On the casino floor, it’s no secret that pit bosses and operators are always watching. But a new artificial intelligence (AI) technology from a popular gaming company takes the concept of watching to an entirely new level.
The technology, dubbed SYNK Vision, is the brainchild of Konami Gaming. It can track all players on a casino’s floor by monitoring certain biometric identifiers.
It will be on display at Konami’s booth at the Global Gaming Expo in Las Vegas.
Think of SYNK Vision like the ultimate eye in the sky, only down at table game- and slot machine-level. The system runs off tiny cameras that monitor players’ identifying characteristics: eye shape and color, hair color, facial bone structure, and approximate age, to name a few. It ties these specific characteristics to specific players, if or when the players use loyalty cards to check in.
In theory, the system provides operators with the opportunity to track all guests who play regularly at a particular property.
Tom Soukup, Konami’s senior vice president and chief systems product officer, said the technology and type of data captured also create new opportunities that can make players feel special, provide individualized experiences, and get players coming back and staying at the facility.
“For years, casinos have leveraged loyalty card systems to track player activity, which requires a high level of ongoing consumer adoption and operator maintenance and doesn’t offer a way to incentivize uncarded players,” he said. “SYNK Vision opens up automated loyalty tracking, so casinos can start reinvesting in and understanding every on-site player.”
What’s more, instead of just tracking players with loyalty cards, operators will be able to use SYNK Vision to track players who forgot their cards at home, and even those who aren’t enrolled in rewards programs.
On the back end, biometric information will sync up with other data in the loyalty program database.
The result: Slot players and table games players will experience more in-game reward opportunities, relevant marketing touchpoints, and potential service enhancements.
As Soukup explained, SYNK Vision is fully integrated and operates seamlessly with Konami’s SYNKROS casino management system. This solution offers intuitive and reliable accounting, accurate data collection, adaptable floor management, and effortless interfaces with existing property management tools such as point-of-sale, hotel management, and data analytics.
Undoubtedly there will be some players who express privacy concerns about SYNK Vision and the biometric identifiers it requires.
The reality, though, is that the AI behind the system is no different from other technologies on the market today.
Specifically, this technology exists in several mainstream business arenas to streamline purchases, personalize offers, reduce wait times in queues and facilitate airport check-in through the boarding process.
According to Soukup, those who are uncomfortable at the idea of having their unique biometric characteristics become their loyalty cards can simply opt out.
For the carded, known player at the casino, it is an ease-of-use feature “rather than having to remember to use a traditional magstripe card, or scan a QR code on their phone,” he said. “For players who don’t want to sign up and provide personal data for the loyalty club, they can still remain anonymous.”
