Compliance Updates
Special Interview: A Conversation with Tom Farrell, CMO of ClearStake
Affordability is currently the word on everyone’s lips. Operators continue to face a ‘sustainability conundrum’ – they must fulfil their regulatory obligations and commitments to player protection, while ensuring their business remains profitable. For many, affordability can spell disaster, with up to 90% of customers lost when asked to prove they have the money they are wanting to spend. However, using Open Banking to carry out these financial checks as quickly as possible may be the answer to boosting retention and retaining otherwise lost revenues.
The DCMS recently published a public consultation on the UK gambling White Paper, while the Gambling Commission launched its own on financial risk checks, bringing their importance of affordability to the top of the agenda – but operators must now strike the balance between minimising harm and maximising revenue. Affordability checks that take too long risk sending customers to competitors, or worse, the black market.
One of the key remedies to the high level of churn experienced in the past is making sure financial risk checks can be carried out quickly and with as little friction as possible, so that customers can complete them with as much ease as approving a payment while online shopping. Operators have to reach a decision quickly because the longer players wait, the more likely it is they will go elsewhere while they’re waiting.
Of course, there are some people who under no circumstances will share financial data with someone like a gambling operator. There’s also a group of people who won’t share data because they know they are gambling beyond their means. This is of course the system working as it should and that’s a good thing. But there’s a third group of people for whom it’s too much effort. They’re asked to provide bank statements, at which point they go to a competitor, as the hoops they have to jump through are not worth it.
For a customer using Open Bank technology, such as ClearStake, what used to involve downloading and printing bank statements and a wait while the operator reviews the data, now takes just 30 seconds and a few clicks. A decision is recommended to the operator immediately and theoretically, the whole process can take less than a minute. Players click a link, and they are taken to a super slick and simple process where they press a couple of buttons and the relevant financial data is shared securely. They are always in control of their data and they can revoke permission at any time.
Our software categorises every transaction and we can calculate whatever the operator wants to see. It could be disposable income, net gambling spend, total income, or current balance on the account. Our software can also evaluate the rate of change so operators can see accelerating gambling spend or consistently declining savings and work out if the player’s gambling activity is still within the safe bounds of their current financial position.
Without responsible gaming and Enhanced Due Diligence (EDD) checks, gambling risks being over-regulated out of existence as the product will become unprofitable. To answer the sustainability conundrum many operators face, we need to find a middle ground. Sustainability means not letting people spend beyond their means. It means letting people have a bet if they can afford to, while not taking more money than they can spend.
Over the last two or three years, the Gambling Commission got strict on affordability checks. They asked operators how they know someone could afford to lose ‘x’ amount. The White Paper effectively agreed with the Gambling Commission and has clarified that if someone is losing £2,000 in the space of three months or £1,000 in one month, operators should be confident about the player’s financial situation. The headline was that affordability and EDD checks should be taking place.
This discussion around affordability is not only limited to the UK, and we are seeing lawmakers and regulators in several other countries considering measures in this area.
The industry therefore needs to be proactive as the problem will never go away if it keeps allowing people to bet money they don’t have. In the public mind, gambling will have the same fate as cigarettes which are currently being regulated out of existence.
Compliance Updates
Entrust and PlaySafe ID Partner to Bring Verified, Privacy-First Digital Identity to Gaming
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Entrust and PlaySafe ID announce a new partnership to enhance online gaming safety.
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Integration of Entrust Identity Verification solution provides seamless and secure Know Your Customer check.
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Playsafe ID platform aims to combat cheating, bots and harmful behaviour, while supporting compliance with the UK Online Safety Act’s Protection of Children Codes.
Entrust, a global leader in identity-centric security solutions, today announced a partnership with PlaySafe ID, the platform that keeps cheaters, bots, and predators out of games. The partnership will power Playsafe ID’s secure onboarding and verification process using Entrust Identity Verification to enable seamless and secure onboarding experience for gamers worldwide.
Built with a privacy-first mindset, Playsafe ID issues a verified, game-agnostic digital ID that confirms the human identity behind the account promoting accountability and improved protection for users, while still allowing them to remain anonymised. The platform aims to address wider issues that erode trust and enjoyment in online gaming communities, such as cheating, hacking, bot activity, and inappropriate behaviour, while ensuring compliance with evolving regulations such as the UK’s Online Safety Act.
How It Works
Users create a Playsafe ID account and complete a quick and secure identity verification process powered by Entrust. Users simply take a photo of their government-issued ID and a short video selfie. Entrust identity verification first checks that the ID is genuine and not fraudulent and then matches it to the user’s face in the selfie video. This ensures the person presenting the identity is its legitimate owner and is physically present, mitigating identity fraud attempts such as stolen ID or deepfakes.
Once verified, users receive a unique, random, and anonymised PlaySafe ID, granting access to PlaySafe-protected gaming and matchmaking with other verified gamers. The verification data is kept separate from the Playsafe ID, ensuring gamers remain anonymised during gameplay while knowing they are engaging with other legitimate, verified players.
“Gaming should be fun, fair, and safe for everyone,” said Andrew Wailes, CEO of PlaySafe ID. “Our partnership with Entrust ensures that our user verification process is both secure and scalable, and also aligns with the values of frictionless user experience and privacy. Their technology will be instrumental in helping us build a future where fair play is the standard, and cheating, fraud and harmful behaviour are no longer tolerated.”
