Casino Market experts discuss edge compliance, as well as the features and advantages of this identification method in the context of the entertainment industry.
About the Concept
It can be described as a modern approach to player authentication, which is performed not in the cloud, but on the user’s device: a smartphone, tablet, or laptop.
Comprehensive edge verification includes:
- liveness detection;
- age estimation;
- comparison of the face and the presented document;
- basic biometric validation.
Regardless of the identification method applied, private data always remains on the device used to sign in to the personal account and is transmitted elsewhere. Project owners receive only the final result, such as whether the player is of legal age, if there was a facial match, etc.
Apple, Google, and Samsung were the first companies to begin moving sensitive operations to various gadgets. Their solutions (FaceID, TouchID, and ML models for speech recognition) function smoothly and efficiently, and most importantly, without sending sensitive information to the cloud.
In the early 2020s, iGaming brands embraced the new privacy standard.
Changes were driven by the spread of mobile and live products, as well as stricter regulatory requirements regarding the collection and storage of personal data. The use of edge compliance has proven to be very convenient and cost-effective.
How Local Models Work in the Online Gambling Niche
Modern smartphones and laptops are already equipped with powerful neural processing units (NPU, TPU, and Neural Engine). These chips allow compact ML solutions to be run directly on players’ devices without turning to cloud GPU processors.
All identification stages are performed on the customer’s end. Operators receive only the final, the most accurate result.
On-Device Liveness
This is the determination of vivacity via personal gadgets. It is performed by analysing streams from the front camera. The model instantly assesses whether the user on the other side of the screen is real and not a bot, a fraudster, or a fake image.
On-device liveness recognises:
- natural micro-movements of the face, eyes, and skin;
- facial volume and depth signals;
- responses to commands (blink or turn the head);
- elements that identify forgery (glare from the screen, flat images, or masks).
Some gadgets can use additional sensors for more detailed verification. These include infrared and stereo cameras, depth sensors, LiDAR tools, as well as other high-tech solutions.
Today, on-device liveness is a key mechanism of protection against fraudsters. They are increasingly trying to impersonate other people using photos, videos, or deepfakes, but the vivacity detection model instantly blocks unauthorised access.
On-Device Age Estimation
The tool analyses the camera image and determines how old the online casino visitor is. It is trained on large sets of images to instantly capture the following age signs:
- skin structure;
- geometry of the face;
- subtle visual age indicators, and other characteristics
Photo and video processing happens locally, and private data is not sent anywhere.
Face Match on the Device
This is a comparison of how a person actually looks with his appearance in the identity document: a passport, ID card, or driver's licence.
Such operations can be very resource-intensive if performed in the cloud. Compact mobile models allow this to be done directly on the customer’s gadget, as quickly and securely as possible.
How the approach works:
- the program converts both images (the screen selfie and the ID photo) into numerical vectors (embeddings);
- the solution compares the received files and calculates a resemblance metric (score).
- only the end result is sent to the server, for example, an overlap factor of 0.97.
Benefits of Implementing Edge Compliance
Switching to on-device KYC verification is becoming a strategic advantage for casino owners. The tool combines technical efficiency, high security, and full compliance with regulatory requirements.
Privacy by Default
Edge models work on players' smartphones, ensuring a strict adherence to the principles of Data Minimisation and Privacy by Design. These requirements are enshrined in the GDPR and are mandatory for all gambling market participants.
When using on-device liveness, age estimation, and face match:
- the images of people do not leave their gadgets;
- ID photos remain on local devices;
- platform owners do not store biometrics;
- third-party providers do not gain access to sensitive data.
Minimal interaction with personal details reduces legal risks, volumes of information protection commitments, and internal reporting requirements.
When entrepreneurs do not have biometric files, the likelihood of hacker attacks is significantly reduced. Edge compliance mitigates the risks of server breaches, leaked photos of clients, compromise of the biometric database, and the reputational consequences of such intrusions.
Availability of KYC Infrastructure
Traditional Know Your Customer plug-ins require expensive cloud GPU capacity for:
- liveness recognition;
- facial comparison;
- processing of the document’s photo;
- calculation of age-related models.
