The casino asks you to prove the source of your funds: what Source of Funds and Source of Wealth mean

Source of Funds answers the question of where the specific money used for a deposit or another transaction came from. Source of Wealth explains how a person's overall wealth was built up. A payroll statement can prove the origin of a particular transfer, while documents about a business, investments or the sale of property can explain overall capital.

If the casino has requested SoF or SoW, ask it to state the type of check, the amount or period to be evidenced, the full list of documents and a secure upload channel. Don't send your entire financial archive with no purpose. Prepare a short explanation and evidence that links the source, the money arriving in your account and the deposit. The requirements depend on the licence, the GEO and the risk profile. The request itself proves no wrongdoing, but the operator should review the materials consistently and proportionately.

Source of Funds and Source of Wealth: the difference in plain words

The FATF separates two concepts:

• Source of Funds, SoF: the origin of the specific money or assets involved in a transaction or business relationship;
• Source of Wealth, SoW: the origin of a person's total wealth and a description of how those assets were accumulated.

The bank a transfer came from isn't always the source of the funds. The bank shows the route. The source may be a salary, dividends, the sale of property, an inheritance, investment income or other lawful income.

Example: a player deposited 2,000 c.u. from their own account. The statement confirms the transfer but doesn't necessarily explain where the money came from. If the amount was saved out of a salary, the link can be shown by the credits from the employer and a payslip. If the money came from selling a car, you'll need the contract, proof of payment and the movement of the funds. The set depends on the operator's request.

Why the casino takes an interest in your finances

Licensed operators may be required to check customers and transactions as part of AML, sanctions control and safer gambling. FATF Recommendation 10 provides for ongoing due diligence and for checking whether transactions are consistent with the known customer profile, including the source of funds where necessary.

The UK Gambling Commission explains to players that financial information may be used for an AML check and to assess the risk of financial harm. These grounds shouldn't be conflated: it's worth asking the operator whether it is checking the lawfulness of the money's origin, the affordability of the play, or both at once.

There is no universal threshold for such a request. It may depend on:

• licence requirements and local law;
• the amount and frequency of deposits;
• a sharp change in behaviour;
• the payment method and the direction of transactions;
• the country of residence and the related GEO risks;
• PEP status or sanctions matches;
• a mismatch between transactions and known income;
• the quality of the data received earlier.

Don't apply someone else's "threshold below which there are no checks" to your own account. An operator's internal triggers may sit below the statutory thresholds and shift with the risk.

Which documents suit which sources

A document shouldn't merely exist — it has to link the explanation to specific money. A single file rarely fits every scenario.

The list is a guide. Ask the operator which documents it accepts in your country, in which language and for which period.

Why a single balance screenshot isn't enough

A screenshot shows a position at a moment in time, but it may not show where the money came from, who owns the account or the path to the deposit. For SoF, an unbroken chain matters:

1. The legal or economic basis on which the funds were received.
2. The money arriving with the account holder.
3. Holding or transferring it through an account they own.
4. The deposit with a specific operator.

If there is a transfer from a relative, a cash exchange, a third-party wallet or several exchanges between the stages, explain the intermediate links. Don't invent a simple source if the real chain is more complex. A story that doesn't match the documents raises more questions than a transparent description.

How to prepare a response to SoF or SoW

Step 1. Clarify the subject

Ask the operator to specify: Source of Funds or Source of Wealth, the amount under review, the period, the transactions and the reason it is entitled to disclose.

Step 2. Get the full list

Clarify the acceptable file types, the language, how recent documents must be, translation requirements and whether unrelated data may be hidden.

Step 3. Write a one-page explanation

Use this structure: source, date, amount, receiving account, onward route, link to the deposit. Don't add emotional commentary.

Step 4. Assemble the chain of documents

Number the files in the order the money moved. For example: 01_Contract, 02_Credit, 03_Transfer, 04_Deposit.

Step 5. Check that everything matches

The name, currency, dates and amounts in your explanation should match the documents. Explain any difference caused by fees or conversion separately.

Step 6. Send through an official channel

Use the secure upload inside your account. If there isn't one, confirm the recipient's address via the official website or support.

