In every one of our GOSUBETTING sportsbook reviews, we give you a quick breakdown of how to sign up with an analyzed site. However, we do not think we have ever discussed the process of closing an online gambling account and why you would want to do so.
The reality of betting is that sometimes people form a dependency on this activity, and they want to shut their bookie profile so they no longer fall prey to the temptation of wagering again. Financial concerns can drive this decision. So can personal ones, or a user can get inspired by security-related issues. Moreover, some people may want to reclaim time for other vital aspects of life, such as work and family. However, one less-mentioned reason is that many Internet bookmakers can remove funds from your account if you do not use it. Those fees usually get triggered at specific sites when one has not logged in for three or more months. That will go on until your balance gets drained. So, remember this.
Thankfully, the procedure of closing one’s sports betting account is a relatively simple process for most bookmakers. Still, there are a few things everyone should know about it. And we give you a concise guide about all things connected to this procedure. Thus, let us get to business.
How a User Can Close Their Account
Every gambling site has different terms or specific rules guiding how users can utilize the offered services. Hence, the steps regarding how someone can deactivate their sports betting account will differ from platform to platform. However, we can still list multiple general principles that should apply to most modern gambling hubs online.
Some web bookies feature a close/deactivate account option on every user’s profile page, resting idle. Nevertheless, that is not the case in the majority of modern internet sportsbooks. So, if someone has the close account option to deactivate their profile, they must only hit that button. Then, customarily, confirm that this is what they want to do. Of course, they must log into their account using their credentials before doing so.
Now, know that gamblers may face a requirement to supply identity verification documents before they can complete this process. Even if they have already gone through the site’s KYC procedure, they still may be asked to provide additional documents that solidify that they are who they say they are. In other words, the account holder is the person wishing to end their betting journey.
If the close account/deactivate account option is unavailable. Then, a gambler must email the support staff or reach out to a customer service agent via the live chat window, asking for a gambling ban to get implemented on their profile and their account closed. When someone does this, the effect should be visible instantly after a sportsbook representative confirms that they have followed through with the request.
Also, if you have funds in your balance, you must withdraw them before your account gets deactivated for access. Nonetheless, it does not actually get deleted. But more on that later.
Why a Bookmaker Will Close a User’s Account
That can happen due to various circumstances. Naturally, all users get expected to adhere to a site’s general terms and conditions. These get detailed on a distinct page, where multiple violations get outlined that can lead to account closure by the platform staff against gamblers’ wishes.
The most common reasons a bookmaker will shut down a user’s profile is because a gambler has not completed the KYC process in time or supplying inadequate/non-valid documents. VPN use is something that many platforms frown upon because it means they are allowing gamblers from restricted regions to access their service. Accordingly, this opens them up to potential legal liabilities. Since users are committing fraud in this instance, operators are unlikely to be responsible. Yet, still, they want to remove all doubt and will shut down the accounts of such gamblers.
Bonus abuse, creating multiple accounts to claim/exploit the same promo will also definitely lead to account closure, arbitrage, and match-betting suspicion may also generate the same outcome, depending on a sportsbook’s terms. Using stolen credit cards, utilizing a gambling website as a mixer, or user engaging in any form of financial misconduct will also make a bookmaker deactivate a profile.
We have also seen some sportsbooks taking a firm anti-tech-aid implementation. That refers to gamblers incorporating scripts and bots to make bets automatically by means of pre-defined commands.
In some rare situations, a bookmaker may also initiate an account closure guided by responsible gambling concerns. When a user has activated multiple expired self-exclude bans and is still displaying irresponsible wagering behavior, shepherded by morality, a sportsbook may decide that a gambler should not bet anymore at their site.
Can a User Reopen a Closed Account?
It depends on why the account got closed. If it was voluntary, then it may be possible. It also may be an option if it was a legal ground that got it closed, but the circumstances have now changed. Then, in these two examples, contacting the support staff and inquiring about the possibility of account reopening may yield a positive response.
In the responsible gambling closure situation we noted above, this may also be on the table after the staff re-evaluates a user’s distinct case and concludes that they are eligible for account reopening.
Nonetheless, if the suspected fraudulent activity, security concerns, or other violations of a betting site’s terms and conditions produced the ban, then be aware that it is unlikely that a platform will even consider giving a gambler a second chance to bet at their hub. In those cases, account closure is permanent.
We should add that in jurisdictions where operators must follow strict KYC rules. Not completing the identity verification process in the set period will result in a sportsbook locking an account. Notwithstanding, if the user delivers the required documents after the defined timeframe, this may prompt a bookmaker to reactivate that gambler’s profile.
Things to Know About Account Closure
If a sports wagering site closes a user’s account, claiming that an individual violated their terms, then it is super possible that the account funds will get confiscated. That said, the gambler may also get allowed to withdraw them.
A user closing an account by their request will forfeit unsettled bets and bonuses. So, anyone should check their hub activity before doing so. They should also carefully go through the sportsbook’s terms to learn if there are any pitfalls they should avoid in this process. It is too vital to note that shutting a betting profile online does not automatically cut marketing communication with a brand. That means that promotional emails will still keep arriving in the deactivated member’s inbox until they unsubscribe from this service, opting out of receiving these messages.
In our eyes, the most crucial thing everyone must remember about the account closing process is that if successful, it does not delete the data a gambler has shared with their chosen site. Traditionally, an operator must legally keep the acquired user information for several years, often five or eight. Not only do operators still store this data on their servers, but they get mandated to share it with legal authorities when asked to do so. That is why it is vital that everyone examines their chosen wagering website’s data retention policies. Customarily, these will get dedicated by its regulator, and a gambling company will have limited leeway in deciding how long they can store shared info. The kept information will include not only transaction and betting records but also what someone has communicated with the customer support team and all the Know Your Customer identity verification documents a user sent over or uploaded to be able to use a given site.
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