Hi all,
What astounds me is that MGS and the other software providers have not established a verification system.
EG - If you want to play at any MGS casino you would submit your ID docs once, get verified and that's it.
eCOGRA could perform that duty, for MGS or the casinos they support.
This process of sending personal ID docs to every casino is stupid. The more copies sent out the larger the risk of identity theft.
I'd also like to add that web wallets such as Neteller, Click2pay, MoneyBookers and other have stringent ID checks & make sure the accounts your depositing with are yours & yours only.
Granted if I don't have funds in Neteller then I use a Visa debit card specifically open for online use. But even then I have to verify each transaction with the Visa Verification process. (Entering my password) every time.
Of course the TOP places like 32Red - on ya Pat
and other such casinos use common sense. But the rest need a reality check and IMHO need to get their collective sh#t together.
If it keeps going like this pretty soon they'll expect us to submit DNA
Cheers
T
The big problem is the complete lack of standards, and the occasions where some casinos expose their ignorance to the community, such as that infamous (and ignorant) assertion by BelleRock,
"Bellerock entertainment told me they had never heard of someone who has no photo i.d whatsoever".
Confiscating winnings on this basis alone is theft, and would NOT be allowed under normal laws, but seems perfectly OK on the internet.
Here in the UK, BECAUSE of this situation, the government have laid out procedures to be followed for verifying someone's ID in terms of compliance with money laundering regulations and ID fraud. Belle Rock, however, are refusing to follow this guidance, and are putting pressure on players whose money is held to ransom to BREAK THE LAW by obtaining a driver's licence whilst medically unfit. Even though the intent is to use the drivers license to prove ID, this is illegal since this is NOT the purpose for which it is issued, and these is no provision here that allows an unfit driver to obtain a license for use as an ID card.
A player can be wrongly denied their money simply because of the policy of the govermnent of their country, and this is WRONG, only when PLAYERS have done wrong should they risk losing their winnings.
Often, it seems players have gone to every effort possible to prove their ID, yet casinos are STILL not satisfied, and such complaints are growing ever more frequent.
My concern is that there are many legitimate players being wrongly deprived of winnings through issues such as this, and casinos are REFUSING to introduce procedures to protect the "dolphins" from being netted along with the fraudsters.
It is likely that HALF of the eligible adults in the UK will have a photo ID, since there are 33 Million cars on the road, and given that many drivers own more than one, there could be many millions of non-drivers. Further, even among those drivers there are many that will STILL have the old paper license, since once issued, they only expire at age 70.
Requiring EVERY player to get a passport just so they can play online is beyond a joke, and is certainly an unfair consumer contract term.
I think a few UK players who have themselves had money wrongly confiscated simply because, say, they are medically unfit to hold an ID, sorry, license to drive, should complain to the Office of Fair Trading. I believe this would be better than the Gambling Commission, because the Office of fair Trading has a far wider remit, and could launch a "public interest" investigation into the issue, and would have EU licensed casinos within reach of their rulings (via EU wide agreements and regulations).
This would at the very least bring to the attention of "government" that this issue DOES exist, and is creating WRONG in a number of cases.
I currently believe that whilst the UK government has created the legalised category of "remote gaming" to cover this industry, it has little clue of what is happening from the perspective of the players.
If I were in such a situation, and the amount large enough, I would make a false medical declaration (or economical one) in order to get a photo license. I would NOT use it for it's intended purpose, but to prove ID & get my money.
Next, I would approach the authorities, and make a complaint that I was blackmailed into making a false declaration to get a drivers license because a party required it to release MY money, and would NOT accept the government guidance for dealing with this kind of issue, nor would believe that I couldn't just get a "non-driving" version just for ID purposes. I might do this via my MP, rather than directly, as this would be sure to get it brought up in parliament, since there would be the wider issue of HOW MANY are getting beaten by casinos into getting hold of drivers licenses for ID purposes, rather than to drive, including having to pretend to be medically fit.
The government would worry, since this is a known loophole (there is talk of closing it), currently, if you declare you are medically fit, DVLA will take this at face value UNTIL they receive information to the contrary, and this is only likely to happen if you actually drive.
Hopefully, this would all get pressure from above on the industry to put together an ID verification process that is both realistic and FAIR to ALL adults over the age of 18 (at which they can legally gamble online).
It can ALREADY be done, and IS in place here in the UK, so there is little excuse for the lack of progress on this by the industry.
Before this, casinos should make it CRYSTAL CLEAR what is required in terms of documentation, and must then STICK to it, not jerk players around.
If they want a photo ID, it should be in BIG LETTERS, and PLAIN ENGLISH. Maybe on the deposit screen, where players simply could NOT fail to see it, a statement of the form:-
"PLAYERS WILL BE REQUIRED TO SEND IN A FORM OF PHOTO ID IN ORDER TO WITHDRAW ANY FUNDS - IF YOU DO NOT CURRENTLY HAVE A FORM OF PHOTO ID, YOU ARE ADVISED NOT TO PLAY FOR REAL MONEY AT THIS CASINO"
And that casino was where we stayed and played 4 or 5 times a year for years! But MGM had taken over and after that fiasco (along with more unhappy experiences), we moved our play elsewhere.
