Onfido Pushes Age Verification Tech for Germany’s Online Gaming Operators

Onfido has released a short primer on the new online gambling regulations that will soon be going into effect in Germany. The country is currently in a transition period after its 16 states passed an Interstate Treaty on Gambling – also known as the Glücksspielstaatsvertrag (GlüStV) – that will officially take hold in July of 2021.  

Gaming outlets will need to comply with the Treaty to continue to operate once that deadline passes. Most notably, that means that outlets will need some way to verify the ages and the identities of their players, to make sure that minors and restricted individuals are not able to gain access to online gaming services.

That’s where Onfido comes into play. The company explains that the Kommission für Jugendmedienschutz (KJM) is one of the regulatory bodies that oversees the German media, and is specifically tasked with the protection of minors on online platforms. As part of its mission, the KJM evaluates age verification systems and maintains a list of those that meet the country’s strict regulatory standards.

With that in mind, gaming operators that deploy one of the solutions on the KJM list will be compliant with the terms of the incoming Treaty. Onfido happens to be one of those approved solutions after obtaining KJM certification earlier this month.

In addition to age verification, the GlüStV forces gaming operators to put certain safeguards in place to prevent problem gambling. Examples include monthly betting limits, and the clear separation of lotteries and other betting services. Casinos are also expected to avoid the use of stimuli that encourage addictive habits.

Onfido’s identity verification solution uses face and document recognition to compare a selfie to the image on a photo ID. The company has been listed as one of CB Insights’ FinTech top 250, and its technology has already been used to protect a variety of online services, including cryptocurrency wallets and money transfer applications.

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October 29, 2020 – by Eric Weiss