ClientScan launches facial recognition product to help self-excluded gamblers

Facial recognition firm ClientScan has launched a new product to help gamblers self-exclude from venues, Gambling Insider reports.

The solution first stores the user’s facial data on the cloud after they choose to upload it. When a user then enters a gambling venue such as a casino or betting shop, a camera in the venue will cross-reference their data with that held by ClientScan.

Once a match is made, staff at the venue will be notified either through ClientScan’s app, email or via WhatsApp. They will receive information such as customer names and date of last visit or self-exclusion period.

The start-up claims this entire process can be completed within one-tenth of a second, with an accuracy rate of over 99 percent, and also say the app was developed on 800,000 images of training data.

The app currently is available for Microsoft Windows devices that can connect to a webcam and it can be downloaded from the Microsoft App Store.

ClientScan is also set to take part in ‘Pitch!’, a gambling education program set to take place between 25 to 29 September in London as part of Regulating the Game (RTG), according to Inside Asian Gaming. Companies participating will have a chance to pitch their idea to the gambling sector.

Throughout the rest of the 5-day conference, participants will also get the opportunity to network with others within the industry and hear talks from key regulators and industry experts.

In the UK, gambling businesses are forced by law to provide self-exclusion arrangements to their clients.

Schemes such as GAMSTOP, MOSES, and SENSE allow users to self-include from multiple online platforms and physical locations at once.

This self-inclusion arrangement lasts a minimum of six months, and twelve months in the case of betting shops.

In the past, gaming firms have been fined for not complying with the regulations around self-exclusion.

For example, in May PPB Counterparty Services Limited, the company behind popular consumer gaming brands Paddy Power and Betfair, had to pay £490,000 (US$626,000) for sending promotions to customers who had self-excluded.

Problem gaming remains a serious issue in the UK, where the industry is estimated to be worth £14.2 billion in 2020. The Department of Health and Social Care found that problem gambling cost England alone £1.27 billion from 2019 to 2020.

Biometrics have also been considered for self-exclusion from gambling services in Australia.

Article Topics

Australia  |  biometrics  |  ClientScan  |  facial recognition  |  gambling  |  gaming