tombola withdrawal times and the checks before a payout
tombola.co.uk and its 1 sister site
- tombola.co.ukThe brand this guide coversBingo rooms, every game made by tombola
tombola arcadeSister site: same company, licence and accountSlots, scratchcards and instant wins on your tombola login, profile on the main guide
Who runs both sites
- Run by
- tombola (International) Plc, Gibraltar
- Licence
- Gambling Commission, active on the register
- Your balance
- Kept apart from company money: medium protection
- Complaints
- tombola (8 weeks at most), then IBAS
- Support
- Live chat 24/7, support@tombola.co.uk
tombola Sister Sites editorialChecked: 12 October 2026
tombola pays out from £10, only to the payment method your account is set to, and only once its checks are done. Its help centre says most Visa and Mastercard debit withdrawals land within a few minutes, or up to 4 hours with some banks. Those are tombola’s estimates: the General Terms set no deadline.
What happens before a first tombola payout?
Pay in by debit card, in your own name
The first deposit is at least £10, by Visa or Mastercard debit card; credit cards aren’t accepted. Apple Pay opens only after that first card deposit, and PayPal stays for existing customers who already have it (General Terms 8.1 to 8.3, 8.6).
Keep the method you want paid back active
Withdrawals go only to your active payment method: debit card, Apple Pay, bank transfer or PayPal (clause 9.2). You can register four methods, but only one is active (8.5). Apple Pay pays back to the same Apple Pay or a registered card; PayPal only to the same PayPal account.
Expect checks at any time
Clause 5.5 allows checks at registration and at any time afterwards. The help centre adds that regulations require proof of identity once a player’s withdrawals add up to £1,800 in total. That is one trigger, not a safe limit: documents can be asked for well before it.
Withdraw at least £10 of cash
The minimum withdrawal is £10 (clause 9.3). Any bonus money still in the account is forfeited when you withdraw, under the promotion rules.
If a payment fails
A failed payment can take up to 24 hours to show. tombola then tries your chosen method again, and if that fails it raises a bank transfer, so it helps to add backup bank details in advance.
Sources: General TermsID helpwithdrawal helppromotion rulesregister: tombolaarcade footer.
How long does each payment method take?
| Method | Estimate | Limit and route |
|---|---|---|
| Visa or Mastercard Debit | Most within a few minutes; up to 4 hours with some banks | Up to £20,000 to a card; anything above is sent by cheque |
| Visa Electron | Usually 3 to 5 business days | Arrives in your bank account |
| Apple Pay | Depends on the card linked to Apple Pay | Up to £20,000 in one transaction; back to the same Apple Pay or a registered card |
| PayPal | Up to 3 days | Up to £5,000 in one transaction; only back to the same PayPal account |
| Bank transfer | Usually 3 to 5 business days; some banks are quicker | The fallback when a payment fails |
| Cheque | Up to 14 business days to arrive | Used for card withdrawals above £20,000 |
Read these as estimates. The bingo90 page says withdrawals are processed as quickly as possible within 72 hours, and the help centre asks you to wait out the times above before chasing a payment.
Sources: withdrawal helpbingo90General Terms.
When can tombola ask for ID, and what counts?
At any time: at sign-up or long after it. Clause 5.1 lists checks on your age, identity, address, location, financial circumstances and the source of the money you deposit. tombola tries to check you electronically first and otherwise asks for documents (5.3).
| What is checked | Documents |
|---|---|
| Identity | A valid passport or driving licence; the General Terms also list a national ID card |
| Address | A bank or card statement, a utility bill (gas, electricity, water, council tax; the terms add phone) or a letter from HMRC or DWP, dated within three months under the General Terms and within six months on the help page, so one from the last three months meets both |
| Source of funds | Proof of regular income such as salary or rent, of savings, or of winnings from another gambling company, shown on the account you pay tombola from |
Upload through My Account, Account Details, ID Upload. A photo must show all 4 corners; a digital file must be a PDF. The team aims to process ID within 4 hours and emails you when it’s done. Until the checks are complete tombola can restrict the account, including stopping withdrawals (5.6), and if they can’t be completed the account is suspended and may be closed.
Sources: General TermsID help.
Which deposit limits apply on the way in?
| Rule | General Terms | Help centre |
|---|---|---|
| First deposit | £10 minimum by debit card (8.8) | £10 minimum |
| Later deposits | £5 by debit card or Apple Pay (8.8), though 8.9 still says £10 | £5 minimum; the bingo app listing also says £5 |
| Most per deposit | £300, whatever the method (8.9) | £300 at any one time |
| Balance ceiling | No deposits once the balance exceeds £250 (8.11) | No deposits once the balance is £300 or more |
| Weekly cap | Spend Limits you set yourself (8.10, 19.1) | Net deposits can’t exceed £300 a week |
| PayPal | Existing users only; £20 minimum; lapses after 6 months unused; no way back once you switch to a card (8.3) | Pays back only to the same PayPal account |
| Fees and currency | None from tombola; pounds sterling, Ireland included, with any exchange charge from your bank (8.4, 8.7) | Deposits come from the debit card or Apple Pay you set up |
What can hold a withdrawal up?
You’re entitled to withdraw your cash balance at any time, clause 9.1 says, provided four things are true:
- Your deposits have cleared, and none has been charged back or reversed.
- tombola has finished its verification checks. Any delay in sending what it asked for can delay the payout.
- No law, regulation or regulator requires tombola to hold the money.
- No investigation is running, or has ended against you, into an error, interruption or malfunction on the site or in a game you played, or into prohibited activity that tombola has reasonable grounds to believe happened and that would entitle it to withhold funds.
- Suspended
- If tombola has reasonable grounds to suspect prohibited activity, your funds can’t be withdrawn while it investigates (14.1).
- Disabled
- An account flagged for suspicious activity or safer gambling is disabled (11.2); you can still ask for the balance back.
- Dormant
- No login for 24 months, after an email at least 30 days before. Bonus money is then removed, and if the balance can’t be returned, £3 a month (or the balance, if lower) is charged until you log in again or it reaches nil (12).
- Closed
- You can close the account at any time from its settings or through customer service (18); the closing withdrawal minimum is £2, which clause 9.3 calls a fee for administration. tombola can close it on 14 days’ written notice (14.4).
Closing because of your gambling? A break or a self-exclusion is the stronger tool (see the safer gambling page).
Sources: General Terms.
How do you complain if your money is held up?
In three steps, by clause 20 of the General Terms, with the withdrawal’s date, amount and method to hand:
Contact customer service
Email support@tombola.co.uk, call freephone 0800 464 3411 or write to Tombola Ltd, Tombola House, Sunderland SR1 2JR. Ask which condition in clause 9.1 is holding the money.
Escalate to the Team Leader, then a Manager review
Expect an email acknowledgement within 24 hours and a response within 14 working days, depending on the complexity. For a Customer Service Manager review, allow at least 14 working days. tombola’s overall limit for a complaint is eight weeks from when you lodged it.
Refer it to IBAS
The Independent Betting Adjudication Service decides by reference to tombola’s terms. Refer the dispute within six months of the date it arose. IBAS rulings bind both sides, provided the full facts were presented, without affecting your legal rights.
Sources: General Terms.