Nobody enjoys being asked for a passport photo halfway through a withdrawal. We would rather explain why it happens than let it arrive as an unpleasant surprise, so this page from Vinyl Casino covers our anti-money laundering work and the identity checks that go with it. Both are conditions of our licence, and both apply to every account without exception.
Money laundering is the process of pushing criminal proceeds through legitimate businesses until the origin is buried. Casinos handle deposits and payouts at volume, which makes them a target for exactly that. Our job is to make the platform a poor choice for anyone trying it.
Our AML programme
We operate under a licence from the Anjouan Gaming Board, number ALSI-142411011-FI2, and the obligations attached to it shape how this programme runs. Controls are built around the risks specific to online casino play rather than copied from a generic template. They are reviewed on a regular cycle and updated when something changes.
The programme rests on a few working parts that support each other:
- Risk assessment carried out before an account relationship is established, and repeated as circumstances change
- Ongoing monitoring of deposits, gameplay, and withdrawal patterns for anything that does not fit
- Record keeping covering transactions and decisions, retained for the periods our licence requires
- Internal reporting duties for staff who form a suspicion during their work
- Cooperation with regulators and law enforcement where a lawful request is made
Staff are required to report knowledge or suspicion of laundering or terrorist financing through internal channels, and doing so is not optional. Reports are handled confidentially and assessed by the people responsible for compliance. Where an obligation exists to notify an authority, that obligation is met.
Monitoring and risk management
Automated systems and human review work together, because neither catches everything on its own. Deposit patterns that look unusual for an account, rapid turnover with minimal play, and sudden changes in behaviour all draw attention. Attention does not mean an accusation, it means somebody takes a proper look.
Particular scrutiny goes to accounts where the money moving through does not match the gambling taking place. That pattern is a classic laundering signal, and it gets examined closely every time. Where a concern remains after review, we can restrict the account, pause transactions, and escalate as our obligations require.
Know Your Customer
By accepting our terms you accept that we will verify who you are, which is what KYC means in practice. The checks confirm your identity, your age, and that the payment methods on the account genuinely belong to you. They also protect you, since an account nobody can impersonate is far harder to steal.
Verification is normally requested before a first withdrawal, and it can be triggered at other points as well. Documents are uploaded through the secure area of your account and never by email. Our support team will never ask for a password or a one-time code, and any message that does is not from us.
What we ask for
The standard set is short and predictable, and most players complete it in one sitting:
- Proof of identity, meaning a government-issued document such as a passport, driving licence, or provincial ID card
- Proof of address, usually a recent utility bill or bank statement showing your name and residence
- Proof of payment method, such as a redacted card image or a statement matching the account used
- Source of funds information, requested where the size or pattern of transactions makes it necessary
Documents need to be current, legible, and complete, since a cropped or expired file simply sends the process back a step. Reviews are usually finished within a short period once everything readable has arrived. A fully verified account is the fastest account to withdraw from, every time.
When checks are not completed
An account that does not complete verification cannot withdraw, and that is not a penalty invented for the occasion. We are required to know who we are paying before we release funds, and no exception exists for a player in a hurry. Providing information that turns out to be false can lead to suspension or closure.
Anyone found to be under the legal age in their province has their account closed and any wagers voided, with deposits handled according to our terms. Attempts to gamble through someone else’s account, or on behalf of another person, are treated the same way. These outcomes are unpleasant, which is precisely why we tell you about them before they happen rather than after.
