HOLMDEL, N.J., Nov. 11, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — BIO-key® International, Inc. (NASDAQ: BKYI), an innovative provider of passwordless and phishing-resistant authentication solutions, today announced that a major U.S. casino resort has selected BIO-key’s PortalGuard® IAM platform and Identity-Bound Biometrics (IBB) to secure workforce access across its around-the-clock gaming and hospitality operations. The enterprise-wide deployment marks BIO-key’s entry into the gaming and hospitality industry.
Casino resorts operate 24/7, and every second an employee spends logging in is time taken away from guests. Many gaming floor team members are restricted from carrying personal mobile devices, making phone-based push notifications and authenticator apps impractical. In addition, customer-facing staff frequently share workstations throughout each shift. The resort needed an authentication solution that could deliver strong security without slowing its workforce or relying on passwords that are easily forgotten, shared, or stolen.
BIO-key’s Identity-Bound Biometrics solve these challenges by binding each authentication event to the verified individual rather than to a device, token, or password. Using BIO-key PIV-pro and SideSwipe fingerprint readers together with PortalGuard and WEB-key software, employees authenticate in under two seconds with a simple touch and no phone, token, or password to remember. Unlike credentials that can be shared, phished, or stolen, a biometric bound to the person ensures that only the authorized employee can access the system, while also creating a clear record of system access events. The solution supports multiple users on shared kiosks and workstations without restrictive per-device user limits, enabling staff to move seamlessly between stations.
“Casinos are among the most demanding environments for identity security. The floor never closes, the stakes are high, and employees can’t afford to stop and wrestle with a password or wait on a push notification to a phone they aren’t allowed to carry,” said Stephen Morrow, President of PortalGuard.
“Identity-Bound Biometrics give gaming operators the speed their teams need and the identity assurance their security and compliance teams demand. Authentication happens in seconds, it works on shared workstations, and it’s tied to the actual person—not something that can be handed off or stolen.”
This deployment provides BIO-key an important entrée to the broader gaming / hospitality sector, which faces challenges of continuous operations, shared devices, a large frontline workforce, strict regulatory oversight, and an attractive profile for cybercriminals. Recent high-profile attacks against casino operators highlighted how social engineering and compromised credentials can disrupt operations, making phishing-resistant authentication a growing priority across the industry.
“Expanding into gaming and hospitality is an exciting milestone for BIO-key,” said Michael DePasquale, Chairman and CEO of BIO-key. “This customer chose BIO-key because our platform solved real operational challenges—delivering phoneless, passwordless access that keeps pace with a 24/7 business while raising the bar on security. We believe the gaming industry represents a significant growth opportunity, and we look forward to helping more operators protect their people, their guests, and their operations with Identity-Bound Biometrics.”
About BIO-key International, Inc. (www.BIO-key.com)
BIO-key is revolutionizing authentication and cybersecurity with biometric-centric, multi-factor identity and access management (IAM) software securing access for over forty million users. BIO-key allows customers to choose the right authentication factors for diverse use cases, including phoneless, tokenless, and passwordless biometric options. Its cloud-hosted or on-premise PortalGuard IAM solution provides cost-effective, easy-to-deploy, convenient, and secure access to computers, information, applications, and high-value transactions.
BIO-key Safe Harbor Statement
All statements contained in this press release other than statements of historical facts are “forward-looking statements” as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 (the “Act”). The words “estimate,” “project,” “intends,” “expects,” “anticipates,” “believes” and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements are made based on management’s beliefs, as well as assumptions made by, and information currently available to, management pursuant to the “safe-harbor” provisions of the Act. These statements are not guarantees of future performance or events and are subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially from those included within or implied by such forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include factors set forth under the caption “Risk Factors” in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2025, and other filings with the SEC. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date made. Except as required by law, we undertake no obligation to disclose any revision to these forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise.
BIO-key Resources:
https://www.bio-key.com/portalguard-2/
https://www.bio-key.com/biometrics/
https://www.bio-key.com/hardware/
Engage with BIO-key:
LinkedIn – Corporate: https://www.linkedin.com/company/bio-key-international
X – Corporate: @BIOkeyIntl
X – Investors: @BIO_keyIR
StockTwits: BIO_keyIR
Investor Contacts:
William Jones, David Collins
Catalyst IR
BKYI@catalyst-ir.com or 212-924-9800
