Wager Works Ran A Credit Check On Me

[Marie2473]

I just dont see WHY they would even do a creditcheck?

 

[guesswest]

Thanks for the feedback guys, but may have been a false alarm on my part. The query is on there, and looks like this:

Expired Image

But having just read the FAQ, which I should have done before posting, I note this:

Previous searches show the names of organisations that have seen some or all of the information recorded on your credit report within the past 12 months. Searches of your credit report should have been made with your consent. Most will relate to credit applications you have made but some may be routine checks by your lenders on accounts you already have. Unrecorded enquiries, quotations, identity verification checks and credit report applications are shown for you on your copy of your report but are not seen by lenders.

So it looks like this should only be visible to me, and not to lenders. Sorry for being such an alarmist, I should have read through the report properly before I posted.

FWIW I have been trying to think which casino this was. The query was in July, which is around about the time CM added the list of WW casinos, or at least when I noticed it, so I played at a few different ones around that time. However, I'm pretty sure you need a UK address to run a UK credit report. I live in Malta now so I used my Maltese address everywhere I played, with one exception, Mirror casino. They told me I should register with my UK address (which I maintain) despite living in Malta because I wanted to use a UK credit card - so I'm not 100% sure but my best guess is that they are the casino that initiated the check.

 

[silcnlayc]

Simmo!: It seems a mighty odd thing to do for a company that on the whole run a very tight ship.

Very odd..as I said also...

Silcnlayc: There must be more to this than what we are hearing for no one initiates something such as this unless requested by another or applying for credit or a credit line. So let us know if you receive the answer. Here are the numbers and email to them.

And so there is more to this than met the eye...As I said, this cannot be done arbitrarily without consent or knowledge unless it is to offer something or get something....

guesswest: Sorry for being such an alarmist, I should have read through the report properly before I posted.

Glad you gug deeper....because now everyone can relax...

.

 

[RedAndi]

Thanks for the feedback guys, but may have been a false alarm on my part. The query is on there, and looks like this:

Expired Image

But having just read the FAQ, which I should have done before posting, I note this:



So it looks like this should only be visible to me, and not to lenders. Sorry for being such an alarmist, I should have read through the report properly before I posted.

FWIW I have been trying to think which casino this was. The query was in July, which is around about the time CM added the list of WW casinos, or at least when I noticed it, so I played at a few different ones around that time. However, I'm pretty sure you need a UK address to run a UK credit report. I live in Malta now so I used my Maltese address everywhere I played, with one exception, Mirror casino. They told me I should register with my UK address (which I maintain) despite living in Malta because I wanted to use a UK credit card - so I'm not 100% sure but my best guess is that they are the casino that initiated the check.

Ok maybe I am reading this wrong, but to me it doesn't matter if it's only visible to YOU or to ALL with access. To me the alarming thing is that an online casino (or group) would have any reason to run a check or inquiry or whatever.
Or am I missing something?

 

[guesswest]

Ok maybe I am reading this wrong, but to me it doesn't matter if it's only visible to YOU or to ALL with access. To me the alarming thing is that an online casino (or group) would have any reason to run a check or inquiry or whatever.
Or am I missing something?

It is still alarming and pretty uncool, but it's orders of magnitude better that it is invisible except to me and won't impact my rating (assuming I read the blurb right). I assume this is just to confirm ID and the possibility that they might do it was either in the t&cs or covered by some checkbox I skimmed, but I think if they're going to use this method of ID verification they really need to make it front and centre so you just can't miss that you're okaying it.

If it is Mirror casino (not 100% sure on that) their casino standards are right on par with their journalism standards.

 

[rockycatt]

I just dont see WHY they would even do a creditcheck?

could be that they got different stats for target Rich players divided by there net [speculated ]worth

 

[guesswest]

could be that they got different stats for target Rich players divided by there net [speculated ]worth

If I thought that was the case I would be SERIOUSLY pissed. Likewise if they were contemplating offering me credit. I really suspect though that it was just a hamfisted ID check. But would certainly appreciated a WW rep clarifying.

 

[guesswest]

BTW if other UK WW players want to check if they've been subject to the same thing the credit agency is Experian and you can get a free credit report

You do not have permission to view link Log in or register now.

.

 

[bryand]

I thought you had to provide an SS number (at least for USA) to run a credit check.

Would be interesting to hear their reason for something that seems outrageous and is a violation of privacy.

Kinda hard to pull a credit report in the US without being provided a SSN unless you skip trace to get the number.

 

[vinylweatherman]

It's an ID check. The term would read like "we may request documents from you, or verify your ID by electronic means"

It is certainly NOT clear that these "electronic means" involve a type of "credit check", which is likely to confuse or worry those who regularly check their credit files, but do not understand what all the different types of entry are, why they are there, and who can see them.

You get to see EVERYTHING when you get a copy of your own file, as required by the Data Protection Act. Other people, usually companies, only get to see what is relevant to the type of inquiry they have made.

Credit agencies use the Electoral Roll to check names and addresses, so are an obvious choice for companies wanting to check that the name and address you have given them is true.

Casinos that use this method for checking ID are less reliant on getting documents from players, and may only want proof that you are that person, having already verified that a real name & address has been supplied, and not a fake one.

It might help if these was more specific information from casinos on how WE will perceive their "electronic ID checks" if we request our credit files.

 

[hitobito2005]

Guesswest, as Vinyl has said it's just an electronic ID check, they haven't pulled any info about you other than verifying that you exist.

I had one done by the first Wagerworks casino I signed upto back in 2005, I don't think they have run another check since then.

Apparantly it can't be seen by anyone but yourself.

