The digital ID and age verification company 1account revealed that the gambling sector in the UK has “universally welcomed” so-called digital identification aimed at ensuring better protection of gambling addicts and gamblers who are considered at risk.
After taking part in a consultation that was especially held by the company, which currently also provides anti-money laundering (AML) and know-your-customer (KYC) services, all of its stakeholders believed that creating a link between the different betting accounts of British gamblers would have a positive impact on their gambling habits. The age verification and digital ID company 1account cited research held by the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) that found that British people who gamble online have an average of three separate betting accounts.
According to information provided by 1account, the respondents of the survey felt that digital identification connecting several accounts would provide important insights about players’ gambling habits and behaviour, which would provide the so-called know-your-customer services with more benefits.
Ralph Topping, a former CEO of the British gambling giant William Hill who is currently on the advisory board of 1account, noted that some gambling operators currently provide tools that provide players with the opportunity to see their net deposit position. He further explained that “net deposit position” is the financial position of a person’s gambling activity. Mr Topping also explained that digital ID could tackle the challenge faced by players who use multiple accounts, which are often used by gamblers to hide the actual extent of their financial position and how addicted to gambling they truly are.
Implementation of Digital ID Services Would Help Both Gamblers and Gambling Operators
According to Mr Topping, the provision of access to a comprehensive and consolidated view of a customer’s balance, transaction history and net losses and gains would help problem gamblers and players who are considered at risk of developing gambling addiction make more informed choices when it comes to gambling.
The aforementioned consultation was held both in the form of face-to-face and written briefings with retail and online gambling companies, suppliers and regulatory bodies. The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) has also taken part in the consultation.
Mr Topping also noted there is clearly a strong appetite for the use of digital ID services in the gambling sector of the UK. In his opinion, the unification could protect not vulnerable people, problem gamblers and regular gamblers who have multiple betting accounts with different gambling companies both off- and online, on one hand, as they would be able to make more informed choices when it comes to their gambling habits and their expenditures associated with gambling. On the other hand, the implementation of digital ID services would be beneficial for gambling companies because they would be able to better protect their customers both in retail and digital offering.
- Author
Daniel Williams
