AML and Verification at Spinshark Casino
Every account on our platform is subject to anti-money-laundering (AML) and Know Your Customer (KYC) checks. This page explains exactly what we verify, when we verify it, which documents we ask for and what happens if a check cannot be completed. We are owned by Sharkwave N.V. and licensed by the Curaçao Gaming Control Board, and we operate our verification programme to the standards that licence requires.
Our Anti-Money Laundering Commitment
We hold our licence from the Curaçao Gaming Control Board, and that licence obliges us to prevent our platform from being used to launder criminal proceeds or to finance terrorism. Since our launch in 2023 we have maintained a written AML programme covering customer due diligence, transaction monitoring, suspicious activity reporting and staff training, and we review it annually against the current rules of our licence jurisdiction.
In practice this means three things for you. First, we must know who you are before we pay out money. Second, we must be able to explain where funds in and out of your account came from and went to. Third, where we suspect money laundering or terrorist financing, we are legally required to report our concerns to the relevant financial intelligence authority and we may be prohibited from telling you that a report was made.
- Customer due diligence at registration, at withdrawal and at set financial thresholds
- Ongoing monitoring of deposits, wagers and withdrawals across the account lifecycle
- Screening of customers against sanctions and politically exposed person (PEP) lists
- Internal reporting of suspicious activity to our Money Laundering Reporting Officer
Know Your Customer Verification
When we verify you
Verification happens at three points. At registration we run electronic identity and address checks against independent data sources; most players pass these without uploading anything. Before your first withdrawal we complete full KYC, because we are required to verify identity, address and payment method ownership before releasing funds. We also run enhanced checks whenever your cumulative deposits reach thresholds set by our AML programme, or whenever monitoring flags unusual activity on your account.
| Check | When | What we need |
|---|---|---|
| Identity | Registration and first withdrawal | Valid photo ID: passport, driving licence or national ID card |
| Address | Registration and first withdrawal | Utility bill, bank statement or council tax bill dated within 3 months |
| Payment method | First withdrawal | Photo of the card (first 6 and last 4 digits visible) or screenshot of the e-wallet or crypto wallet showing your name |
| Enhanced due diligence | Thresholds or risk triggers | Additional documents agreed case by case with our compliance team |
Accepted documents
Documents must be valid, legible, unedited and show your full name matching the name on your account. We accept JPG, PNG and PDF files up to 10 MB each. We cannot accept documents in a name other than the account holder's, and we cannot open accounts or pay withdrawals to third parties under any circumstances.
How We Verify Your Account
The process is deliberately short so that verified players are not kept waiting. Most document checks are completed within 24 hours of upload, and straightforward cases are often cleared in under an hour during business hours. If we need a clearer image or an additional document, we contact you by email and pause the clock until you respond.
- Upload your documents through the secure Verification section of your account, never by email or live chat.
- Our compliance team checks each document for validity, legibility and consistency with your account details.
- If anything is unclear, we tell you exactly what to resend; we never reject a document without a stated reason.
- Once approved, your account is marked as verified and your withdrawal is released to the queue for processing.
- E-wallet and crypto withdrawals are processed within 0 to 24 hours; card and bank transfer withdrawals take 1 to 3 business days.
How your documents are protected
Uploads are transferred over TLS encryption and stored on access-controlled servers in the European Union. Only authorised members of our compliance team can view verification documents, every access is logged, and we never share your documents with third parties except where we are legally obliged to do so by our regulator or a competent authority.
Source of Funds Checks
A source of funds check asks you to show where the money you deposited actually came from. We request it when your deposit pattern suggests funds beyond what your declared profile would predict, when a single deposit or a run of deposits exceeds our internal thresholds, or when monitoring flags activity consistent with layering of funds. High-rollers, players depositing in cryptocurrency and politically exposed persons are also asked as standard.
Acceptable evidence includes recent payslips, a tax return or tax notice, a pension or benefits award letter, audited company accounts if you are self-employed, or a bank statement showing the specific transfer used to fund your account. We treat everything you send as strictly confidential, and we do not pass judgement on your income; we simply need to be satisfied that gambling funds do not originate from criminal conduct.
Monitoring Your Transactions
Every deposit and withdrawal on our platform passes through automated and, where warranted, manual review. Our systems look for structuring (many small deposits just under a threshold), rapid deposit-to-withdrawal cycles with minimal play, deposits from methods registered in different names, and sudden changes in stake size or session length. These checks run continuously; you will not usually notice them, and they do not slow down normal play.
One rule affects every player directly. Withdrawals are returned to the same method used for the deposit wherever technically possible. If you deposited by card, we pay back to that card; if you deposited in Bitcoin, we pay back to your Bitcoin wallet. Where a payment method cannot receive refunds, such as Paysafecard, we pay to a bank account or e-wallet in your own name. We support deposits from £20 and withdrawals from £20, with no fees charged by us.
| Limit | Amount |
|---|---|
| Daily withdrawal cap | £5,000 |
| Weekly withdrawal cap | £10,000 |
| Monthly withdrawal cap | £20,000 |
| Minimum deposit and withdrawal | £20 |
When Verification Fails
If you do not complete verification, or the documents you send do not satisfy our checks, we act in a defined order. Your right to deposit and play is the first thing affected: an unverified account past its verification deadline is suspended from further deposits. Withdrawals are held until the checks conclude, and the funds remain yours throughout, we simply cannot release them while our obligations are unmet.
Where we suspect that documents are forged, that an account is held on behalf of another person, or that funds are connected to crime, we reserve the right to close the account, void related winnings and, where the law requires it, report the matter to the authorities without notifying you. Genuine mistakes are treated as such: send the correct document and we resume the review, and you can appeal any decision by writing to our compliance team, who will re-examine the case and reply within 14 days.
- Missed deadline for documents: deposits blocked, withdrawal pending
- Rejected documents: 30 days to supply alternatives before account review
- Suspected fraud or third-party play: account closed, winnings reviewed, report filed where required
- Failed source of funds check: deposits and withdrawals suspended pending clarification
How Long We Keep Documents
We keep verification records, transaction histories and AML case files for a minimum of 5 years after the relationship with the player ends, as our licence requires. Retention exists for a concrete reason: regulators and financial intelligence authorities can demand evidence of our checks years after the fact, and destroying records early would breach the same rules that oblige us to collect them. After the retention period expires, documents are securely and permanently deleted, and you may request deletion of your data at any earlier point, subject to our legal obligation to retain AML records.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to verify my account before I can deposit and play?
No. Our electronic checks at registration clear most players straight away, and you can deposit and play on a standard account. Full document verification is required before your first withdrawal.
How long does verification take?
Most document reviews are completed within 24 hours of upload, and straightforward cases are often cleared within an hour during business hours. If we need a better image or an extra document, we contact you by email.
Why are you asking where my money comes from?
Our licence obliges us to confirm that gambling funds do not originate from criminal activity. If your deposit levels exceed expected thresholds, we ask for evidence such as payslips, a tax notice or a bank statement. This is a standard regulatory check, not a personal enquiry.
Can I withdraw to a different method than I deposited with?
No. Withdrawals are returned to the same method used for the deposit wherever possible. If that method cannot receive refunds, we pay to a bank account or e-wallet registered in your own name.