Regulation in Gaming
This partnership will enable game providers and developers to prepare for the inbound Protection of Children Codes, coming into force in July 2025 as part of the Online Safety Act, which mandates that services accessed by children must manage risks and protect children from encountering harmful content.
“We’re proud to join PlaySafe ID in their mission to make online gaming a safer place,” said Samuel Steg, Head of Compliance for Identity Verification at Entrust. “Fraudulent activity online continues to grow both in scope and sophistication, and gaming environments are no exception. Our identity verification technology provides robust, high-assurance Know Your Customer (KYC) checks, offering gamers a seamless and secure onboarding experience. This partnership reflects our shared commitment to building a safer digital future and promoting trust, fairness, and safety within digital spaces.”
PlaySafe ID is currently in integration discussions with several major gaming platforms, with the first partnerships expected to launch later this year.
The post Entrust and PlaySafe ID Partner to Bring Verified, Privacy-First Digital Identity to Gaming appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Compliance Updates
Hacksaw Gaming Streamlines Compliance Operations with Vixio’s Technical Compliance Tool
Vixio, a leading provider of regulatory intelligence solutions, is proud to announce that it has partnered with leading gaming supplier Hacksaw Gaming to strengthen its regulatory compliance processes amid increasing scrutiny from global gambling authorities, amid increased global focus on industry standards and practices
Faced with the challenge of tracking and interpreting evolving technical requirements across multiple jurisdictions, Hacksaw Gaming has adopted Vixio’s Technical Compliance Tool to navigate an increasingly demanding compliance landscape for B2B suppliers.
The Technical Compliance Tool is the first of its kind to offer a one-stop solution for navigating technical requirements for gambling operators and suppliers. Vixio analysts monitor over 200 regulatory sources and have tracked 43 regulatory updates across global critical jurisdictions for technical compliance since September 2024.
“Prior to using the Vixio Technical Compliance tool, we had an internal database… it would take three to five hours a week to ensure everything was updated and go through multiple sheets and resources to ensure the changes. But, now [with Vixio’s Technical Compliance Tool], it takes just a couple of minutes,” said Gabriel Fenech, CTO, Hacksaw Gaming. “Now we use those resources for other day-to-day matters.”
The Technical Compliance Tool offers a centralised, regularly updated source of information on technical requirements for regulated gambling markets, helping B2B suppliers like Hacksaw Gaming ensure timely, accurate compliance without the manual burden. Since launch, Vixio has added over 3,500 unique resources where the regulations for technical compliance are referenced. Earlier this year, the product was also expanded to include infosecurity requirements.
Commenting on the partnership, Roger Cowin, Technical Compliance Specialist, Vixio, said: “As the regulatory landscape becomes more complex, it’s critical for suppliers to have reliable, up-to-date information at their fingertips. Our mission is to empower firms like Hacksaw to navigate regulatory challenges with clarity and precision.”
The benefits of implementing the Vixio Technical Compliance Tool were immediate and far-reaching, with Fenech explicitly calling out the following:
- Efficiency gains: “We would carry out all of this research manually… now everything is in one place.”
- Easily compare jurisdictions: “The ease of comparing jurisdictions and having the main requirements per market so easily accessible is what makes it so attractive.”
- Quick references: “I really appreciate that there is a link to the actual regulation, so we can even check it ourselves and reference it, if need be.”
- Improved onboarding: “Some of my team members are still in training… the fact that they have the tool to refer to means they can analyse particular requirements themselves, and it’s just more efficient for the whole team.”
- Confidence in expansion: “This will also make upcoming market entries much easier, and I foresee there will be quite a few in the coming years.”
- Customer support: “I had some questions about upcoming regulations in Spain… I got replies really quickly, and the replies were all very detailed.”
The partnership reflects a growing need for intelligent compliance solutions as gaming suppliers expand into new and increasingly regulated markets. By integrating Vixio’s platform, Hacksaw Gaming is not only enhancing its internal processes but also reinforcing its commitment to responsible and compliant operations.
The post Hacksaw Gaming Streamlines Compliance Operations with Vixio’s Technical Compliance Tool appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
MC Games has officially announced its exclusive ombudsman channel. The space arises to listen carefully to the opinions, suggestions, doubts and possible complaints of the platform’s users, ensuring direct dialogue and continuous improvement of the services offered.
Thinking about every detail so as not to leave any player with an unsolved problem, MC Games offers several steps to help players: First, the bettor finds a team with humanized support, 24 hours a day, in the chat. If the problem is still not resolved, the gaming platform offers the Ombudsman Channel to answer major questions, which are beyond the basic guidelines on how to withdraw, make a deposit or other such issues.
In a simple and intuitive way, the user is faced with the “Report on the Web” button on the site, directing him to the Customer Service Center. There, he will be able to answer questions, with the requested information, ensuring that his service happens quickly, safely, and efficiently.
The same space also works for those who want to share compliments, report the browsing experience on the platform and even send suggestions, so that the MC Games team can increasingly improve the experience of its audience, offering the most innovative in the market.
The post MC Games Announces Ombudsman Channel for User Questions appeared first on Gaming and Gambling Industry in the Americas.
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