With the unstoppable advances of technology, the online casino industry has gotten a plethora of benefits. However, with that came many new challenges, such as game fairness, platform compatibility, and player protection.
In an effort to protect players and guarantee their safety and fairness at casinos, licensing bodies and regulators began emphasizing the importance of identity and age verification of the players. Through KYC verification (Know Your Customer), operators are able to confirm the identity and truthfulness of all submitted documentation before players are able to withdraw money from their accounts.
In this guide, you will learn what is KYC verification, how casino KYC works, which documents to submit, how long to wait, and see examples of KYC verification at notable casino operators.
What Is Online Casino Verification?
Online casino verification refers to the process of confirming the identity of players before they are able to play with real money at online casinos.
One of the most important rules in iGaming state that gambling sites, casinos and betting venues need to know their customers. Widely known as the KYC (Know Your Customer), these regulations imply identity and age verification procedures for every licensed operator.
But here is the thing: not everyone treats KYC the same way. Reputable brands care about their customers, which is why they employ top-shelf KYC strategies combining manual and automated KYC.
Others, who are not that concentrated on their players as they are on the formalities with obtaining and maintaining licenses, offer standard, basic KYC checks. Still, some KYC is better than no-KYC – although there’s a surprisingly high number of players who look for no-KYC casinos that do not require document verification from their clients.
First-time casino goers might find them surprising.
With online purchases, you know that no one probably asked you to submit a copy of any identification document.
But if you are stepping into the gambling arena for the first time, that is exactly what you will be required to do. And that’s not just at some casinos, but rather at most top-shelf names in the gaming industry.
The KYC Process at Online Casinos
Although it might seem like a long and strenuous procedure, KYC is actually a short process. The problem is not in the length of the process from your side, but the verification process that the casino takes.
Essentially, that’s what makes the whole identity confirmation a hassle. Players hate waiting for the casino to complete KYC as they are typically waiting for a money withdrawal, and the money cannot reach the designated location before the casino confirms your identity.
There are manual and automated KYC procedures nowadays, which considerably speed things up. Thanks to KYC automation, the entire process takes a couple of minutes, and in some cases, there’s no need to submit any kind of documentation if the amount you are trying to withdraw is kept under a certain limit.
What Documents Are Required?
That’s more or less universal. Here are the main documents necessary to complete KYC verification at online casinos.
- The copy of the ID card.
- The passport.
- The driver’s license – or any other photographed document.
- A utility bill.
- A bank statement.
The driving license is often the recommended one, as it contains both the address and date of birth. But if there’s no license, the next best thing is the ID (or passport).
How Long Does Verification Last?
The entire process length depends on the casino. If the operator is using automated KYC, it can be done within minutes. However, if there’s any kind of reason to suspect your data, the casino will raise flags and switch to a manual verification process. But on average, it should not take longer than 24-48 hours to finish.
How to Verify Identity in Online Casinos
While the online casino verification might vary from operator to operator, this is what it typically looks like:
- Upload the copy of your ID, passport, or driver’s license.
- Alternatively, you need a copy of a utility bill or bank statement.
- Enter all your other data, including your full name, birth date, and address of residence.
- Select other relevant options, such as the banking method, currency, etc.
- Comply with the terms and conditions and tap Confirm.
That is how you complete the online gambling age verification process in online casinos.
How Gambling Laws Affect KYC
The UK Gambling Commission, as one of the most diligent authorities around the globe, is constantly raising the bar. The UKGC has enforced severe rules – subsequently penalties as well – for underage betting, self-exclusion breaches and other activities deemed harmful for customers. The UKGC age verification is notorious for being rigorous, stringent and harsh against those who break the rules. If your verified online casino bends a regulation, its license from the UGKC will be gone in a heartbeat.
Obtaining a UKGC license is quite difficult but keeping it can get even harder.
If your ID doesn't show your address, a utility bill or a bank statement can prove your residence. This particular process will improve significantly once the geolocation technology gets fully acceptable as a viable technique.
A couple of jurisdictions in the United States – Nevada and New Jersey – have already adopted the geolocation technique. Even state governments mandate this method. This way, these two states make sure only the people that are physically within their jurisdictions can gamble.
Online gambling is still a subject of hot debate across the United States. Therefore, geolocation does come as the most convenient way for regulated markets to check on clients.
Betting operators which cater to European players are still far off from introducing this technique, however. They all have other effective methods to determine their players’ betting age and identity.
How Top Casinos Verify Player Identity
The process is pretty straightforward. Immediately upon registration, you are asked to provide documents confirming your identity, address, and age.
