Facial biometrics is a user authentication technology for online environments to mitigate fraud and is one of the requirements of the “Betting Law” (Federal Law 14.790/23), a resolution that establishes rules for betting platforms to operate in the country. Around 80% of Brazilian users of these platforms consider it essential to use the tool in the sector, and 73% would use it without issues if mandatory, mainly for withdrawing funds (36%), logging in (33%), making account changes (30%), among other reasons. The data comes from a survey by Serasa Experian, Brazil’s first and largest datatech. See more data in the charts below:
The study also revealed that 68% of respondents have already used facial biometrics in other situations, indicating familiarity with the technology. The regulation is known by 49% of those surveyed, and since the start of communications about betting houses’ obligations, 65% of them perceive increased security in the sector.
“The more layers of authentication and fraud prevention are used to protect bettors and help sector companies identify and ban fraudsters, the better the betting environment in Brazil will be. The new betting regulation already requires security layers to be part of the user journey for authentication. On our side, we help companies evaluate authentication layers by combining our big data system with analytical intelligence to maximize the benefits of solutions and further enhance them against fraud,” explains Rocha.
Although most survey participants recognize the relevance of facial biometrics for the betting sector, the study also explored the reasons of those who reject the feature. Among the criticisms, ‘making access to apps harder’ (27%) and ‘enabling fraudulent platforms that don’t use biometrics’ (27%) were the main ones. On the other hand, those who approve of the technology highlighted that ‘it will be safer to bet’ (36%) and ‘there will be fewer frauds in this market’ (30%). See the breakdown of reasons for liking or disliking the feature in the chart below:
The survey is a snapshot of a study on bettors’ perception of security in betting houses, conducted with over 2,000 participants in August 2024. The complete material with all data can be accessed for free on Serasa Experian’s website.
Valida Bets: Serasa Experian’s bet for safer platforms
To align with the Brazilian government’s efforts, which since December last year has been taking measures to regulate the operation of ‘bets’ in the country, Serasa Experian – which supports any initiative aimed at increasing security and integrity in transactions between companies and consumers – launched ‘Valida Bets,’ a strategic initiative that provides anti-fraud technologies to help betting companies comply with new regulations while contributing to bettors’ security. Thus, the datatech assumes a strategic role as an ally in fraud prevention and identity protection processes for Brazilians, ensuring support at all stages of the journey, which includes phases such as bettor registration, authentication, betting time, and bonus redemption.
Methodology
The quantitative survey ‘Sports Betting,’ conducted by Serasa Experian, involved 2,008 respondents, all of whom placed sports bets on websites or apps in the last 12 months. With a margin of error of 2.2% and a 95% confidence interval, the survey was conducted via an online panel between August 9 and 22, 2024. The sample was balanced between female and male genders, with ages ranging from 18 to 27 (15%), 28 to 43 (49%), 44 to 59 (29%), and 60+ (7%).