I'm very much in favour of this system - i'd much rather have a company electronically check my ID instantly and not require me to send them documents over unsecure email to possibly unsecure employees.

 

[guesswest]

Guesswest, as Vinyl has said it's just an electronic ID check, they haven't pulled any info about you other than verifying that you exist.

I had one done by the first Wagerworks casino I signed upto back in 2005, I don't think they have run another check since then.

Apparantly it can't be seen by anyone but yourself.

I'm very much in favour of this system - i'd much rather have a company electronically check my ID instantly and not require me to send them documents over unsecure email to possibly unsecure employees.

I'd be surprised if this isn't correct, and I likewise don't necessarily mind them using this system had the information been clearer, but I really don't like that they do this without making it abundantly clear that they will and without explaining the process clearly. People are going to freak seeing an enquiry from a gambling provider on their CR. I'd also like for a WW rep to comment on this, and to make clear EXACTLY what information they can and can't see when they run this check.

 

[winbig]

I'd be surprised if this isn't correct, and I likewise don't necessarily mind them using this system had the information been clearer, but I really don't like that they do this without making it abundantly clear that they will and without explaining the process clearly. People are going to freak seeing an enquiry from a gambling provider on their CR. I'd also like for a WW rep to comment on this, and to make clear EXACTLY what information they can and can't see when they run this check.

What would happen to say, a bank employee, if their bosses or other bigwigs saw a gambling provider's inquiry on said employee's credit report? imo, they'd have a lot of explaining to do, and when they're trying to do so, they're looking like a total ass because they had no idea that an inquiry even existed. It just so happened that the OP keeps up with their credit report and caught it.

Even something as "small" as this issue can definitely cost someone their job or even keep them from getting a job with certain companies; at least that's how it is here in the USA. With so many people looking for work right now, employers are doing everything they can to weed out the "undesirables" in a legal manor, and something like this can be a great excuse for them.

 

[butterflyboogie]

My Opinion

I'd be surprised if this isn't correct, and I likewise don't necessarily mind them using this system had the information been clearer, but I really don't like that they do this without making it abundantly clear that they will and without explaining the process clearly. People are going to freak seeing an enquiry from a gambling provider on their CR. I'd also like for a WW rep to comment on this, and to make clear EXACTLY what information they can and can't see when they run this check.

I am going to put my opinion in here as well. First of all, if it is to verify who yu are then this needs to be stipulated when you sign up...and I am not talking about in all of the mumbo jumbo that is in the T & C. This needs to be something on the sign up page at the bottom that will clearly state "we use an electronic verification process in order to verify imformation. This will show up as an inquiry through Experian, however it will not affect your credit score." Something as simple as this would allow the person to decide whether this is something that he or she wanted to do.

This is not a matter of who can or can not see this information, it is about what "they" can see when the casino runs an inquiry on you. Information such as employment, income status, other credit statistics may be revealed and I would not want anyone or everyone having access to this information. I truly believe this is something that needs to be addressed immediately.

 

[hitobito2005]

What would happen to say, a bank employee, if their bosses or other bigwigs saw a gambling provider's inquiry on said employee's credit report?

It's not possible, unless the employee directly shows them. They cannot access the list of enquiries.

This is not a matter of who can or can not see this information, it is about what "they" can see when the casino runs an inquiry on you. Information such as employment, income status, other credit statistics may be revealed and I would not want anyone or everyone having access to this information. I truly believe this is something that needs to be addressed immediately.

They cannot see any of this information, it's not a credit check.

This info might only be revealed on a full credit check, which they are not doing.

 

[guesswest]

They cannot see any of this information, it's not a credit check.

This info might only be revealed on a full credit check, which they are not doing.

Are you sure about that or are you just assuming? Browsing through the Experian site I see different kinds of ID checks listed which show up with the same tag, which can include info ranging from bank account details to adverse financial history (defaults, CCJs) and even criminal history.

It's true that most basic and cheapest ID check verifies address details only, which if I was gambling man (obviously I am!) I'd put money on being the one they used. But it really needs to be made explicit by WW exactly the nature of the info obtained from the queries they use or reserve the right to use.

 

[P.V.]

I'm guessing anyone can see this on your credit report, of course when given permission to run a credit check. I mean you found it running a standard credit report, correct?


It's not going to hurt you unless someone puts 2 & 2 together and didn't feel comfortable with that type of activity. It was for ID only. I personally wouldn't like it showing on mine but it's done allot during registration which enables many to start playing now vs. sending in doc's prior to play.


Your post was the first I heard about it showing up on a credit report. I thought the pre-id checks were handled though verification software programs integrated into the casino registration. Such as 192business and others do.


I would email the site used and ask them if the report you received is the exact same as what would be looked at by an authorized 3rd. party if you tried to get a loan.

 

[footdr]

So the U.K. allows online gambling?

here in the u.s. only merchants that are membrers of the credit bureau can report. So are online gambling sites able to report to UK credit bureaus?

I would question their reporting.

Especially if they are considered an illegal business

 

[vinylweatherman]

here in the u.s. only merchants that are membrers of the credit bureau can report. So are online gambling sites able to report to UK credit bureaus?

I would question their reporting.

Especially if they are considered an illegal business

It's fully legal now under the new gambling act. It is defined as "remote gambling". Sites not on the whitelist may not directly MARKET through the media, but there is nothing illegal about a player finding out about them on the internet, and then playing there. The UK sees it as "buyer beware", leaving people to make their own minds up. Banks can refuse the transactions, but this is all about limiting their risk of ending up with bad debt, rather than the legality of processing such transactions.

Employers DO look at social activities, and can make judgements based upon them. It can make all the difference where it is hard to differentiate between a number of well qualified applicants.