Tech Talk #19: BetMGM Goes All-In on 2FA (And Everyone's Watching)

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Hi everyone,

So I'm grabbing coffee this morning, scrolling through some industry chatter, and it's clear the gaming world's getting serious about security. BetMGM's been pushing 2FA prompts in places like Michigan and New Jersey, and it's got everyone talking. No hard mandate yet, but when a big player like that starts nudging players to enable two-factor authentication, you know something's up.

I was chatting with an operator buddy in Nevada, and he's already seeing "friendly inquiries" from gaming boards asking about authentication setups. Same story in Pennsylvania and Michigan. It's not rules yet—just questions. But we've all seen this movie before: questions turn into requirements faster than you can say "compliance audit."

What's wild is how different rooms are handling this. One Arizona spot rolled out 2FA a few months back—SMS and authenticator apps, 30-day device trust, the works. Players barely blinked, and their VIPs actually seem to like the extra security. But then I heard about this California room that botched it so bad—15-second timeouts, no device memory—they had to scrap it after a week of player complaints.

Here's a crazy stat from a Florida room: after adding 2FA, they lost maybe 10% of their casual players, but their high-rollers stayed loyal. Turns out, big players love knowing their accounts are locked down tight. Who knew?

On the tech side, it's a mixed bag. Some rooms with older systems are sweating, worried about big overhauls just to add 2FA. Others with newer setups are like, "Yeah, we flipped a switch and it's done." (Quick plug: our PWA we talked about last week? Makes adding 2FA super smooth. Meanwhile, native app folks are stuck waiting on app store approvals. Ouch.)

Other stuff I'm hearing: Caesars quietly added 2FA options to their Nevada apps. PokerStars is nudging Michigan players to turn it on. There's even a leaked DraftKings memo floating around about "authentication upgrades" coming soon. Oh, and that vendor acquisition rumor? Still hearing Q2 2026 for something big—might shake up how we think about security tech.

Point is, 2FA's not just a tech feature anymore—it's a trust builder. The rooms getting ahead of this are using it to verify player info, clean up their databases, even boost app engagement. The ones waiting for a gaming board to force their hand? They're gonna be playing catch-up.

What's the word in your room? Are players asking about security yet? Shoot me a note—I'm curious how this is hitting different markets.

-Caleb

P.S. - Thursday's walkthrough is almost full. We'll dig into how 2FA plays with our PWA and hear from an operator who rolled it out without ticking off their players. Want in? Email me: [email protected]

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