Poll Source of Wealth poll: How do the SOW requirements affect you? 2022

[The Dude]

The Source of Wealth or SOW is here to stay in the UK and EU - well at least with those casinos licensed in the UK or in Malta. These are the only two jurisdictions that are requiring players to submit personal banking information that most of us (including myself) consider intrusive and biased towards online gamblers. A land based casino will never if ever ask for your pay stubs to prove you should be gambling.

We conducted this poll in both 2019 and 2021 , and it's interesting to see the trends in how folks are reacting and dealing with this.

So please vote in our poll and give us some thoughts on why you voted this way. ANd please - this only applies to folks who live in the EU/UK. All others please don't vote.

Previous polls:
Source of Wealth poll - 2019
Source of Wealth poll: How do the SOW requirements affect you? - 2021

 

[dunover]

Option 7 - I simply move to another UKGC/MGA casino once the request comes in.

 

[pinnit2014]

Close account/ stop playing and go elsewhere was my previous preference but dabbling off shore (as i'm sure some/many are) recently.

It's the contrast in places: Bet365 will rarely ask for medium play, same as Unibet (90k deposits) but MGA's like L and L will SOW for low amounts and standard play - it's nuts. Almost like the casino's don't know what they're doing and making it up as they go along.

Worst casino for it - Casumo: these chancers will allow you to continue to deposit in my experience, SOW pending.

 

[The Dude]

Option 7 - I simply move to another UKGC/MGA casino once the request comes in.

You mean option 4?

 

[Deeplay]

Option 1 and has been a long while now - but not playing for the past 2 months anywhere. But SOW - amoungst other restrictions such as no auto play etc and very anal KYC was nail in coffin for me. UK Casinos can now do one.

 

[Downsman]

Never been asked.

 

[Reelsoffun]

@Casinomeister

Option8

Now seriously considering playing at non UK licensed casinos due to intrusive SOW

So heading towards option 1 thanks UKGC!

 

[pinnit2014]

@Casinomeister

Option8

Now seriously considering playing at non UK licensed casinos due to intrusive SOW

So heading towards option 1 thanks UKGC!

When you play at the Islands you may not get your withdrawal but you will get a good tan

 

[LadyJelena]

Long live Curacao?

 

[justdoit]

I try to avoid UKGC for now, last 2 weeks I lost 5 accounts 4 accounts hold over 3-4 years, I refuse SOW, I dont bet high regular bet under £1 regular deposit£100-£300, all of them pick me wtf ? pick someone else ?
For now Crypto Casino, fees to high ? Crypto casino needs to top up are balance for 5% fee
I am surprised same casinos I see streamer betting £40 per spin and calling £2000 £3000 on BJ or roulette, and they ask me for SOW

 

[alcatraz]

Never been asked, however stopped playing at mga (any european regulated) casinos a long time ago so it won´t affect me anyways.

 

[pinnit2014]

Not just the SOW`: don't want to grind for a bonus, will just buy one and go back to Netflix. Can't. Ok, but then just power spin through the 10% RTP base games - nope, can't do that either. Nor watch Netflix and not click. Ok, cool so will spin on some 96%'s - well, hardly can do that either.

Like an anti fun grenade was launched.

May hit a dodgy offshore casino and get denied a w/d but, in playing the likes of Mr Vegas' 91% slots you'll have 'lost' probably the same amount.

 

[dunover]

You mean option 4?

Yes, it is NOW but in the PM you sent there was 6 exisiting options so I thought you would tack it on last at #7.

 

[The Dude]

Yes, it is NOW but in the PM you sent there was 6 exisiting options so I thought you would tack it on last at #7.

I am keeping things in logical order.

 

[Guntis]

For me, #4. Used to play at Casumo a while back when there was everything in order. But then i got hit with SOW, and their unsatisfied reply arrived around 3-5 months after i sent my docs in.

But as i was playing then at Casimba already, i didn't give F what Casumo wanted. However, sometime later, the same story happened with Casimba and also with Unibet.

What i can't stand is their additional document requests after i send them proper UK bank statements for the last 3 months with no-nonsense income.

