What steps do online and land-based casinos take to verify their patrons? Discover what the gaming houses do to confirm that you are indeed who you say you are.
Before playing in a Japan online casino or a real-money gambling platform from any other part of the globe for that matter, you must undergo a verification process. All the gambling facilities running under the confines of the law will request verification at some point, as player verification is usually a jurisdictional requirement.
Mind you, even though online and offline casinos fundamentally have different operational structures, the verification processes are usually pretty similar. So, if you’ve ever had questions about how and why casinos verify their customers, read on for answers.
Getting Started
Perhaps to not freak you out, the verification process of most casinos usually starts lightly. This is especially true for an online casino, where you’ll be asked to confirm you are above the legal gambling age. You will then be asked to read the terms and conditions and confirm whether you agree with them before you can proceed to start using the platform. This part usually involves checking a few boxes, and you’ll be good to go.
At this point, the online casino does not prompt you for proof. Rather, you can play some games without being prompted for proof of age or any other stipulation. Offline brick-and-mortar casinos tend to operate differently, though with a request of an ID from the get-go in most cases.
Know Your Customer (KYC) Policies
The acronym ‘KYC’ is certainly one of the most used words you’ll come across in casino and banking circles or basically any industry that involves processing money. Simply put, the Know Your Customer stipulation is a requirement where casinos must know their clients for safety. It is one of the first steps of the verification process. It involves the casino knowing your age, name, address and social security number.
While there is an obvious need for the player to exercise discretion, the information provided here is vital to securing the casino. Gaming platforms usually ask for this information to ensure that you are in a jurisdiction where the site offers its services and that your identity is authentic. Otherwise, it would be super easy for money launderers to open several fake accounts, which they can use to conduct their dirty businesses.
Age Verification
Apart from compliance with the KYC policies, casinos are generally bound by the law to ensure that you meet the age requirements for gambling. There are some jurisdictions where having an ID isn’t enough; instead, you’d have to prove that you are beyond a certain age. You may be an ID holder at 18, for instance, yet the jurisdiction you reside in stipulates 21 as the legal age of gambling.
As such, age verification through your IDs is among the first checks casinos look out for to ensure they do not promote underage gambling. With offline casinos, you’ll simply be asked to produce your ID for this purpose. On the other hand, with online casinos, the ID verification may involve the casino asking for an upload of your scanned documents.
Verification of Payment Methods
Verifying payment methods in an offline casino is a pretty straightforward process. If you are using a card, for example, all you need to do is make a payment, which will reflect in the casino’s system. However, verifying payment methods when using online casinos is a different ball game altogether.
If, for instance, you top up your account with a bank card, the casino may ask for scans or photos of both sides of the card you used. Likewise, the online casino will request a bank statement for verification purposes if you have used a bank transfer. Regarding other online payment methods, the casino will require screenshots of Skrill, Neteller, Webmoney, and other profiles to verify the transactions.
We know the subject of money is a sensitive topic. As such, if you are not comfortable with providing all this information for online casinos, then an offline casino should suffice.
How Long Does the Verification Process Take?
The verification time is not standard in all casinos. It will tend to vary from casino to casino, but there are standard requirements that all legitimate casinos have in place. Should it be done electronically, then the process may take a matter of minutes. However, in the case of offline casinos where your documents need to be checked manually, the process may take a little longer.
For a smooth verification process, remember to comply with the casino staff. They are simply following the rules and want to ensure that everything checks out before giving you the green light. So, to ensure seamless verification in casinos, what you will need is as tabulated below:
| Verification Layer | Documents to Prove |
| Proof of age | National ID, driving license or passport |
| Proof of address | Recent utility bill or phone bill (within the last six months) |
| Tax filing purposes | Social security number |
| Proof of payment methods | ● Scan or take a photo of the card funding your account ● Screenshots of Skrill, Neteller or any other e-wallet ● Bank statements for a bank transfer |
