Staying compliant with know your customer (KYC) and anti-money laundering (AML) regulations has become a top priority for all operations, as they have stepped up to own the responsibility of keeping their customers, and the public, safe while enjoying gambling. Several panels on day 4 of the SBC Digital Summit explored these topics.

First up was “The Virus Check: Payments, Fraud and ID” panel, moderated by Joe Streeter, News Editor at PaymentExpert.com, with panelists Rahul Das, Head of Payments at VirginBet, Steven Armstrong, Group Director of AML at William Hill, and Roger Tyrzyk, Country Manager for IDnow.

Has anything really changed as a result of COVID-19? Armstrong said no, not really, the principles of KYC stay the same. But it’s more about the time management of someone on your site than their financial data. Someone might have been furloughed after 20 years on the job.

But one challenge the experts think might put a twist on things is the return of major sports. Das noted that KYC checks will need to be run again as sports leagues like the Bundisliga brings back more action. Armstrong agreed, but noted that even if the sports schedule comes back, operators are used to offering 24/7 action. Das concluded that it will be like mini Saturdays all in a row, and automation will be crucial to new player registration. Ultimately, it might be the best advice to keep your customer base sustainable, and flatten the curve, he joked.