Why Online Casinos Need to Verify Your Identity

So, you've won that BIG payout, but now you have a few steps to go through before getting them out. We know this is frustrating - and there are a number of reasons why an online casino would need proof of your identity. Like all businesses that operate involving financial transactions - both inward and outward - it’s important they adhere to the principles of KYC (Know Your Customer). Banks are also good examples of entities that require proof of identity, proof of address and any other information that verifies the authenticity of a person or company wanting to open an account. 

There are three main reasons why online casinos ask for identification:

1. To confirm you are legally old enough to gamble. As there is a strict law that prohibits anyone under the age of 18 from gambling, needing to submit proof of your age through an identity document is a no brainer.
2. To check whether you may have self-excluded from gambling. This point is valid for those with a gambling problem, and who have requested themselves to be blacklisted, but may slip up and try to sign on again.
3. To confirm your identity. Requiring players to submit documentation to authenticate their identity is foremost a legal obligation. Casinos with licenses from bona fide gambling authorities must by law comply with the regulations. This is to protect both the player and the casino against fraud, identity theft and other cybercrimes such as money laundering.

While some casinos will allow you to make a deposit and play certain games without thorough identity verification, you will not be allowed to make a withdrawal until the KYC process has been completed. This is to ensure that the person requesting the withdrawal is actually the account holder and is not being scammed.

Why does a casino need to know your address?

This is part of the personal information that casinos will require, usually in the form of a utility bill in your name. Again, there is more than one reason for this.

1. Most importantly, this information will protect the casino – and you! – from potential fraud. Say someone steals your credit card or all the details, and uses it to make a deposit, then shortly after applies for a withdrawal and gets away with your cash, leaving the casino in the red too. Someone impersonating you, possibly on the other side of the world, in order to scam money will not have your address details or be able to supply proof of such. So proof of address is another layer of security for both parties.
2. Most casinos will only allow one player account per IP address and household and players cannot register for more than one account. This is to counteract the potential for bonus abuse, as well as taking into account the ever-present dangers of money laundering, fraud and gambling addiction. So it stands to reason that a casino will need to know your address in order to regulate this.

While initially it may seem strange that a casino might need your sensitive personal information, hopefully this article covers the many good reasons why it is needed to ensure both your security and that of the casino.