In its early days, the Internet was commonly referred to as the new Wild West. Unchecked and unregulated. Like Las Vegas: what happened online stayed online. However, as more and more once analogue aspects of our lives enter the digital realm, politicians and lawmakers have been scrambling to catch up with the pressing need for clear and consistent regulation. And one area where the need for uniform and uncompromising laws is crucial is when it comes to safety, especially the safety of youth and children online.
To this effect, Germany will be enforcing its Interstate Gambling Treaty in mid-2021. Among other new stipulations, the Treaty will require all users to set up a unique user account to participate in any gambling activities. Online gambling license holders will be required to provide identity verification to ensure that no underage players are exposed to gambling content, which is deemed potentially harmful to child development. The question remains: what are the most effective and secure means of age verification and child protection when it comes to online gambling?
Certified identity verification procedures
Since 2019, the Commission for the Protection of Minors in the Media (KJM) has stipulated that software-based verification systems, which compare biometric features with an ID document, including details and a photo, are acceptable forms of identity verification. In 2020, the KJM started assessing various age verification systems to create a list of accepted and recognized service providers. The Nevis Authentication Cloud was recently added to this list.
As a seasoned expert in the development of CIAM systems, Nevis provides secure and easy access to digital services on the basis of a strong and passwordless two-factor identity authentication process. This Nevis Authentication Cloud consists of two major components: the user authentication app, which relies on a user’s biometric features for user verification, and a cloud-based IT service facilitating the link between a service provider’s online portal and the Nevis Authentication Cloud. Put simply, the Nevis Authentication Cloud turns a user’s smartphone into a digital identification tool.
How does the Nevis Authentication Cloud help protect minors from online gambling portals? In combination with an authorized age verification service, which provides one-off age verification during a mandatory registration process, the Nevis Authentication Cloud can provide continued user authentication by linking the user’s mobile device for all future verification processes. This ensures ongoing secure and comfortable access to online gambling providers while simultaneously ensuring that no minors gain unauthorized access.
What’s the benefit for online gambling providers?
The most important benefit and Nevis’ primary interest in providing secure authentication processes for online gambling is the safety of children online. Beyond that, the Nevis solution ensures that providers comply with the Interstate Gambling Treaty. Furthermore, the extensive and state-of-the-art safety protocols provide a solid safeguard for all monetary online transactions between online gaming providers and users.
However, Nevis has always been focused on more than just security. Striking the right balance between safety and comfort is the key to customer satisfaction and retention. And implementing the Nevis Authentication Cloud, and in particular, a passwordless login process, provides customers with more seamless and user-friendly access to their service providers. With a sea of available service providers vying for users, creating the best possible customer experience while ensuring top-notch security is a compelling competitive advantage.
