Anti-money-laundering policy

RivalSkills operates a risk-based AML/CFT programme. Every deposit, withdrawal, and high-tier stake passes through automated checks before it lands. We refuse any transaction that fails our checks rather than process it and recover later — this is the same refuse-instead-of-lie posture we apply to every money path on the platform.

Account creation requires a verified email address. Bronze and Silver tier matches can be played without further verification, in line with the de-minimis exemption for low-value skill competitions.

Above the verification threshold (currently 280 USDT on a single withdrawal or 50 USDT per-match stakes) we require:

• Government-issued ID (passport, SA national ID, or driver’s licence).
• Selfie or short verification video matching the ID, captured through our partner verification provider.
• Proof of address (utility bill or bank statement ≤ 3 months old).
• Source-of-funds declaration when total deposits exceed 10,000 USDT cumulative in a calendar year.

KYC submissions are reviewed by trained operators. Documents are retained in encrypted storage for the period required by the Financial Intelligence Act and discarded thereafter. See Privacy for full retention details.

The platform continuously monitors for:

• Velocity anomalies — unusual deposit/withdrawal frequency or amount for the account’s established pattern.
• Structuring — multiple sub-threshold deposits over short windows that appear designed to avoid KYC triggers.
• Round-trip flows — deposit + minimal play + withdrawal patterns that suggest the platform is being used purely to layer funds.
• Geographic risk — transactions from FATF-listed high-risk jurisdictions trigger enhanced due diligence regardless of amount.
• PEP and sanctions screening — accounts are screened against published sanctions lists at signup and re-screened periodically.

Triggered transactions are paused for manual review. We may request additional information from the account holder before releasing the transaction.

Where a transaction or pattern meets the Financial Intelligence Act’s reporting thresholds, we file the relevant report (Suspicious Transaction Report or Suspicious Activity Report) with the Financial Intelligence Centre (Namibia) within the statutory timeframe. We do not tip off the reported customer — we are required by law not to.

For higher-value deposits (10,000+ USDT cumulative), we may request documentary evidence of the source of funds. Acceptable evidence includes recent payslips, bank statements showing the salary deposit, sale-of-asset documents, or audited financial statements for self-employed individuals.

Funds we cannot verify the source of will not be processed. They will be reversed to the original payment method with an explanation, not retained pending review.

We retain transaction and customer due-diligence records for a minimum of 5 years after the account is closed, in line with FIC Act requirements. Records are stored encrypted at rest and access is restricted to authorised personnel with a documented legitimate purpose.

RivalSkills has a designated Money Laundering Reporting Officer (MLRO) responsible for the integrity of the AML/CFT programme. The MLRO independently reviews all internal escalations and is the official channel for FIC reporting. Contact the MLRO via [email protected] for AML-specific concerns.

All operators with access to KYC submissions, payment workflows, or customer support complete AML/CFT training before being granted access, and refresh training annually. Training covers red-flag recognition, escalation procedures, and the obligations imposed by the FIC Act.

You retain the right to:

• Access the personal data we hold about you via the export endpoint at /me/export (or by request to [email protected]).
• Request correction of inaccurate data.
• Request deletion of your account, subject to the retention obligations described above.
• Lodge a complaint with your local data-protection authority if you believe your data has been mishandled.

RivalSkills cooperates with lawful requests from the FIC, SARS, SAPS, and other competent authorities. We may share customer data without notice to the customer where required by law or by a valid court order.