Playing now at Ladbrokes online and Rainbow Riches only. They seem like are leaving me alone. But if these start those tricks with me, I'll then simply play in real casinos. The last time i visited a real casino in London, they asked me for SOW.

But they said i can come in and play 4 times, and if i don't bring them any docs, I'll have to leave. But i showed the manager the baking account right off my phone, and it sorted all out right away.

 

[L&L-Jan]

#4 for me, both Entain and PokerStars. Both were a walk in park. That's also because the bank I use to deposit and play with those 2 casinos, is a straightforward bank account that does not show any 3rd party funds that are coming in.

 

[sufferinsilence]

We have our own legislation in Belgium and I have never been asked for SOW.

If it becomes part of it one day I don't know yet if I will comply, it'll depend on the requirements.

 

[Webzcas]

Long live Curacao?

That is really what @dunover thinks, he just doesn't publicise it

 

[PMKFRUITPRO]

Amazingly I’ve never been asked for a thing at any casino despite depositing hundreds of K.

But I rarely leave the cosy waters of uk bookie sites. There you are free to brain out as much as you like and nobody cares.

My card is due to expire at end of sept and I’m hoping registering a new one does not cause any grief.

Saturday without my football accas wouldn’t be the same!!!

 

[thr0b]

#4 for me, both Entain and PokerStars. Both were a walk in park. That's also because the bank I use to deposit and play with those 2 casinos, is a straightforward bank account that does not show any 3rd party funds that are coming in.

Will L&L be getting a Curacao licence any time soon?

 

[KasinoKing]

I really don't mind supplying SOW.
But my problem is getting the casinos to accept it!

RIZK casino was a perfect example. I told them I am self-employed, promoting online casinos (including theirs!) and that is my only source of income. I supplied proof of that and my tax return statement. But they wanted to see a pay-slip. I don't get pay-slips from anyone I work with!
So I had to close my account with them.

Overall I think "Source of Wealth" is complete meaningless nonsense. Players on very high incomes could be terrible uncontrolled gambling addicts, while someone on a very low income could have perfect self-control and act responsibly.
I do 100% agree with not letting players deposit with credit cards.

KK

 

[incrediblestuff]

Currently i guess option one, but not per-se by choice..
I assume some of the Casinos i currently play at also have a UKGC and MGA licence, for instance Unibet has recently opened up again to Dutch players, but the client we are using is probably on a different IP and license, as opposed to Uk players and other nationalities..

So far, shortly before the Dutch Market restrictions, SOW was already a thing, and i have never yet been asked for any. Of course i don't play big amounts, so perhaps i either got lucky, or was just not interesting enough

I don't like the intrusiveness, and am not sure if i would comply. Guess it depends on the Casino asking, and the way they go about it?

I'd like to recall something i talked about a while back, where it is now an option for many Dutch facing Casinos, that you simply sign up through IDIN, which is basically a one time log-in through your banking app/client, whereby you are instantly identified, with your ID etc.
Not too much of a hassle, although sometimes the process was very buggy. But that could be because it was still fresh. Could be a lot smoother now, i suppose

This is one method that seems very streamlined, and as far as i'm concerned all a Casino will ever need in terms of 'KYC...
The only instances where further due diligence would be warranted (i.m.o.) is when players do huge deposits, change their regular deposit patterns drastically, log-in from weird locations etc. to perhaps see if all is well, in terms of responsible play, ID theft or resources inquiry

A lot of the 'red flags' for such examples, could be picked up fully automated too.
For the rest they should just leave us the hell alone, give us back our autoplay, and be happy they are making a shitload of money
That's all i have to say on the matter...

 

[mcgameboy]

If I am asked for SOW by a casino, I will happily give them SOW.

But it's fuck all to do with Source Of Wealth....

 

[justdoit]

 

[Simmo!]

You missed out "I find it intrusive and I don't play online anymore" ;-)

Back when I did, my main issue was not knowing who would see that info. I obviously trusted the casinos I played at as a whole but you have no idea who sees the info. I wouldn't have minded so much if it was a central organisation, perhaps Government owned, who received the docs although even then, the whole idea of being assumed to be a criminal until proven innocent rankled with me.

It wasn't the only reason I gave up gambling online around 5 years ago but it was a major factor.