The Importance of Account Verification for Casino Withdrawals

Why is Account Verification for Casino Withdrawals Important?

Players at online casinos can get frustrated when they have to wait a while for their winnings. Indeed, there is little more annoying than an online casino that seems to be dragging its heels in this area.

An issue that can often result in delays for casino withdrawal transactions being processed is problems relating to account verification.

Casinos will often require their customers to be fully verified before they will proceed with a withdrawal request as a result of their Know Your Customer (KYC) regulations.

Without passing the KYC checks by providing the casino account verification required documentation, it is even possible that casino players will be unable to access winnings.

What KYC Means at Online Casinos

Standing for Know Your Customer but almost always referred to as KYC for short, this is the process by which the casino is able to verify a customer, ensuring they are who they claim to be.

The KYC process at each online casino varies, but it always works in a fairly similar way. Casino players will find that some verification can happen automatically when they sign up for an account.

Those who make a deposit using a debit card – Visa, MasterCard and Maestro are all widely accepted – at the casino cashier might be able to go through the KYC process without even realising.

But for those who have chosen an alternative payment method, such as e-wallets like PayPal or Skrill, or even other options like cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin, then KYC checks may need to be passed manually.

A lot of the time, players will have to provide identification documents before they can withdraw funds out of a casino account for the first time. The purpose of this is to go through the KYC process.

Broadly speaking, the aim of KYC is to fight financial crimes such as money laundering, which is a common issue that online casinos need to address.

A lot of fraudsters have targeted online casinos as a way to launder money, which is why passing KYC checks has become a must for all players these days.

How Can Players Pass KYC Checks Quickly?

Players can get ahead of the game by passing their KYC checks as soon as they sign up at casinos. Most casinos have an area where documents can be securely uploaded for KYC purposes.

Casinos should make it clear exactly what is required but ID documents normally accepted include:

• Passport
• Driving licence
• National ID card
• Bank statement
• Utility bill

Documents like utility bills and bank statements will need to be dated within the last few months if they are to be accepted. Photographs of passports and driving licences need to be clear, rather than blurry.

Those who do not want to use the documents uploader at an online casino site to pass KYC checks will also often be able to send them in as attachments to an email.

Each online casino is different, but customer service will be able to advise on the method to go for. Players will be informed via email when the checks are completed and they have passed through KYC.

Passing KYC checks in advance of making a withdrawal out of the casino cashier can be a good idea as it means the process for a transaction should be smooth, resulting in faster payouts being made.

Impact of KYC on Withdrawal Times

Even at sites that promote themselves as instant payout casinos, issues with KYC checks being passed can have a significant impact on withdrawal times at the cashier.

Players who are yet to be fully verified are likely to find there are delays for their withdrawals as a result. Indeed, some online casino sites may even refuse to process a transaction until KYC is passed.

Some online casino sites only provide account verification for casino withdrawals on typical working days during office hours as well.

This means attempting to withdraw winnings on a Friday evening without having previously passed KYC checks can add a couple of days further delay to the process.

It is difficult to say how long passing KYC will add to the transaction times at the online casino.

Some sites are simply faster than others and can check documents within a matter of hours, allowing players to move forward and withdraw their winnings with a matter of urgency.

Others are not quite as efficient and this can lead to a frustratingly long wait for their customers.

One thing to keep in mind is that using cryptocurrency to make a deposit at the casino is anonymous, with players therefore able to avoid sharing their financial information with operators.

At some crypto casinos, there are no KYC checks to pass as a result, which means players might be able to get their hands on money they have won from spinning the reels a lot quicker.

However, it can be a red flag for some casino players if a site does not require any KYC documents.

How Personal and Financial Information is Protected During the KYC Process

Players are right to wonder about security when going through KYC verification for casinos.

After all, it can be concerning to have to hand over important forms of ID such as a copy of a passport, or even a bank statement that will contain a lot of personal and financial information.

The good news is that online casinos tend to take safety and security very seriously. Encryption is in place to make sure that hackers should never be able to access this information.

Look out for security standards such as SSL encryption as this helps to show data will be kept safe.

Casino sites also have privacy policies in place. Players should always try to make time to read these documents whenever they are signing up for an account with a new online casino.

Legal and Regulatory Aspects of KYC

Something to remember about account verification for casino withdrawals is that the legal aspect of KYC can be different depending on where a player is in the world.

As an example, Australia has the Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorism Financing Act, which was passed in 2016 and is regulated by the Australian Transaction Reports and Analysis Centre (AUSTRAC).

Players in neighbouring New Zealand, meanwhile, follow KYC requirements that have been guided by the AML/CFT Act. This says that a customer’s full name must be verified, along with their current home address and their date of birth.

The Money Laundering Regulations of 2007 detail the United Kingdom’s KYC requirements. Players are likely to need to provide proof of their full name, residential address, and date of birth to pass KYC checks in the UK.

Playing at online casinos is getting more popular in the United States all the time. US-based casino customers need to provide an identification number – a Taxpayer Identification Number (like a SSN or EIN) – as well as personal information like their name and address.

North of the border, Canada has the Proceeds of Crime (Money Laundering) and Terrorist Financing Act (PCMLTFA), which is enforced and regulated by the Financial Transactions Reports Analysis Centre of Canada (FINTRAC).

Canadian casino customers are able to send in copies of documents such as a birth certificate, driver’s licence, passport or permanent resident card as acceptable forms of verification.

It is clear that passing KYC checks is something many casino customers must get to grips with.

But the good news is the process does not need to be stressful or complicated, nor does it need to provide major delays when trying to withdraw winnings out of the casino cashier.