# KYC at online casinos, defined

> KYC means know your customer: the checks a licensed casino runs on who you are. What the term covers and where the detail sits on this site.

Source: https://seatcheck.uk/kyc-id-check/
Updated: 2026-11-13

KYC stands for know your customer: the set of checks a licensed casino makes on who you are, starting with your age and identity. This applies to operators licensed in Great Britain as of 13 November 2026. What is asked, and when, depends on the operator's checks and the rule that applies at each stage.

## What the term covers

KYC is an umbrella name, not a single check. The Gambling Commission's own guide is titled Age, ID and financial verification, and that is the grouping we follow.

- Age: is the customer 18 or over?
- Identity: who is the customer?
- Financial: checks tied to money, where an operator needs them.

We have not summarised the financial part in detail on this page.

**Takeaway:** KYC is a family of checks: age, identity and financial.

## Which rule applies at which stage

Two licence rules set the pre-play floor, and they are separate.

- Age must be verified before a deposit, free play or any bet (SR 3.2.11).
- Name, address and date of birth must be verified before you play (LC 17.1.1).

We do not retell the rule texts here. The full reading is on [what LC 17.1.1 and SR 3.2.11 require before you play](https://seatcheck.uk/identity-checks-before-play/).

**Takeaway:** the before-play rules are SR 3.2.11 for age and LC 17.1.1 for identity.

## When more is asked later

Operators can ask for documents again around a withdrawal. Which documents, and why, sits on [ID checks before a payout](https://seatcheck.uk/id-checks-before-withdrawal/).

If a payout stays in a waiting state, see [what a pending withdrawal means](https://seatcheck.uk/what-pending-withdrawal-means/). A short list to prepare in advance is on [the first-withdrawal checklist](https://seatcheck.uk/before-first-withdrawal-checklist/).

**Takeaway:** this page defines the term; the stage-by-stage detail lives on the linked pages.

## The source we use

The Gambling Commission publishes a guide for players called [Age, ID and financial verification](https://www.gamblingcommission.gov.uk/public-and-players/guide/age-and-id-verification). It is the base for this definition.

We have not recorded any operator's own KYC wording on this page. Where we do, it will carry the operator's page and a date.

**Takeaway:** the definition rests on the regulator's guide, not on an operator's help page.

## FAQ

**What does KYC stand for?**

Know your customer. At a casino it means the checks the operator makes on your age, identity and, where needed, your finances.

**Is KYC the same as the age check?**

The age check is one part of it. Operators must verify age before a deposit, free play or any bet, under SR 3.2.11.

**What must be verified before I play?**

Your name, address and date of birth, under LC 17.1.1. We explain that rule on its own page.

**Where are the documents for a payout covered?**

On the page about ID checks before a withdrawal, which keeps document types and timing apart from this definition.