New York Proposes Biometric Logins for Sports Betting to Curb Addiction

The New York Gaming Commission has announced new measures to promote responsible gambling and curb addiction. Among the proposed rules is a requirement for biometric data to login to online sportsbooks. This move follows Gov. Kathy Hochul's push for new measures to protect minors from gambling.

The commission also plans to prohibit the use of artificial intelligence to track customers and offer personalized promotions. However, AI will still be allowed to track signs of problem gambling. Additionally, the NYGC has announced several measures to help restrict underage gambling, including age assurance controls, biometric data for account registration, additional geolocation controls, and allowing adult users to submit their Social Security number to restrict it from being used to open an account.

During a March 16 meeting, the commission discussed issues related to mobile sports betting and announced 11 triggers that would require operators to intervene to determine a customer’s well-being. These triggers include depositing large amounts of money, frequent visits to the self-exclusion page, and other behaviors that may indicate problem gambling. The new rules come after New York recently enacted a sweepstakes casino ban spearheaded by Sen. Joe Addabbo Jr.