What is Source of funds?
Source of funds is a check in which an operator establishes where the money a customer is gambling comes from, such as salary, savings or an inheritance, to rule out crime or harm.
Operators may request bank statements, payslips or other evidence when a customer's spending reaches certain levels or appears inconsistent with their known circumstances. Source of wealth is a broader check covering how a customer built up their overall assets.
These checks serve both anti-money laundering and safer gambling goals. Many enforcement cases have involved customers who gambled large sums, sometimes stolen from employers, without the operator asking where the money came from.
Customers often find the checks intrusive, and the balance between protection and friction is a frequent subject of debate in UK gambling policy. Regulators expect checks to be proportionate to the level of risk, which means that most customers never face a request for documents. Operators record the evidence they receive and the decisions they make, so that regulators can review them later in compliance audits.