Between cheating, self-exclusion violations, and a host of other incidents, casino crime has been on the rise for quite some time. As a result, operators are increasingly thinking outside the box for more efficient ways to mitigate this and protect their bottom lines. 

Facial recognition flips the script, providing more control and lending surveillance rooms a helping hand. Learn more about the biggest casino crimes and how facial recognition software can clean up your operation.

 

Money Laundering

Money laundering is one of the most common crimes in casinos, where criminals make dirty or illegally obtained money look clean or legitimate. In gaming environments, money launderers are especially hard to identify and track because they rarely use player cards and deliberately transact below alerting thresholds.

Launders use a handful of go-to tactics to steal from casinos. One is taking advantage of sports betting kiosks to place offset bets. They might also cash multiple high-amount tickets within certain periods at your TITO redemption kiosks.

Because money laundering is designed to evade detection, it’s difficult to combat, but the right technology can help.

How Facial Recognition Identifies and Stops Money Laundering

Facial recognition captures what humans can miss, providing visibility inside and outside of your casino. License plate recognition (LPR) gives you an advantage because it records license plate details and spots banned vehicles of known criminals before they try to enter—providing an early opportunity to eject criminals.

However, once patrons are on the floor, your strategy must change. Here, facial recognition systems enhance AML compliance by correlating transactions to faces. This way, you’re better able to identify uncarded players via video footage or spot money launderers through TITO tickets and reports. Seeing someone process too many suspicious transactions? Flag them if they return to the property later.

As a professional in the industry, you know fines and loss of licensure from money laundering can be devastating. Stay on top with facial recognition software to avoid the ultimate consequence: venue closure.

 

Violence and Theft

Your casino can and should be a safe place for patrons to enjoy themselves, but that can easily become compromised if violence breaks out. Think about it this way: What if an innocent patron is hurt during a fight or has their purse stolen? This could have ripple effects on your operation in the long run.  

The Importance of Feeling Safe in a Casino

Casinos handle large amounts of money, exceeding the amount handled by most banks. This is tempting to thieves and a liability for patrons moving about the property. The good news is that you can maintain a ban list of known bad actors so guests feel safer.

Making safety a priority keeps your operation running smoothly and successfully. Facial recognition software helps by providing extra visibility into incidents of assault, theft, and violence, so you can quell issues before they escalate beyond control or negatively impact your reputation—driving valuable patrons away. 

In fact, a well-known resort lowered their room rates to $30 a night during the pandemic, attracting a lower class of patrons and increasing violence. This small move damaged its reputation. Don’t let that be you, without the right tools in place! 

 

Real-Time Alerts Make the Difference

Facial recognition software empowers your casino to observe, analyze, and act on more information than you could ever hope to with a human team alone. The glue that binds this all together is real-time alerting. Real-time alerts enable surveillance and security to collaborate and generate notifications based on certain tags immediately or at a threshold of activity, tackling suspicious activities and crime head-on.

Catch Criminals in the Act or Before They Leave

Facial recognition software generates alerts that go far beyond telling you that something is wrong. Instead, these alerts provide actionable information so you can address the suspect, including:

  • Last known location
  • Whether they’re tagged as a known cheat
  • Video clips of suspicious activity

Elevate Patron Experience

Taking advantage of alerting functions inside your facial recognition software helps your operation respond faster, improving both security and compliance. Patrons will always appreciate this. When your casino can deal with crimes efficiently, your team can get back to providing a quality customer experience and service—keeping them coming back for more.

 

Power Your Casino with eConnect

As a casino professional, you have to be vigilant about preventing and addressing crime on your property. Whether you’re dealing with money laundering, violence, theft, or another red-flag issue, facial recognition software can help. 

Give your team the support they need to deal with events that could harm your casino’s reputation, guest experience, or financial health. eConnect is the only facial recognition software specifically designed with casinos in mind. 

Request your demo today to see how our platform works to stop casino crimes.

About the Author

The eConnect Team