The latest news, trends, and data related to ID fraud at casinos.
About the casino ID fraud report
It is no secret that casinos are a target for ID fraud. Whether the perpetrator is attempting to gamble underage, circumvent self-exclusion or banned lists, or has other nefarious intentions, casinos must remain vigilant to mitigate risk.
We analyzed 9 million ID verifications at casinos from April 2023 to June 2024, and found that ID fraud is steadily increasing.
Fake IDs are most commonly produced outside the United States, and manufacturers are in a constant race to produce the most realistic IDs that will pass visual and electronic muster. While in the past, fake IDs might have been hastily printed, or contain obviously photoshopped elements, today’s fake IDs are incredibly sophisticated. Many have barcodes that can be scanned, ultraviolet and infrared markings, and security elements such as windowpanes, microprints, and textured lettering.
The quality of fakes makes them harder, but not impossible to spot. Although no technology is capable of catching 100% of fake IDs, our continuous testing routinely indicates that VeriScan ID Authentication is capable of detecting up to 95% of fake IDs and driver’s licenses. Checks against third-party data sources confirm the efficacy of our solution and the significant threat of ID fraud for casinos.
We’re sharing our findings in this report to help better equip your casino in the fight against ID fraud.
Fake IDs, real consequences
Gaming regulators have already issued $7.8 million in fines to US casinos in 2024, and $85,341,397 globally, a 12.1% increase from 2023, according to a Gambling Industry News report. Whether you scan at the entrance, on the floor, or at the cage, ID scanning can help reduce fraud and avoid fines.
- Rivers Casino in Portsmouth fined $545,000 for allowing underage patrons
- Wind Creek Casino fined $125,000 for multiple underage incidents
- Hempfield Casino fined $30,000 for allowing gambling access to underage, self-excluded patrons
- PGCB has issued Pilot Travel Centers with a fine of $45,000 for underage gambling
- New Jersey regulators find 10 underage individuals gambling at Resorts Atlantic City
- Ohio commission imposes $200,000 penalty on Hollywood Casino Columbus
- Hollywood Casino York issued $50,000 fine for allowing individuals under 21 to access the gaming floor
- MGM Springfield fined $45,000 for allowing minors on casino floor
Casino ID fraud trends
In 2024, casinos are seeing an average of .28% ID fraud attempts – this means that the average casino in our study sees 162 fraudulent IDs per month, compared to an average of 128 in 2023.
When are casinos most at risk for ID fraud?
It will likely come as no surprise that ID fraud is highest on weekends, with Saturday accounting for nearly 30% of attempts, and between the hours of 8 PM and 2 AM. The least amount of ID fraud takes place Tuesdays and Wednesdays, and from 4 AM to 10 AM.
Casino ID fraud demographics
The majority of fraudulent IDs are presented by patrons claiming to be between the ages of 21 and 30, with the 21-25 range accounting for 44.1% of all presented fraudulent IDs. It is likely that these patrons are underage and attempting to bolster their age by a minimal amount of years in order to illegally gamble, consume alcohol, and/or gain access to other age-restricted areas on the property.
While fraudsters may not always use an ID that matches their real gender, casinos saw the most frequent usage of fraudulent IDs from individuals presenting IDs who claim to be male.
ID Fraud risk for casinos not based in Las Vegas
Casinos outside of Las Vegas tend to have higher rates of attempted fraud and fraud attempts have seen significant increases at these casinos since January 2024.
Casinos outside of Las Vegas tend to see the vast majority of fraudulent IDs from within the state or from surrounding states, while Las Vegas-based casinos see a wider range of states presented on fraudulent IDs.
ID fraud risks for tribal casinos vs commercial casinos
Tribal-owned and commercially-owned casinos have similar rates of fraud attempts, but generally at different times of year – non-tribal casinos tend to experience more fraud attempts from August to October, whereas tribal casinos see more fraud attempts from December to February.
ID verification & iGaming
A recent study published by TransUnion revealed that online gambling, including sports betting, online casinos, and online poker, is a prime target for digital fraud. In 2023, more than 10% of online gambling activities fell under the cyberfraud category, making it the highest retail sector in the US targeted for this kind of criminality.
Using AI to create fake IDs
In early 2024, news agencies created a panic around new, AI tools for generating images of fake IDs. Although the tools don’t have access to the paper and printing materials to actually create physical fakes, they can create images of IDs (both front and back) that can be used in digital scenarios such as account opening or age verification at checkout.
We tested these IDs against our software and flagged 90% of the deepfake IDs as being fraudulent. Key security measures for specifically combatting the use of AI-generated fake ID images:
- Prohibiting manual upload of ID images
- Document liveness
- Face match – ID to photo
- Third party checks to determine accuracy of information
- Front/back crossmatch
Because these deepfakes are not physically printed and exist only as images, they are currently of highest concern for businesses that operate remote verification.
Why combatting fake IDs matters for casinos
At IDScan.net, we believe in protecting casinos from the risk of ID fraud by offering scalable solutions capable of catching up to 95% of fake IDs. We want to ensure your casino avoids the hefty fines associated with noncompliance, and we believe in protecting young people and those on self-exclusion lists.
VeriScan
With the scan of an ID you can prevent underage gambling, maintain compliance, and keep records of banned patrons all while maintaining a smooth and seamless customer experience. VeriScan can also be used to expedite loyalty enrollment processes and recognize high rollers as soon as their ID is scanned.
DIVE
Tech-savvy casinos and online gaming operators are using our DIVE Online platform to verify age and identity and enroll players in their loyalty programs by phone. DIVE allows you to initiate identity verification requests via text or integrated directly into your app. Users are guided through an ID check and face-match selfie in <30 seconds. Easily track all verification requests, their current status, and whether they have been flagged or not, in one central portal.
If you are looking for a partner to help protect your casino from the risk of fake IDs, contact us today.
