Japan to employ facial technology to combat gambling obsession

Once facial recognition technology in Japan is implemented at betting venues, gambling addicts will be barred from entry.

This is based on the Japanese government’s plan to regulate venue operators.

In the latter part of March this year, Japan said it would use biometric identification technology to validate the locals’ identity in order to monitor their gambling habits.

After a series of public consultations, the government will implement the plan this coming month. The scheme will be evaluated every three years. The betting games involved racetracks, pachinko parlours, bicycles, and speedboat racing.

The move is initiated upon the request of Japanese family members. Regular gamblers at the start of fiscal 2019 will be restricted from admission to the venues if they are considered gambling addicts via the new facial technology.

Pachinko parlors are similar to slot machines in Japan. They are described as noisy, smoky, and time-consuming by many though highly popular among Japanese gamblers.

Another related plan of the Japanese government is to eliminate the availability of automated teller machines from gambling venues.

The plan is intended for the gambling industry and its operators to provide necessary guidelines so as to discourage people’s desire for too much gambling.

In 2018, the Japanese Racing Association rolled out a contactless palm vein biometric technology at cashless kiosks.

The technology was developed through the partnership of Fujitsu Limited and Fujitsu Frontech Limited to help customers make cashless bets in a secure way and verify their identity when withdrawing their prize.