KYC and verification: what casinos will ask for, when, and how to get it over with

Why operators ask

Know Your Customer, or KYC, is the process by which an operator confirms that you are who you say you are, that you are old enough to gamble, that you live where you say you live and that the payment method you are using is yours. Regulators require it for anti-money-laundering and age-verification reasons, and a licensed operator has no choice about running it. What it does have a choice about is when it asks, what it asks for and how long it takes — and those choices are what separate a smooth experience from a frustrating one.

In our testing we go through verification on every account from scratch, logging what was requested, when and how long approval took. This guide describes what we found and what you can do to make the process as painless as possible.

The three standard documents

Nearly every operator asks for the same three things. Proof of identity is a government-issued photo document: a passport, a driving licence or a national identity card. Proof of address is a document showing your name and address, dated within the last three months: a utility bill, a bank statement or a council tax letter. Proof of payment method is a photo of the card you used, with the middle digits covered, or a screenshot of the e-wallet account showing your name.

Some operators ask for a selfie, either holding your identity document or through an automated liveness check. Some ask for source-of-funds evidence, such as a payslip or bank statement, but usually only above a deposit threshold or where play patterns trigger a review. In our tests, no operator on our list asked for source-of-funds documents at the deposit levels we used.

When the request comes

The timing varies, and it matters. Some operators verify at registration, using an automated check against electoral and credit databases, and only ask for documents if that fails. Others allow deposits and play immediately and ask for documents at the first withdrawal. A few ask at a deposit threshold. The first approach is the least disruptive, because the question is settled before any money is involved. The second is the most common source of complaints, because a player who has just won is told to wait while documents are reviewed.

Among the operators we list, Altura, NovaBet and Solstice ran automated checks at registration and asked for documents from only one of our testers. Orbit Casino and PrimeLuck asked at first withdrawal. Vertex asked at registration for all documents before allowing a deposit, which is slower to start but meant no delay later.

How long it took us

From document upload to approval, the fastest operators in our October round were Altura and NovaBet, both under an hour during business hours. Solstice and Orbit Casino approved within the same working day. Lumina and PrimeLuck took one to two working days, and one of our Orbit Casino testers was asked for a second proof of address after the first was rejected for being a screenshot rather than a PDF. That last point is worth noting: most operators want a complete document, not a crop, and many reject screenshots.

These timings are for clean submissions. A blurred photo, an expired document or a bill older than three months will be rejected and the clock restarts.

What is normal and what is not

It is normal to be asked for the three standard documents, for a selfie and, at higher deposit levels, for evidence of where your money comes from. It is normal for a withdrawal to be held until verification is complete. It is normal to be asked to re-verify if your address or payment method changes.

It is not normal to be asked for documents repeatedly without explanation, to have a withdrawal held for weeks “pending verification” with no specific request, to be asked for documents only after a large win when smaller withdrawals went through unverified, or to be asked for login details to your bank or e-wallet. The last is never legitimate. The others are grounds for a formal complaint and, if unresolved, escalation to the regulator. Our complaints guide explains how.

Getting it over with

Verify before you deposit. Every operator on our list lets you upload documents from the account page at any time, and an account verified on day one turns a first withdrawal from a two-day wait into a two-hour one. Prepare the three documents in advance as clear, complete photographs or PDFs. Use the same name and address on every document and on your account. If you play regularly, keep your proof of address current by downloading a fresh statement every couple of months. And if you change your card, upload the new one before you deposit with it.

Verification is tedious, but it is the price of a regulated market and a reasonably reliable predictor of how an operator will behave in a dispute. An operator that verifies you promptly and politely is usually one that pays promptly and politely too.

Frequently asked questions

Is it safe to send my passport to a casino?

A licensed operator is required to store documents securely and delete them after a set period. Upload through the account page, never by email or chat, and cover the middle digits of any card.

Can I play before verification is complete?

At most operators, yes, up to a limit. Withdrawals are held until verification completes, which is why we recommend verifying first.

Why was my proof of address rejected?

Usually because it was a screenshot or crop rather than a full document, was older than three months or showed a different address format. Upload the complete PDF or a clear photo of the whole page.

Sources

• Licence conditions and codes of practice (2026 edition) (Example Gambling Commission)
• Altura help centre: account verification (Altura (fictional))