Any solution/s to stop problem and under age gambling?

[cass]

Problem and under age gambling has tainted the online gambling industry for many years now and arguably one of the main reasons why it has not been legalized in the United States and various other countries as yet.

Most of us have been in the industry for many years now and have gained extensive experience "warts and all". What I'd like to know from you if you operated an online casino what mechanism/s will you employ to combat problem gamblers and minors from gambling?

I'd appreciate your feedback. Affiliate managers are welcome to chip in as well.

Thanks in advance.

[Dima RU]

It is my fear too - that under age boys and girls will play poker or casino, and I will have problems with law after. Thanks for question, I`ll subscribe for this thread.

[Renee]

There is no foolproof way of doing this IMO, but since ewallets require ID docs and verification when opening an account, and you must be 18 to have a credit card, I'd say that it *should be* almost impossible for someone to gamble online if they are underage unless they are using stolen banking details. In that case it would be them breaking the law in more ways than one..

Of course as I said, nothing is foolproof and unless the government has some kind of national ID they use in order to play where they need a different secure ID each time they login (like denmark with the nem ID) I dont believe there is a foolproof way of stopping it.

Of course this is my opinion and I'd be willing to see what others say on the topic.

[Crazyrewards-Morten]

There is no foolproof way of doing this IMO, but since ewallets require ID docs and verification when opening an account, and you must be 18 to have a credit card, I'd say that it *should be* almost impossible for someone to gamble online if they are underage unless they are using stolen banking details. In that case it would be them breaking the law in more ways than one..

Of course as I said, nothing is foolproof and unless the government has some kind of national ID they use in order to play where they need a different secure ID each time they login (like denmark with the nem ID) I dont believe there is a foolproof way of stopping it.

Of course this is my opinion and I'd be willing to see what others say on the topic.

Being a Dane I have myself experienced how the Danish NemID works and makes it impossible for under18s to play real money games. It is also connected to ROFUS (a Danish register of self excluded players), which makes it impossible for these players to play

Personally I'm not a fan of blocking peoples access to anything (more of a fan of personal freedom ) but that is the general Danish model, and in this case I think it is a very nice side effect of the NemID-integration

[cass]

Thanks a lot for your feedback much appreciated.

Before I get to my point I'd like to mention the following which is a bit off topic. In South Africa (I suppose most other countries as well) if you want a bank loan you must state that you have a fixed monthly income, ID documents, proof of employment (company you work for), fixed assets and you must provide the bank with at least three months pay slips. Normally a bank loan is granted based on your nett-take-home salary, in most cases 20% will be used to pay the monthly instalment on the loan granted. Obviously this depends on various factors, size of your monthly income, amount of fixed assets you have etc.

Now, if you want to wager at any online casino I think casinos should follow the same route. In other words before you can register an account with an online casino you must provide at least 2 months payslips (accompanied with two months bank statements-proof of salalry) which indicates that you have a fixed monthly income and that you can afford to wager online. Casinos should allow players to wager at least 20% of what they earn on a monthly basis. That said, if a player wants to deposit larger amounts (high rollers) they must consult casino management first and proof that they have the financial means to do so.

The above proposal means that online casinos will have to make use of a third party agency to verify the details a client has provided.

The pros

1. Eliminates under age gambling, since minors don't have payslips which indicates proof of employment.
2. Potentially eliminates problem gambling
3. Creates a regulated gambling environment

Cons

1. Most people won't be happy with the fact that they must provide their personal details such as payslips
2. Payslips can be fabricated
3. Additional red tape

I'd like to hear your feedback with regard to the above. Like any proposal there will always be many loopholes.

Thanks.

[universal4]

I know plenty of kids under 18 with credit cards....

I would be totally and completely against any policies that would require a credit check in order to play online.

Gamblers like a little bit of anonimity....now granted they are never really anonymous, but I don't think ANY of them would be very willing to provide details of where they work or how much they earn.

And what about the self-employed? No way they are gonna produce a pay stub or tax records just to play....

Rick
Universal4

[maxpot]

Afaik, age verification is already successfully in place for online horse betting in the US. Winnings / losses have to be tied to a unique identity anyhow for tax purposes, so it happens as a natural byproduct.

It could also probably easily be tied to a quick credit check where the user just answers a few general questions to confirm their identity. No need for tax forms or pay stubs.

[rak]

I know plenty of kids under 18 with credit cards....

And which kid doesn't have a bank account which comes along with debit cards these days?

Can't say I have ever come across any under aged gamblers, they are usually to busy playing COD or BF! Actually I lie.. 1991-1994 I used to go to a board schooling, and some of the kids from Asia (15-17 yrs old) would go to the land based casino for the weekend and drop 5-10K here and there. And I thought I was living large with a $5ver in my pocket.

[Renee]

I know plenty of kids under 18 with credit cards....

And thats why I said its not foolproof.

Cass - minors can have full time jobs here (eg, an apprenticeship if they leave school early) so the pros for SA wouldn't work in a place like Oz.

I still think the way the Danes are doing it with the NemID and ROFUS are the best way to combat underage (and problem) gambling.

[cass]

And thats why I said its not foolproof.

Cass - minors can have full time jobs here (eg, an apprenticeship if they leave school early) so the pros for SA wouldn't work in a place like Oz.

I still think the way the Danes are doing it with the NemID and ROFUS are the best way to combat underage (and problem) gambling.

I agree, this depends on how you define minors. Below 18? If you're 18 in SA you can gamble at any land based casino, obviously this differs from country to country. I know in the US you must be a minimum of 21 to gamble at a casino.

[lots0]

I know in the US you must be a minimum of 21 to gamble at a casino.

18 in some markets, 19 in others and some markets, like Nevada and New jersey it is still 21...

The US is a cluster f^#* of stupid gambling laws.

[Renee]

I agree, obviously this depends on how you define minors. Below 18? If you're 18 in SA you can gamble at any land based casino, obviously this differs from country to country. I know in the US you must be a minimum of 21 to gamble at a casino.

A minor in Oz is anyone who is under 18. I believe the leaving school age is 16 so a 16 year old could have a full time apprenticeship (or even a full time job somewhere else) and be able to prove an income etc.

18 is the legal age to drink and gamble in Oz.

[p.arena]

I think it has probably gotten a lot better as the awareness of problem gambling has increased.

Back in highschool I used to put bets on for my friends at the local TAB at 15 or 16 and didn't get asked for ID - sometimes while I was still wearing my school uniform.

I think most reputable betting sites are very careful when it comes to responsible gambling, but it's a bit of a concern when you see some of the free-play gambling games on facebook, or iphone slots games that can be accessed by children.

There's an article here about how they want to get rid of this type of marketing from social media sites: http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/bus...-1226408331038

[Renee]

Good old Xenophone...

[Maria F]

I think the underage gambling should be control by the Government and the parents. It is only so much a government can do; if a kid uses their parents details to play then that can’t be control. Parents should also take responsibility.

[Renee]

I think parents these days don't take enough responsibility for their children.

[jctroy440]

Yes, Get Congress to outlaw all forms of gambling worldwide. Hell they've made almost everything else illegal