Speak Up And Identify Yourself: Identity Check
Published: Friday, April 22, 2005 Online-Casinos.com
SPEAK UP AND IDENTIFY YOURSELF
Voice-based identity checker could also be useful in stopping underage and problem gambling
Technology to verify identity and stop underage online gamblers took another step forward this week with the launch of 192 SafeBet, a voice-based identity checking solution for the remote gaming industry.
By recording gamblers’ unique audio ‘voice-prints’, 192 SafeBet provides betting companies with the assurance that they know exactly who they are dealing with. It not only provides a useful identity confirmation tool for future betting transactions, but also creates an effective audit trail. It therefore allows online gambling providers to prove that they have taken adequate steps to ensure that their customers are over the age of 18 and, as such, fulfill their requirements for socially responsible gaming.
The system works by triggering an automatic call-back facility when a new user registers personal details online and on each subsequent occasion that he or she logs on to place a bet. The customer is asked to confirm age and identity. If the customer does not respond, the registration and transaction fail, and the user is unable to proceed.
In addition to providing an audio audit trail of the customer verifying their identity verbally, the resulting ‘voice-print’ recording can also be stored and used to confirm identity in future transactions. The ‘voice-print’ is matched to a customer’s unique PIN number, provided online during the web session, and both can be checked as and when the service provider deems necessary, or if an anomaly occurs in a transaction.
“Since the boom in online and mobile gaming, underage gambling has become a real concern,” 192.com Business Services md Keith Marsden says. “However, businesses are often also victims of this phenomenon as they bear the costs of disclaimed gambling losses, so not only is 192 SafeBet a reassurance for society, it’s insurance for the bookies too.”
192 SafeBet can also query against 192.com Business Services’ databases during the same web transaction and checks users’ information against a number of information sources including the Electoral Roll, Companies House and the BT Contact Directory Enquiries database. The unique customer PIN can therefore be tied to a number of individual unique data characteristics as well as the ‘voice-print’ of the gambler.
Pricing for the product is based on a one-off licence payment and a cost-effective pay-per-use model.
