What is network congestion?

It's pretty straight forward, network congestion occurs when there is an influx of transactions on the blockchain, creating a backlog.

This is a matter of supply and demand – in other words, there are too many transactions and not enough miners to confirm them.

Transactions that are waiting to be confirmed are placed in a mempool (memory + pool), a waiting room of sorts, until they are picked up and processed.

How does network congestion affect my transactions?

One of the main side effects of network congestion is that mining fees can become inflated as the demand outweighs the supply. A competitive fee that is attached to a transaction can be rendered low as miners are free to choose what they process – confirming transactions that are of more value to them.

Confirmations do not occur on a first-come, first-served basis and newer transactions, coming in with a higher fee, are processed first leaving the rest pending as overall fee rates stabilize.

It is important to note that we process cryptocurrency withdrawals using a dynamic market rate for mining fees, to ensure we maintain industry-leading timeframes; and only when unexpected increases in network congestion occur, are transactions subject to minor delays.

Is it possible to speed-up a delayed transaction?

When network congestion is high – the speed at which deposits or withdrawals get confirmed is out of our control.

Diversifying your use of other cryptocurrencies can help to reduce the impact of network congestion when it occurs (particularly with Bitcoin).

We have several cryptocurrency option. Visit the cashier page to find what's available in your account; Etheruem, Litecoin, Bitcoin SV and Bitcoin Cash are options that can help you avoid the frustration of a delayed transaction. Deposit with crypto and play our online slots for real money today!