New York Considering Biometric Identity Verification for Sports Betting
Officials in New York are discussing adding biometric identity verification as a safeguard for sports betting.
The use of biometric verification is being considered a potential way to restrict underage betting on sports betting platforms. Players would have to undergo biometric verification before placing an online sports bet.
The safeguard of biometric confirmation
The proposal has sparked further discussions on online sports betting regarding fraud prevention, ensuring players are of legal age, and overall consumer protection.
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul has urged the New York State Gaming Commission to look into newer tools of technology in order to curb underage gambling. She believes that tools such as facial recognition can be highly effective in making it harder for minors to access online sportsbooks. The commission has its own proposal with similar goals but with more information regarding sports betting operators.
Minors are a priority
In a statement, Hochul said, “From day one, one of my highest priorities has been keeping kids and our most vulnerable safe in a rapidly changing digital world, and that includes risks posed by online gambling.”
She noted that wagering on sports has only become immensely popular, and since online sportsbooks are readily accessible, safeguards need to be in place to protect minors who are at risk of behavior that can be addictive.
Hochul went on to say, “By engaging tools like biometric age verification, establishing stronger prevention and treatment, and applying the same vigilance to online betting that we have brought to social media and AI, we will build on our progress to protect New Yorkers from predatory and addictive technologies.”
The timing
Hochul’s proposal comes at a time when New York has been trying to implement more safeguards for online betting sites. The state has explored ways to prevent minors from accessing mobile betting apps and has also examined how betting companies target their players.
There have also been proposals from the New York State Gaming Commission to change the rules for sports wagering to curb both underage and problem gambling. They have also proposed that before a person places a sports bet online, they must verify their identity through biometric confirmation, such as facial recognition.
Commission’s proposal
The commission has already drafted a “pre-proposal comment memo” on Potential Rulemaking for Underage Play Prevention, which goes beyond problem and underage gambling.
In the proposal, gambling operators would be tasked with collecting biometric data to ensure that anyone opening an account is the user. Also, if a person creating an account does not provide their biometric data to the operator within 60 days of account creation, the operator must permanently close the account.
According to the proposal, before placing a wager on a sports betting app, players would need to provide the requested biometric identification.
Other issues noted in the draft concern geolocation and the prosecution of parties who aid and promote underage gambling.
Conventional checks are not enough
Those who support advanced technology safeguards for online betting platforms argue that the conventional verification checks currently in place are insufficient to prevent minors from accessing the sites and placing bets. It is very easy for minors to use borrowed credentials to access sports betting sites.
