Asian casino operator to upgrade its facial recognition security systems this year

Real-time facial recognition at casinos in Macau and Manila operated by Melco Resorts and Entertainment will be upgraded to the latest generation of the biometric technology this year, GGR Asia reports.

The Asian casino promotor announced the upgrade as part of its Sustainability and Corporate Social Responsibility Report for 2018. Melco says it was the first company in Asia to deploy facial recognition security systems at every entrance to its gaming facilities in Macau to assist with self exclusion, and that it has since been refining the technology.

Melco is also reportedly seeking a licence to operate in Japan, where officials have considered facial biometrics among access control technologies for casinos. The company report says that the MelGuard system is the first biometric intelligence system for responsible gaming, and that it complies with data privacy requirements.

Casinos around the world seek to prevent minors and self-excluding problem gamblers from entering their gaming facilities, and in Macau, new regulations introduced in December ban casino employees from entering them during off-work hours, according to the Prague Post. The Post also reports that Brainchip has developed artificial intelligence technology that is used in Las Vegas casinos to perform automated tracking of dealer actions to detect mistakes.

GGR Asia also reports that a representative of Macau’s Unitary Police Service said last month that deploying facial recognition around the city’s casinos could deter criminal activity in their vicinity.

Australia’s second largest casino also made the decision earlier this year to launch facial recognition to detect blacklisted visitors.

Article Topics

access management  |  Asia  |  biometrics  |  BrainChip  |  casinos  |  facial recognition  |  video surveillance