Gambling in the USA

iovation Prepares for U.S. Online Gambling Fraud and Legal Complications With Rush to Onboard Players

Published

6 years ago

August 29, 2019

With American football season beginning and more states legalizing online gambling, TransUnion company anticipates challenges with bonus abuse, fraud, self-exclusion and underage gambling that it’s seen in Europe for decades

iovation, a TransUnion company, announced it anticipates challenges in the U.S. online gambling market and is responding by launching a new package of solutions through iovation and TransUnion. The product suite focuses around the onboarding of new players and helps U.S. online gambling operators comply with new regulations, combat fraud and improve the player experience. The company is making its prognostication based on its experience in the European market during the past 15 years supporting over 100 operators and platform providers there including eight of the world’s ten largest gambling infrastructure providers.

“The online gambling gold rush today in the U.S. is akin to what we saw nearly two decades ago when iovation first began working with European operators as countries there began to legalize online gambling,” said iovation Co-Founder Greg Pierson. “With states legalizing online gambling and the American fantasy football season kicking off, operators are sprinting to launch apps and websites. They are putting most of their efforts into getting users with less emphasis on preventing gambling issues.”

Specific issues that iovation anticipates around player onboarding and solves for U.S. gambling operators include:

Age verification – In all states, the legal online gambling age is 21. Much like anything else where there is an age limit, underage people are going to try and participate.
Bonus abuse – Many online gambling companies provide incentives like money or credit for betting to attract new players and grow existing relationships. But often, fraudsters exploit these programs which result in real losses for operators. iovation has seen bonus abuse rise 287 percent from 2015 to 2018.
Credit card fraud – Since 2014, iovation found credit card fraud increased in online gambling–predominantly outside the U.S.–by 155 percent with an average annual growth of 39 percent.
Managing play by boundaries – With online gambling being legal in one state and then illegal within a neighboring state, operators are going to need to pinpoint a gamblers’ location and limit play if needed.
Self-exclusion – When a player admits they have a gambling problem and “self-excludes” from a gambling site, the operator is now accountable for ensuring the player does not resume gambling activities or potentially face penalties. In many instances, a self-excluded gambler tries to set up a new account when they have a change of heart. Or fraudsters set up a new account using a stolen credit card, deposit funds using that card and then self-exclude before the chargeback hits.

iovation has a service provider license in Nevada, with many iovation partners operating in the United States. This includes SBTech which will power online sports betting in iovation’s home state for the Oregon State Lottery’s new sports betting brand, “Scoreboard.”

“SBTech puts player protection and anti-money laundering at the heart of our platform operations for our partners in regulated regions across the U.S., Europe and emerging markets,” said Andrew Cochrane, Chief Development Officer at SBTech. “Thanks to our expanded partnership with iovation, these partners now have access to the industry’s most advanced device recognition technology enabling them to instantly identify and authorize verified players and significantly reduce levels of potential fraud.”

The U.S. gambling solution offerings available through iovation and TransUnion combine iovation’s digital identity solutions that uses device behavior and TransUnion’s identity verification solutions, helping to protect the entire player’s journey.

Account registration

Verified prefill to expedite onboarding
Added identity verification with a one-time password (OTP) and knowledge-based authentication (KBA)
Age verification checks
Address validation
Email and phone verification
Stop bonus abuse
Manage player self-exclusion
Block non-compliant accounts

Login

Manage player self-exclusion
Stop account takeover
Authenticate players
Block noncompliant access
Reduce login friction

Deposit

Prevent credit card and payment fraud
Anti-money laundering

Play

Uncover insider threats
Stop cheating and abuse
Prevent bonus abuse
Detect player collusion
Manage play by geographic boundaries
Authorize large bets

Cash Out

Expedite withdrawals
Prevent withdrawal fraud
Non-repudiation for Monday morning chargebacks
Prevent fraudulent self-exclusion
Block non-compliant accounts

About iovation:
iovation, a TransUnion company, was founded with a simple guiding mission: to make the Internet a safer place for people to conduct business. Since 2004, the company has been delivering against that goal, helping brands protect and engage their customers, and keeping them secure in the complex digital world. Armed with the world’s largest and most precise database of reputation insights and cryptographically secure multifactor authentication methods, iovation safeguards tens of millions of digital transactions each day.

SOURCE iovation

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Gambling in the USA

New Jersey Gambling Revenue Increases in July

Published

1 hour ago

August 26, 2025

Niji Narayan

This summer is shaping up to be a strong one for Atlantic City casinos and their online gambling operating partners. According to the latest data collected by the state, the total gambling revenue for the casinos and their operating partners from in-state online gambling was nearly $250 million during July. That represents a nearly 27% increase over last year’s total revenue for July, and it comes on top of a more than 23% year-over-year increase measured during the month of June.

In all, revenue this year from online gambling through the end of July topped $1.6 billion, up 23.3% compared to the same period last year, according to a report from the state’s Division of Gaming Enforcement, which regularly tracks gambling revenue earned legally in New Jersey.

The revenue gains from online gambling do not appear to have come at the expense of in-person gambling this summer, according to the DGE data. Revenue from gambling at the casinos also grew in both June and July, although at more modest rates, with year-to-date collections totaling $1.66 billion through the end of July, the report said.

