Today in the UK, the Gambling Commission, who oversee and regulate the gambling industry, require all licenced gaming operators to carry out player verification checks in order to find out key information about their players.
With the minimum legal betting age in the United Kingdom being 18, these identity verification checks are designed to determine whether or not you are old enough to gamble, if you have ever self-excluded from gambling and/or to simply confirm your identity.
In Great Britain, you may have seen that there is an initiative in place called Know Your Customer, which is known by its abbreviation KYC. KYC ensures that all casinos must obtain valid identification documents from their customers during or just after they have completed the registration process.
Gambling platforms need to determine the source of a customer’s funds in order to help detect and prevent any fraudulent activity. Online casinos approved by UKGC must also monitor any changes in their players’ behaviour or patterns in their betting.
Casinos, also new casinos are obliged to conduct risk assessments on a regular basis, monitor all new customer registrations as well as bets coming in from high risk countries. Operators must also make a contribution to the Economic Crime Levy and collaborate with the National Crime Agency for all customers.
So, what do you need to do in order to verify your online casino account?
Below we have outlined the general process as things can differ from site to site.
The first thing you need to do is to register your account. With this step, you will need to provide all of the requested information. At differing points in the process, you will need to provide details such as full name, address, mobile number, gender, date of birth, email address (which you will need to confirm), user name and password. Some online casinos may ask you for more information.
Once your new gambling account is up and running, you will likely be asked for some document verification. Depending on whether you are using a desktop or mobile device, you can either upload a copy of your photo ID or use your smartphone to take a picture of it. Your driver’s license or passport is the standard way to confirm your age.
In some cases, you may have to email your proof of ID to the customer support team who will then check and verify the information you provided to confirm your betting account before getting back to you with confirmation.
Then there is the required proof of address verification. This is usually confirmed by providing a screenshot or photo of a recent utility bill that clearly shows your full name and address. For the BetVictor casino, for example, you will need to produce a utility bill dated within the previous three months.
Verifying a payment method, such as a debit card registered in your name, allows the casino you’re playing at to confirm that you are using a legal payment method that belongs to you which helps to protects you against fraud.
Finally, some mobile gambling apps, such as bet365 and Betfred might require you to prove your income to ensure that your funds are legit and also that you can afford to wager what you plan to.
