Safeguarding strategy: Why gambling firms should bet on age verification

Welcome news – five of the UK’s biggest gambling firms have pledged to contribute an extra £60m a year to fund treatment for problem gamblers. William Hill, Ladbrokes Coral, Paddy Power Betfair, Sky Bet and bet365 will all increase the voluntary levy on profits from 0.1% to 1%, which should result in a seven-figure contribution.

It’s a clear sign that the UK’s gambling firms are taking a world-leading stance on tackling addiction. And rightly so – figures show that record numbers of problem gamblers were admitted to hospital last year, with calls to a UK-wide helpline increasing by more than 30%.

However, there is room for a more holistic approach – one which aims to prevent people becoming addicted to gambling in the first place.

Prevention is better than cure

It’s a useful mantra across a wide range of social and public health issues, from alcoholism and drug use to gambling. Given the potentially heavy cost – both personal and societal – of gambling addiction, it is vital that businesses and regulators work hard to minimise the risk of addiction, as well as provide comprehensive support for those already suffering.

As we know, gambling firms already have a range of mechanisms in place to discourage problem gambling, attempting to proactively identify worrying patterns of behaviour and encouraging users to lock themselves out of sites when necessary. However, an area that is less often discussed is preventing certain groups from gambling altogether – particularly when it comes to children accessing websites.

Gambling addiction is a particularly alarming issue among young people, with an estimated 55,000 problem gamblers aged between 11 and 16, according to the latest figures from the Gambling Commission. This represents a quadrupling of the numbers over the past two years. More broadly, 450,000 11 to 16-year-olds are said to gamble on a regular basis. And while it may be difficult for a young teenager to walk into a betting shop on the high street and get served, it may be far easier for them to disguise their age online.

As such, gambling firms with an online presence who truly want to take problem gambling seriously should be giving their age verification processes careful consideration.

The balancing act: user experience versus robust protection

However, as with so many aspects of digital security and compliance, firms seeking to implement robust age verification processes need to balance these with a smooth user experience for legitimate users. An online gambling firm which required, say, an individual to upload a copy of their driving licence every time they wished to log in would quickly find itself losing customers.

One solution is to draw on multiple different pieces of intelligence – say, from driving licences, mobile phone operators and credit card providers – to verify an individual’s age, and from there providing them with a single verified account which can be used to access age-restricted sites and services. This ensures that legitimate users only have to go through a convoluted process once, while underage users are kept locked out. This is the mechanism which underpins AgeChecked’s solution.

The UK’s major gambling firms should be applauded for their proactive and supportive stance in providing help for those suffering from addiction. This is a serious issue which deserves serious attention. However, it is important to take a comprehensive view of the challenges associated with providing online gambling services, and take equally proactive steps in preventing young people from accessing such sites.

Alastair Graham is the CEO of AgeChecked, a provider of tech solutions for online suppliers of age-restricted goods and services (eg. pornography/alcohol/gambling). He has more than 20 years’ experience working in age verification and the regulated payment industry. Graham is co-chair of the Age Verification Provider Association and sits on the Digital Policy Alliance Age Verification and Internet Safety working group.