Kazakhstan to Launch Biometric Verification in Gambling Industry
Kazakhstan's Ministry of Tourism and Sports is launching a pilot program to implement biometric identity checks in the gambling sector.
LISTEN TO THIS ARTICLE:The effort, which pairs the ministry with local tech company Biometric.Vision, aims to enhance security and transparency by verifying players through facial recognition and artificial intelligence.
Announced at the Digital Bridge forum in Astana on October 6, 2025, the initiative targets real-time authentication to cut down on fraud and underage access while supporting fair play.
The technology works by scanning a player's face during login or transactions, cross-checking it against official records in seconds. This setup aims to confirm eligibility on the spot, without relying on easily faked documents.
Biometric.Vision, a startup founded in 2018 by Alibek Narimbaev, built the system with input from its prior work in banking and education. The company already handles liveness detection for the National Bank of Kazakhstan, where it flags fake photos or videos to prevent account takeovers.
It is highly significant for our company to be able to implement this project together with the Ministry of Tourism and Sports. We are convinced that biometric and AI technologies should not only make people’s daily lives easier but also help address major social challenges.
Driving Change Through Local Innovation
Kazakhstan set up the pilot to address gaps in its gambling laws, which cover both land-based casinos and online platforms. Regulators have seen cases of money laundering and problem gambling slip through manual checks, especially as online betting grows.
By adding biometrics, the government hopes to enforce age limits strictly and spot self-exclusion requests faster, giving players better tools to manage their habits.
This agreement marks a new stage in the digitalization of the social sphere. We want our industries to develop on time and in full alignment with the principles of transparency and social responsibility. The pilot with Biometric.Vision will introduce a modern service that will serve as an effective tool for safeguarding citizens.
This coincides with Kazakhstan's push for digital tools across sectors. Days earlier, Biometric.Vision inked a deal with Bybit Kazakhstan, a licensed crypto exchange overseen by the Astana Financial Services Authority. The partnership integrates facial scans into the customer onboarding process, enabling faster and more efficient anti-money laundering (AML) checks for digital asset transactions.
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Implications for Players and the Market
For gamblers in Kazakhstan, the changes could mean fewer worries about account hacks or denied winnings from identity mix-ups. While operators might face setup costs, the system promises to lower disputes and build trust, similar to how biometrics have slashed fraud in European betting apps by up to 40%.
Privacy rules under the country's Personal Data Law will require clear consent for scans, with data stored only as long as needed.
The pilot sets Kazakhstan apart in Central Asia, where neighbors like Uzbekistan still ban most gambling. Success here could draw investment to Astana's tech scene and inspire similar checks in lotteries or sports betting.
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