The online gambling market continues to grow year after year at an unprecedented rate. Celebrity endorsements, quality casino games, ease of use, mobile access, and legalization are all aspects contributing to this trend.
However, everyone needs to start by creating an online casino account before entering this fascinating space. Although the online casino registration process doesn’t require a Ph.D. to complete, there are a few steps you must carefully take to avoid hustles later on.
Since we review online casinos and always strive to get you registered only at the best sites, we thought a guide to ease the process should help. Continue below for the main steps you must take to open an online casino account, requirements, key aspects, and verification policies.
Requirements to Create a New Online Casino Account
With thousands of online casinos one click away from you, how do you find the one you should register with and what requirements must you satisfy to be accepted?
For starters, you must ensure you are eligible to register at the online casino. Aspects relating to this include:
- Age – most online casinos require users to be 18 or 21 + to be eligible to play. The limit is determined by the jurisdiction and is verified to protect minors from online gambling.
- Location – except for a few unlicensed or poorly regulated online casinos accepting whoever wants to sign up with them, online gambling sites are licensed and regulated in specific jurisdictions. For instance, MGA online casinos can operate mainly in Europe, Asia, and selected parts of the US. UKGC casinos tend to offer their services to the same locations plus the UK. US online casinos are either licensed offshore, like Curacao, Costa Rica, and Panama, or by selected states. It is paramount that you verify the online casino license to be protected if things go south since online casino regulatory bodies mediate and resolve potential issues.
If you meet those two criteria, make sure you have the following documents and information at hand to be able to prove your eligibility when required:
- Email address
- ID, passport, or social security number
- An official statement or bill proving your home address
- An official document from the banking method used to gamble to prove ownership
- Access to the internet
- A phone that you can use for selfies
Got everything at hand? Then proceed with the following steps.
Step-by-step Online Casino Registration Process
If you fulfill the above requirements and have the highlighted documents handy, creating your online casino should take less than 2 minutes. Here is a quick summary of the process:
- Find an online casino
- Visit the online casino
- Complete the registration process
- Verify your submitted information
- Claim a bonus and start playing
Find the right online casino for you
The first is also the most crucial step in online casino gaming. Joining an unregulated or rogue online casino because you like their bonuses or games is not a wise choice.
During this process, you source the online casino with personal information and are likely to add money to your account. If an online casino is not subject to any outside authority, why would they stick to their promises and pay out any winnings?
Our team works around the clock to review online casinos for players in various jurisdictions, ensuring their house is in order. Every online casino that makes it to our lists is licensed for your country, has a long track record of successful and honest operations, is secured through encryption, supports safe payment options and quick payouts, and of course hosts tested and fair games.
Since the priorities of every player differ, you are better off reading our reviews and comparing the services before settling for one. Still, all listed operators are safe to register with and ensure a solid gaming experience.
Find your way to the online casino
After settling on an online casino, you should visit it through our banners. This step might seem trivial but ensures you find your way to the official online casino. In addition, our links and highlighted codes often unlock exclusive deals you wouldn’t get if you deposited directly.
When on the online or mobile casino, you must click on the registration area. It is sometimes accessible through a ‘Sign-Up’ or ‘Play Now’ button, mainly varying based on what the operators find suitable.
Submit the necessary information
The online casino registration form might be presented on a long single form, or several smaller forms separated by 3 – 5 steps. Some online casinos let you register almost automatically by entering an email and password or through social media, but all will eventually require the following information:
- First and last name
- Email address
- Username (might be your email)
- Password
- Phone number
- Country and home address
- Zip code
- Date of birth
- Gender
- Security Questions
- Bonus code (optional)
- Acceptance of subscriptions to newsletters, marketing emails, etc. (optional)
- Confirmation that you meet the online casino registration requirements (country/age)
Even if some of the above information is not required during registration, the online casino will ask you to submit it via your profile.
Verify your new account
After submitting the registration form you will most likely be allowed to play. A few countries force online casinos to conduct KYC checks instantly, like the UK. In most cases, you simply need to seal your registration by entering a text message PIN code or clicking on an email verification link.
