Chinese Casinos Deploy Facial Recognition And AI To Monitor Customers

Harin - Jun 29, 2019

Casinos in China’s Macau territory have started to deploy high-tech surveillance tools to keep an eye on their customers.

Casinos in Macau territory of China have begun to install high-tech surveillance tools to monitor their customers.

However, it is not security that they are worried about. Instead, facial recognition, as well as artificial intelligence, are used to detect which customers are going to spend the most money. Sophisticated algorithms are capable of differentiating more heavy-duty gamblers from casual players. By doing this, the casino can offer free benefits to get them to keep on playing.

Casino-Facial-Recognition-Ai — Sophisticated algorithms are capable of differentiating more heavy-duty gamblers from casual players.

With the new AI system, the baccarat tables and poker chips pinpoint gamblers who are likely to put down high-risk bets, particularly those who lose money but will continue to play. When one of these customers walk in, the casinos will make sure that they stay around longer by assigning staff to come to assist the customers.

In an interview with the LA Times, Andrew Lo, Macau junket operator said:

Privacy advocates are against this new surveillance AI in casinos as it is equivalent to illegal monitoring. However, for tech developers and casino operators, they view it as another extension of the already ubiquitous surveillance of China.

Lo continued:

Two casino operators in Macau, the MGM Resorts International and the Macau units of Las Vegas Sands Corp. have already deployed these techs on hundreds of tables. Sands aims to equip more 1,000 tables with these technologies.

Three other casino operators, including the Melco Resorts & Entertainment Ltd., the Galaxy Entertainment Group Ltd., and the Wynn Macau Ltd., are discussing with suppliers to start deploying the technology.