Amid the online-gambling revenue upswing, state policymakers decided earlier this summer to increase the state tax levied on legal online gambling offered by casinos and their operating partners.

The online gambling tax hike, as well as an increase in the state tax levied on mobile sports betting, came as part of a broader plan to raise an additional $600 million in annual revenue for the state budget.

The two gambling tax hikes, which went into effect on July 1, are projected to increase the revenues the state collects from casino taxes and fees by more than $200 million annually, according to estimates from the Department of the Treasury.

According to the report issued by Stockton University, which is based in Atlantic County, the casino industry’s gross gambling revenues totaled nearly $5.7 billion in 2024.

Last year, the total from taxes and fees levied on casino operators in New Jersey topped $880 million, according to a report issued earlier this year by Stockton University.

This included $572 million in revenue that went directly into New Jersey’s Casino Revenue Fund, the report said. That fund, by law, benefits programs and services for senior citizens and disabled residents.

In all, online gambling on traditional casino games, like poker and blackjack, netted casino operators $2.4 billion in gross revenue last year, followed by slots, $2.1 billion; table games, $699.7 million; mobile sports betting, $486.5 million; and in-person sports betting, $6.5 million, according to the report, which cited state data.

And even before the increased state tax rates that were put in place earlier this summer, the tax revenue generated by casino gambling in New Jersey was trending up, the report said.

Gambling in the USA

Virginia Lawmakers Debate Creating iGaming Agency

Published

1 hour ago

August 26, 2025

Niji Narayan

Virginia lawmakers are actively debating whether to establish a new regulatory agency to oversee iGaming. The joint subcommittee discussed a bill to create the Virginia Gaming Commission. It would manage all gambling verticals beyond the lottery.

Delegate Paul Krizek said: “The Virginia Gaming Commission is a step we need to preserve the good.”

Currently, the Virginia Lottery regulates sports betting and casinos, while other agencies manage charitable gaming and horse racing. Lawmakers also considered legalizing online casinos, including real-money platforms.

Delegate Marcus Simon introduced HB 2171 earlier this year. The bill aimed to authorize a real money online casino market under casino-lottery oversight. While the bill failed, Simon explained that the aim remains to curb illegal offshore platforms.

“My goal is to bring it under a regulated umbrella where we can have some oversight and supervision,” Simon said.

The subcommittee reviewed revenue projections estimating up to $5.3 billion in taxable income from online casinos over five years. The estimates included increased land-based casino revenue of 8.4%.

Experts raised concerns about real money online casino risks. Keith Whyte from Safer Gambling Strategies urged strong enforcement and safer gaming tools. Whyte noted: “Players could be encouraged… to take control through deposit limits, time limits, budget calculators, and personalized dashboards.”

Mental health advisor Brianne Doura-Schawohl backed up Whyte’s statement, warning that such products are dangerous without safeguards.

Former New Jersey regulator David Rebuck testified that iGaming complemented land-based casinos there. He pointed to New Jersey’s market, where online play boosted tourism and in-person casino revenue.

However, some Virginia legislators expressed skepticism, citing fears of cannibalization. They questioned whether online casinos might draw customers away from brick-and-mortar venues.

Industry experts countered that New Jersey and Michigan showed the opposite effect. Rebuck explained: “The evidence demonstrates iGaming expands the player base rather than cannibalizes physical casinos.”

Supporters argued that Virginia’s land-based operators could benefit from cross-promotion, loyalty programs, and expanded reach to players in rural areas.

The subcommittee must make recommendations by November 30, 2025. Officials expect the commission’s creation will precede legalization of online casinos. The Virginia lawmakers will review feasibility and revise HB 2171 before the 2026 legislative session.

Gambling in the USA

DraftKings Introduces Credit Card Deposit Ban for US Customers

Published

1 hour ago

August 26, 2025

Niji Narayan

DraftKings has introduced credit card deposit ban for US customers. This decision aligns them with other major gambling operators, such as Fanatics Betting & Gaming, Betr, and Sporttrade, which have already banned credit card funding for wagering accounts.

It also comes on the heels of another major announcement by DraftKings. Starting September 1, DraftKings will charge a 50-cent fee for every mobile and online bet placed in Illinois using its Sportsbook platform. This change follows a similar move by FanDuel.

DraftKings CEO, Jason Robins, expressed his disappointment with Illinois policymakers for significantly raising the tax rate. He is worried that this could hurt the legal sports betting industry, while the illegal market continues to operate without paying taxes or providing any consumer protections.

DraftKings has informed its users that any saved credit card information will be disabled.

Moving forward, players will need to utilize alternative payment methods, including:

• Debit Cards

• ACH and wire transfers

• PayPal, Venmo

• Apple Pay

• Gift Cards

Bettors can also use cash at physical locations to fund their accounts.

DraftKings describes this step as a “strategic business decision” aimed at shielding customers from the high interest rates and cash advance fees usually associated with credit card deposits in gambling. Unlike regulatory demands, this decision was internally driven but coincides with growing scrutiny from regulators.

DraftKings has decided to stop accepting credit cards for deposits in the US due to worries about customer safety and more scrutiny from regulators. Recently, the company faced a significant fine in Massachusetts, where it is based. The Massachusetts Gaming Commission fined DraftKings $450,000 for allowing credit card deposits, which goes against state laws.