Sponsors (10)
Requires wagering and prediction market platforms to verify users are 18+ using commercial facial recognition, limits biometric data use, and makes violations enforceable by the FTC.
Official title: To require operators of wagering or prediction market platforms to use facial recognition technology to verify the age of users of such wagering or prediction market platforms, and for other purposes.
Introduced July 15, 2026 by Josh S. Gottheimer · Last progress July 15, 2026
The bill aims to curb underage participation and strengthen regulator authority and consumer protections in event contracts, but does so by requiring collection of biometric data—improving enforcement and market integrity while raising significant privacy, security, accuracy, and cost trade‑offs.
Children and teenagers: the bill requires operators to verify users are over 18 (via biometric age checks), which should reduce underage access to wagering and prediction markets.
Users generally: the bill requires deletion and minimization of biometric 'covered data' that is not needed for age verification, limiting long‑term retention of sensitive personal data.
Consumers and market participants: the bill gives the FTC (and provides CFTC oversight) clearer enforcement and rulemaking authority and adds consumer‑protection requirements, which can improve market integrity, disclosures, and remedies for retail participants in event contracts.
All users: mandating facial recognition for age checks forces submission of biometric data, creating increased privacy and surveillance risks from routine collection of sensitive identifiers.
All users: centralizing collection of biometric data increases the risk that breaches or misuse could expose sensitive identity information despite deletion and minimization rules.
Adults and minors: facial recognition errors (false positives/negatives) can wrongly block lawful adult participants or misclassify minors, disrupting access and creating fairness/accuracy concerns.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Requires online wagering operators and prediction market platforms to verify that users are 18 or older using commercially available facial recognition technology before allowing account access, placing wagers, or entering orders. It also limits collection and use of biometric or related "covered data" to what is reasonably necessary for age verification and requires deletion of unnecessary data. Designates violations as unfair or deceptive acts enforceable by the Federal Trade Commission, gives the FTC rulemaking authority, and amends related Commodity Exchange Act provisions to align existing regulation text with the new verification requirement.