What is Know your customer?
Know your customer (KYC) is the set of checks operators carry out to verify a player's identity, age and address, and to assess their risk profile.
Typical KYC involves matching a customer's name, date of birth and address against electronic databases, and sometimes requesting documents such as a passport, driving licence or utility bill. In Great Britain, operators must verify age and identity before a customer can deposit or gamble.
KYC underpins anti-money laundering duties, age verification and safer gambling. It helps prevent underage gambling, fraud, use of stolen identities and play by self-excluded people.
Delays at the withdrawal stage, where extra documents are requested, are a frequent cause of player complaints. Regulators generally require checks to be done early rather than when a customer asks to withdraw winnings. Electronic checks are often completed within seconds at registration, while document checks can take longer. Data from KYC is also used to detect duplicate accounts and bonus fraud.