Online casinos are trendy today, and everybody wants to join the fun. You can enjoy your favorite games and hopefully win big—all from the comfort of your couch. However, for responsible gambling reasons, it’s important to keep online casinos safe, and age verification plays a big role.

In this post, we’ll highlight some of the best practices gambling platforms can use for age verification. These range from simple ID checks to more advanced technology like facial recognition. We’ll also examine how these processes work to protect young people from the dangers of underage gambling and help create a safer online gaming environment.

Why Age Verification Is Important

Some might say that if you have the money to bet and understand the games, why not wager? You can bet, but only if you’re of the accepted age. Gambling websites verify how old a user is before allowing them access for many reasons, and the most important is to prevent underage gambling. When minors gamble, the games can easily become addictive and lead to serious financial problems.

Furthermore, casinos confirm the age of new players because of legal requirements. All serious countries have strict laws that make it illegal for minors to gamble. If an operator is caught with minors on their platform, they’ll face penalties according to the law. So, to avoid any problems, they must verify your age before you can play.

Online casinos also use age verification to build trust among their players. When users see that they need to submit IDs before playing, they feel safer. This is because the casino is taking responsible gaming seriously. Online casinos with strong safety measures normally have good reputations, and this will attract more players who want to play in a safe environment.

Notably, the age verification process is handled in a way that players don’t encounter much stress. For instance, a top online casino site like the hit’n’spin requires a copy of your ID document and utility bill. Then, you have to take a photo holding a paper with some necessary data.

Challenges of Age Verification

Verifying a person’s age online should be simple, but that isn’t always the case at casino sites. There can be cases of minors using false documents just to gain access and play. Here are some of the challenges online gambling platforms face when carrying out verifications:

• Digital environment. Online verification is more challenging compared to a land-based casino. By looking at a person on a gaming floor, you can tell if they are a minor. However, at online casinos, there’s no physical interaction. As such, it becomes harder to confirm that a person is who they say they are.

• Fake IDs and fraud. This is one of the biggest challenges that virtual gambling houses face is dealing with fake IDs. Most minors try to play smart by using fraudulent identities or borrowing someone else’s ID to register. Since online casinos can’t see your face directly, it becomes difficult to distinguish a fake ID from a genuine one.
• Privacy concerns. Casinos need to collect personal information, such as IDs and sometimes banking details, to verify your age. Many people are uncomfortable with this because if those details fall into the wrong hands, it could cause much damage. Now, casinos have two problems to tackle: ensuring strict age verification and protecting your personal data from theft.

5 Best Practices for Age Verification

Having identified the most common issues, let’s now propose some practices that can make everything much easier:

• Multi-step verification process. Instead of relying on just one ID check, players are asked to complete a few simple tasks to confirm their age. For example, after submitting an ID, you may need to complete a secondary step, like answering security questions.
• Using reliable IDs. Now, online casinos don’t just ask for any identification you have. Rather, they request a reliable ID, such as a driver’s license or international passport. It’s very hard to forge these types of IDs, and if you are caught using a fake one, even outside the casino, you could face serious legal consequences. 
• Artificial Intelligence. We are in the 21st century, and it shouldn’t come as a surprise that AI is now used on gambling platforms. Artificial Intelligence can quickly scan IDs and compare them with a large database, making it easier to differentiate a fake from a genuine one.
• Facial recognition and biometrics. Some top online casinos use facial recognition technology and biometrics. This technology allows them to match your face to the photo on your ID. Additionally, using biometric data like fingerprints or voice recognition makes it easier to detect minors.
• Age verification via credit or bank card check. This is one of the easiest ways online casinos use to spot minors. They ask players to link a bank account or credit card to their gaming account. Underaged persons don’t usually have access to their credit or bank accounts, so this step effectively confirms a player’s age.

Using these methods, online casinos create a safer environment that keeps minors out and builds trust amongst its players. Notably, promoting strong age verification does not just help casinos follow the law. It also makes gambling more secure for everyone.

Efficient Age Verification Is a Win for Everyone

Age verification is important in running a safe and responsible online gambling business. By checking if their players are of age to gamble, casinos protect minors from the risk of irresponsible gambling. Additionally, the sites build trust and a good reputation amongst their players.

We recommend that casinos only use strong age verification methods to ensure best practices. These include reliable ID checks, facial recognition, and biometrics. Indeed, the iGaming industry is constantly growing, and we may see more robust verification methods in the coming years.