Identifying documents

[retlaw]

Yesterday I made a withdrawal of 1600 $ from an accredited casino.
Today I receive a mail in which they ask me ID documents.

I play already more than a year at this casino and made several withdrawals before.This one however is the biggest.

Why do the ask for these documents now and not when I made my first withdrawal(more than a year ago)?
Do they want to slow down the payment, or do they hope to find a reason for not paying me?

Or do they ask it for withdrawals higher than a certain amount?

Anyone else had the same experience with some casino's?

[Zodiac]

All can be but if they requested it and it's an accredited casino you should do this.

It should not be a problem to send the docs in and than you should do it not more again.

I can understand why you ask and why they request it after a year but i can't answer you, i have also experienced this one time.

Maybe they want out hesitation it for a few days while the amount is higher or they have changed their security terms.

[Audioz]

Yesterday I made a withdrawal of 1600 $ from an accredited casino.
Today I receive a mail in which they ask me ID documents.

I play already more than a year at this casino and made several withdrawals before.This one however is the biggest.

Why do the ask for these documents now and not when I made my first withdrawal(more than a year ago)?

Some casinos only need your ID Documents, when you make bigger cashouts then $500 or so.

But the most casinos, on which i play, want IDs even for only a $20 withdrawal, so i'll send now in the future automatically my IDs to every casino, on which i started to play for real money, before i make my first withdrawal

[lauram]

Yes but they update their systems every 6 month span. Sloto emailed me said my docs are ok but seeing as one of the utility bills i forward to them was dated dec 07 could i plse forward something updated. They said their dept likes to do this every few months making sure our home address is the same phone numbers and so on. This way when we do cash out we dont have a prob. And if you have moved and havent told any of the casinos you play at your new addy this will hold up your payment longer. Now i havent as yet sent new copy to sloto yet i still did get my money from them, i guess they look at it like this if its a big win they have got to make sure everything is ok to pay us and so on.

[vinylweatherman]

Yes but they update their systems every 6 month span. Sloto emailed me said my docs are ok but seeing as one of the utility bills i forward to them was dated dec 07 could i plse forward something updated. They said their dept likes to do this every few months making sure our home address is the same phone numbers and so on. This way when we do cash out we dont have a prob. And if you have moved and havent told any of the casinos you play at your new addy this will hold up your payment longer. Now i havent as yet sent new copy to sloto yet i still did get my money from them, i guess they look at it like this if its a big win they have got to make sure everything is ok to pay us and so on.

This means that some casinos will be forever asking again and again for these ID documents. Surely this is not necessary once they have a long term relationship with a customer. Under the money laundering rules that most casinos quote back at those that complain about the procedure, it is necessary to confirm ID once, and then that player should be trusted.
The only time further ID should be needed is when an unexplained change in "indicators" occurs on an account, as this might mean the account has been hijacked, and there would be the possibility that it was no longer in the hands of the owner.

I have had casinos request ID for a first large withdrawal, even though smaller amounts have gone through fine. I was told it was the size of the withdrawal, or the accumulated amount of withdrawals, that trigger these requests.

[dazlazz]

Hi retlaw,

The reason maybe, that the casino has changed regulatory bodies and the new regulatory body insists on documentation whether payouts have been given prior - this would be the case with the Malta LGA.

Regards,

Dazzla

[funky_seagull]

It should be cool. Especially if they are accredited.

I have had to do this loads of times.

My only form of I.D. is an expired passport and some utility bills.

I don't have a driver's license because I'm disabled, and don't plan on doing any more travelling abroad also due to disability so I won't pay £74 to get my passport renewed.

One or two casinos have frowned on my I.d. but ussually once their security department checks it out, I get the all clear and I'm never asked for I.D. again.

The microgaming sites ussually accept my I.D. no problem, no hassle.

Playtech sites can tend to be a bit funny about me supplying an expired passport, but when I explain my situation to them, and that in the UK we are not required by law to carry I.D cards (at least not at the moment, although in the future that will probably change.) and after speaking to them over the phone, they are ussually satisfied I am who I say I am and never ask for proof again.

I have to admit it is a pain in the arse. And in today's world it can be a real frustrating experience trying to prove you are who you say you are.

