Congressional Bill Would Require Facial ID For Online Sportsbooks
Jesse M. Cox Published 21/07/2026
A bill introduced by New Jersey Congressman Josh Gottheimer would require the use of facial ID to be able to access an online sportsbook. The Facial Recognition to Protect Children Act is new bipartisan legislation requiring prediction markets and online sportsbooks to use facial recognition technology to verify a user’s age before they can place a bet or trade.
A facial ID requirement would be required either when they log onto a platform or before they place a wager. The technology to read facial structure and patterns would be used to estimate a user’s age. It would not store a user’s identity or personal biometric information.
Facial ID Bill is designed to protect children
Gottheimer is pursuing this facial recognition bill to provide additional safeguards to keep people under the legal betting age from being able to access an online sportsbook.
“We’re asking our kids to self-police their way past a system built entirely on the honor code," Gottheimer said in a statement announcing the bill. "A kid can log into a parent’s, an older sibling’s, or a friend’s account and place a bet with no verification at all. Nobody checks. That’s it. That’s the whole system.
“We wouldn’t accept that at a casino in Las Vegas. We shouldn’t accept it on the phone in our kids’ back pocket.”
Gottheimer's bill would require prediction markets and online sportsbooks to use facial recognition technology to verify a user’s age. They would have to do this either when they log onto a platform or before they place a wager.
The bill is cosponsored by Representatives Jeff Van Drew (New Jersey), Nick LaLota (New York), Kristen McDonald Rivet (Michigan), Jimmy Panetta (California), Darren Soto (Florida), Tom Suozzi (New York), Ritchie Torres (New York), and Bruce Westerman (Arizona). All but Panetta represent states that offer online sports betting.
Research shows the impact of sports betting on children
Backers of the bill point to a combination of research studies and data compiled by state gaming regulators. It offers plenty of evidence that underage kids are participating in online gambling. A study conducted by Common Sense Media showed that 36 percent of boys ages 11 to 17 have gambled in the past year. That figure climbs to 40 percent for boys 14 to 17.
More than a quarter of those kids report real consequences. Effects include stress, conflict at home, and problems at school.
In Iowa, more than 80 reports of underage betting have been sent to the state’s Division of Criminal Investigation. In Tennessee, sportsbooks flagged more than 400 underage accounts in 2024. That number was up roughly 100 from the year before.
“As every parent knows, when you tell a kid not to do something, they almost always end up trying to do it," McDonald Rivet said. "Kids under the age of 18 shouldn’t be making bets, but now it’s just a few taps away on their phones.
"Our commonsense, bipartisan bill will put a stop to it.”
Gottheimer is hoping that betting sites will back his initiative
Gottheimer has called on every single sportsbook and prediction market in this country to commit to this legislation. No excuses, no exceptions.
To date, prediction market site Kalshi is the only entity to publicly support the facial ID bill.
“Protecting kids should be a no-brainer and is a top priority at Kalshi,” said Tarek Mansour, CEO of Kalshi. “Beyond what’s required of us, we already self-regulate and have a suite of measures in place to keep minors off our platform. But this can’t just be one company’s responsibility — it has to be an industry standard."
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