it's logical since no one would really try playing on a casino that request a KYC up front.
This isn't accurate since many gamblers play at popular sites like Roobet, Stake etc who mandatorily enforce KYC since they trust those sites completely. Some gamblers provide fake KYC in these sites which is a risky approach.
Mandatory KYC(Any Level) sucks regardless of how popular the site is in my honest opinion.
I agree with you. From some of the popular casino sites you said you really have to do KYC earlier to be able to continue deposits and withdrawals.
So there is no other choice but to keep doing KYC on this popular site and I'm sure longtime gamblers already know this.