KYC (know your customer)
KYC (know your customer) is the identity check where a casino asks for documents such as a passport and proof of address, often before it pays a withdrawal.
Also called KYC, know your customer, identity verification, ID check
KYC is how a casino confirms who you are, how old you are and where you live. It is part of the anti-money laundering rules that licensed gambling businesses must follow. Typical requests are a photo ID, a selfie, a recent proof of address and, for larger sums, proof of where the money came from.
Example. You sign up with only an email, deposit crypto and play. You win and ask to withdraw. The casino now asks for your passport and a utility bill, and holds the withdrawal until it has checked them.
What people get wrong. "No KYC" almost never means "never". Most casinos that let you start without documents keep the right, in their terms, to ask for them at any time. The usual moment is a large withdrawal. If you cannot pass, for example because you live in a country the casino does not accept, your money can be stuck.
Rules differ by licence. In Great Britain, online casinos must verify your name, address and date of birth before you can gamble at all.
Tip
Read the terms on verification and restricted countries before you deposit, and sign up with your real details.
Related terms
- AML (anti-money laundering)
AML (anti-money laundering) is the set of laws and checks that make casinos confirm who their customers are and where their money comes from.
- Curaçao licence
A Curaçao licence is a permit to run online gambling issued by the Curaçao Gaming Authority, the regulator that many crypto casinos operate under.
- Custodial wallet
A custodial wallet is one where a company holds the private keys and controls the crypto for you, as an exchange or a casino account does.
- Bonus abuse
Bonus abuse is a casino's term for claiming or playing bonuses in ways its rules forbid, such as opening more than one account.
- Self-exclusion
Self-exclusion is a tool that lets you ask a casino to block you from gambling with it for a set period or for good.