What happens to my bets during connection issues?

Living in the era of the internet you would imagine that connection problems are a matter of the past, but even so, gamblers all around the world have various issues when they play online. 

Everything is great, you are having fun and maybe you even managed to grab a couple of wins when suddenly your connection drops, in the worst possible moment. More than surely you can imagine just how awful this scenario would be and, unfortunately, it can happen to anyone.

That doesn’t mean you should play with absolutely no worries whatsoever. You should always make sure that your internet connection is stable, especially when gambling at live casino rooms. However, if the worst scenario does occur and players’ worst fear comes true, you may ask “what happened to my bets during connectivity issues?” and how can I solve this problem.

This is what we are going to explain to you in this article and show you different solutions that are in place at most casino operators to protect your wagers. Keep in mind that what happens during a connection loss may vary from one casino to another and will also depend on the casino game you play. 

However, you will be thrilled to find out that in most cases, you won’t need to reach for customer support. 

What happens if you disconnect from an online casino during a gambling session

State-of-the-art technology is in place at all online casino operators to ensure that players’ bets are completely safe when a connection issue arises. 

All online casinos will have a safety policy to deal with this issue and generally, you can be rest assured knowing that both you and your wagers are safe. 

A general protocol is usually used to handle disconnection problems, however since online gambling laws are not very clear around this matter, each casino operator can add some additional policies to the general ones.

Special disconnect policies based on casino games categories

As previously mentioned, each gambling website operator will deal with connectivity issues differently and besides the general policies, there might be some additional ones in place depending on the casino game you were playing. 

Most of the rules are pretty general and basic, however, some particular ones need some extra attention. Here is what happens when you disconnect from:

Casino table games based on decisions

Casino table games based on decisions include all games based on skill rather than luck. As the name suggests, in these games, the player has to make a couple of decisions that impact the entire gameplay. In this category, we find poker, blackjack, Pai gow, etc. 

Of course, the category only refers to online video versions of these games, and live rooms are not included for a multitude of reasons.

For this category, most gambling websites will remember the current wager that was in place when the connectivity issue appeared for up to 30 days. If you connect again to the game during the 30 days timeframe, you will be redirected to where you left off with no changes whatsoever. 

One-Tap Casino Games

This category refers to simple games of chance like slot machines, roulette, and various lottery games. Players don’t have to make any decisions here besides selecting a wager and clicking the spin/play button. The randomness of the result is ensured by a complex algorithm called an RNG.

Security policies in place for one-tap casino games are very similar to the ones for skill-based games. There is a timeframe of around 30 days to reconnect and get the result of the round you were playing. All the results are permanently recorded in your game history so even if you disconnect in the middle of the round, you will still be able to find the result no matter if it’s a win or a loss. 

Live Dealer Casino Rooms

Unfortunately, live casino rooms don’t have very player-friendly policies when it comes to connectivity issues. That’s understandable due to the multiplayer element. If let’s say a player disconnects in the middle of a game, the operator can’t afford to give you a large time window because that will mean stopping the entire game for the other players at the table.

For live roulette wheels and live baccarat tables, the issue is simply because your wager will result in either a clear win or a clear loss. However, things tend to become very complex when it comes to casino games based on decisions like live blackjack or live poker. 

The dealers at this table can’t stop the game or put a pause to it for everyone until a player that lost its connection manages to reconnect. A similar policy with video skill-based games comes in place and an algorithm will decide for you.

The decision taken by the algorithm will depend on your hand but it’s not always the best one and can cost you the entire hand. Because of these reasons, it is not recommended for players that have connectivity issues to gamble at live dealer casinos. 

Casino Games where you can choose the Jackpot

This category is the most complex one because even if the algorithm comes into play and makes the decision for you, determining the winner from two players that chose a “multiple jackpot” depends on a couple of things.

You usually have around 30 seconds to pick the jackpot available. If you disconnect during this selection process, the algorithm in place will make a random decision. 

