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This whole "notarized ID" business is a serious issue that is not going to go away any time soon.
On the one hand you have casinos who really do need to fight fraud and the notarized documents thing is an effective and reasonably reliable way to do that.
For instance, some of the people involved in this very thread have refused to provide the requested documents even though thousands of dollars are at stake. The casinos report that they have some evidence that those same people are involved in one kind of fraud or another. It seems perfectly reasonable to me for them to stick to their guns and demand the identity verification. This would be an example where the "notarized ID" thing is doing the job it was intended to do.
On the other hand the ID thing is obviously open to abuse. What's to keep a shady operation from demanding notarized ID for every nickel and dime a player asks to withdraw? In some cases nothing and therein lies the legitimacy of some player complaints.
So, how to tell the proper use of ID requests from abuse? It's got to be a frequency issue: if the casino asks for notarized ID from everyone all the time then they're likely abusing it. If their requests are infrequent, specific and pointed then it may well be legitimate and acceptable.
For those of you who have concerns about getting your documents done ... what can I say, in some cases it may be a problem. But let's be realistic about this: we live in an age where identity verification is a pretty common and often necessary inconvenience.
I personally have had identity documents notarized in three countries and two languages and it's never been that big a deal. Is it fun? No, of course not. Is it cheap? Not usually, but it's not outrageous either. Is it fairly straightforward, yes, generally speaking, and normally you do not have to give them detailed explanations of why you are getting it done because that's not really their business. Their business is document verification for which they are getting paid a fee so a general answer, such as "for passport purposes" or "for an international financial transaction", will usually suffice. Been there, done that.
Would I run out and do this for every $50 withdrawal? No, but then it shouldn't be necessary to do so either. Photocopies of notarized documents are often accepted. And if it really comes down to it then once in a while you may have to say "to hell with it" and scratch that casino off your list. Welcome to the bleeding edge: that's life in a risk-based, largely unregulated industry.
And yes, I'm aware that in some countries document verification _is_ a difficult and/or expensive procedure. That's a bummer, but I assure you that your particular difficulty in having this done is not going to change the casino industry's need to have it done. So talk to them about it up front, find out what they'll need and when, etc. As ever, do a little research and you'll probably save yourself some agony down the line.
Are droves of people going to start doing this now that might mouse, er, Max, has suggested they do so? No, of course not, but it is what it is so what can I say? You either do it sooner or you do it later but you almost certainly will have to do it. Your choice when and how.
Finally, for those that say things like "hey, I live in the barrio and nobody here has such documents" then I say welcome to the 21st Century: nowadays identity papers are the norm so either get some or find a new hobby. I'm not being elitist or discriminatory here, it's just reality so deal with it or don't as you see fit.
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