Why a betting site asks for ID
The Gambling Commission says all online gambling businesses must ask you to prove your age and identity before you gamble [1]. It gives three main reasons: to check you are old enough, to check whether you have self-excluded, and to confirm your identity [1].
Businesses can often match your account against records held by credit referencing agencies and on the electoral roll. If that is not enough, you are asked for copies of identification documents [1].
The Commission gives passports, driving licences and household bills as examples of what can be asked for. It does not say which types of information a business should ask for [1].
What must be checked before you gamble
Licence condition 17 is the identity rule. A licensee must obtain and verify information to establish a customer's identity before that customer is permitted to gamble. The information must include, but is not limited to, the customer's name, address and date of birth [2].
The Commission's July 2019 notice says this means a licensee must have verified, as a minimum, the name, address and date of birth of any customer, new or existing, before that customer gambles [3].
Age has its own rule, in the social responsibility code for remote licences. The business must verify a customer's age before the customer can deposit any funds, use any try-out versions of gambling games it offers, or gamble using their own money or a bet or bonus the business gives them [4]. The code also tells businesses to warn potential customers that underage gambling is an offence [4].
What you should be told before you deposit
Before permitting a deposit, a licensee should tell you which types of identity document or other information it may need, the circumstances in which it might need them, and the form and manner in which they should be provided [2]. The same condition requires it to take reasonable steps to keep the identity information it holds on you accurate [2].
The rule on withdrawals
Licence condition 17 says a request to withdraw funds must not lead to a demand for additional information as a condition of withdrawal if the licensee could reasonably have asked for it earlier. The condition does not stop a licensee seeking information it must obtain at that time under another legal obligation [2].
"Additional information" means anything beyond what is needed to verify name, address and date of birth [3].
| Situation | What the Commission says |
|---|---|
| A business wants more information because it has spotted a risk | It should ask promptly, based on its risk assessment, and should not leave the request until the point of withdrawal. |
| A risk only emerges later, such as a money laundering concern, or another enforcement body requires the business to terminate transactions until information is verified | The exception can apply, because the business must obtain the information at that time. |
| The information could reasonably have been asked for earlier | The business cannot rely on the exception. |
| A withdrawal is delayed because ID is not yet verified | The business may be in breach of licence condition 17 and may face regulatory action. |
Source: Gambling Commission notice of 5 July 2019 and its guide to age, ID and financial verification.
Your money while checks are under way
The Commission's notice also says operators cannot confiscate a customer's funds on the basis that they have not provided ID [3].
It reports the Competition and Markets Authority's view that consumers are legally entitled to money they have deposited, to winnings made with money they deposited and gambled, and to winnings made from a bonus where the relevant conditions have been met. That is subject to anti-money laundering or other regulatory requirements [3].
Selfies, bank statements and timing
- How long checks take. The Commission cannot give a timescale. If a business can verify you electronically it may be instant, and asking for documents takes longer [1].
- Selfies. A business may ask for one if it thinks there may be fraudulent activity on your account, for example where someone has opened an account using another person's details. It should not ask at withdrawal if it could have asked sooner, unless a legal requirement means it must [1].
- Bank statements and income. The Commission says businesses may ask for them to check that your source of funds is legitimate, as part of anti-money laundering checks, and to help them tell whether a customer is gambling with money they do not have [1].
If a withdrawal is held up
The first two steps below are our practical suggestions. The third is the Commission's advice.
- Ask the business in writing what information it needs, why it needs it and when it is asking for it. Keep the reply.
- Compare the request with the rule above. The question is whether it could reasonably have asked you before you withdrew.
- Contact the business directly if you are unhappy about what you are asked to provide, and follow its complaints process. This is the Commission's advice [1].
- If the complaint is not settled, how to complain about a gambling business covers the steps after that, including the independent dispute resolution providers.
These rules bind licensed businesses. Before you open an account, check the business's licence. Some brands have their own page with their register entry, such as Betway or Unibet.
If gambling is a problem
Safer gambling and help lists the National Gambling Helpline and other support. A held-up withdrawal can be stressful; if gambling is causing harm you can talk to someone today.
Sources
The numbers in the text point to these pages. Each was opened on the date shown.
- Gambling Commission, Age, ID and financial verification (page last updated 13 April 2022). Read 16 October 2026.
- Gambling Commission, LCCP 17.1.1 Customer identity verification. Read 16 October 2026.
- Gambling Commission, New licence condition on customer identity verification (5 July 2019, page last updated 12 January 2024). Read 16 October 2026.
- Gambling Commission, LCCP 3.2.11 Remote SR code. Read 16 October 2026.
About this guide
Published by Avenmark Media. A separate pass re-opened every source above and checked each claim against it, on . A second, independent check compared a sample of the claims with the same sources. How we research and correct our pages.
Found a mistake? Email [email protected]. We correct the page, change its updated date and say what changed.