Gottheimer introduces bipartisan bill requiring facial recognition age verification for online sportsbooks, prediction markets
WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Rep. Josh Gottheimer, D-N.J. 5th District, introduced bipartisan legislation Wednesday that would require online sportsbooks and prediction markets to use facial recognition technology to verify users’ ages before allowing them to place bets or trades.
The proposed Facial Recognition to Protect Children Act would require platforms to estimate a user’s age by analyzing facial structure and patterns when they log into an account or before placing a wager. According to Gottheimer’s office, the technology would estimate age without storing a user’s identity or personal biometric information.
The legislation is intended to curb underage gambling as online sports betting and prediction markets continue to grow nationwide.
According to Gottheimer’s office, Americans wagered approximately $160 billion on sports last year, generating about $16 billion in industry revenue.
Research from Common Sense Media cited by the congressman found that 36% of boys ages 11 to 17 reported gambling during the past year, increasing to 40% among boys ages 14 to 17. More than one-quarter of those youths reported negative effects, including stress, family conflict and problems at school.
Gottheimer also pointed to reports from several states showing underage betting activity, including more than 80 reports in Iowa and more than 400 underage sportsbook accounts flagged in Tennessee during 2024.
“We’re asking our kids to self-police their way past a system built entirely on the honor code. 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,” Gottheimer said. “We wouldn’t accept that at a casino in Las Vegas. We shouldn’t accept it on the phone in our kid’s back pocket.”
Kalshi, a federally regulated prediction market platform, and ParentsRISE, a national advocacy organization, support the legislation.
“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. I am grateful to Congressman Gottheimer and Congressman Van Drew for driving it forward.”
The bill is co-sponsored by Reps. Jeff Van Drew, R-N.J. 2nd District, Nick LaLota, R-N.Y., Kristen McDonald Rivet, D-Mich., Jimmy Panetta, D-Calif., Darren Soto, D-Fla., Tom Suozzi, D-N.Y., Ritchie Torres, D-N.Y., and Bruce Westerman, R-Ark.
“Prediction markets are becoming more popular, and we need to be realistic about the risks that can come with that for our children,” Van Drew said. “Kids should not be able to get onto these platforms and start placing bets. This bill puts another protection in place to help stop that from happening and gives parents some added peace of mind.”
If enacted, the legislation would apply to online sportsbooks and prediction market platforms nationwide.
The proposal builds on Gottheimer’s previous efforts to strengthen online child safety, including legislation aimed at improving age verification for internet-connected devices and protecting minors’ online privacy.
