Gambling - New age verification and identity requirements

Prior to the introduction of new standards  by the Gambling Commission today,  online gambling businesses have been allowed 72 hours to carry out age verification checks.

Operators could not permit customers to withdraw winnings until age verification has been completed and must return stakes if the person is found to be underage.

New rules mean Operators must now complete verification checks before a customer can:

• deposit funds into an account, or
• gamble with the licensee with either their own money or a free bet or bonus.

Customers wishing to access free-to-play versions of gambling games on licensees’ websites must now also be age verified by the Operator. 

In addition, the Commission have addressed a perceived issue within the industry regarding requests by Operators for additional identification.  Such requests, when made to customers only when they attempt to withdraw winnings was deemed unfair.  The Commission reported approcximately 15% of complaints to their contact centre were around this issue. 

Additional rules introduced this month require remote licensees to:

• verify, as a minimum, the name, address and date of birth of a customer before allowing them to gamble
• ask for any additional verification information promptly
• inform customers, before they can deposit funds, of the types of identity documents or other information that might be required, the circumstances in which the information might be required, and how it should be supplied to the licensee

take reasonable steps to ensure that information on their customers’ identities remains accurate.