The slots line up, you have hit a jackpot. With an ecstatic smile you click “withdraw” from your casino account and much to your dismay, the casino wants your documents – Your happy laugh turns sour.
Know Your Customer has become a must in the modern gambling industry. All gambling regulatory commissions such as the Canadian Kahnawake Gaming Commission or the European Malta Gaming Authority demand that a casino collect official documents of its customers.
Therefore, in an almost trivial manner, the request of your casino for your documents is a sign of it being legitimate and safe.
WHAT DOCUMENTS ONLINE CASINOS ASK YOU TO SEND
The common documents that are requested by casinos (mostly when you are about to withdraw) are the following:
- National ID/Passport: The standard regulation requires pictures of the front of your passport and the back. Occasionally, you will be asked to further verify your identity by taking a picture of you holding your National ID/passport alongside your face.
- Utilities: A photo of your utility bill to show the proof of your address. In proof of address, make sure that all your documents are no older than 3 months.
- Bank Cards: Some casinos also ask pictures of your bank card. Usually a front picture and a back picture of the bank card is required.
- Neteller or Skrill: If you use an online e-wallet such as Neteller or Skrill, you will be asked to take a screenshot displaying your number/ID and your name.
IMPORTANT: Use a photo editing software to hide the CVV of the card the middle/front numbers of the card. It is extremely rare for pictures to be leaked, nevertheless, it is always better to be safe.
Another tip for quick approval of the documents are to make sure you manipulate (edit) the documents as little as possible. Too much editing of a picture could raise suspicions and prolong the verification time.
WHY YOU MUST SEND DOCUMENTS FOR KYC VERIFICATION
Security: Casinos have hundreds of thousands of players gaming on them every day. In order to prevent scams such as identity theft or fraud, casinos need to know that you are indeed who you say you are.
Age verification: By default, all casinos require the users to verify the pop up that says, “Are you sure you are over 18?” Unfortunately, the pop up is super easy to close and casinos need a fool-proof way of verifying an individual’s age.
Payment verification: Thousands of credit cards get stolen every day. Therefore, casinos want to make sure that their customers have a correct way of payment and not are not doing anything illegitimate.
Furthermore, always try to locate the “lock” symbol next to the website URL. This is called the “SSL certificate” and it means that all your transactions and communications are secured and encrypted.
CONCLUSION
KYC is a great way to eliminate many illegal activities that could occur in this industry; however, if you follow your instructions properly, the chances of a major problem occurring is minimal.
Furthermore, through the process of submitting and proving your identity, you are contributing in making casinos a safer and better place.
