OHIO, USA — The Ohio Casino Control Commission announced Wednesday it has approved the acceptance of mobile driver's licenses for age and identity verification at the state's four Las Vegas-style casinos.
The approval allows Ohioans and out-of-state visitors with a mobile driver's license, including Ohio Mobile ID, to gain entry to a casino by presenting it in-person to a reader.
Mobile driver's licenses will be accepted at Hollywood Casino Toledo, Hard Rock Casino Cincinnati, Hollywood Casino Columbus and JACK Casino Cleveland.
Earlier this year, Ohio driver's licenses and state IDs were made available for residents to add to Apple Wallet, allowing them to present their ID using an iPhone or Apple Watch.
"Ohio is once again leading the nation in mobile driver's license acceptance while setting a new standard of personal privacy and security for customers of the hospitality and gaming industry," Ohio Lt. Governor Jon Husted, director of InnovateOhio said. "We want an environment in Ohio where we encourage innovation and embrace new technologies while continuing to uphold safe and secure standards in identity verification."
The Casino Control Commission said residents of Arizona, Maryland, Colorado, Georgia, Hawaii, Iowa, California, Puerto Rico and New Mexico are also able to present a mobile driver's license.
“From a regulatory perspective, accurate, safe and secure identification for entry into Ohio’s casinos is foundational to ensuring the integrity of casino gaming,” Tom Stickrath, chair of the Ohio Casino Control Commission said. “The Ohio Mobile ID leverages cutting-edge technology to provide a simple and secure method for verifying age and identity.”
According to OCCC, users using a mobile driver's license will present a compliant ID to a reader using technology from Veridocs "to privately and securely verify their age and identity."
OCCC said only the minimal data needed for verification will be provided after users hold their iPhone or Apple Watch near a reader. The required information needed for verification will be released from a device after authorization with Face ID or Touch ID. The commission said users will not need to hand over their devices to present an ID.
“The Commission applauds the General Managers at Hard Rock Casino Cincinnati, Hollywood Casino Columbus, Hollywood Casino Toledo, and JACK Casino Cleveland for their national leadership in advancing solutions that combine strong regulatory compliance with best-in-class customer experiences,” said Commission executive director Matt Schuler.
Residents looking to add an Ohio driver's license or state ID to Apple Wallet can do so by tapping the "+" button at the top of the screen in Apple Wallet on their iPhone, selecting "driver's license or state ID" and then following the instructions to start the set-up and verification process.
According to the Casino Control Commission, Ohio driver's licenses and state IDs in Apple Wallet can be used in-person at some TSA check lanes, including Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport and John Glenn Columbus International Airport.
Mobile driver's licenses are also accepted at Bowling Green State University athletic events and businesses with compliant mobile driver's license readers, or in select apps that require identity or age verification.
For more information on Ohio Mobile IDs, click HERE.
