Shufti’s Age Assurance 2.0 Webinar Highlights Waterfall Approach™ Amid Rising Global Regulatory Demands

Age Assurance 2.0: Smarter, Safer, and Seamless

Technology must evolve to be adaptable and localized, protecting minors, preserving privacy, and sustaining growth, Shufti’s virtual panel emphasized.

LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM, October 2, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Industry experts from Europe and the United States in the gambling and gaming compliance sector joined Shufti’s virtual panel, Age Assurance 2.0: Smarter, Safer, and Seamless, on 12 September 2025 to address escalating regulatory demands for online age checks.

The webinar explored how operators can meet rising compliance demands while balancing user trust, privacy, and frictionless onboarding.

Moderated by Roger Redfearn-Tyrzyk, Chief Commercial Officer at Shufti, the session featured Ivan Kurachkin, Partner at 4H Agency, and Steven Crystal, Founder & CEO, SCCG Management, with decades of experience in casino and online gaming.

Together they examined the practical realities of adapting to new frameworks, including the UK’s Online Safety Act, France’s ARCOM obligations, the EU’s Digital Services Act, and rapidly emerging state-level laws in the U.S.

Kurachkin underscored the complexity created by this expanding patchwork of rules. Licensed operators face ever-stricter requirements, while unlicensed or offshore platforms remain outside regulatory reach.

“We are heading toward more and more regulation, but heavy-handed measures often push players to offshore markets where no safeguards exist,” said Ivan Kurachkin, Partner at 4H Agency. “Protecting minors requires more than new rules; it requires cooperation between regulators, operators, and providers, and a shared responsibility to build trust.”

Crystal contrasted European enforcement with the American model, where self-regulation and litigation often dictate operator behavior. He shared that regulatory systems must not compromise user experience.

"Technology must create a funnel where genuine users pass through seamlessly, and stronger checks apply only when risk signals demand it,” explained Steven Crystal, Founder & CEO, SCCG Management. “That balance between protecting minors and enabling commerce is the only sustainable way forward.”

The panel also explored how regional differences complicate implementation. In the U.S., tribal operators must protect data sovereignty, requiring on-premise solutions instead of cloud-based systems. In CIS countries, regulators insist that data be stored on servers within national borders, limiting technological options. Meanwhile, in Europe, consumers express heightened concern about privacy, with surveys showing that over 90% of users worry about how their information is handled.

The result is a fragmented landscape where businesses face both cultural expectations and legal obligations that differ sharply from one market to another.

The discussion repeatedly returned to the role of trust. Redfearn-Tyrzyk noted that while regulations define minimum standards, long-term success requires transparency and user-first design. Audience comments during the live session echoed this, emphasizing that trust must underpin any solution for it to be accepted by end users.

This led to a detailed look at Shufti’s Waterfall Approach™, which was presented as a model for addressing the dual challenges of compliance and user experience. Unlike rigid verification systems, the Waterfall Approach™ adapts checks dynamically. It begins with low-friction checks of behavioral and contextual signals, such as typing speed, interaction rhythm, and navigation patterns that assess risk in real time.

If anomalies appear, it escalates to AI-driven facial estimation, document verification, and finally to reusable credentials for returning users. This structure ensures that only higher-risk cases encounter more stringent checks, reducing drop-offs and preserving conversion while meeting regulatory requirements.

Examples shared during the webinar illustrated the value of adaptive frameworks. In Ukraine, for instance, operators integrating with the national DIA app achieved instant digital verification while still satisfying strict regulatory conditions. Rather than increasing friction, streamlined processes boosted conversion and user trust.

Kurachkin pointed out that operators cannot bear the compliance burden alone. Providers must anticipate regulatory shifts and offer configurable solutions that fit local contexts. Crystal agreed, adding that with technical resources becoming increasingly scarce, consolidation of verification, KYC, and AML functions under one adaptable system will be critical for efficiency.

The panel also concluded that as regulators expand obligations in 2025 and beyond, cooperation across stakeholders is essential. Technology must evolve to be both flexible and localized, ensuring protection for minors, privacy for users, and commercial viability for operators.

With the Waterfall Approach™ already being deployed in gaming, fintech, and e-commerce, Shufti’s model was highlighted as a practical path forward for balancing these competing pressures.

The full webinar recording, Age Assurance 2.0: Smarter, Safer, and Seamless, is available to watch here: https://www.linkedin.com/events/ageassurance2-0-smarter-safer-a7367112754152824832/theater/

About Shufti

Shufti is a global leader in identity verification and fraud prevention, serving more than 1,000 clients across banking, fintech, gaming, e-commerce, and regulated sectors. Its proprietary technology stack combines document verification, facial biometrics, device intelligence, and behavioral analytics to deliver fast, accurate results in under five seconds.

Operating in 240+ countries and territories, Shufti enables organizations to meet the world’s most demanding compliance requirements, from the UK Online Safety Act and EU Digital Services Act to GDPR, ISO, SOC 2, and COPPA.

At the heart of its platform is the Waterfall Approach™, a multi-layered, adaptive framework that aligns verification steps with user risk, ensuring privacy and preserving conversion while maintaining regulatory compliance. Shufti’s flexible deployment model includes cloud, on-premise, and on-device installations, supporting clients with diverse data sovereignty needs. By combining global coverage, accuracy, and speed, Shufti empowers businesses to build digital trust in an era of rising fraud and regulatory scrutiny.

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