With Casino Ban Lifted, Japanese Authorities Look to Biometrics to Curb Gambling Addiction

Having lifted a ban on casinos at the end of last year, government authorities in Japan are now looking to biometric technology to prevent gambling addiction.

As The Japan Times reports, government legislators presented a plan last month to implement identity checks on citizens and foreign residents seeking to enter a casino, with the aim of limiting the number of visits they can make to gambling facilities over a given period. And some legislators are considering the use of facial or vein recognition for the identification process, with the biometrics being linked to official government IDs.

The proposals come after Melco Resorts & Entertainment, a Hong Kong-based casino operator, announced plans for a Japan-based casino resort that will incorporate advanced facial recognition technology last November. At the time of its announcement, Melco emphasized that it would use the technology to facilitate “responsible gaming and security,” and that it would offer government authorities access to its back-end database, suggesting that the government had an active interest in using biometrics to prevent compulsive gambling even before the casino ban was lifted.

This reflects a broader interest in biometrics on the part of Japanese government authorities, who have moved forward with border security and even tourism applications of biometric identification over the last couple of years.

Source: The Japan Times

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March 7, 2018 – by Alex Perala