Proof of address and selfie for an online casino: what passes and what gets refused
When you withdraw · the two papers refused most often
The identity document almost never causes trouble. The ones refused again and again are the proof of address and the selfie: a cropped bill, a bill in someone else's name, a photo shot against the light. Here is what usually passes, what does not, and how to get both right first time.
Of all the pieces of a verification, these two cause the most delay. Not because they are hard, but because they are usually done in a hurry, on the day the casino asks and with a withdrawal waiting. Prepare them both calmly and the verification at a casino without ID turns into a few minutes of paperwork.
The proof of address
It exists to confirm you live where you say you do. Rakebit names it in its terms with the example of utility bills, and it is the commonest paper after the identity document.
What usually passes:
- an electricity, water or gas bill;
- an internet, landline or mobile bill;
- a bank statement or a letter from the bank;
- a certificate of municipal registration from your town hall.
The three conditions almost everyone asks for:
- In your name. Exactly the name on your document and on your profile.
- With the full address. Street, number, floor, postcode and town.
- Recent. Normally from the last three months. A bill from a year ago is refused.
What usually gets refused:
- bills in the name of your spouse, your flatmate or your parents;
- cropped screenshots from a banking app where the name is not visible;
- edited documents, with parts covered or the address written in by hand;
- tenancy agreements with no signature or no date.
If you have no bills in your name
This is very common in shared flats, at your parents' house, or on arrival in Spain. The options, from commonest down:
- A bank statement. Any bank will give you one as a PDF with your name and your address.
- A certificate of municipal registration. Your town hall issues it and it records your address.
- An EU registration certificate, if you are European: it records your address in Spain. We set out its limits in foreign residents: NIE, TIE and passport.
If none of them fits, write to support before sending anything and ask what they take. One answer in writing beats three refused attempts.
The selfie
It exists to confirm that whoever uploads the document owns it. Rakebit asks for «a high-quality photo or selfie». There are three common formats:
- The face alone, compared with the photograph on the document.
- The face with the document in hand, held beside the chin.
- A short video, turning your head or following instructions on screen.
How to get it right first time:
- Natural light from the front, never from behind.
- No sunglasses, cap, mask or beauty filters.
- Your whole face in frame, at arm's length.
- If the document is in it, make sure the document reads: no fingers over the data, no glare.
- Take it on the spot, from the verification form, if that is allowed. Many processes refuse photos uploaded from the gallery.
Consistency: what fails most
Nearly every refusal comes from one cause: something does not match. The name on the profile is not the name on the document. The address on the profile is not the address on the bill. The surnames are in another order. Before sending, check these three lines:
| On the profile | On the document | On the proof of address |
|---|---|---|
| First name and surnames | The same, in the same order | The same |
| Date of birth | The same | — |
| Address | — | The same, in full |
If something does not line up, fix it on the profile before sending the papers, or write to support explaining it.
How to send them safely
Only from the verification section of your account, never over chat or by email, and only what the clause asks for. If you want, add a watermark with the casino's name and the date across the copy, without covering the data. Every detail is in what they do with your ID.
And if you do not yet know whether the casino will ask you at all, start by reading its clause: we show you how to find it in what papers they ask for, and what usually triggers it in withdrawing without an ID.