Many casinos lack the tools for screening patrons effectively, and evolving regulatory mandates, risk of fraud, and the potential for hefty fines for noncompliance spotlight a clear need to improve operations. It’s vital for security teams to keep the casino floor safe.
In this sense, identity management policies and technologies enable casinos to identify and authorize each and every patron, tightening entryway security to better protect employees and guests, as well as the business as a whole.
THE IMPORTANCE OF IDENTITY MANAGEMENT
In the gaming industry, identity management consists of the processes, policies, and technologies casinos put in place to identify and authenticate their visitors. There are countless benefits to effective identity management in the gaming industry today, such as the following: a) pinpoint and circumvent suspicious activity and transactions; b) comply with Know Your Customer mandates and avoid fines; and c) create a safer environment to enhance the guest experience.
Of course, protecting the casino is the first priority of the security team. To do so effectively, it’s important to know who customers are (the good gamblers, the bad actors, and the VIPs). That’s why identity management plays such a key role in casino operations. Effective identity management helps casinos and resorts to protect their assets, minimize fraud risk, and create a safer environment that enhances the guest experience. Casinos attract all sorts of patrons who don’t always exhibit the best behavior. Plus, with so much cash changing hands at all times, there’s a lot on the line. Security staff members need a way to quickly and accurately monitor all guests as they enter and engage. In addition to guest monitoring, identity management is essential for evidence gathering.
There are also compliance mandates, such as self-exclusion. State regulators require casinos to provide an option for those who wish to self-exclude, helping to ensure that they do not gamble. Failing to properly identify casino patrons and comply with regulatory requirements can have serious consequences, including hefty fines. On the other hand, casinos can also benefit greatly from recognizing high-value players they might want to engage and develop relationships with.
TACKLING THE COVID-19 MASK CHALLENGE
Identity management presents many challenges, especially in the COVID-19 era. Most casinos and resorts have mask mandates in place, which makes it difficult to screen patrons at the entrance. Although facial recognition software has come a long way, even the most advanced systems tend to have limitations. To respond to this issue, there are some good tools, such as eConnect’s identity management suite, designed to accurately identify each individual by matching facial features captured on video with an available photo database during each and every transaction, whether someone is entering the establishment, playing their favorite games, purchasing food or beverages, or cashing out at the cage to call it a day.
Technically speaking, eConnect’s facial recognition cameras detect faces when someone is wearing a mask by using the 42 points about the nose to face-match and verify each patron’s identity. Upgrading customers’ identity management technology and operations has proven a huge success everywhere it has been deployed, helping operators to rapidly identify guests, streamline operations, and achieve a significant return on investment (ROI).