Palm-Vein Access Control at KAA Gent: What Europe’s First Stadium-Wide Biometric Trial Reveals About the Future of Matchday Entry

When Belgian football authorities amended the national football law in 2023, clubs suddenly faced a daunting operational challenge: verifying not only who buys a ticket, but also who is physically entering the stadium. Manual ID checks for thousands of people were simply unworkable. For KAA Gent, this regulatory shift marked the beginning of an ambitious journey into biometric access control — one that began with security concerns but evolved into a broader vision for a seamless, fan-friendly stadium experience.