Verifying Your Identity

Why should my identity be verified from the casino before they pay me

Most online casinos will require you to verify your identity on the very first withdrawal you make with them. If you are not asked to verify your identity on the first withdrawal, you should always have your documents at hand, because casinos reserve the right to ask you for your documents at any time. Online casinos may also carry out further verification checks on withdrawals that exceed a certain amount. However, verifying your identity is usually a one time process. You would normally only be contacted for further documents at a later date if, for example, you were to change your payment method/use a new credit or debit card. In that case, you would be required to send in a new photo of the front and back of the card. If you were to change address, you may also be required to send in a further utility bill with proof of the new address on.

There are, in fact, a number of different reasons a casino will ask you to verify your identity before they can pay you your winnings. The reasons are mainly for your safety and security and so the casino knows exactly who it is they are paying. Online casinos must also comply with Anti Money Laundering regulations, and part of this through the verification process.

As part of the verification checks and to comply with legal and regulatory requirements, casinos are obliged to confirm that they players are over the age of 18 or the legal age of gambling in the country they reside in. Whilst online casinos may be able to verify your age electronically through databases, when you send in photo verification, this can satisfy the casino before they send out your winnings. If it is proven that the player is not of legal age, any winnings will be confiscated and the account will be terminated.

Another reason online casinos verify your identity before they pay you your winnings is because of identity theft. Online casinos want to protect their players against identity theft and therefore they must confirm that the player is the genuine owner of the payment method that has been used to make the deposit. As we mentioned, these checks are for your online security. Someone may have got access to your payment details and used these to deposit at a casino without you knowing. These verification checks will clarify this. When you send in your photo identification, along with proof of your payment method, the casino can cross reference these against each other to make sure they are the same person. The casino also wants to be able to send the winnings to the right person.

In case you have not had time to read some of our earlier guides regarding verification, here are the documents that you should expect to have to send in to verify your identity:
Photo I.D.

You will be required to send in a photographic identifying document, which is usually a passport or driver’s license. If you do not have either of these, the identification card must be government approved. It must show your name, photograph and signature.

Proof of address

For this you will be able to send in a recent utility bill or credit card statement or a letter that must show your full name and address as listed on your player account. Usually, the casino will require the letter to be dated within the last three months.

Credit or debit card

You will need to send in a clear, legible copy of both sides of the card that you used to fund your casino account. For security reasons, the middle eight numbers on the front of the card and the three-digit code on the back of the card’s copy must be covered. If you funded your account via an e-wallet, you may be required to send in a screenshot of your e-wallet account showing your name and email address.

Always have your documents at hand because the security check will invariably delay your withdrawal, whether it be your first or you’re fifth, by a day or two. And remember, verification is a process that is there to protect you as a player above all else.