There are a few ways that operators have been trying to prevent underage and problem gambling across the iGaming industry. Methods involve stopping football advertisements, introducing identity checks, and encouraging the use of responsible gambling tools.
While operators currently have a number of helpful tools in place, it’s also worth considering what more could be done.
In this article, we’ll explore the existing ways iGaming operators try to prevent underage and problem gambling, and what else can be implemented in the future.
Changing the Way They Advertise
In recent years, there have been a number of changes to advertisements that have aimed to reduce underage and problem gambling.
In 2018, operators agreed to a whistle-to-whistle ban on gambling advertisements for games like football and rugby. The ban followed the 2018 World Cup, which saw more than 90 minutes of gambling ads shown across the tournament.¹
Campaigners highlighted the frequency of gambling-related ads and their impact on problem players, which the Gambling Commission estimated as 430,000 Brits at the time. Pressure from these groups, alongside growing concern for children’s exposure to gambling ads, voiced by MPs, led to the eventual ban.
Alongside these changes, providers and football clubs have also volunteered to remove gambling advertisements from players’ shirts.
As of 2024, there were eight Premier League clubs with gambling sponsors, worth an estimated £60 million a year.² As of the 2026 to 2027 season, having gambling sponsors on football shirts will be completely banned. It’s hoped that this ban will prevent the normalisation of gambling and reduce exposure, especially for underage or vulnerable fans.
Verifying Player Identity
Identity verification helps operators ensure that only players over the legal gambling age are able to access their sites. In the UK, there’s a process in place called Know Your Customer, which does just this. Across all licensed providers, players have to upload documents to verify their identity, address, and ownership of payment methods.
Usually, this involves uploading a form ID, like a passport or driving licence. These checks are essential to preventing underage playing. As of 2019, players have to complete this process before they’re able to make any deposit on a site, rather than in the 72 hours following registration.
To ensure these checks are done as efficiently as possible, operators incorporate cutting-edge technology like artificial intelligence. AI is able to analyse player information much faster than humans can. Users may be asked to provide live images to be compared to their ID, which AI analyses to make sure they match.
AI has further uses in preventing underage players from signing up with iGaming operators. Its ability to analyse vast amounts of data in a matter of seconds means it can efficiently highlight profiles that share information or use false details. Often, underage players may sign up using someone else’s details. AI can highlight if the entered details don’t match the live image of the player or are attached to another account.³
Promoting Responsible Gambling
Promoting responsible gambling messages and tools is one of the most important ways that operators can prevent problem gambling. For operators to receive a UKGC licence, they have to demonstrate they take responsible gambling seriously, meaning there’s a range of tools on offer to players.
Limits
There are a few different types of limits, including deposit, spending, time, and loss limits. These prevent high-risk behaviours, like overspending and chasing losses, by limiting a player’s activity on a provider. The vast majority of operators will provide some type of limits to help players stay in control of their gambling habits.
Breaks and Reminders
Many operators provide players with the option to take a break from their site. These are usually short spells, from days to months, where users are blocked from accessing and playing. These breaks help players to control their habits, and they can be customised to their needs.
Reminders are another great responsible gambling tool that can be customised by the player. When using a provider, they pop up to ensure players want to continue. They can be set to appear at intervals of the player’s preference, every half an hour, for example. Many providers offer them in conjunction with breaks, allowing players to immediately take a break when they encounter a reminder.
Self-exclusion
For players who recognise they have developed a problem with gambling, self-exclusion is a great tool. It’s similar to a break but usually over a longer period, starting at a week for players in the UK. During this time, a player is prevented from accessing and using the provider they’ve excluded themselves from, helping them to regain control. It’s also possible for players to self-exclude from multiple operators at once using tools like GamBan and GAMSTOP.
Educational Resources
Educating players on what problem gambling looks like is one of the essential ways to prevent it from developing. Operators will usually provide educational materials on how to recognise problem gambling, often including checklists and surveys for them to self-assess their relationship.
In order to further push the message of responsible gambling, operators promote it across their sites. At a UK licensed provider, players will always be able to see a responsible gambling section and banners. Operators also run ads promoting the message across their platforms on social media and television.
How can iGaming Operators Improve in the Future?
While iGaming operators already have a range of methods in place to prevent underage and problem gambling, they’re not bulletproof. Recent studies have been suggesting a dangerous spike in cases of underage gambling. In Europe, the number of 15- and 16-year-olds gambling increased from 8% to 14% between 2019 and 2024.⁴ There are a few further methods operators could introduce to reduce these numbers.
Stricter Identity Checks
Many cases of underage gambling were down to the young person using an adult identity to pass checks, or logging in through an existing account of an adult. One way operators could prevent this is by introducing a greater level of protection through biometric verification. These checks would require the person trying to sign up to match their biometric information, like live appearance, to their ID. It could also prevent children from accessing adult accounts by requiring fingerprints or facial scans in order to log in.
Stopping Social Media Advertisements
iGaming operators could also help prevent underage and problem gambling by shifting away from advertisements on social media. In a 2023 UKGC survey of young people aged 11 to 17, it was found that 48% saw a gambling ad on social media at least once a week.⁵ This makes it clear that the current regulations to prevent underage users from seeing these ads aren’t effective enough.
These ads are also seen by vulnerable players who are more easily influenced by them. It’s been found, over multiple studies, that these ads lead to increased participation and higher risks for harm. These effects are felt more by those “already at risk from current gambling activity, and can encourage high-risk behaviour like overspending”.⁶
The best way to prevent these harms and exposures would be to stop advertising across social media or introduce stricter checks on who sees gambling ads. While it is possible for users to change their preferences to stop seeing gambling ads, placing the responsibility on operators would be more effective.
Are iGaming Operators Doing Enough to Prevent Underage and Problem Gambling?
iGaming operators have tried to prevent underage and problem gambling by promoting responsible gambling tools, introducing identity verification, and changing the way they advertise. These methods have tackled the problem by encouraging players to adopt safe gambling practices, reducing exposure to gambling ads for vulnerable players and ensuring underage players can’t access sites.
While these methods have been largely effective, there’s still more work to be done. Recent studies have been reaching conclusions about underage gambling, especially regarding social media advertising. As social media continues to exert its influence, it’s essential that operators adapt to tackle exposure to young and vulnerable groups. Although operators are employing a good range of tools to prevent underage and problem gambling, they need to continue to expand these in the face of new threats.
³Age verification for online gambling, Written by Simon Forster, Published by Experian.
