Why do you need to provide ID and verify your betting account yet you can just walk into a high street bookie or casino and place a bet unchallenged? Well, despite popular belief, this has nothing to do with the government getting its tax or the industry keeping track of you, it is all to do with protecting minors and vulnerable people from gambling and preventing fraud and money laundering.

Confirming the age, location and residential status of a customer is legal requirement of possessing a UK gambling licence and betting sites are obliged to collect this information. In many instances this information is verified without you knowing through processes called soft credit checks. Whether automatic or manual these checks are largely in place to prevent bookmakers being used for the proceeds of crime.

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In this article we will discuss the law behind verification and the reasons why it exists. We will tell you what types of ID are suitable, how long you should expect to wait and what to do if your verification has been refused and you think this is unfair.

ID & Verification:

New Age Verification Rules For Online Gambling 2019

In early 2019 the UK Gambling commission announced changes to age verification procedure for UK licensed operators. Up to that point gambling businesses were required to verify age within 3 days and could not allow customers to withdraw until they did so. Now however brands must verify the age of a user before a deposit or first bet can be made, even if that is with a free bet or bonus.

The principle aim of this is to prevent children from gambling, prior to this someone under 18 could in theory gamble online even if they eventually cannot withdraw, now all customers who fund an account or bet will be pre-vetted. The rules also extend to free to play games, such as slot demos, with all sites that offer these now required to verify age first, while this is not gambling the GC argue that there is no legitimate reason children should play them as they can lead directly to gambling.

The effect on the customer may be a longer delay between signing up to a site and being able to deposit and bet. Many age verification checks are quick and serious operators will be able to turn this around pretty fast.

Why Do I Need To provide ID and verify my betting account?

Age Verification

Age verification is the primary reason behind the need to verify an online betting account. When you walk into a betting shop or a casino the cashier will visually check your appearance and will make a decision if you are under age or not. If they think you might be they will ask for ID to confirm this. The exact same process is required for an online bookie or casino, except they obviously cannot make a visual assessment, so they must ask everyone for ID, whether you look 18 or 81.

You must be 18 to gamble in the UK and this must be verified by licensed operators in order for you to deposit, bet and and ultimately withdraw any funds. If you are on the electoral roll at the address you provide to the bookie then this can often be checked automatically, if not you will need to send in a proof of age such as a passport.

Fraud and Money Laundering

Certain unscrupulous characters may decide to get rid of their ill-gotten gains by wagering this online and then withdrawing any cash as 'clean money'. On average most bets and games pay out well over 90%, for money launders giving a few percent away to the bookie in exchange for clean cash is a godsend.

The bookmaker or casino may therefore ask you to confirm your identification beyond the usual background checks. This doesn't mean they suspect you of money laundering or fraud. You may have been selected at random, have a similar name to someone connected to criminal activity or the operator has not been able to obtain sufficient information from your background check.

In terms of fraud, if the bookie suspects there is even a remote chance that the banking method you are using may not belong to you then they will ask for further ID. This will commonly occur if your card or payment account is not registered at the same address as the one you provided to the betting site.

You may find that you have been playing with a betting site for some time before they ask you for further verification. This will likely be because you've make a large deposit or withdrawal that is either out of character or hits a threshold set by the bookmakers.

Suspecting you of something is very different to judging you to have done something. Betting companies can suspend accounts and refuse to pay out if they suspect criminal activity, this doesn't however mean you have no right to appeal. You should be given every opportunity to prove you are who you say you are and to that end any disputed funds will be held pending the resolution of a complaint. There are third party sources that can help to mediate these complains and defined laws regarding how cases should be judged.

What is the Law Behind Verification?

Many years ago an online betting site could basically do what they liked, many were unregulated but as the industry grew this was progressively abused. The Gambling Act of 2005 for the first time made it illegal to operate an unlicensed online bookmaker in the UK, this was the first major piece of legislation since the Gambling Act of 1960 that made off course betting legal.

The act states that operators in the UK must prevent crime and fraud, promote an open and honest industry and ultimately protect vulnerable people. Part of this requires bookies to check age and verify ID and funding sources. The act also brought into being the UK Gambling Commission, an independent body part of the governments department of culture. The body have the power to issue and revoke licences and issue legal action and penalties against operators that do not follow the law.

In 2014 the act was amended to make the law more stringent. It now became illegal to operate in the UK without a licence even if you are bases abroad. This is why you have to verify your account whoever you bet with irrespective of their location. The law also enforced stronger rules on the promotion of responsible gambling and protection of vulnerable people.

Read more about this in our guide to UK gambling licensing and law.

What Type of ID do I need and How do I Provide it?

The precise ID methods vary between operators, some ask for much more than others. At the most basic level you will be asked for your name, a UK registered address and a payment method. If your payment method is a UK bank account registered at the same address then it is highly likely that this may be all that you need to provide.

The betting site will then cross check your address against the electoral roll, if you are registered at this address then your account should be verified. When you sign up you will also tick a box to say you've read the T&C's that state you are over 18 years of age, you are who you say you are and that you are not using laundered or fraudulent funds.

If you are not on the electoral roll, for example by not being a UK citizen, or you have registered at a different address to the one used for your payment method, the you may be asked for further ID. This may also happen if you hit a payment or withdrawal threshold after a period of betting

Note that a bookie may allow to bet without verifying an account but they will not let you withdraw until you do so. It really does make sense to think about this in advance. Unverified accounts are the main reason betting sites refuse to pay out.

Generally you will need to provide:

Photo ID – Driving licence, passport (photo and cover page) o

Betting Apps Without Verification