AML and Verification at Shark Casino

This page sets out, in plain language, how we meet the anti-money-laundering (AML) obligations attached to our Malta licence and what identity verification (KYC) means for you as a player at Shark Casino. No marketing, just the rules we apply and the facts you need before your first withdrawal.

Our AML commitment under MGA

We operate under a licence issued by the Malta Gaming Authority (MGA), which means our platform falls squarely within Malta's Prevention of Money Laundering and Funding of Terrorism Regulations. Every process described on this page exists to keep our platform out of reach of criminal funds, and we have run this casino since 2005 on that basis.

Money laundering rarely looks dramatic from the outside. It usually appears as ordinary deposits and withdrawals that, taken together, make no sense for the person making them. Because of that, our obligations are not a one-off document check at signup. They are continuous: customer due diligence, transaction monitoring, record keeping and mandatory reporting, all of which we perform from the day your account is opened until well after it is closed.

When we verify your account

Verification runs on three triggers. First, at registration we confirm you are of legal age and not resident in a restricted jurisdiction, which for us includes the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Spain, Italy, the Netherlands, Belgium and Portugal. Second, before your first withdrawal we complete full identity verification, because paying out funds to an unverified person is the single largest AML risk an online casino carries. Third, at thresholds: cumulative deposits, unusual betting patterns or withdrawal requests approaching our 8,000 AUD daily cap can trigger enhanced checks at any time, even on a long-standing account.

Each check asks for three things: that you are who you say you are, that you live where you say you live, and that the money you play with is yours.

• Photo ID: passport, national identity card or driver licence, valid and legible, with your face visible if a selfie is requested
• Proof of address: utility bill, bank statement or official government correspondence issued within the last 3 months showing your name and residential address
• Proof of payment method: for cards, a photo of the card with the middle digits covered (first 6 and last 4 digits visible); for e-wallets such as Skrill, MiFinity or Jeton, a screenshot of your account profile page; for crypto, the wallet address linked to your deposits

The Shark Casino verification process

Four steps, then you are done

We keep the process short because a slow verification pipeline hurts you and us equally. Here is the full sequence from our side.

• We notify you by email and by message in your account area the moment a verification requirement applies to you
• You upload your documents through the secure verification tab in your account; email attachments are not accepted for security reasons
• Our compliance team reviews the files, typically within 24 hours and no more than 48 hours during peak periods
• You receive written confirmation of the outcome; if anything is unclear or an image is illegible, we tell you exactly what to resubmit rather than rejecting silently

How your documents are protected

Uploaded documents sit on encrypted storage with access restricted to our compliance staff on a need-to-know basis. We never sell or share your identity data with marketers. Disclosure happens only where we are legally required, for example to the Malta Gaming Authority, to law enforcement or to the payment provider confirming ownership of your card or wallet, and only within the limits of that request.

When we request source of funds

Most players will never be asked this question. It becomes relevant when the money moving through an account does not match what we know about you: for instance, cumulative net deposits well above 10,000 AUD, repeated deposits made immediately after withdrawals of nearly the same size, or a sudden jump in stakes after months of small play.

When we do ask, we need evidence of where the money came from before you deposited it with us. Acceptable documents include payslips, employment contracts, tax returns, bank statements showing regular income, dividend or interest statements, or sale contracts for property or other assets. Gambling winnings from other licensed operators also count if you can document them.

We ask for one reason: our licence obliges us to establish that funds used on our platform have a legitimate origin. The request is not an accusation, and the documents you supply are assessed against that single question before they are archived.

How we monitor transactions

Deposits and withdrawals pass through automated screening that flags anomalies for human review: structuring (splitting amounts to stay under limits), rapid deposit-to-withdrawal cycling with minimal play, and patterns inconsistent with your verified profile. Flagged transactions are held, not charged back, while a compliance officer assesses them.

We apply a same-method rule: withdrawals are returned through the same channel you used to deposit wherever that channel supports payouts. If you deposited by PayID or Neosurf, which are deposit-only, your withdrawal is paid by bank transfer or an e-wallet in your own verified name. Crypto withdrawals (BTC, ETH, USDT) go back to a wallet address you have confirmed belongs to you. All figures below are in AUD, and we charge no fees on deposits or withdrawals.

What happens if verification fails

If you do not complete verification, the consequences are staged, not immediate. Play with your deposited funds is unaffected, because the money is already in your account and of established origin. Withdrawals are held until the requirement is met. If a document is refused, we tell you why and give you a reasonable window to submit an alternative.

If verification fails outright, for example because the ID does not match the account holder or the payment method belongs to someone else, we suspend the account and return the remaining balance to its verified source. We do not pay funds to third parties under any circumstances, including on your instruction, because that would defeat the entire KYC framework.

Where we identify activity that meets the legal threshold of suspicion, we are required to file a report with Malta's Financial Intelligence Analysis Unit. We cannot tell you when we have done so, and the account may be frozen while the review runs. If gambling itself is the concern rather than the money, our responsible gambling tools, including deposit limits and self-exclusion, remain available to you, and Gambling Help Online can be reached on 1800 858 858 at any hour.

How long we keep documents

Maltese AML law obliges us to retain verification records, transaction logs and source-of-funds evidence for five years after the end of the business relationship, meaning five years after your account is closed or after your last transaction if the account stays open. Deletion after that period is not automatic in every case; a retention notice from the authorities can extend it.

We keep these records for two reasons. The first is legal: regulators and financial intelligence units can demand evidence years after the fact. The second is practical: if you return to Shark Casino after a long absence, a stored verification file lets us reactivate your account in minutes instead of starting from zero. If you ask us to delete your data, we will explain exactly which parts we must retain and for how long before anything is removed.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does verification take at Shark Casino?

Our compliance team reviews documents within 24 hours, and within 48 hours during peak periods. You are notified of the outcome by email and in your account area.

Can I withdraw before verification is complete?

No. Full identity verification is required before your first withdrawal. Deposits and play are not affected while verification is pending.

Why do you need a photo of my card?

To confirm the card belongs to you. Cover the middle digits and the CVV; we only need your name, the first 6 and last 4 digits and the expiry date to be visible.

I deposited with Bitcoin. How do withdrawals work?

Crypto withdrawals are paid to a wallet address you confirm as your own, typically within 1 hour. The same-method rule applies, so funds go back to crypto rather than to a card or bank account.

What documents count as proof of source of funds?

Payslips, employment contracts, tax returns, bank statements, dividend statements or documented sale contracts. Winnings from other licensed operators are also acceptable if you can evidence them.