On-device solutions perform all these operations locally. Project owners do not need GPU chips, expensive scaling, or server-handling of the images and videos.
The advantages of edge compliance also include minimal use of network traffic. The tool sends only match metrics and the confirmation of liveness, freeing data transmission channels from hundreds of additional files.
Savings are also achieved due to:
- low operating expenses (OPEX);
- minimal use of cloud and video traffic;
- lack of need to store clients’ personal information.
For large gambling providers, this seemingly insignificant cost reduction turns into millions of dollars in austerity at the end of the year.
Improved Customer Experience
Edge verification makes KYC procedures invisible and seamless, eliminating delays, glitches, as well as other technical nuances.
Since photos and videos do not need to be sent to the server, liveness or age estimation processing takes seconds. Gamblers are identified immediately, without long waiting times, loading progress, or network errors.
Users can successfully undergo KYC even in cases of:
- weak Internet connection;
- 3G coverage;
- crowded lines (for example, during rush hour).
This is especially important for the Latin American, Indian, and African markets, where network stability impacts audience retention.
Increased Conversion
When the verification process is quick and smooth, gamblers can:
- complete registration and replenish their casino or bookmaker accounts more often;
- worry less about sharing personal data.
All of this has a positive impact on conversion metrics. Players do not just view ads and click on banners; they become regular customers of the entertainment platform.
Compliance with Legal Requirements
Rules of working with biometrics are becoming stricter every year. For example, photos of the faces and videos from cameras can no longer be freely sent to the cloud or outside the country. This complicates the operation of international providers who interact with users from different jurisdictions.
The edge approach automatically solves this problem. By default, data never leaves clients’ devices, so project owners are initially safe.
Entrepreneurs can get approvals and enter regulated markets faster because the described type of verification:
- is suitable even for the strictest European countries (Germany, the Netherlands, Denmark, and Sweden);
- adheres to the standards of Asian regions where remote biometric processing is prohibited;
- complies with Middle Eastern privacy protection requirements.
Operators can provide services in new territories with lower legal costs and without complex local adaptations.
ESG Component and Reduced Carbon Footprint
Sending images and videos to the cloud is one of the most underestimated sources of CO2. Every megabyte transferred through global networks and CDNs leaves a carbon footprint.
The edge approach reduces traffic tenfold for several reasons:
- only the binary result (for example, “face confirmed”) is sent to the server, rather than a huge array of disparate data;
- there is no need to upload selfies, documents, or videos;
- CDNs and network providers work less intensively.
Even a small reduction of energy consumption for each user verification procedure gives a huge cumulative effect in the form of lowering the carbon footprint.
For large companies (Flutter, Entain, Betsson), following this approach to the authentication of players can cut CO2 emissions by 5–7% over the year.
The Future of Edge Verification in iGaming
Key trends in the entertainment sector include:
- Privacy-first as a mandatory policy. Operators will begin implementing on-device solutions not if they wish, but to comply with regulatory requirements from 2030. Many gambling commissions already prohibit the transfer of biometrics abroad or to cloud servers, and in 5–10 years, rules regarding sensitive information will only tighten.
- Growth of investment in on-device AI. Apple, Samsung, Qualcomm, MediaTek, and other IT giants are actively releasing smartphones with NPUs, Neural Engines, and other advanced features. The market of such gadgets will only expand in the future, making most entrepreneurs switch to edge verification.
- Fight against gambling among minors. On-device age estimation will become the standard in developed countries (the EU, UK, Australia, and Canada) and a mandatory part of licensing. The approach allows for an accurate identification of returning customers and prevents underage players from placing bets.
The Main Things about Edge Compliance in the Casino Niche
On-device authentication is a long-term trend in the iGaming sector.
Key aspects that operators should take into account:
- Popular verification models include on-device liveness, age estimation, and face match. With the help of these functions, it is possible to instantly identify users without transmitting their data to the cloud or third-party servers.
- The approach ensures privacy by default, an improved customer experience, and increased conversion. Such authentication is highly secure and completely legal.
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