The global online gambling industry has been on the rise in recent years and increasingly large sums of money are moving through it. As a result, online gambling institutions are facing threats from illicit activities such as identity fraud and money laundering. To combat these unwanted and unpleasant situations, these entities have to intensify regulatory compliance and take measures such as account identity verification.
At this point, account verification has become integral part of the online casino gaming experience. On the other hand, many online casino players still seem to disregard its essential role. The process is often overlooked and frowned upon among players. Casino Banking Methods cannot let it stay that way. We take a deep look into account verification and explain everything important about it.
What is Online Casino Account Verification?
The simplest way of describing account verification at online casinos would be this: it is how they check that you are who you say you are when you join. It is a process that requires several steps during which the casino operator aims to confirm your identity. They use various automated database checks and request certain documentation to complete the process.
While some casinos put this in practice themselves, most are committed to do so after acquiring licenses from certain regulatory authorities. For instance, the UK Gambling Commission is very strict about battling cybercrime and money laundering. Therefore, casinos with a UK license will not tolerate any sort of suspicious behavior and will try to prevent it as soon as possible.
You will find that most major gambling platforms will heavily restrict your activity until you meet the verification requirements. An average online casino player may think that the process of account verification is long and tedious, but it has been improved a lot lately and the use of online tools helps with making it faster and more hassle-free for the user.
The Objective of Verifying Player Identity
There are several goals of identity authentication at online casino sites. The first one is the protection of underage persons. In most countries, it is illegal to gamble for people under 18 years of age. Whichever the limit may be, the casino operator is obligated by law to check your age. If the age verification cannot be completed in due time, the casino will have to freeze your account and you won’t be able to deposit, play or withdraw winnings.
The second main objective of verifying player information is preventing cybercrime. Internet casinos represent an attractive opportunity for criminals to launder money obtained through illegal activities. On the subject of account info confirmation, you will often encounter the term KYC. It is an acronym for “Know Your Customer”. These processes are an integral part of Anti-Money Laundering (AML) compliance.
Gambling companies must be able to identify separate accounts held by the same person, as well as investigate account where suspicious activity is taking place (unusually high deposits, for example). Other than preventing financial crimes and underage gambling, online casinos also need to make sure that players that have self-excluded from other accounts aren’t able to create new ones, as well as prevent bonus abuse. In summary, these are the main reasons for verification to take place:
- To follow required regulation and legislation
- To prevent financial crimes (money laundering, fraud, identity theft)
- To prevent underage gambling online
- To keep problem gambling at bay
- To impede bonus abuse
Which Documents are Usually Requested?
There isn’t a way to prove your identity without sharing specific documents. They need to reveal relevant details for your customer-casino interaction to be seamless and successful. For instance, you have to provide proof of age, proof of address and, on occasions, proof of ownership of a payment method (scan of a card or a bank statement). Some casinos will ask more document than others, which depends on their compliance requirements.
Most commonly, the casinos will ask for a copy of your driver’s license or national ID, sometimes a copy of your passport. They will also ask for a copy of a recent utility bill showing your name and address, as well as a copy of your recent bank statement with your name and address. Other documents may be accepted, so we bring you an expanded list of documents that might be required as standard proof of identity and standard proof of address.
Proof of identity documents
- Passport
- Valid Driver’s License
- EEA Member State Identity Card
- National Identity Card
- PAN Card
- Voter’s Identity Card
- Employee identity card (for listed/public sector companies)
- University ID card
- Birth Certificate (users can typically submit a photo of themselves holding the certificate, along with another form of ID)
Proof of address documents
- Utility Bill (phone or electricity)
- Council Tax Bill
- Bank Statement
- HM Revenue and Customs Self-Assessment Statement
- House or Car Insurance Certificate
- House Deed
- Lease Agreement (with 3 months’ worth of rent receipts)
Note that you will not need all of these. You will mostly be able to complete verification with a few basic documents. We’re merely pointing out alternative options that some casinos might accept.
How will you share documents? Depending on the casino, you will either upload them directly to the casino website or send them via email. Online gambling platforms then proceed to send obtained documentation to official independent third-party verifiers. They check the authenticity of the documentation and run the information against global databases. Some casinos have modernized the process and use face-match technology and automated operations to speed everything up, eliminating intermediaries.
How Long Does Account Verification Usually Take?
According to our experience with multiple casinos, the authentication process can take as long as a few days or as little as several minutes. For most casino sites, it takes approximately 24 to 48 hours to review the documentation you sent in and verify your account. They normally strive to provide 24-hour verification, yet the process can be delayed due to a high volume of requests. Operators normally respect the 72-hour limit, and if the procedure takes longer than that, you should suspect something is not quite right.
Step-by-step Process
Not all casinos apply exactly the same process, but this is how account verification looks like in general:
- Prepare relevant documents.
- Register an account with the casino.
- Make a deposit and play.
- Look for a “Know Your Customer” option within your profile (some casinos have a separate “Verify” option, or an option to provide documents within the cashier).
- Choose documents to upload.
- If you have any uncertainties, make sure to contact casino support. They should offer instructions and explanations that guide customers smoothly through the obligatory verification process.
- Submit required documents.
- Submit additional documents if needed (make sure to pay attention to document size and format requirements).
- Wait for the notification that your verification is complete.
Note that casinos decide when they want to verify you. It can happen at any given time, yet it is the common practice to it in connection with first withdrawal. If not on the very first cash-out, casinos will insist on verification once you reach a certain withdrawal limit. Online casinos license providers require them to do so.
The Best Casinos Verify Player Accounts Quickly
Since you will be sharing your personal info with the casino, you want to be sure that they will treat it with honesty and professionalism. The best casinos will ensure that the process of account verification is handled quickly and without any issues. They will also be transparent and straightforward about it, offering support and help.
On the other hand, shady casinos often intentionally delay this process. To what purpose? They will usually fail to acknowledge uploaded documents that are perfectly valid. By doing this, they are attempting to make the players cancel their pending withdrawals and forfeit their winnings. Be careful and inform yourself about the casino’s practices before you sign in, deposit and upload any personal details.
Account Verification Tips
Some things can help you go through the verification process without additional hassle. For instance, make sure that you upload documents that are fully visible and clear. They shouldn’t be blurry or out of frame. Conceal sensitive details on your cards and keep in mind that scanned documents are rarely accepted. The safe bet would be to go for photocopies, print screens and invoices that have been generated online. It comes without saying that you need to provide your own, real and correct information that can be verified. Otherwise, you will delay the process and risk for your account to be blocked.
Another important piece of advice that CBM can give you is to handle account verification sooner rather than later to avoid delayed withdrawals. We understand that you don’t want to be bothered once you start playing, but why not get it over with right away? It is inevitable. Once it’s over, you can go on to place real money wagers knowing that your withdrawals will be faster and smoother.
Summary
At the end of the day, online casino account verification exists to your benefit. The sooner you accept it as a natural part of online gambling, the better. All surrounding routines are secure, as long as you are spending time at legitimately licensed gambling sites. The fact that you are required to verify your identity proves that the casino complies with necessary regulations. There’s no need to feel uncomfortable about it. You can spare a few minutes to complete the uploads; then, you can go back to the casino lobby and put your deposits to good use.
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