Many online casino players are surprised when they find their first withdrawal is on hold, or has been returned to their account, pending what’s known as verification – but it’s commonplace in almost all online casinos today, and if you’re planning on gaming online, there’s a very good chance you’ll need to provide the casino with certain pieces of ID and verification before being able to withdraw funds.
Note: This is especially true in the United Kingdom, where Government Regulation is stricter around money laundering and under-age gambling.
Age Verification
This is the primary reason behind online casinos verifying players, and in most countries, the law for gambling online is 18. Because under-18s can have access to debit cards, EWallets, and vouchers/pre-paid cards, the casino has no way of knowing that the customer is old enough to gamble – and that’s the main reasons the casinos conduct ID checks.
Money Laundering & Fraud Prevention
The other big reason behind verifying players is prevention from fraud, and anti-money laundering schemes. As online gambling has risen in popularity, criminals at first were able to use it to launder money – but legal frameworks are not a lot stricter, and as a recipient of financial transactions, online casinos have a responsibility to ensure they know who they’re receiving/giving money from/to, and – in certain cases – even where that money is coming from!
Now most players won’t experience any checks like this – but those depositing large sums of money, or many frequent transactions may be asked to provide proof that they’re not money laundering! You can find out more about what online casinos can ask you for later in this post.
What You Might Be Asked to Provide
While exact requirements differ from casino to casino, and from legal jurisdictions, in general, the following are the checks you’ll often be asked to pass, as well as the ID/documentation you’ll need to provide.
- Age Verification: If you’re asked to verify your age, you’ll need to send in a photograph or scan of your Driving License, Passport, or other Government-issued ID. This is usually enforced very strictly, and it’s unlikely you’ll be able to use any other form of ID, except for exceptional circumstances.
- Proof of Address: Most online casinos, when verifying age will also verify address, and in order to do so, you can usually use your driving license (only if you didn’t use it for age verification), or a photocopy/scan of a utility bill, bank statement, or other official letter to your address. Note: If you choose to use a letter, it’ll always need to be dated within the last three months, and show your full name and address.
- Fraud Prevention: Online casinos generally will always ask players to pass this measure before withdrawing funds to a debit/credit card, so don’t feel victimised if and when you’re asked to. To ensure you’re not using stolen cards, or depositing funds without permission, you may be required to send in a photograph of the front, and back of the cards you’ve used to deposit with. You will always be allowed (and told) to hide, cover or edit out the middle digits from the long card number, alongside the CCV, and this ensures your details never fall into the wrong hands.
- Anti Money Laundering: This is by far the most rare form of verification online casinos will carry out, and it’s only when they suspect players of laundering money they’ll action it. In certain cases, you may be asked to submit up to 3 months of recent bank statements, so that the casinos can see where money is coming from, and how you end up able to gamble it. Do note that this isn’t the casino being nosy – they’re not looking or judging your spending habits, but are simply ensuring they cover themselves, should authorities demand proof of funds. It’s rare this is asked for, and it can feel intrusive, but understand if you do get asked for copies of your bank statements, it’s nothing personal.
How to Provide ID & Requested Verification Documents?
It’s usually not hard to provide the documents/ID requested by the casino, and the two methods are the most common:
- Email: You’ll receive an email from the online casino, stating to ‘reply to this email with your documents’.
- Upload Portal: Some online casinos have special sections of the website where you can upload files securely.
That’s really all there is to it. While it is annoying having to go through checks, once you’ve done so, you won’t have to again (unless playing with new debit/credit cards or in exceptional circumstances). It’s also a good idea to upload your ID and address verification as soon as you join an online casino, as this this prevents withdrawal delays down the line, and means you’re ready to go, right away.