The proliferation of online gaming and betting in Canada breeds new and heightened security and anti-fraud concerns. Recent estimates suggest that up to 75 per cent of all betting is done on a mobile device and major developments such as the opening of Ontario’s regulated online gaming and betting market are only likely to increase the amount of mobile betting activity.

Generally, operators will have end users sign up with details such as name, address, and age, and login through an account to deposit funds and place bets. Many users may well repeat this process with multiple gaming sites and mobile apps.

In this climate, how can gaming operators be entirely confident that they are protecting the identity, privacy, and details of their users and safeguarding themselves from fraud and invasion of security?

EnStream is a joint venture of Canada’s leading mobile telecom companies – Bell Mobility, Rogers Communications, and TELUS Communications – that has over 15 years’ experience providing identity, location, and payment verification and authentication services for third-party applications that work on connected mobile devices. It is the only company with direct access to mobile telecom information in Canada, covering over 90 per cent of Canadians on all major mobile networks through a single connection point and a single business relationship.

Foolproof verification

The unfortunate truth is that anyone can pretend to be anyone else online. Trusted digital identities are the foundation of a modern digital economy, and EnStream is dedicated to increasing online trust and convenience for consumers and businesses using real-life, verified identities and network information held by trusted mobile networks.

Put simply, EnStream offers access to the mobile network operators’ mobile resources to verify both the mobile device and the account owner associated with that device. Its reliable and spoof-proof location and authentication services provide timely and accurate verification of user details such as carrier network, mobile number, SIM card, account status, and device information with end-user consent to enhance convenience and reduce identity theft and fraud.

EnStream’s tools are ideal for mobile gaming operators as a secondary source of reliable information for account opening, anti-money laundering compliance, and contact number verification. They reduce account takeover and fraud risks using mobile device information as a seamless, “silent” second factor for authentication. No personally identifiable information is held by EnStream any longer than required to process a transaction, ensuring data quality, security, and privacy.

Easing location, AML, and KYC concerns

Eligibility to use gambling or betting sites or apps often requires users to be within a particular jurisdiction. EnStream’s network-based mobile location services can verify any mobile device location in real-time without any preloaded software, using technology based on the same technology used by first responders to determine mobile device location in emergency situations for simple, fast, and reliable results.

Meanwhile, anti-money laundering compliance is vital for gaming companies and brands to operate legally and safely in their markets. EnStream offers key safeguards for Know Your Customer (KYC) rules and helps operators ensure they are meeting those AML compliance requirements, serving as an accepted secondary source in the dual-source method, where a primary source is an official government-issued financial credential. If a fraudster were to try logging into an account with false credentials, EnStream can verify whether the device being used is the same one associated with that account by providing a unique subscriber token that can be verified in real-time each time the user accesses a service. The system also detects any changes and sends push notifications to alert its customers of account changes, including account suspension or termination and mobile number changes.

Safeguarding the future of gaming

Online and mobile gaming is set for a period of significant and continued growth in Canada. Securely identifying users as they open accounts and as they return will be vital for the security and success of digital gaming operators.

In most cases, the complicated and rapidly evolving identity and security space is not the core competency of gaming operators. However, it is the core competency of mobile operators for their own business purposes. Through EnStream, mobile carriers are taking on the technical work that goes with device verification and making it available to gaming operators to leverage it as an independent and enhanced source of verification.

All of these mobile verifications can be executed in seconds, working silently and seamlessly in the background to provide an operator- and end user-friendly security experience that is resilient to fraud attacks.

For mobile gaming operators looking to the future, utilizing the best tools will be vital to success. EnStream does the hard work of verification and authentication so you don’t have to.

Find out more at https://www.enstream.com/.