CDDN and Hummingbird Data Group, part of the Strike Group, are working on an integration that will enable online gambling operators to connect via a single interface to a rapidly growing ecosystem of European and national Digital Identity Wallets. Instead of building dozens of separate wallet integrations themselves, operators will soon have a single point of entry within their onboarding process. Players will have a choice: identification via a digital wallet or through the existing route using a document scan.

Peter van Kooten, CTO and co-founder of Strike Group, explains the basic principle in straightforward terms: “Online gambling operators clearly don’t want to handle all those integrations with different wallets themselves. That’s why we ensure all those connections are in place and take the burden off the casinos.”

The Rationale: Europe Pushes for Digital Identity

This development is rooted in the revision of the European eIDAS regulation. Since May 2024, a new framework for European Digital Identity has been in force, requiring that citizens and businesses must be able to identify themselves digitally, including across borders. The European Commission has stipulated that by 2026, every member state must offer at least one EU Digital Identity Wallet.

In this context, the Netherlands is developing a public NL Wallet. At the same time, Van Kooten emphasises that ‘the EU Wallet’ will not be a uniform product. “From 2026, every consumer will be able to identify themselves using a wallet,” he says. “But the Dutch wallet won’t be the only method. Each country will develop its own version, and you’ll also see commercial providers enter the field – in the Netherlands alone, there are already more than four wallets.”

Dozens of Wallets

According to Van Kooten, this multitude of implementations is not a theoretical scenario, but a realistic view of the market. “Various parties will emerge, each offering their own wallet. You’ll see dozens,” he states. The market’s momentum is evident from recent consolidation moves, such as the acquisition of the Dutch identification service iDIN by the Belgian identity app itsme. For Van Kooten, this is a clear signal that digital identity is rapidly scaling up at a European level.

However, for providers in regulated sectors, this also presents a new integration challenge. Unlocking each wallet initiative individually is costly and complex. That’s precisely where CDDN positions itself. “It doesn’t matter where you need to connect,” says Van Kooten. “We can connect for everyone. We’ve already built those links.”

Why the Gambling Market Is Leading the Way

The initial applications of wallet integration are aimed at the online gambling market. This is partly pragmatic – CDDN serves many clients in this sector – but also logically aligned with the sector’s needs. Online casinos face strict requirements regarding KYC, age verification and sanctions screening, while the registration process must remain as frictionless as possible.

Currently, identification often takes place via a passport scan during onboarding. Digital wallets offer a potentially faster and more consistent alternative, since data comes directly from verified sources and users explicitly consent to sharing their data.

Part of the Existing Onboarding Process

CDDN is building the wallet integration as part of its existing onboarding services. In the updated flow, users are given a clear choice: identification via a wallet or via the traditional document scan route.

If the user opts for the wallet, they open their wallet app, identify themselves there, and the required data – such as document and address information – is passed via CDDN to the gambling operator. “Then they receive all the data from that app,” says Van Kooten. “It makes the flow faster and more reliable, while still giving consumers freedom of choice.”

A key point here is that CDDN is implementing a so-called dual-track approach. Wallet identification is being added, but it won’t immediately replace the existing passport scan. “If someone doesn’t have a wallet or doesn’t want to use it, they can simply continue using the existing process,” Van Kooten explains.

Timing and International Differences

Although the European deadline of 2026 is clear, the pace of development varies per country. Van Kooten notes that the Netherlands is still developing the NL Wallet, while other EU countries are further along. “The Dutch government wallet isn’t ready yet,” he says. “But in other countries, there are already parties who have established these connections.”

To accommodate this, CDDN is seeking to partner with providers who already offer wallet infrastructure, allowing quicker enablement in countries where wallets are available sooner. The aim is to prevent clients from being dependent on national variations in implementation speed.

In addition to the technical aspects, vendor strategy also plays a role. Van Kooten wants to avoid operators purchasing a patchwork of wallet solutions themselves, which risks fragmentation and the need for future reintegration. “Okay, the EU Wallet is coming. Our message to clients is: we’ll take care of it,” he says. “By integrating wallets centrally now, we make it easy for clients to start using them immediately.”

Applicable Beyond the Gambling Sector

Although the gambling sector is the initial focus, Strike Group explicitly sees the wallet integration as a generic building block. Van Kooten cites multiple domains where fast, reliable identification is relevant. There’s already interest from payment service providers. “Klarna has asked whether we can also handle passport checks,” he notes. “We want to and can play a central role there too.”

He also sees potential in the hospitality sector via the Guestwave platform. “If you go to a hotel, holiday park or campsite and need to identify yourself there, it makes sense to integrate wallets there as well.” He also mentions insurers, car rental companies, cryptocurrency services, and others as logical next steps. The integration will also become available within existing services such as VerifyMe – both as part of a full onboarding flow and as a standalone solution.

From ‘If’ to ‘How’

With the advent of the EU Digital Identity Wallet, the conversation in many sectors is shifting from whether digital wallets are coming to how organisations will adopt them. For the Strike Group – which includes CDDN, EDM DQ, Hummingbird Data Group and GuestWave – the role is to make this transition manageable. Not by launching a wallet of their own, but by removing the complexity of a fragmented wallet landscape for their clients.

As Van Kooten puts it: “The EU Wallet is coming. The question isn’t if, but how you implement it properly. We ensure it works – and prevent our clients from having to deal with dozens of separate integrations.”