Most of the online casinos out there require a KYC process once the player signs up. KYC, also known as Know Your Customer, is a compliance process that casinos follow in order to verify the legitimacy of the players’ identities. In this article we will list a few of the reasons casinos ask for IDs when signing up and when claiming bonuses.
The first and most important reason online casinos ask for ID is “money laundering”; this is an illegal act that where the money is concealed to make it look like it has been obtained legitimately. This is one of the most common ways criminals use to “launder” their money, most of it coming from terrorist funding or other serious criminal activities.
Launderers deposit in online casinos to “clean” the money or make it seem legitimate, and that is when the government gets involved, through the ID requirement, address and most importantly, bank statements (as they show where the money is coming from). If the operators suspect something suspicious, they have the right to cancel your account and transfer you to the authorities.
Another important reason for ID requirement is for casinos to prevent underage players from gambling. Most of the online casinos require the person to be at least 18+, while in some other countries 21+. If your ID shows that you are not age-qualified, you can not and must not enter and participate in any game.
One common thing that happens all the time is players creating new accounts and taking abuse of the welcome bonuses and other offers the online casinos have. They are also trying to “manipulate” their chances of winning through that. When providing ID, they are prevented from doing so. Online casinos allow one account per person and specific bonuses once per account. If you get caught with a second one, the casino has the right to withdraw all your winnings, block your account and ban you from ever using their platform again.
In other words, the KYC process is legitimate and online casinos must go through it for every player. It is time-consuming but these protocols keep players and operators safe, so the best thing to do is follow the rules and enjoy your game!
A casino with fast KYC process is OhMyZino!