KYC and Verification

At Shikaka, ensuring a secure and transparent gaming environment for all our players is paramount. Identity verification is a fundamental part of maintaining this security. It allows us to confirm that you are who you claim to be, safeguarding your account from unauthorised access and protecting you from potential fraud. This process also helps us comply with strict regulatory obligations imposed by our licensing authority, which are designed to prevent financial crime and promote responsible gambling.

By verifying your identity, we can:

• Protect your account from fraudulent activity and identity theft.
• Ensure that only individuals of legal gambling age can access our services.
• Comply with anti-money laundering (AML) and counter-terrorism financing (CTF) regulations.
• Promote responsible gambling practices by identifying and assisting vulnerable players.
• Maintain the integrity of our gaming platform and the fairness of our games.

KYC, or "Know Your Customer," is a standard regulatory process implemented across financial services and online gambling industries. It involves collecting and verifying personal information from our customers. For Shikaka, KYC is not merely a formality, it is a critical component of our commitment to security, compliance, and player protection. This process helps us understand our customers better, assess potential risks, and ensure that our services are not used for illicit activities.

The information gathered during KYC helps us to:

• Confirm your identity and age.
• Verify your residential address.
• Understand the source of funds used for deposits.
• Monitor transactions for unusual patterns that might indicate financial crime.

Identity and account verification may be required at various stages of your relationship with Shikaka. While we aim to make the process as unintrusive as possible, certain triggers necessitate verification to ensure ongoing compliance and security.

You may be asked to complete verification:

• Upon registration of a new account.
• Before your first withdrawal, or subsequent withdrawals exceeding a certain threshold.
• If there are significant changes to your account details, such as a change of address or payment method.
• When your cumulative deposits or withdrawals reach a specific amount.
• If our internal monitoring systems detect any unusual activity on your account.
• Periodically, as part of our ongoing due diligence obligations, even if no specific trigger event occurs.

We reserve the right to request verification at any time if we deem it necessary to comply with our legal and regulatory obligations.

To complete the verification process, Shikaka may request various documents. These documents are used to confirm your identity, address, and the ownership of your payment methods. All documents submitted must be clear, legible, and valid, showing all relevant details without obstruction. We will always inform you specifically which documents are needed.

Common types of documents requested include:

• Proof of Identity (e.g., passport, national ID card, driving licence).
• Proof of Address (e.g., utility bill, bank statement).
• Proof of Payment Method (e.g., bank statement, screenshot of e-wallet).
• Source of Funds documentation, in specific circumstances.

Please ensure that any photographs or scans of documents are of high quality, with all four corners of the document visible and no glare or blurriness.

To confirm your identity, we typically require a clear, colour copy of a government-issued identification document. This document must be currently valid, not expired, and clearly show your full name, date of birth, photograph, and signature. The details on the document must match the information provided during your registration with Shikaka.

Acceptable forms of Proof of Identity include:

• Passport: The photo page, showing your full name, date of birth, photo, passport number, and expiry date.
• National ID Card: Both the front and back of the card, displaying your full name, date of birth, photo, and ID number.
• Driving Licence: Both the front and back of the card, showing your full name, date of birth, photo, and licence number.

The document must be issued by an official authority and contain security features that allow us to verify its authenticity.

To verify your residential address, we require a document that clearly shows your full name and current address, and has been issued within the last three months. This document helps us confirm your location and comply with geographical restrictions and regulatory requirements.

Acceptable forms of Proof of Address include:

• Utility Bill: Such as electricity, gas, water, or internet bill. Mobile phone bills are generally not accepted.
• Bank Statement: A statement from a recognised bank or financial institution.
• Credit Card Statement: A statement from a recognised credit card provider.
• Government-Issued Correspondence: Official letters from government bodies, such as tax statements.

The document must be dated within the last 90 days and clearly display your full name, address, and the issuer's logo or letterhead. Screenshots of online statements are acceptable if they show the URL or other indicators of authenticity.

To ensure the security of your transactions and prevent financial fraud, we may require verification of the payment methods you use to deposit or withdraw funds at Shikaka. This step confirms that you are the legitimate owner of the payment accounts linked to your Shikaka account.

The specific documents required depend on the payment method used:

• Credit/Debit Cards: A clear photo of the front and back of the card. For security, please obscure the middle six digits of the card number on the front and the CVV/CVC code on the back. Your name, the first six and last four digits of the card number, and the expiry date must be visible.
• Bank Transfers: A copy of a recent bank statement or an online banking screenshot showing your full name, account number, and the bank's logo. Transaction details can be obscured.
• E-Wallets (e.g., Neteller, Skrill): A screenshot of your e-wallet account profile page, clearly showing your full name and the associated email address or account ID.