It's the lowlife fraudsters who steal people's identities to blame for that.

Someone stole my bankcard details once and deposited my entire bank balance into a casino. I went without food for two days, it was grim. I was told I would have to wait 2 weeks before the fraud department in my bank could refund the money to me, because it was a debit card. Thankfully the casino picked up something was up and 2 days after the money was stolen put the money back into my account. The whole experience has left me paranoid and I now only use e-wallets to purchase things online.

So if a casino is performing checks you have to appreciate it, as losing all your money from your account because some lowestofthelow decides he/she wants to gamble at your expense is a very unpleasant experience.

I agree it is annoying, but ussually you only have to do it once and after you won't get anymore hassle when you come to withdraw.

I do think maybe it would be better if they asked you for the I.D. proof during the registration process, as it does seem to give some casinos a bit of an excuse to delay paying you.

[D!G!TAL]

Something else to remember is that casinos probably set their own 'red flag' amount and up to this point you may have been under their radar, as soon as you cashed out above their 'limit' they requested your docs.

If it's an accredited casino, its unlikely to be a stalling tactic.

Nice cash out by the way

[Nicole50]

The only solution is to scan your documents and send them by email. It will not take minutes. For me I have always scanned docs in my computer desktop . When they request them , I send them. Just one click.

I wish also that some accredited casino will consider not asking the documents when players use Neteller or other wallet because those companies have already verifyed the idendity of the user. For credit card, they can ask the docs because nobody can know who is the user and can be used by anyone .

[vinylweatherman]

It should be cool. Especially if they are accredited.

I have had to do this loads of times.

My only form of I.D. is an expired passport and some utility bills.

I don't have a driver's license because I'm disabled, and don't plan on doing any more travelling abroad also due to disability so I won't pay £74 to get my passport renewed.

One or two casinos have frowned on my I.d. but ussually once their security department checks it out, I get the all clear and I'm never asked for I.D. again.

The microgaming sites ussually accept my I.D. no problem, no hassle.

Playtech sites can tend to be a bit funny about me supplying an expired passport, but when I explain my situation to them, and that in the UK we are not required by law to carry I.D cards (at least not at the moment, although in the future that will probably change.) and after speaking to them over the phone, they are ussually satisfied I am who I say I am and never ask for proof again.

I have to admit it is a pain in the arse. And in today's world it can be a real frustrating experience trying to prove you are who you say you are.

It's the lowlife fraudsters who steal people's identities to blame for that.

Someone stole my bankcard details once and deposited my entire bank balance into a casino. I went without food for two days, it was grim. I was told I would have to wait 2 weeks before the fraud department in my bank could refund the money to me, because it was a debit card. Thankfully the casino picked up something was up and 2 days after the money was stolen put the money back into my account. The whole experience has left me paranoid and I now only use e-wallets to purchase things online.

So if a casino is performing checks you have to appreciate it, as losing all your money from your account because some lowestofthelow decides he/she wants to gamble at your expense is a very unpleasant experience.

I agree it is annoying, but ussually you only have to do it once and after you won't get anymore hassle when you come to withdraw.

I do think maybe it would be better if they asked you for the I.D. proof during the registration process, as it does seem to give some casinos a bit of an excuse to delay paying you.

Given the increased ID checks, your situation leads you vulnerable to being unable to prove your ID, and you will find out too late after a big win. If you are sufficiently disabled, it would actually be ILLEGAL for you to hold a driving licence, as casinos now insist upon, as you would have to lie to the government to get one that you are fit enough. You would be stuck with paying £74 to get a renewal of the passport, and probably a wait to receive it, purely because online casinos are too idle to cater for the disabled among us, something which under EU law is ILLEGAL for them to do (impose rules that unfairly penalise disabled persons over able bodied ones). EU based casinos had better beware of this, as one day some disabled person will bring a case under disability discrimination laws based on them being ineligible for BOTH the forms of ID that a casino insists on, a position that would ONLY be as a result of their disability. Far more frivolous cases have been brought, AND WON! by aggrieved disabled persons.

The industry needs to ensure that they have alternative means of verifying ID for players who fall into certain minority groups, yet are legally allowed to play at the casino.

Casinos regulated outside the EU do not necessarily have to worry about this, they can do what they like (and often do).