The complete guide to online casino KYC requirements

Anyone who gambles online will have to go through it at some point because it’s required by law in the UK.

With a goal to prove gamblers’ identities, verifying that they are who they say they are, and to identify any potential risk factors, it’s integral to preventing money laundering, fraudulent usage, and problematic gambling behaviour.

In the UK, there is a strong emphasis on risk management and financial compliance, so online casinos within its borders need to do their diligence with rigour.

Executing the process requires implementing three core components, each of which plays an important role for a robust security network.

At the first stage, the casino asks you to send them proof of identity and address. Some players may also have to submit proof of their source of funds as evidence that the money is theirs to use.

At the next stage, any financial institution or company that handles financial transactions (including casinos) must do a thorough risk assessment of every customer, tagging them with a personal risk rating that tells the casino how often it needs to monitor that account.

Depending on your gambling behaviour, you’ll be subject to one or more of three types of checks:

Anyone who registers for a casino site and deposits a small amount of money is subject to a very low-impact check. Low-value accounts are equally low in risk, so few resources go into keeping an eye on them.

Once you hit a certain deposit or withdrawal threshold, the casino must then verify your identity - that’s the triggering factor for the CIP component. Typically, your account will be frozen and you won’t be able to cash out any more money until you’ve undergone KYC.

Delivering valid copies of the required documents gets you through verification, and your account will be restored to its normal status.

If a casino site has deemed you a high-risk player or someone who has a high net worth, an enhanced security check will occur. A politically exposed person (PEP) is one such type of player who will always face enhanced due diligence, as will VIP players who typically gamble for huge amounts of money.

In both of these scenarios, passing an enhanced check requires supplying documents to verify your source of wealth, proving that you’re only playing with your own money.

Perhaps the most important part of the KYC procedure is to continuously monitor transactions and gambling behaviour for any suspicious activity, overall reducing the risk of problems occurring for both the operator and the player. If necessary, unusual transactions will trigger sending a suspicious activities report to local authorities.

Understandably, some players have qualms about the process; verification takes up time, and sometimes it can even take several days. Worse yet, you may not be able to withdraw your winnings until it’s done, which is frustrating.

Moreover, it’s not uncommon in the digital age to value anonymity, with some Brits feeling uncomfortable having to share so much information.

Fortunately, it’s easy to find no verification casino sites featured on CasinoGam, and they let you register and play in just a matter of moments - no KYC delays at all.

How is that possible? Well, remember that the required basic due diligence is only triggered after a certain threshold, which means Brits can legally join casinos that delay the process until cashout.

So while it’s not possible to completely avoid KYC requirements - failure to comply leads to account termination and forfeiture of funds - there are ways to put it off as long as possible without worry that you’ll be breaking the law.

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