Philippines to introduce biometric identity verification for online gambling

The Philippines is finalizing new rules to mitigate harms from gambling, including the introduction of biometric identity verification, including facial recognition.

Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP), the Philippine Central Bank, announced on Wednesday that new rules will require banks, digital wallets, and other financial service providers to adopt stronger safeguards. Identity verification will be introduced to ensure only eligible individuals can use their funds for online gambling.

Aside from biometric identity checks, the financial authority also wants to introduce daily limits on gambling-related transfers and time-based restrictions on gambling payments. Among other tools that should be introduced are personal spending caps, voluntary breaks and self-exclusion from gambling transactions.

The upcoming rules are part of wider efforts from Philippine lawmakers to bring online gambling under control.

“The BSP’s decisive action to tighten online gambling payment rules is a monumental step toward the responsible use of digital services,” Senator Sherwin Gatchalian said last month. “Daily caps, time limits, and biometric verification can help curb the alarming rise of gambling addiction, especially among the youth.”

The Senator is also pushing for a complete ban on gambling inside the country. However, other government officials, including Finance Secretary Ralph Recto, say that an outright ban could drive the industry further underground. Illegal online gambling still accounts for roughly 60 percent of the market, leaving only 40 percent of the industry legitimately registered and contributing to the treasury with taxes, he says.

Other countries are also introducing measures to reduce harms from online gambling.

As of January, Brazilian users of online betting, casino and cryptocurrency platforms must undergo mandatory face biometric verification. The rule seems to have found widespread acceptance: A July survey by Casinos Blockchain showed that 67 percent of Brazilian users feel comfortable providing a selfie for identity verification in these sectors.

Kenya’s Betting Control and Licensing Board (BCLB) has mandates that users submit a selfie holding their national ID card, while in Argentina, online gambling platforms need to implement identity verification using the country’s Registro Nacional de las Personas (RENAPER), the national digital ID.

Article Topics

biometrics  |  face biometrics  |  facial recognition  |  gambling  |  identity verification  |  Philippines