All details on the payment method verification documents must match the information registered on your Shikaka account.

In certain circumstances, particularly for larger transactions or if specific risk factors are identified, Shikaka may be legally obliged to request information regarding your Source of Funds (SOF). This is part of our Enhanced Due Diligence (EDD) procedures, designed to combat money laundering and comply with regulatory requirements.

This request is not an accusation but a standard procedure to ensure the legitimacy of the funds being used. We may ask for documents that demonstrate how you obtained the funds, such as:

• Payslips or employment contracts.
• Bank statements showing regular income.
• Proof of inheritance or gift.
• Documentation related to property sales or business profits.

All information provided for SOF will be treated with the strictest confidentiality and used solely for compliance purposes. Failure to provide satisfactory SOF documentation may result in account restrictions or closure.

Once you submit your documents, our dedicated verification team will review them. We strive to complete all verification checks as quickly as possible. The typical processing time for document verification is within 24 to 48 hours, though this can vary depending on the volume of requests and the complexity of the verification required.

You will be notified via email or through your Shikaka account portal regarding the status of your verification. If additional information or documents are needed, we will contact you with clear instructions. To avoid delays, please ensure that all submitted documents meet our requirements for clarity and validity.

During the verification process, certain account functionalities, such as withdrawals, may be temporarily restricted until verification is successfully completed. We appreciate your patience and cooperation during this essential process.

At Shikaka, the security and privacy of your personal information and submitted documents are of utmost importance. We employ robust technical and organisational measures to protect your data from unauthorised access, disclosure, alteration, or destruction. All documents are stored securely in encrypted databases, accessible only by authorised personnel who require access for verification purposes.

We process your personal data in strict accordance with our Privacy Policy and applicable data protection laws, including the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Your documents will only be used for the purposes of identity verification, compliance with legal obligations, and fraud prevention. We do not share your documents with third parties unless legally required to do so by a competent authority.

Once your documents are verified and stored, they are subject to strict retention policies, ensuring they are kept only for as long as necessary to fulfil our legal and business obligations.

Shikaka is fully committed to preventing money laundering and the financing of terrorism. Our KYC and verification procedures are integral to our comprehensive Anti-Money Laundering (AML) framework. We adhere to the highest standards set by international and local regulatory bodies to detect and deter illicit financial activities.

Our AML compliance measures include:

• Thorough customer identification and verification processes.
• Monitoring of transactions for suspicious patterns or activities.
• Reporting of suspicious transactions to the relevant financial intelligence units.
• Ongoing training for our staff on AML regulations and best practices.

By complying with these regulations, Shikaka helps to maintain a safe and legal environment for online gaming, protecting both our platform and our players from financial crime.

Gambling is strictly prohibited for individuals under the legal age of 18 (or the legal age of majority in their jurisdiction, if higher). Shikaka takes its responsibility to protect minors very seriously. Our age verification procedures are designed to prevent underage individuals from accessing our gaming services. This is a non-negotiable aspect of our licensing requirements and ethical commitment.

During the registration and verification process, we rigorously check the date of birth provided against official identification documents. Any account found to belong to a minor will be immediately closed, and any funds or winnings will be forfeited. We also encourage parents and guardians to use parental control software and monitor internet usage to prevent underage access to gambling sites.

While we aim for a smooth and swift verification process, sometimes delays can occur. Common reasons for delays include unclear documents, missing information, or discrepancies between the provided details and the information on file. If your verification is delayed, please check your email and your Shikaka account notifications for requests for additional information or clarification.

If verification is unsuccessful, it means we have been unable to confirm your identity or meet our regulatory requirements based on the information provided. In such cases, your account may be subject to restrictions, including the inability to deposit, withdraw, or play. Ultimately, if verification cannot be completed satisfactorily, your account may be closed. We will always communicate the reasons for unsuccessful verification where permitted by law.

We encourage you to respond promptly and accurately to any requests from our verification team to resolve issues efficiently.

If you have any questions about the KYC process, require assistance with submitting your documents, or encounter any issues during verification, our customer support team is here to help. You can reach us through the following channels:

• Live Chat: Available 24/7 on the Shikaka website for immediate assistance.
• Email: Send your queries to [email protected], and we will respond as quickly as possible.

Our trained support agents can guide you through the requirements, explain the process, and help troubleshoot any problems you might face. Please do not hesitate to contact us, we are committed to making your experience with Shikaka as secure and enjoyable as possible.