Do I Need to Provide My Social Security Number When Opening a Betting Account at FanDuel?
Providing the last four digits of your social security number is one thing you need to think good and hard about. If you can't trust the source requesting it, that's a big flashing "SORRY NO" right there.
Whether you can trust a company like FanDuel with the last four digits of your social security numbers is entirely up to you. They will request these numbers in order to report your betting activity to the IRS, as well as a means of proving your identity.
Late last year, both DraftKings and BetMGM confirmed security breaches of customer data.
Few, if any, of the offshore sportsbooks will require the last four digits of your social security number. In fact, some companies like Americas Bookie only ask for your name, phone number (for texting) and an email account. The offshore gambling sector, like many others, are now embracing anonymity and privacy. These offshore gambling sites are now more reliant on digital currencies like Bitcoin. The blockchain offers better transparency and privacy than FanDuel ever can (the NFL Players Association claims that sites like FanDuel use sophisticated methods to track players).
A site like FanDuel may be regulated but it's not as if the regulators did much when that security breach occurred last year.
Some financial institutions only require the last four digits of your social security numbers in order to access a bank account. Should a bad actor get a hold of these four numbers, account pilferage and identity theft are a real possibility.
- Gilbert Horowitz, Gambling911.com