Because the jackpot lobby is refreshed only once at 10-15 seconds or even more, there is a slight chance that other players to pick the same jackpot as you or the “combined jackpot” if one exists. The real values of the jackpot will only be shown after the refresh period.

A conflict may appear if a gambler selects the “Multiple Jackpot” and if due to a disconnect another player selects the same jackpot. The records are carefully checked and the player that hits the Jackpot first will get the full prize. The other player will only receive the “reduced amount” or the “seed” as it is called if one exists. 

Theoretically, the scenario above is possible but highly improbable since sequential wins usually occur in months and weeks and it’s highly unlikely to occur only seconds apart. However, if the planets do align and this scenario occurs, here is the policy found at most casino operators:

1. The second player that selected the jackpot will get the reduced amount (the seed) and the first gambler will receive the entire prize.

2. If one player chooses the “combined jackpot” and one chooses any other jackpot, the first one will receive the entire prize and the second one will receive the seed. 

Tournaments Cancellation

Just like in the live casino rooms scenario, tournament cancellation due to a connectivity issue will not be to your advantage.

Even if the tournaments get canceled because the server had some issues like a power outage or it lost its connection to the network and you were eliminated before this event cancellation, you won’t be refunded your entry fee.

If some players were still in the competition when the problem occurred, they will be refunded any entry fee, add-on purchased, or a knock-out tax. If the tournament is ongoing at the time of a server failure, usually, the casino operator will refund the players based on its policies.

These refund policies may depend on the player chip count, the amount of the total prize, wagers, and the sum of cash already collected from other participants at the time of the event cancelation. 

After the gambling website has made all the verifications needed, players will be contacted usually in a couple of days following the event.

Keep in mind that this policy only applies to server-related or operator-related problems and will not apply if you disconnect from the tournament due to issues present on your side. 

What to do if you lost the connection during a casino game

At the end of the day, a connection issue can happen to any player, no matter how careful you are or how many precautions you take. As presented above, casino operators will have safety measures to protect your bets during a disconnect so most problems will be solved automatically.

However, depending on the type of casino game you were playing during a connection issue or if you were gambling at a live casino table, the issue can’t always be solved automatically and is not always in your best interest. 

Most of the time, if your account is not updated or you don’t see the result, you can easily solve this issue simply by signing out from your account at the casino and logging back in. If the issue persists, it’s time to reach out to the customer support team.

This is why it’s so important that the casino you are playing at has a good customer support service, preferably available 24/7 in your language. 

When you contact the support team, try to back up your ticket with as many details as possible. Bring screenshots or even videos to show them exactly what is the problem and try to remember the exact date when you encountered the connectivity issue.

The All-In Protection

Besides the aforementioned safety measures in check, some casino operators will also offer something called “the all-in protection. Unfortunately, it is usually reserved for a special category of players like VIPs or High Rollers.

The all-in protection can be seen as an assurance for players that want to be covered if a connectivity issue arises. This all-in protection guarantees that if you log back in after a connection loss, you can just continue your gameplay from where you left off.

While it may sound great, the all-in protection is not always seen with kind eyes by many gamblers, and tables that offer it are avoided because they are considered unfair.

Final Words

Even if you may still face a couple of connectivity issues and the era of the internet doesn’t come with safety measures, casino operators do. In most cases, both you and your bet will be completely safe and, generally, you can take off where you left off with minimum losses. 

However, keep in mind that online casinos are a business, and just like any other business they don’t like losing money if they can avoid it.

It’s a general common sense rule for any responsible player to carefully read the Terms & Conditions section of the gambling website where he wants to play to make sure that those T&Cs are not unfair.

Always remember that once you click on the “accept terms and conditions” box you agreed to the rules and specifications mentioned there, no matter how fair or unfair they may be. 

It’s also important to make sure that the specific online casino has a customer support service, preferably available 24/7 with operators that do speak your language. Even if in most cases you won’t need to use this service, it’s better to have the option open just in case and be able to quickly solve any problem that may arise.