HooYu open to operators following German age verification approval
Fraud prevention firm nets KJM approval as online gambling market moves closer to launch
Germany’s Commission for the Protection of Young People (KJM) has approved HooYu as a suitable age verification system under the country’s Youth Media Protection State Treaty.
As part of its mandate under the treaty, the KJM checks the effectiveness of existing technical systems used by businesses operating in industries which may be excluded from minors, including the gambling industry.
According to the treaty, content harmful to minors can only be distributed in the media if technical measures are used to ensure that only adults can access it.
This assessment has led to many prospective gambling operators only using systems which have been certified by the KJM.
HooYu submitted required documentation to the KJM in 2020 to have its software assessed according to the KJM’s existing criteria. The criteria includes strict technical controls on when identity documentation should be provided, what is acceptable and when registrations should be approved with age-sensitive businesses.
Under the HooYu process, users are required to provide a selfie and image of their German ID document.
HooYu then performs a likeness detection process, an ID document validation by checking security features in the ID document image and a facial biometric comparison between the face in the selfie and the face in the ID document.
Germany’s online gambling and sports betting market is due to go live in July 2021 with the transition of the Interstate Treaty into law.
“As gaming operators embrace the new German regulatory regime, they are looking to age verification systems approved by the KJM,” HooYu marketing director David Pope said.
“At the same time, operators want a customer sign-up process that makes it easy and convenient for the user to go through the age verification process.
“The HooYu digital KYC journey does just that, it solves both sides of the equation – what the regulator is looking for and that smooth sign-up experience that gaming operators want to provide to their users,” he concluded.