To show you how that looks like realistically, we’ll use an example from 888 Casino.
888 Player Verification
Every single player who joins 888 Casino is asked to verify documents before playing. The site is applying the rules that the UKGC introduced recently, which include offering settings for deposit limits during signup, and verification before depositing.
So, here’s how that looks like. Once you are registered, you will see a window offering you to confirm your date of birth and address right away. You can do that easily by uploading a picture of your driving license.
If you are unable or unwilling to provide a driver's license, you can tap the ‘I don’t have a driving license’ button. This will take you to the next window where you can choose another document to upload. Your choice is between ID, passport, utility bill, or a bank statement. The license is recommended, but you can choose anything you want.
If you are unsure of what’s the meaning of this document authentication, you can click the information button which will give you answers. The operator provides extensive explanation for every document they ask from you, which is super helpful considering how many rogue casinos often require documents without explanation. That might not sound important, but there are venues that ask extensive questions, often some that exceed the limits of what info you should provide.
Technically, you can exit the process and head to the lobby. However, you will not be able to play unless you confirm your identity. If you choose to skip the process, you may enter the lobby, browse games there or browse promotions, but you will be technically restricted until the details are confirmed.
Problem Gambling and Responsibility
Identification and age verification is a simple way for betting companies to determine whether you are at risk of becoming a problem gambler or not.
This is especially true in markets where regulators utilize strict guidelines for protecting players against gambling harm. The UK, as one of the strictest markets in the world, is a champion of player protection measures, many of which are aimed at protecting players from slipping into problem gambling or aiding those whose loved ones are battling addiction.
Here’s an example. In 2017, 888 Casino was ordered to pay a record penalty of nearly $10 million. Why? The firm clamped down on ‘significant flaws’ in the company’s responsible gaming system.
Namely, due to a reported technical failure in 888’s systems, no less than 7,000 players who signed a self-exclusion agreement from the casino and all of its accounts were still able to gamble at certain platforms.
Another security flaw occurred with a customer who bet over $1.7 million for more than a year after stealing from his boss to fund the gambling account. 888 failed to notice the red flags around this particular account.
These mistakes are unacceptable even for smaller operators, let alone a company as big as 888. And that is precisely why KYC matters – and why problem gambling should be taken extremely seriously.
Ultimately, KYC verification is not simply a boring process that you have to pass. It’s a measure that protects you and the casino. It can be a helpful tool to promote responsible play, just like other tools operators offer to their players.
Conclusion
The freedom of the Internet has indeed brought plenty of positives into the gaming industry. But it also paved way for fraudulent use of identity, accounts, funds etc. To protect both themselves and their clients from any misuse of sensitive data, gambling operators have introduced a set of measures which include identity and age verification.
If you are relatively new to the world of online casinos and wish to find out more about how things work, we recommend you visit our guide section for beginners that contains a lot of useful tutorials and tips.
FAQ
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How do casinos verify my identity?
Licensed online gambling operators maintain a strict no underage gambling policy. The UKGC age verification is popular in the iGaming circles for a reason. Every UK Gambling Commission licensee has to go through thorough scrutiny before receiving the permit. At a regulated online casino, every player needs to verify that they are at least of the legal age for gambling. In some countries, you need to be at least 18 to gamble. In others, you cannot be under 21. For example, to gamble in Vegas, you need to be 21 or older. Casinos verify your identity by checking your age, address of residence, and full name.
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What documents do I need to send to the casino?
To sign up with a licensed online casino, you need to provide an ID document – a national ID card, passport, or driver’s license. This is how casinos conduct online gambling age verification. This is to protect your identity and potential abuse of your casino account. Also, it is to ensure that no player on the premises is underage.
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Why is casino identification needed?
Reputable regulators have rigid rules regarding online casino verification. Every verified online casino has to run checks on identity verification and problem gambling. For example, if someone were to access your account, they couldn’t withdraw funds before confirming heir identity.
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Why do gambling sites ask for bank statements?
Eminent operators make sure that money laundering and criminals are out of the trade. That’s why casinos check the players’ criminal records. Bank statements serve to show that the source of your income is legitimate and legal.
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Do banks check if you gamble?
Banks have access to the information where you’re spending your money. However, no one’s going to judge you or can do anything about if you’re gambling legally. If gambling – online or land-based – is legal in your state, country, or region, you don’t have to worry about banks.
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How do casinos check ID?
Depending on the operator, the online casino verification procedure may look different. But generally, upon registration, you ought to provide an identity document. This is to protect you from account misuse. For instance, the UKGC age verification is one of the most rigorous ones.
