UKGM respond about Kassu casino
Dear Sir/Madam,
Thank you for contacting the Gambling Commission regarding Kassu Casino operating under Genesis Global Limited.
From the information you have provided, we understand you have sent in your ID documents but you have found it difficult for the operator to verify your account. As well as this you have asked for your account to be closed and you feel that the operator is attempting to change your mind.
Firstly It may help to explain the role of the Commission. We undertake activities to ensure that all commercial gambling operators who hold a licence under The Gambling Act 2005 comply with both the legislation and the Licence Conditions and Codes of Practice (LCCP). Our role is therefore to consider whether there has been a breach of the licence conditions.
Before the new ID verification legislation that came in to effect on 7th May 2019, online gambling businesses were allowed 72 hours to carry out age verification checks. This meant there was a risk that under-age or vulnerable people could be allowed to gamble during this period. The new legislation has been introduced in an effort to reduce these risks.
In order to adhere to the new legislation operators must now verify a consumers age before they are allowed to deposit funds into an account. Operators may be able to do this by using electronic checks, such as checking credit referencing agencies and the electoral role. Consumers may not be asked for documentation to prove their age if operators can verify them this way.
A consumer will be able to deposit once the operator has verified that they are over 18. The next stage is for the operator to verify the consumer’s identity, which means their name, date of birth and address. Again, the operator may be able to verify these details electronically. Where the operator cannot obtain sufficient information they may ask the consumer to provide personal identification documents, such as a passport, driving licence and other documents that prove their identity, date of birth and address.
If an operator has allowed an individual to deposit funds and gamble, and has only attempted ID verification when they requested a withdrawal, they are in breach of their licence conditions. We would advise asking the operator why you have only been asked to complete the ID verification at the withdrawal stage.
Please see here for more information on the new ID verification regulations.
We would advise if you have not done already done so, you will need to raise a full formal complaint following the internal complaints procedure (section 32)
We must remind you that as of the 31st October 2018, all of our licenced operators now have 8 weeks to respond to formal complaints. If the operator cannot resolve your complaint, they must refer you to the Alternative Dispute Resolution service (ADR). If the operator cannot or does not do this, this could be considered a breach in their licencing conditions. If this occurs, please bring this to our attention.
Further help and assistance can be found here about how to complain.
Thank you for bringing this matter to our attention. For now we have made a record of your complaint for compliance purposes. This is a valuable source of information and can help us identify what licence holders are doing well and where there may be a requirement to change the Licence Codes and Conditions of practice to make operators more compliant.
Your Gambling Commission reference number is; 1-187654717
To help us to continually improve our service, we would be grateful if you could complete our short online survey. Please click on the following link should you wish to complete the survey: https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/63RPKWN
Yours sincerely,
Marianne Mason
Contact Team Advisor
GAMBLING COMMISSION
Victoria Square House
Victoria Square
Birmingham B2 4BP
Tel: 0121 230 6666
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