The National Football League (NFL) season is more than halfway over and fantasy sport game websites are changing their game plan on identity verification. There are numerous fraud risks with online payment; however, online gaming has additional risks beyond stealing a person’s credit card or debit card information. News’ outlets have addressed issues, which include the legitimacy of fantasy sport’s websites such as Fan Duel and Draft Kings to the possibility of the Attorney General of New York banning the websites.
There are issues regarding if the websites are legal in specific states, if they are fair since a Fan Duel employee won a Draft Kings’ game and how the websites protect customer information. Recently, selective Fan Duel’s users have seen changes in identity verification procedures, with the website asking them to provide their birthday and social security number. The birthday and social security number requirements were not included in the terms when users first signed up for the website.
According to Fan Duel they are asking customers to verify their identity, “To comply with government regulations, prevent fraud and make FanDuel safe and fun, we ask that you verify your identity,” the website says. “While verifying, the more details you provide us with the more fluid your experience will be when using FanDuel.”
Even if customers have provided their tax information in the past, they have to re-verify based on Fan Duel’s new verification system. The new verification system has not been provided to all of Fan Duel’s customers yet, which may be for website reasons. The website may not have the capability to process all of the verifications at once or could crash the website. The website is pushing for users to reach out to customer service if they have issues.
The identity verification issues for Fan Duel and Draft Kings show online gaming and other industries that it is easier to be proactive instead of reactive. Companies can instill trust and confidence in customers when they focus on identity verification at the beginning. EVS knows the importance of fraud prevention online, which is why gaming is an industry we serve.
