Overview
- The North Carolina House passed House Bill 920 on Tuesday, sending the measure to the state Senate with provisions that would classify kiosk operators as money transmitters and require licensing, fee caps, transaction limits and refund rules.
- Delaware and New Jersey have advanced bills that would ban crypto ATMs, with proposals that would take machines offline, mandate physical removal and impose civil penalties for operators who violate the bans.
- Federal Bureau of Investigation figures for 2025 show a sharp rise in kiosk-related complaints and losses, with people over 50 making up a majority of reported victims and advocates saying kiosks facilitate scams like government impersonation and tech-support fraud.
- Operators push back that they are not responsible for third-party scams and say many have added on-screen warnings, identity checks and transaction limits, but the sector is under financial strain and some firms have filed for bankruptcy.
- The state-by-state approach will shape how kiosks operate nationwide because rules that license operators as money transmitters would put them under banking oversight, while bans would remove machines and force retailers and regulators to enforce removal timelines.