you missed boldening VERIFIED.
im not posting above becuase i got charged back - i'm lacking understand to the true need of the process when i got charged back by players who's KYC docs i've had (although not the declaration) - and i had them because they opted into our free 50 NDB for early KYC offer. When i challenged the fact with my processor that the chagebacks were accepted in spite of having KYC documentation on the user i got a shrug of the shoulder and a statement that its down to the banks and their policies and they don't look fondly on gambling. there was nothing we could do - literally. Our acquiring back had the removed the money from the reserve.
Anyway, this long winded ID back/forth and over complication of KYC... i think it has become more about "saying something" than having "something to say". Bottom line is cases above dont help the fact that you need to jump through hoops and your "minority" you defend needs to get with the times as the times demand it or quit playing.
"Getting with the times" means opting for ebilling too, yet the antiquated KYC procedures are holding this back. I dare not "get with the times" and save £22 per year on my landline bill by switching to an ebilling account because then no amount of photo ID will be of any use in passing KYC at the casinos.
Part of the blame is with the UK Government, and this is a harder nut to crack than any industry, hence pressure has to be brought to bear on the weakest target, even if this is not logically the best one. All the UK government needs to do is "get with the times" itself and realise that the current regime needs to change to support ecommerce companies in their quest to do proper KYC procedures.
You have also highlighted another problem, and it seems that banks are allowing chargebacks for gambling deposits based on an anti gambling prejudice, rather than a fair assessment of both sides of the argument. Maybe it's because you have a "middle man", the processor, and it is they who don't put a proper effort into defending the chargeback claim. Although you had all the KYC documents, you didn't have a deposit declaration form. Perhaps obtaining one for the first deposit as soon as it has been made and played would help tip the balance when it comes to challenging a bogus chargeback. If a particular bank has generated a particularly large number of chargebacks, you could even sue it in court arguing that gambling debts just like any other are enforceable in law. Winning this argument just once will help the industry as it could be used as a legal precedent with which to put pressure on banks that are too keen to put through bogus chargebacks. In theory, you could even sue the players who do it, but it's a question of whether it would really deter others.
A UK fraudster has already been taken to court by a large operator for "bonus fraud" (multi accounting), and was convicted. This should act as a deterrent, but it seems that most dedicated fraudsters have not been put off by just one case.
One way the UK government HAS "got with the times" is by changing the law on gambling debts, these are now enforceable in law, and as such, banks should NOT be allowing them to be charged back so easily.
Although UK citizens can eventually get passports, this is not a document we should be sending by EMAIL!!!! This is a gaping security hole in the KYC system, and one that exposes the most sensitive data to hackers. Government and banks state that they never discuss sensitive account information by email because it is not secure, and the Data Protection Act requires our data to be handled in a secure manner. In this respect, CASINOS need to "get with the times" and implement a properly secured means of sending documents for KYC. A small number have done so.
The passport is considered SO sensitive that the government don't even send them by ordinary post, and this is the ROYAL MAIL that isn't trusted, let alone email. Instead, they use a secure courier service.
With regard to the details of the KYC procedures, this is just as much a matter for the Information Commissioner's Office as it is for the gaming regulators.
If we put pressure on the UK government to "get with the times", it may actually turn out WORSE for the industry, even if it improves things for UK players.
For example, we may be officially told that we may send passport copies to companies for remote KYC, but then they may insist that the receiving companies change their own practices such as insisting that the entire transmission channel meets certain minimum security standards, whereas at present responsibility only starts when the company receives the document.
An example is our own banks, their response to this industry becoming mainstream has been to make it HARDER for UK players to deposit by card, and perversely EASIER for UK players to put through a bogus chargeback.
Perhaps accepting deposits by credit card too should be considered a thing of the past, and "getting with the times" would involve pushing players towards deposit methods that are properly geared towards the industry, such as Neteller and Skrill.
Players need a deposit method that is secure, and easy to operate. Casinos want one that makes it as hard as possible for players to issue bogus chargebacks just because they lose.