Many new players are often surprised when they get asked to send documents for verification, not realizing that it is standard practice in almost all online casinos. The standard documents that are requested are generally the following:
- Copy of a Picture ID
- Copy of a Utility Bill
- Copy of the front and/or back of credit card used to deposit
A lot of people are reluctant to give up this information for a variety of reasons such as fear of identity theft, but if you are playing in a trustworthy casino they want to make sure they are dealing with the credit card/electronic wallet owner. In a land-based casino you need to show identification before playing – it helps to think of this as the same thing. The main reason that casinos request documentation is to prevent fraudulent players from depositing and withdrawing.
Prevention of Fraud
Unfortunately in today’s digital world credit card fraud and identity theft are commonplace and most people have or know someone who has been affected by it. Usually the theft is discovered relatively quickly, but it is very possible for a criminal to get ahold of your credit card information and make a deposit at an online casino, hoping to cash out – there is nothing to lose on their side, only someone else’s money.
In order to protect themselves (and the victim of credit card theft) casinos need documentation to approve deposits (usually after a set amount of time or deposits) and withdrawals of any amount. A fraudster doesn’t have access to all the necessary documents 99% of the time, so they will just be wasting their time as they will be unable to withdraw anyway.
Sending in Docs
If you are playing in a trustworthy casino you have nothing to fear about sending in docs, and should ideally send them in as soon as possible. Document typically take between 24-72 hours to be approved – online casinos have risk teams that scrutinize over every detail to check for tampering and if they see something suspicious they will often ask you to resend a clearer copy for it to be approved, which can lead to the temptation of reversing your withdrawal so you can keep on playing.
The reason it is better to send them in sooner rather than later is that you will not be able to withdraw until your documents are approved – you can still request a withdrawal but it will remain pending. If you wait until your first withdrawal before sending in your documents, you will need to wait until they approved before the withdrawal will be processed.
Once you choose an honest and reputable casino to play at you should send in the documentation right away – you will avoid dealing with the hassle and potential frustration of the added delay in collecting your winnings when you claim your first withdrawal.