Additional verification will certainly be required before your first casino withdrawal as part of the casino’s KYC process. We explain this at a later stage of our guide.
Claim an online casino sign-up bonus or deposit to play
When you are through the online casino sign-up process, you have three options:
- Leave and return to play at a later point.
- Play for free instantly in demo mode or by redeeming a free sign-up bonus.
- Make a deposit to play casino games for real money, and potentially claim the welcome bonus.
Only a few online casinos offer free money on registration, usually after you use our links or redeem a no deposit promo code through the cashier. Free play using free chips is great since it lets you test the service without committing any money; if you complete the wagering requirements you might also manage to win some cash out of thin air.
However, in most cases, players will need to visit the cashier section and make their first deposit. All online casinos offer lucrative real money bonuses when you do so, which is another benefit of online casinos over land-based venues.
To make a deposit, you must select one of the supported payment methods. These include e-wallets, credit and debit cards, prepaid cards, Crypto, and even more options. The selection as the minimum casino deposit limit depends on the casino, but usually, you can start with $10.
Simply input your banking information, submit the payment, and the funds should appear in your new online casino account within seconds.
Potential Issues
The online casino registration process usually finishes without any issues. The most common problems tend to arise when the player is unable to prove their submitted info. However, some issues that might arise include:
- The online casino not loading; ensure you are not using a VPN and you can legally access the operator. Make sure you are connected to the internet.
- The registration details are not accepted; make sure you are not already registered and are appropriately inputting all details, including username requirements like caps, letters, and numbers.
If you are doing everything correctly, contact us or the online casino customer support team via email or live chat and check with them. If all fails, simply choose an alternative online casino from this page and try again.
Are Online Casinos Safe to Register?
Online casinos have come a long way since they first appeared in the 1990s. Regulatory authorities, labs testing games, secure online payment systems, clear and fair terms and conditions, responsible gambling tools, customer services, KYC checks, and other aspects ensure online casino gaming is as safe as possible.
Rogue online casinos do exist and often don’t look like one. There have been countless instances in which one of our experts signed up and played online casino games to only encounter problems after their fourth withdrawal request. Reading the fine print, recognizing legit games and providers, and reviewing players’ testimonials is paramount – and our team verifies everything more than once, and we even check ourselves within our team.
What I am getting at is that online casinos can be extremely safe if you know where to look. We suggest either becoming an expert through our guides and resources or simply relying on our recommendations when looking to create a new online casino account.
Enabling Online Casino Account Withdrawals: KYC Verification
Although there is a lot of talk about the KYC process, it is actually only required once at every online casino and is simple to complete.
Before we get into the specifics, you should know that Know Your Customer policies are standard across all online businesses managing payments, mainly to ensure the following:
- The person making the payment is the owner of the bank account
- They have the right to make gambling payments, like being over a specific age
- Protect services from being involved in money laundering activities
- Ensure each player has one account only; some users tend to abuse casino bonus codes
To that end, online casinos verify each registered user’s main info, usually before the first withdrawal. Online casinos request one or more of the following:
- A recent utility bill or official document showcasing your home address
- Bank statement or a statement/photo of the banking method used
- ID, Passport, Driver’s License, or SSN proving your age and name
- Selfie holding the identification document
- Credit card authorization statement
Users must submit photo evidence of the above in the relevant casino section or email them to the support team. Processing times vary from instant to three days. Users failing to meet the specific requirements for each document might be asked to resubmit them. These have to do with the image size, clarity of the text/photo, etc.
After the verification is completed, players can visit the cashier section and withdraw any cashable funds without any other hoops to go through.
No verification online casinos do exist but are breaking the law and are likely to trick you too, so avoid them at all costs. Another thing to keep in mind is that failing to complete the KYC for a certain amount of time after being prompted by the casino to do so can result in account closure.
Conclusion
The above guide is pretty long, considering the actual registration process takes less than a minute. However, our team has tried to provide a clear set of steps and guidelines to stick to so you don’t face any problems down the road.
Always make sure to carefully evaluate every online casino before you submit your information there, and happy gaming!
