Facial recognition arrives on the Vegas Strip

Oct 15, 2018, 1:21 pm EDT | Chris Burt

Categories Biometrics News | Facial Recognition

At least one major Las Vegas casino is using facial recognition to gather data, as well as enhance security, and casino technology suppliers are increasingly integrating biometrics into their products, the Las Vegas Review-Journal reports.

PwC Connected Solutions Director of Management Consulting Alec Massey told the publication during the Global Gaming Expo that for biometrics in casinos, “(t)he wave is happening now.” Massey declined to identify the Las Vegas Strip casino that is using it, but he noted that across the hospitality industry, internet-connected devices with sensors are proliferating due to reduced costs, and biometric solution providers have exhibited at several events in town this year, including CES and the World Game Protection Expo.

Brainchip announced a partnership with Gaming Partners International at the beginning of the year to integrate its AI-powered video analytics into a casino table game management system.

Strip casinos and other hospitality businesses have tested facial recognition over the past few years, according to Massey, but inconsistent results nearly prevented its deployment. With recent improvements, facial recognition can be used to identify blacklisted individuals, and biometrics could eventually be used in multi-factor systems for access control in casinos.

Marriott Global VP for Engineering and Facilities Robert Bahl says hotels will roll out technology to allow guests to check in and enter their rooms with their phones, allowing front desk staff to spend more time assisting guests. Strip operators including MGM Resorts are rolling out smartphone-based access control, the Review-Journal reports.

While competition is high to deploy new technologies to casinos, and making use of huge volumes of data can be challenging, industry managers and executives expect the use of data analytics, artificial intelligence for chatbots, and other advanced technologies to increase.

The Japanese government has considered deploying biometrics for customer identification and access control at casinos in the country.