Online gaming has been increasingly popular in recent years and this, of course, skyrocketed during the pandemic when people found themselves at home with a lot more time on their hands. As well as a fun way to unwind, gaming can have some surprising benefits for adults, including increased concentration levels and improved hand / eye coordination. Unfortunately, it’s not just adults enjoying online betting - in the last few years, there has been growing concern over the number of minors found to have been using these sites.

Child’s play

Owners and managers of online betting and gaming sites have an obligation, by law, to ensure that all users on their sites are aged 18 or over and, site owners can face severe penalties if they are found to be negligent of this. Most gaming sites now include age verification features to check that a user is an adult, however, often, this is woefully inadequate. For a significant number of sites, this involves no more than ticking a box and entering a date of birth - something that any minor with a basic grasp of mathematics would be able to fake. Another common method is to insist on a credit or debit card for all users, however, this is far from foolproof as many minors will simply register under a parent’s name, using the parent’s card details.

As government legislation on online betting continues to tighten, owners of these sites are under increasing pressure to increase their controls in order to firmly close the door to under-age users. Many believe that the key to improved age verification is through the use of artificial intelligence - advanced technology which is able to learn about and understand human behavior.

How can AI help?

An increasing number of businesses, including online casinos and sites which sell alcohol and other prohibited products, are now getting onboard with Liveness Detection. Powered by artificial intelligence, this technology works in real time and, during registration, will require that a user power up their phone or computer’s camera in order for a photograph to be taken. The LD system will then analyze a 3D depth perception of the photograph, including:

By analyzing the above trigger points, the system is able to determine - with a pretty high degree of accuracy - whether the user appears to be over the age of 18. When coupled with another form of identification such as a passport or driving license, this can significantly help to provide online businesses with a reliable barrier against minors entering their sites.

Conclusion

With ever-increasing competition, the last thing that any online betting site needs is negative press and potential legal action. These days, young people are incredibly tech-savvy and have plenty of tricks up their sleeves when it comes to gaining access to things that they shouldn’t. At the moment, AI technology such as Liveness Detection is an online casino’s best bet when it comes to making sure that children are not sneaking onto their sites.