How Tierlock Protects You
Tierlock provides the compliance, identity, and transaction infrastructure operators use to run their own programs.
DISCLAIMER: Tierlock provides software and infrastructure. Tierlock does not operate, host, or offer games, sweepstakes, or contests, does not provide legal advice, and does not certify any operator, program, or game as lawful or compliant. Gaming, sweepstakes, and promotions law varies by jurisdiction and changes frequently. Each operator is solely responsible for determining, with its own counsel, whether and how it may lawfully offer its program in any jurisdiction, and for configuring Tierlock accordingly.
WHAT OPERATORS HAVE TO GET RIGHT
The Prize
Operators are responsible for ensuring that advertised prizes are real and available when a player wins. Tierlock’s prize-funding function confirms that the prize is funded before entries open and holds it until the promotion closes. When the operator’s system reports a win, settlement is initiated automatically under the rules the operator has configured.
Fair Chance
Outcomes are determined by the operator’s game system. Tierlock does not generate, influence, or adjudicate results. Tierlock records each result as reported and writes it to a tamper-evident log. Recorded results are written to an append-only log designed so that any later modification is detectable.
No Consideration
Many state sweepstakes regimes require a genuine alternative method of entry. Requirements differ by state, and operators should confirm theirs with counsel. Tierlock’s TEU (Tierlock Entry Unit) records each entry with its method of entry and generates reports operators can use in their own compliance review.
Sanctions & Fraud Screening
Even well-structured promotions need a method to ensure the right people are playing. This includes identity verification and fraud screening.
KYC: Know Your Customer
At the operator’s direction, Tierlock collects identifying information at signup — name, date of birth, address, and, depending on the check, all or part of a Social Security number. Some checks also include a selfie capture used to confirm you are the person shown on your identification document.
Verification is performed by Plaid Inc., our identity verification provider. Plaid stores the information it collects and Tierlock can access it. Results are returned to the operator. What we collect and how it is handled is described in our Privacy Policy.
Sanctions and Fraud Screening
Tierlock screens players against OFAC’s sanctions lists and against politically-exposed-person and adverse-media sources, as configured by the operator.
Age Verification & Geofencing
Tierlock is available to qualified adults only. Age and eligibility requirements differ by state and by promotion. The operator sets them for its own programs, and for promotions Tierlock sponsors they are stated in that promotion’s official rules. Tierlock applies the age and jurisdictional parameters the operator configures, using IP-based geolocation and optional GPS at signup. For further information, see our Privacy Policy.
Tamper-Evident Audit Trails
Tierlock writes every transaction to a cryptographically hashed, append-only ledger.
What Gets Logged & Why It Matters
- Player signup and identity verification results
- Deposits and withdrawals
- Games played and their results
- Win and prize redemptions
- Payouts and settlements
This supports faster audits, better-documented dispute resolution, and the ability to respond to lawful requests from regulators and law enforcement.
Funded Payouts
Some jurisdictions restrict how and where operators may hold player funds, and commingling player funds with operating accounts creates risk for both the operator and the player.
Player funds are received into a Tierlock Wallet and held in a smart contract backed 1:1 in USDC, separate from Tierlock’s and the operator’s operating funds. Your Tierlock Wallet is not a bank account, a deposit account, or an investment account. Balances are not insured by the FDIC or any government agency. Tierlock holds Wallet value as a limited-purpose intermediary, not as a bank, trustee, escrow agent, or fiduciary, and credited value may be reversed in the circumstances described in the End User Agreement.
When a player adds funds, Tierlock receives the value into that player’s Tierlock Wallet and holds it in a smart contract backed 1:1 in USDC, as a limited-purpose intermediary. Tierlock issues a settlement instruction when the operator’s system reports a win, or when a TierBox drawing selects a winner, and an independent third-party payment processor executes the payout.
The TEU & AMOE Sweepstakes Compliance Engine
Tierlock’s TEU (Tierlock Entry Unit) is the core of sweepstakes compliance automation. It makes AMOE simple to offer, track, and document.
Operators define their own entry rules in TEU, and TEU applies them automatically and records each entry accordingly.
Sweepstakes and gaming law varies by state and is changing quickly. TEU is configurable to the parameters an operator specifies.
Real-Time Compliance Monitoring & Reporting
Tierlock makes it easy to see verification and screening results for every player. Screening and monitoring results are surfaced to your team for review.
- Sanctions and identity screening results
- Age verification compliance
- Geofencing compliance
- AMOE availability and usage
- Payout compliance and settlement status
- Transaction logs and settlement history
Timestamped reports can be exported on demand for use in the operator’s response to a regulatory inquiry.
Why Players Trust TierLock
Players don’t see the compliance infrastructure behind the scenes, but they feel its benefits. They know their identity is secure because of Tierlock’s thorough verification system. Settlement is initiated automatically when the operator’s system reports a win. Duplicate-account and anomaly detection flags suspect accounts for the operator’s review.
When players trust your gameroom, they stay longer, spend more, and recommend you to their friends.
Compliance & Security FAQ
Tierlock’s audit trail records what the operator’s system reported, when it reported it, and what was owed. Where the prize was funded and settlement was automated, that record will usually resolve the question quickly. Where the outcome itself is disputed, the operator has a timestamped record of what its system reported at the time.
That depends on your program and the states you operate in, and it is a question for your legal counsel. Many state sweepstakes regimes require a genuine alternative method of entry, and the requirements differ by state. Tierlock’s TEU makes an alternative method of entry straightforward to offer, track, and document once your counsel has determined what your program needs.
Payment processing is performed by independent third-party payment processors. Tierlock provides the identity, record-keeping, and settlement logic that determines when a settlement instruction is issued, and may act as merchant of record in the payment processing chain.
Yes. Tierlock’s records are cryptographically hashed and append-only, so a regulator or auditor can confirm that a record has not been altered since it was written. Operators can export a complete, timestamped history of their own operation in response to a regulatory or law enforcement request.
Tierlock maintains encryption in transit and at rest, role-based access controls, and defined retention limits, and supports operators in meeting their obligations under applicable state privacy laws. Tierlock does not share KYC data with other operators. Data is shared with Tierlock’s identity verification and screening vendors as necessary to perform the service, and with regulators or law enforcement where required by law. Operators remain responsible for their player data. Tierlock processes it on the operator’s instructions and under the parties’ agreement.
Player funds are held separately from operating funds, backed 1:1 in USDC and remain there if a payment partner fails. Settlement can be redirected to another partner.