Geo-locating For Online Gambling In the Future!
There are various aspects of technology that online gambling relies on for it to be a successful mainstream industry. There is security, age verification, financial transacting as well as other technology required, and now that the USA is entering this market again in the form of intrastate online gambling, geo-location will be required. Similarly many iPhone and iPad apps depend on geo-location. This means that people purchasing an app in the UK, would not be able to use the same app in the USA for example. They would have to repurchase the app in the USA.
As the USA prepares to re-enter the online gambling industry on a jurisdictional licensing basis; geo-location will be required which would make the gambling facility available to a consumer in a specific area. Technology has many challenges in this marketplace with new developments taking place all of the time such as live dealer casinos online, mobile gaming and in-play betting. This sees new markets opening up all of the time in this multi-billion dollar industry. There is a whole new generation of players also – especially in mobile gaming with smart-phone users leading the way in the UK and Europe – this trend is sure to continue into the USA.
Operators have to keep up to speed with the top picks in technology, where controversial issues have to be taken into consideration. This includes data leakage, privacy and underage use, so, the complexities to comply are quite tough. Online gambling has become very social, and the biggest hurdle designers and operators are currently facing is the one of geo-location.
It is a case of confirming that the online gambler is where they say they are. In the past this has been notoriously unreliable and software programmes are available to circumvent any detection. In other words this software disguises the location of the online gambler. Currently the lack of technology to curtail cheat software programmes is one of the biggest problems being experienced in the USA.
While Geolocating technology has not been an undue problem until the new licensing jurisdictional issues, operators have financial as well as legislative reasons to seek out new and more reliable solutions. Target marketing has been the main need for location confirmation apps, but this is all changing now. The benefit of developing apps now has a potential which is more far reaching than only marketing goals.
Online gambling operators are having difficulty finding the technology, even though some steps forward have been made, but they need to get reliable solutions for geo-location off the ground. While solid results might not be available, at least reasonable certainty is. The regulatory framework demands it and as many gambling firms are public companies today, they are required to adhere to strict regulatory frameworks. Not being in compliance could mean the loss of a license or even worse, the suspension of business, or being closed down by the Department of Justice. We have seen that the DoJ has no compunction to tolerate illegal activities in online gambling, and saw this with the events of Black Friday.