayBaze’s and Rivo’s general terms set no inactivity fee.
Link to this answerCan a casino cap how much I can win?
Yes. Rivo caps winnings at EUR 100,000 a day (clause 5.7) and bonus winnings at 25 times a deposit bonus or 10 times a no-deposit bonus. By default, Wintino and AquaSpins let at most 10 times a deposit bonus be withdrawn (clause 7.16).
See the bonus and winnings caps →
Link to this answerWhat can I do if a casino confiscates my balance?
Ask in writing which clause was applied, what it relied on and which amounts were affected, and keep every message. Use the complaint route in the terms, then any outside body that covers the operator’s licence. Do not deposit again or keep playing to unlock the money.
Link to this answerEvidence and sources
- Research basis
- The general terms of PlayBaze, Wintino and AquaSpins, read on 27 September 2026, and of TuffPuff, Winshark, Slots Vader and Rivo, read on 3 October 2026 from full copies of their terms pages. The table groups the operators’ own grounds; the inactivity example uses an invented amount and is labelled as one.
- What this does not establish
- A clause shows what an operator may do, not that it acted correctly on an account, and several grounds rest on the operator’s own suspicion. Whether a clause can be enforced depends on the law that applies. No account was tested.
Primary references
- PlayBaze General Terms, last updated 2 June 2026 ↗
Read on 27 September 2026. Clauses 6.3, 7.4 and 9.1: closure for breaches and chargebacks.
- Wintino Terms and Conditions, version 1.12, last updated 19 August 2026 ↗
Read on 27 September 2026. Clauses 5.3, 6.18, 7.16 and 9.4: documents, inactivity, bonus caps and suspected fraud.
- AquaSpins General Terms, version 1.12, last updated 28 July 2026 ↗
Read on 27 September 2026. The same clauses as Wintino.
- TuffPuff Terms and Conditions ↗
Read on 3 October 2026 from a full copy of the terms page. Clauses 2.5, 5.1, 5.4, 6.2, 13.3, 14.5 and 14.7.
- Winshark Terms and Conditions ↗
Read on 3 October 2026 from a full copy of the terms page. The same clauses as TuffPuff.
- Slots Vader Terms and Conditions ↗
Read on 3 October 2026 from a full copy of the terms page. Clauses 2.6.1, 2.7, 5.1, 5.4, 6.2, 13.3, 14.6 and 14.8.
- Rivo General Terms and Conditions, last updated 2 July 2026 ↗
Read on 3 October 2026 from a full copy of the terms page. Clauses 3.4.13, 4.11, 5.7, 7.10, 7.16, 9.2 and 17.3.
Reference pages checked . This is not an operator re-verification date.
See how we review and our commercial disclosure. To request a correction, send the page URL, the affected statement and a current primary source.