“Why Do Mecca Bingo Want to Know Where I Get My Money From?”

My morning routine includes sitting down to have a cuppa while trawling through social media for the latest bingo gossip. The first thing I notice is a post from Mecca Bingo about another recent big winner and the list of comments caught my eye. Instead of congratulatory messages from fellow bingo players, there were a few comments being made about them wanting to snoop into player finances.

One particular bingo player was outraged at the fact that Mecca Bingo closed her account, she decided to let the whole world know about it. Kassia Wilson said: “Wonder if you have blocked her account until she supplies evidence of where she got her money to be able to play, shocking and I certainly won’t be back.”

It got me thinking. Do online bingo players really not know that operators have a moral obligation to check their finances? Obviously not, because when I tried to explain the rules and regulations, she was pretty shaken. Gone are the days when you could log in play bingo games and spend what you want and it’s all thanks to tighter gambling laws implemented by the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC). 

Know the Facts

Why does a gambling company want to know about your finances? In a nutshell, it’s to prevent and stop money laundering and other criminal activities. And yes, it still goes on to a degree even these days. The UKGC has ‘asked’ all gambling companies to get to know their customers better to better identify a problem should it arise.

To ensure Great Britain is fair, safe and free of crime, they’re tackling criminal activity in gambling head on. In 2019, British operators were fined almost £300 million – yes, three-hundred million pounds for breaching anti-money laundering rules. Ladbrokes, Daub Alderney and Betway were among those who failed to carry out adequate Source of Funds (SOF) and other checks correctly.

“They’ve no right wanting to see my finances!” Honey, they have every right! If you don’t want to give that information, you’ll not be able to play there again. And it isn’t only Mecca Bingo – they’re all required to ask this info (even top-rated online casinos!) and as I told one disgruntled fan; “If you’ve not been asked yet, you’re very fortunate, but they do ask everyone eventually!”

To help keep crime out of the gambling industry, a variety of checks must…

…be carried out, and this could include you supplying a copy of your bank statements. Not only that, but the scheme is there to help recognise if players fall into a gambling problem.

“Gambling companies also look at appropriate deposit or loss thresholds based on your income. This is helped by using open source data and Office of National Statistics publications to help them assess affordability and improve their risk assessments for customer interaction.”

I hope this clears up any uncertainty. Play safe roomies!