On Wednesday, July 15, 2026, Representative Josh Gottheimer (D-N.J.) introduced the bipartisan Facial Recognition to Protect Children Act, legislation that would require prediction markets and online sportsbooks to verify users’ ages using facial recognition technology before placing bets or trades. The announcement was made alongside Kalshi CEO Tarek Mansour and several supporting members of Congress, including Representatives Jeff Van Drew, Nick LaLota, Kristen McDonald Rivet, Jimmy Panetta, Darren Soto, Tom Suozzi, Ritchie Torres, and Bruce Westerman.
The bill comes amid rising concerns over underage gambling. Research from Common Sense Media indicates that 36 percent of boys aged 11 to 17 have gambled in the past year, increasing to 40 percent for those aged 14 to 17. More than a quarter reported consequences such as stress, conflict at home, and academic issues. In Iowa, authorities received over 80 reports of underage betting, while in Tennessee, sportsbooks flagged more than 400 underage accounts in 2024, a sharp increase from the previous year.
Technology and Industry Oversight
Under the proposed legislation, platforms would employ technology that estimates age based on facial structure and patterns. The process does not involve storing personal identities or biometric information. Representative Gottheimer stressed the need for industry-wide safeguards, stating, “Right now, kids can too easily log into a parent’s or sibling’s account and bet real money. We’re asking our kids to self-police their way past a system built entirely on the honor code.”
Kalshi has implemented a series of protective measures, including Face ID checks, two-factor authentication, and selfie verification for high-risk users. Tarek Mansour noted, “Protecting kids should be a no brainer and is a top priority at Kalshi. Beyond what’s required of us, we already self-regulate and have a suite of measures in place to keep minors off our platform. But this can’t just be one company’s responsibility — it has to be an industry standard.”
The advocacy group ParentsRISE, a national movement led by survivor-parents, also endorsed the legislation, highlighting concerns about emerging betting products designed to encourage compulsive behavior. “We are glad these members see the threat of this next wave of products engineered for compulsive use,” the group said.
Addressing a Growing Market
The rapid expansion of online sportsbooks and prediction markets has outpaced existing safeguards for minors. Unlike traditional sportsbooks, which generally require users to be 21, prediction markets permit participants as young as 18 to trade event contracts. Critics argue this regulatory gap exposes younger users to gambling-like experiences. Some states, such as New York, have proposed rules requiring biometric checks at every login, but national consistency is lacking.
Online poker and other interactive betting platforms illustrate the importance of broad participant pools for a functional market. The Multi-State Internet Gaming Agreement (MSIGA) links several states’ poker platforms, allowing players in one state to compete with users in another. While these systems focus on adult users, the increased accessibility of online gambling for younger audiences has triggered calls for federal intervention, a role traditionally limited to state oversight.
Gottheimer emphasized that the bill builds on previous initiatives promoting online safety for minors, including the Parents Decide Act, Sammy’s Law, and the Children and Teens’ Online Privacy Protection Act. “By implementing proven facial recognition technology, we can safeguard children from the risks of underage gambling while protecting user privacy,” said Representative Ritchie Torres (NY-15). Representative Kristen McDonald Rivet (MI-8) added, “Kids under the age of 18 shouldn’t be making bets, but now it’s just a few taps away on their phones. Our commonsense, bipartisan bill will put a stop to it.”
The proposal highlights an emerging convergence of online gaming, social platforms, and youth protection concerns. While the bill’s passage remains uncertain, it reflects growing legislative awareness of the potential harms that easily accessible gambling applications may pose to underage users across the United States.