Las Vegas—bright lights, the hum of slot machines, the thrill of chance. It’s a city built on the pulse of gaming, a place where the future of iGaming and fantasy sports is unfolding in real-time. In the heart of this world, Todd Jarvis, VP of Global Channel Sales & Partnerships at Aware, and Stephen Crystal, Founder and CEO of SCCG Management, sat down for a conversation about compliance, innovation, and the future of igaming.

The Necessity of KYC for iGaming

When you step into a casino, place a bet online, or enter a sweepstakes, the process seems simple. But behind the scenes, operators are facing a constant battle: verifying who you are, ensuring you’re old enough to play, preventing account takeovers, and making sure that the right people—not fraudsters—are cashing in on winnings.

“The linchpin of most operations really begins and ends with the KYC process,” Crystal noted. A bold statement, but one that has proved true over time.

And as Crystal pointed out, biometrics is no longer a futuristic idea—it’s a necessity.

SCCG, one of the largest advisory firms in iGaming and sports betting, first connected with Aware when they were searching for best-in-class technology providers. What they found in Aware was something ahead of its time—biometric authentication that could transform how players were verified, how fraud was prevented, and how compliance would be streamlined.

The Evolution of Gaming: From Fantasy Sports to Full-Scale iGaming

Crystal has been in the world of gaming for over 30 years, long enough to witness its transition from an unregulated pastime to a booming industry subject to ever-growing compliance mandates. He described how regulation always follows innovation—first with fantasy sports, now with sweepstakes, and eventually, with all forms of iGaming.

Some states are eager to fully regulate online gaming, while others hesitate. Some payment processors refuse to work with gaming companies, leaving operators scrambling for solutions. Yet, the trend is clear: regulation is coming, and compliance technology will be the deciding factor in who thrives and who gets left behind.

That’s where biometrics comes in.

“Why would I want to do business with you if I can’t validate who you are?” Jarvis posed the question bluntly.

The days of simple identity verification—uploading an ID, entering an address—are fading. Fraudsters are growing more sophisticated, using AI-powered identity theft and deepfake technology to break into accounts. The only way to combat them is to stay ahead—by using biometrics.

COVID-19 & The Acceleration of Digital Gaming

The pandemic changed everything, including how people interact with casinos.

“Before COVID, no one imagined unlocking a slot machine with their phone and cashing out to a digital wallet—but now it’s happening,” Crystal shared.

In just a few short years, the industry has been forced to adapt in ways that normally would have taken decades. Digital wallets, biometric authentication, and seamless identity verification are no longer luxuries—they’re expectations.

And this shift isn’t just for online gaming.

Crystal painted a picture of a new kind of casino experience, where brick-and-mortar and digital gaming merge seamlessly. Imagine walking into a casino, your phone acting as your universal wallet, your biometric ID granting you instant access to games, loyalty programs, and payouts—all without a single piece of plastic or paper.

Casinos, Crystal emphasized, must evolve to meet the expectations of Gen Z and Millennial players, who demand digital-first experiences. If they don’t, they risk becoming relics of the past.

The Battle Against Fraud: Staying One Step Ahead

Every night, back when Crystal was running casinos in downtown Las Vegas, he’d sit with his head of surveillance to review security footage.

“The minute we figured out one scam, another one would pop up,” he recalled.

That’s still the case today—except now, fraudsters are using AI, deepfakes, and identity spoofing to exploit weaknesses in online gaming platforms. Without advanced biometric KYC solutions, operators are fighting a losing battle.

Jarvis agreed, pointing out how Aware has had to constantly evolve to stay ahead of fraud rings targeting banks in the Middle East, Latin America, and now, iGaming platforms. The key? Face liveness detection—proving that the person on the other end of a transaction is real and not a deepfake or AI-generated visual.

The Future: Compliance, Responsible Gaming & A Digital Identity Revolution

Despite the challenges, both Jarvis and Crystal are optimistic about the future.

“Operators have a duty to offer the most responsive, future-proof technology that they can,” Crystal emphasized.

And that future-proofing is about more than compliance. It’s about responsible gaming—ensuring that the people placing bets are who they say they are, preventing fraud while creating a frictionless experience for legitimate players.

“The success of a business depends on engagement,” Jarvis acknowledged. “But security can’t come at the cost of player experience.”

The solution? Decentralized digital identity.

Rather than forcing players to verify their identity again and again, the future will allow them to control their own biometric credentials, seamlessly logging in with the highest level of security—without added friction.

Crystal pointed out that tribal gaming operators are already ahead of the curve when it comes to adopting future-focused technologies. As sovereign nations, tribes have historically embraced innovation, whether in cryptocurrency, legalized cannabis, or now, biometric authentication.

An Opportunity for Gaming Innovation

The gaming industry is evolving at an unprecedented pace. Those who embrace innovation, future-proof their compliance strategies, and integrate biometrics into their onboarding and payment systems will thrive.

Those who resist? They may soon find themselves irrelevant.

“Biometrics isn’t just a security measure—it’s an enabler for seamless gaming and transactions,” Jarvis concluded.

“If we want to create a gaming ecosystem that is secure, responsible, and innovative, we have to start now,” Crystal added.

The future of gaming is digital. The future of gaming is secure. The future of gaming is here.

Want to learn more about how biometrics are changing the game in iGaming? Checkout the full webinar here.