Key takeaways from the SBC Summit Americas

The SBC Summit Americas brought together over 10,000 industry professionals to examine the future of gaming and sports betting across North, Central, and South America. Held at the Broward County Convention Center in Fort Lauderdale, the event was a key forum for operators, regulators, and technology providers to explore innovation, regulation, and fraud prevention.

One standout discussion from the Payment Expert Summit was the panel, “Blocking Bad Customers While Streamlining Good Transactions,” featuring Veriff’s Amit Tzur alongside Nick Patrick (Radar), Galina Bineva (OKTO), Trent Striplin (Payments & Fraud Expert), and moderator Sue Page (Neosurf). The conversation offered practical insights into the balance between fraud prevention and user experience in a rapidly evolving digital landscape.

Fraud tactics are getting smarter—and more global

Speakers across the panel highlighted how fraud is becoming increasingly sophisticated. From spoofed Wi-Fi networks and injected device IDs to deepfake video sessions and phone farms, fraudsters are deploying advanced tools to bypass traditional security methods.

Amit Tzur emphasized the growing threat of AI-generated fake identities and deepfakes, especially when companies rely solely on document-based checks or unsecured APIs. He also noted a rise in account takeovers, multi-account abuse, and bonus exploitation, all of which require enhanced verification strategies to mitigate.

Key takeaway:

Advanced fraud tactics call for equally advanced prevention methods—particularly in regions like Latin America, where fraud levels are high and tactics evolve quickly.

LATAM as a case study for innovation

Latin America received special attention during the panel for its role as a proving ground for innovative fraud prevention strategies. Both Amit Tzur and Galina Bineva noted that in many LATAM markets:

• Payment systems are linked to government-issued ID numbers, creating a built-in safeguard against anonymous fraud.
• Biometric verification and access to public registries are helping replace document scans with streamlined identity checks.
• Financial inclusion initiatives have normalized privacy workflows, enabling smoother onboarding through digital ID systems.

Key takeaway:

LATAM markets are showing how digital ID, biometrics, and government integrations can minimize friction while boosting fraud defenses.

A call for industry collaboration

A recurring theme was the need for greater collaboration across operators, technology vendors, and regulators. Panelists explored the idea of centralized intelligence sharing—for example, anonymized device or identity hashes that can help operators recognize known fraudsters without violating user privacy.

Trent Striplin pointed out that regulatory support may be the lever needed to push commercial teams toward implementing more secure verification steps. Amit Tzur added that fraudsters work together—and so should the industry, particularly when tackling cross-platform threats like bonus abuse and identity spoofing.

Key takeaway:

Operators must collaborate—securely and transparently—to stay ahead of bad actors who are already pooling their resources and knowledge.

Smarter use of AI and machine learning

Artificial intelligence and machine learning featured heavily in the conversation, with panelists detailing how these tools are evolving:

• Veriff’s CrossLinking technology aggregates multiple user sessions to detect anomalies and patterns across devices and networks, helping flag suspicious activity even across industries.
• Nick Patrick from Radar discussed how geolocation is being enhanced through AI-generated custom geofences—mapping not just countries or states but specific high-risk areas like stadiums or coffee shops where fraud rings operate.
• AI also enables dynamic fraud scoring and predictive risk assessment, replacing labor-intensive reviews with real-time decision-making.

Key takeaway:

AI isn't just enhancing fraud detection—it's powering scalable, cross-industry insights beyond the limits of human review.

KYC alone isn't enough

While KYC remains foundational, the panel made it clear that single-point identity checks are insufficient in today’s threat landscape. Instead, multi-layered approaches are essential. This includes:

• Biometric verification
• Device fingerprinting
• Geolocation tracking
• Network and session analysis

These layered approaches allow platforms to detect fraud with greater accuracy while minimizing false positives that could frustrate legitimate users.

Key takeaway:

Multi-layered identity and fraud prevention strategies—especially those leveraging biometrics and cross-session analysis—are essential for secure, seamless experiences.

Actionable insights for operators

Summarizing the panel discussion, four strategic imperatives emerged for gaming and betting operators:

• Leverage AI and data cross-linking to flag emerging fraud patterns early.
• Invest in biometrics and registry integrations to reduce friction in high-risk markets.
• Encourage industry collaboration on secure data sharing frameworks.
• Stay agile on compliance, especially in jurisdictions like the U.S. and LATAM, where regulatory landscapes are shifting.

How Veriff supports operators in a high-risk market

Veriff’s momentum in the Americas has reached new heights. The company has seen a 2.5x surge in business volumes across Latin America in 2024; it has just opened a regional HQ in São Paulo, Brazil. Meanwhile, the US remains Veriff’s largest market, fueling the majority of its revenue and verifications.

At Veriff, we help operators balance speed, compliance, and security without compromising on the user experience.

Veriff’s new US Database Verification solution, announced at the SBC Summit Americas 2025, is designed for organizations operating in or serving the US market, particularly in high-compliance industries like finance, e-commerce, gaming, and healthcare.

“This solution cross-references user data against trusted US sources, including government and private databases such as AAMVA,” said Gabriel Barbabela, Lead Growth Product Manager at Veriff. “It boosts accuracy, reduces fraud, and ensures users are who they claim to be — fast.”

US Database Verification enables organizations to streamline the identity verification process and establish users’ identities in the US by cross-referencing user data with trusted authoritative sources, helping businesses minimize fraud, increase accuracy, and deliver a high level of identity assurance.

Our Identity Verification Suite seamlessly integrates with gaming and payments platforms, enabling:

• Fast, accurate verification of users through biometric and document checks
• Automated age validation to block underage access
• Geolocation tools to meet regional regulatory requirements
• Fraud Protect and Fraud Intelligence to stop deepfakes, detect device manipulation, and identify known bad actors via global blocklists and predictive scores
  
  Our goal is to make identity verification fast for genuine users and impossible for fraudsters.

Final thought

The SBC Summit made one thing clear—protecting customers and streamlining experiences no longer have to be opposing goals. With the right tools and partnerships, they can go hand in hand.