Getting hit with a notification, in red letters and black background, saying that your favorite online casino account is blocked and banned can get anyone upset and anxious. Why would an online casino site lock you out of your account?
In this article, we provide the reasons why online casinos ban players to help you avoid these issues.
How Do I Know My Account Was Frozen?
When playing in major online casinos, you know you are locked out immediately upon signing in when a notification appears. On other websites, a notification of your banning will pop when you attempt to load a game or deposit/withdraw money. Blocked players will also receive an email that tells them their account is locked.
Legitimate casinos tend to make patrons know right away if their account is blocked when they try to access it. Operators also justify locking an account or withholding a player's money in their virtual vaults via notifications or email. Mild cases usually allow a player to regain their account while severe ones permanently remove an account.
10 Most Common Reasons For Online Casinos To Block Accounts
Freezing a player's access to their account and bankroll is usually done when a casino is protecting itself from hackers or if a player breaks its rules. Below are the most common ways for a player to get banned by an online casino.
1. Too many unsuccessful login attempts
One of the instances where blocking an account protects a player's bankroll is when someone keeps logging in with their account details. Online casinos have a safety feature that detects numerous login attempts for a specific account, which tend to be hackers trying to brute force the password.
Fortunately for players, they can get in touch with support to reactive their account when this occurs. Locking an account after a breaching attempt is a wake-up call to activate the two-factor authentication (2FA) system on your account to secure it from hackers.
2. Failed verification process
After creating an account, online casinos require you to complete their verification process. New players need to provide a government ID or proof of their identity to verify their account. Anyone who does not complete the process is at risk of having their account blocked.
Every licensed casino is required to verify all of their players as part of the they agreed to. KYC policies are intended to prevent anyone from laundering money through a gambling site.
3. Underage gambling
Regulation offices around the globe are very strict when it comes to underage gamblers, including the UKGC. Casinos are required to prevent any minors from playing in their casino. Should any regulation office get wind of an operator letting in underage players, they are at risk of losing their license and paying a heavy fine.
A situation where players get banned for being a minor usually occurs after creating an account and sending an ID, revealing their actual age.
4. Duplicate account
One of the rules set by online casinos is the "one account per person" rule. Online casinos track down duplicate accounts through their IP address. Even if a person uses a different username or account details, they are at risk of having their bankroll locked when several accounts are connecting to the same casino from their IP.
Duplicate account incidents often happen by accident. One example is when a player forgot about their account details and decide to create another one. Having more than one member of the household accessing the same site can also lead to banned accounts.
5. Bonus harvesting
Online casinos tend to have welcome bonuses to encourage new players to sign up. Bonuses include free spins or deposit bonuses. Anyone taking advantage of these bonuses by creating more than one account is opening themselves to a permanent ban.
Take note that casinos encourage players to refer their friends and family, including anyone with the same IP address. As long as only one player is claiming the bonus among other casino patrons in the same household, multiple accounts in one IP address are allowed.
6. Suspicious activity
Major and licensed casinos incorporate a machine learning and AI system to all players' activity and look for any questionable patterns. Some of the patterns include fixed betting amounts on certain poker hands or placing max bets on slot machines at specific times.
Gambling bots or cheating software are a major concern among casinos since they can find an exploit to consistently win in certain games. Online casino AI can prevent cheaters from taking advantage of their games by locking accounts showing any .
7. Unusual banking transactions
Money laundering is a major concern among gaming regulation offices since casinos provide criminals with a good opportunity to legitimize illegal funds. Depending on the country, casinos are required to report an account that is suspected to be laundering money. With US online gambling, their anti-money laundering law requires operators to report transactions exceeding $5,000.
Another way of getting banned due to banking transactions is the use of forbidden payment methods such as prepaid debit cards. In certain cases, operators can detect players who reside in their restricted countries through the bank account details.
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8. Too-big winnings
Online and brick-&-mortar casinos have to balance their profit and winnings to fit their monthly income. When a player gets extremely lucky within a short period, operators and managers will immediately get alerted to avoid breaking that balance.
Take note that casinos will not ban you if you win a progressive jackpot or guess all 10 keno numbers. Operators will treat you like a celebrity if you happen to win them. Online casinos only look for those who consistently win medium or high-risk bets, such as card counter in live blackjack. Chances of these players using an exploit to get an unusual lucky streak are high.
9. Data breach
When a hacker gains access to an online casino database, the system will lock all of its accounts. By blocking your account, an operator prevents any criminals from stealing your bankroll or any personal information.
Criminals regularly . However, every major casino uses the latest security measures to prevent any unauthorized access. When a data breach occurs, it is usually fixed immediately. For added protection, certain operators will ask you to change your password before playing any games or making a transaction.
10. Terms and conditions violated
When you create an account for any casino, you agree to their terms and conditions. Breaking any of their rules can put your account at risk of a ban. Anyone can easily violate the rules if they fail to check the fine print.
One of the common rules many players break is using multiple accounts under one household to claim the welcome bonus. Another is to provide false documents or proof of identity to the operator when verifying an account, which is a major offense in the KYC and AML policies set by regulation offices.
What Steps To Take To Unblock My Online Casino Account?
Should the unthinkable happen when you can no longer access your account, here are some useful advice to help you.
Stay calm at all times
Losing access to money can get anyone anxious, worried, and depressed. Panicking about being locked out of an account can only lead to bad decisions that can make the problem worst. Keeping yourself together can help you avoid making more mistakes while finding an achievable solution to getting back your account.
Read the casino operator's terms and conditions
Going over the casino's rules can help you understand why an operator froze your account. A player may overlook a rule such as using the wrong payment method. Going over the terms and conditions allows a player to know if they did something that would get them banned or if this is an issue outside of their hands.
Understand the reason(s) why you got banned
After going over the rules, consider why a casino locked you out. It could be a simple mistake such as not completing the verification process, which occurs when you send the wrong document requirement. Finding the underlying cause of the banning of your account can help you find a way to fix the issue.
Contact customer support
Reaching out to an online casino's support helps you understand why you got banned. If it was due to a minor offense, the casino can reinstate your account and get you back up. Should the reason be illegitimate or they could not explain it, your best course of action is to contact the regulation office that handles the online casino.
Casino sites block an account to protect themselves as well as their players, including you. It pays to read the terms and conditions to avoid getting your account banned. When it does happen, stay calm and reach out to the official casino's support line.
This article was published on December 18, 2020, and last updated on July 11, 2022.