Step 7. Get confirmation that the package is complete

Ask for a single reply stating whether the materials have been accepted and exactly what is missing.

How to answer for cryptocurrency

A crypto address doesn't carry the holder's name, so the hash of a single transaction may not be enough. The operator may ask you to show the link between the exchange account, the purchase of the asset, the storage address and the deposit.

Prepare:

• the name of the network and the asset;
• the transaction hash;
• the sender's and the recipient's addresses;
• the history of buying or receiving the crypto asset;
• a statement from a regulated exchange, if one was used;
• proof of control over the address, if the procedure allows it;
• an explanation of intermediate transfers and fees.

Never hand over your seed phrase, private key or two-factor authentication codes. They aren't evidence for KYC and they give control over your assets. If a "specialist" asks for them, break off contact and go to official support.

How to avoid handing over more than necessary

The minimisation principle means the data should be adequate and relevant to the purpose, but not excessive. The ICO sets out this logic alongside the principles of transparency, storage limitation and security for the UK GDPR sphere.

Ask the operator:

• why each type of document is needed;
• which fields are mandatory;
• whether unrelated transactions may be hidden;
• who will have access;
• how long the files are stored;
• whether a secure upload is available;
• how to correct or supplement the information.

Don't alter the original values. If redaction is permitted, make a copy and leave visible the name, the document details, the dates, the amounts and the transactions that support the declared source.

When a request raises questions

An AML check shouldn't be a formal game of "guess the next document". Clarification or a casino complaint is justified if:

• it isn't stated whether SoF or SoW is being checked;
• the operator demands the whole financial archive with no period and no purpose;
• accepted documents are rejected again with no explanation;
• new requirements bear no relation to the previous ones;
• passwords, CVV, PIN, a seed phrase or a private key are requested;
• you are asked to send files through an unofficial messenger;
• the operator doesn't confirm receipt;
• a completed check isn't reflected in the withdrawal status;
• support suggests carrying on playing to lift the restriction.

A risk-based approach means the depth of the check grows with the risk. The UKGC describes exactly that proportionate model, not an identical package for every customer.

What to do if the casino isn't paying out during an AML check

First separate the withdrawal itself from the check. Find out whether the request is suspended, rejected or still active. Then build a timeline:

Don't cite an invented mandatory deadline. Compare the actual handling with the timeframes in the terms and the complaints procedure of that specific operator. If there is no reply, use the official complaint process, then the regulator or ADR body available for the licence.

How IPU.bet helps

IPU.bet doesn't run the AML check on the casino's behalf and can't cancel the operator's legal obligation. The platform's rating is a place to start choosing an operator, and before depositing you can check its KYC, the casino's payment methods and its withdrawal rules.

If a problem with the casino arises, you can pass the timeline, the SoF/SoW request, the list of documents sent and the operator's replies to IPU.bet support. Don't publish full financial files in an open channel. The team helps structure the case and identify a possible escalation route, with no guarantee of getting the money out of the casino or of any particular outcome.

Checklist for answering an AML request

• the type of check is clear: SoF or SoW;
• the amount, period and transactions are known;
• a single list of documents has been received;
• the explanation matches the files;
• an unbroken chain of money is shown;
• fees and conversion are explained;
• surplus data isn't being sent without a purpose;
• the upload channel has been checked;
• the seed phrase, PIN and passwords aren't shared;
• confirmation of receipt is saved;
• a timeline is ready for a possible complaint.

What to remember

Source of Funds proves where specific money came from. Source of Wealth explains how overall wealth was built. A good answer isn't measured in pages: it gives a clear chain from a lawful source to a specific deposit.

Clarify the purpose and the period, submit proportionate evidence through an official channel and keep the confirmation. If the operator asks for dangerous secrets, gives no reasons for rejections or keeps expanding the requirements, use the formal complaints procedure.

Before depositing, check the AML, KYC and payment rules of your chosen operator through the IPU.bet rating. If a Source of Funds or Source of Wealth request has stopped your withdrawal, prepare the chain of evidence and contact support.