How to Face Recognition Technology is Used in Online Gambling & Casino Industry
We now encounter facial recognition technology in many aspects of our day-to-day lives, such as when we log into our smartphones or pass through security and passport control at an airport. Another industry that has benefitted from this advanced tech is the online casinos and land based gambling industry.
There have been many technological trends that have improved the casino experience and gambling safety in recent years, including artificial intelligence and virtual reality. Facial recognition is another example and allows casino operators to identify customers through the use of cameras and specialist software.
How could facial recognition benefit the gambling and casino industry?
Identity verification throughout the gaming session
One of the biggest benefits of facial recognition is that it can spot and prevent crime and fraudulent activity from taking place. Providing the user gives access to their device’s front camera, the online casino operator can use this to identify that the user is the account holder, and it is the same user interacting with the site throughout each gaming session.
This allows the operator to see if the account has been hacked and is being used by a cybercriminal. They can then take immediate action to report offences to the appropriate authority and secure the customer’s account.
Account sign-up and meeting legal compliance standards.
Many jurisdictions have laws such as Know Your Customer, which puts the responsibility on the casino or gambling site to verify the age and identity of a customer when they sign up for an account and begin betting.
Gambling sites ask new customers for documentation to verify their identity such as a passport or driving licence. Using facial recognition technology, they can confirm that the new customer signing up is the same individual pictured in the identification provided.
This can prevent underage users from being able to gamble and prevent stolen identification from being used to access an account. This technology is allowing online gambling sites to meet compliance standards much more efficiently, streamlining the customer experience and preventing delays in access for the customer.
Self-exclusion from gambling.
There are a number of reasons that an individual may wish to exclude themselves from being able to access any gambling sites, such as having issues with responsible gambling in the past. Gambling operators have a responsibility to protect users and must give them the ability to exclude themselves if they wish to do so.
Facial recognition is an easy and efficient way of achieving this, if the camera identifies an individual trying to access the casino that has self-excluded, they can take steps to stop them.
Offering VIP experiences to customers.
The use of facial recognition for improving the customer experience is already in operation in some land based casino venues around the world. Using facial recognition, they can identity when a VIP customer enters and offer them a more personalised experience.
This could include access to certain high roller games or exclusive rooms in the casino for a more luxurious experience. It will be interesting to see how this will be replicated by online casino operators as more begin to investigate new ways to incorporate facial recognition technology on their sites.
What are some of the potential limitations of facial recognition in this industry?
While facial recognition technology has been around for a few years now, like all new technologies it does have some limitations that the online gambling and casino industry must be aware of.
The technology’s accuracy
The accuracy of facial recognition has been improving each year since its conception; however it is unlikely that it will ever be 100 percent accurate and this can create delays and inconveniences for customers.
There are certain things that can impact the software’s effectiveness, for example poor lighting or poor camera quality on customer devices. Another issue that could arise is if the user is wearing a form of face covering or if they have altered their appearance significantly.
Some also question how the technology can be accurate in cases where there are users that are identical twins. This has also been an issue with fingerprinting and DNA testing for a number of decades.
Some people are unsure of or resistant to facial recognition.
Some users will not be happy to consent to the use of facial recognition, this could be because they are unsure of how their personal data is being stored and used. Facial recognition in public spaces has also received some backlash in the media with concerns for privacy, meaning that some individuals will refrain from accessing sites that insist on its use.
Final thoughts
Facial technology has many great applications in the gambling space, creating safer and more efficient experiences for customers and operators. As the tech develops, we are likely to see accuracy improve even further.