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Nevada Okays Remote Verification of Cashless Casino Gaming Accounts
By Jeff Osienya Jan 21, 2022 LegalityRegulators in the Silver State have approved a measure to allow remote verification of cashless gaming accounts for casino players. The change, however, only applies to casino gaming. Sports bettors remain stuck with the old in-person verification system.Punters in Nevada will now be able to sign up, make deposits to their casino accounts, and remotely verify their signup information via a mobile app operated by the casinos. Cashless payments have become a part of the casino industry, especially in the last two years when the Covid-19 pandemic made it necessary.
Previously, Nevada players had to have their identity physically verified by a casino staff member before they could proceed to the casino floor to place wagers. According to the petition put forward by Sightline, this kind of process has led to delays and a rather uncomfortable experience for players. On the other hand, the new regulatory change will only require gamblers to upload their official identification documents for their accounts during registration.
The process follows “know your customer” (KYC) guidelines which are a safeguard against fraud. However, players should note that remote registration and verification only apply to casino wagering accounts. Those looking to participate in sports betting will need to visit a bookmaker to be eligible to wager on sports and horse racing events.
Gaming Commissioner Ben Kieckhefer observed that the change was inevitable given the current trends in consumer habits. He commented:
Quote“We balance the need for intense integrity in some of these processes with the ongoing need to stay modern in our technological offerings to the consumers as they come into our state and our facilities. I think this goes in a positive direction of supporting whatever the consumer wants while maintaining the integrity.”
Maintaining Customer Safety and Security
The decision was made after much deliberation by Commissioners from the Nevada Gaming Commission. Initially, some Commissioners voiced concerns regarding identity theft once the system was implemented, but they all eventually saw eye to eye.
Sightline payments Co-CEO Omer Sattar also assured the commission that the remote verification process would provide even more security during the signup process. He added that the new system would provide a greater number of consumers access to “real cashless chains” in Nevada. Still, some of the commissioners voiced their concerns about the safety and integrity of remote registration.
Concerning identity theft, Commissioner Rosa Solis-Rainey argued that:
Quote“What we’re giving up to me is significant. I know the information for probably ten people that I can think of off the top of my head where I have their ID, and I could answer any of their applications, not that I would use it for any nefarious purpose. But I’m just concerned with information getting into the wrong hands, especially in this era of identity theft, when it would be so simple to just go verify at a casino cage, or at a kiosk or anywhere.”
Commissioner Steven Cohen also expressed his reservation by saying:
Quote“I’m not ready to try. If it fails in the marketplace, you will have a whole lot of people who are, you know, filing complaints and coming here during the public forum.”
Despite the concerns, Deputy Attorney General Michael Somps advised that the move to approve the revision would not violate the US federal anti-money laundering laws. Following the Deputy AG’s assurance that no federal laws would be breached, there were no objections to passing the motion in the Thursday meeting. After two workshops held in November and December, they voted unanimously in favor of the amendment to the Nevada gambling regulations.
Sattar thanked the Nevada Gaming Commission for the decision, specifically NGC board member Phil Katsaros for his role. He stated that continuous innovation and support from regulators are key to keeping Nevada at the top of the gambling industry, especially now that other states are expanding their gaming laws.
Remote Verification in Nevada to Debut in March
Following the coronavirus outbreak, cashless transactions have dominated the payment systems across the board. As a result, gaming operators in the regulated gambling markets in the USA took up the challenge to adhere to government health standards while ensuring that customers were served in the most convenient way possible. Consequently, Nevada needed to support the operators by allowing remote verification – it was a long time coming.
The American Gaming Association (AGA) has also been at the forefront of encouraging casinos to embrace modernization in their payment systems. AGA ramped up its efforts in pushing for the change after research in 2020 confirmed that about 59% of casino customers would prefer contactless payment options as a safeguard against Covid-19. To date, the AGA has managed to involve other regulators and stakeholders in the gambling business to bring convenient payment solutions to gamblers.
Additionally, the AGA, alongside a payments modernization working group, released the Payments Modernization Policy principles in 2020. The policy principles stated that payment modernization frameworks are best implemented at the state level for optimal efficiency. Eight states have already ratified laws allowing mobile wallets, and there’s a good chance others will follow suit. According to the AGA, utilizing digital tools in casino transaction processes will help in increasing transparency, particularly when it comes to anti-money laundering efforts and transaction monitoring.
Nevada’s updated remote verification system is set to be launched later on in March and, as stated by Sattar, could set the trend for casinos in other states.
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