Report Reveals 7.6% of Mobile Bets Linked to Fraud
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A critical industry report released on January 22 has identified the online gambling sector as the number one target for digital fraudsters for the fourth consecutive year. The "Defenders of Trust" 2026 report highlights a concerning surge in mobile-based financial crime, revealing that approximately 7.6% of all online casino bets placed worldwide are now linked to fraudulent activity. This data underscores the urgent need for mobile operators to adopt advanced biometric security measures as the primary defense against increasingly sophisticated attacks.
Key Takeaways
- Persistent Threat: The iGaming sector remains the top global target for fraud, with nearly 1 in 13 mobile bets flagged as illicit.
- Biometric Necessity: The report identifies biometric verification (facial recognition, liveness detection) as "mission-critical" for mobile apps to combat synthetic identity fraud.
- Industry Leaders: Major identity providers such as Jumio, Veriff, and Onfido were named key "Defenders of Trust" for their roles in securing the mobile ecosystem.
Mobile Security Becomes the Primary Battleground
As mobile capability drives the majority of iGaming revenue in 2026, it has simultaneously created new vulnerabilities. The report details how fraudsters are leveraging automation and AI to bypass traditional security layers on mobile devices. Techniques such as device rooting, jailbreaking, and the use of synthetic identities have become standard tools for bad actors attempting to exploit bonus offers and launder money through betting apps.
The 7.6% fraud rate represents a high operational cost for operators, not only in direct financial loss but also in regulatory fines and damaged brand reputation. The report emphasizes that the "passwords and PINs" era is effectively over for mobile casinos. To survive, operators must integrate frictionless biometric authentication that verifies not only the user's credentials but also their physical presence in real time.
In response to these findings, the report compiled a list of "Defenders of Trust"—companies that provide the essential infrastructure to secure mobile play. This list includes biometrics and identity verification specialists such as Jumio, Socure, IDVerse, and Facephi. For mobile-first casinos, integrating these third-party security layers is no longer optional; it is now a requirement to maintain app store compliance and protect user balances.
The release of this data coincides with a broader push by regulators in the UK and Europe for "frictionless" financial risk checks, forcing operators to walk a fine line between seamless user experience (UX) and rigorous fraud prevention.
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