Minister for Digital and Minister for Customer Service at NSWVictor Dominello has presented a bill to Parliament known as the Gaming Machines (Amendment) Bill 2015.
The Gaming Machines Amendment bill has been drafted to allow for facial recognition technology to be used in venues that have self-excluded patrons. The use of the technology will allow venues to detect if a patron is in fact on their list of excluded individuals and when a match is made, that person can be refused service or entry.
The bill states that the gaming machine premises will need to have a self-exclusion register which will be used as the source of images for facial recognition technology. The register would contain photos of individuals who previously applied to be on the list and provides consent.
The proposal aims to provide this as another step toward offering protection services to establishments, minimising the burden on patrons to report their own actions.
“New South Wales is determined to become the first state in Australia to embrace responsible gambling,” said Victor Dominello. “The reality is we are number one when it comes to how many poker machines we’ve got, but we’re the laggard when it comes to harm minimisation measures,” he said.
What is self-exclusion?
Self-exclusion is an agreement between the individual and the operator of a gambling venue that they will ban an individual from entering or remaining on the premises where gambling occurs. If you wish to self-exclude, it is important that you do so with all venues which you attend.
Currently, it is up to patrons to tell staff that they would like to be added to the list of those banned from gaming venues. The new technology would make it easier for clubs to monitor their behaviour and keep patrons with gambling problems out of harm’s way.
Current Self-Exclusion Programs are not working
Around the country, self-exclusion systems have come under criticism from problem gamblers and their friends and family members. The major complaint is that self-excluded customers are still allowed to visit places where they have been banned from.
According to a 176-page study commissioned by the NSW Responsible Gambling Fund by CQ University, “the monitoring of self-exclusion has several flaws.”
Using Facial Recognition to assist with this problem could be extremely beneficial
The report suggested that the use of technology could help improve the scheme, including introducing a system that could scan a patron’s ID and match it to the self-exclusion register or the use of facial recognition technology.
How Facial Recognition Would Help Pubs and Clubs
There are a number of reasons why venues could benefit from using facial recognition:
1. Reduced likelihood of patrons being mistakenly added to the self-exclusion list and faced with exclusion errors.
2. An easy way to review who has been excluded by other venues in order to prevent individuals from entering their premises.
3. It reduces the risk of patrons breaching their self-exclusion agreement.
4. Facial recognition improves on self-reporting and increases the chances that a person added onto the ban list is not allowed to enter any venues around NSW.
5. It can be used as an additional enforcement tool for responsible service of alcohol (RSA) laws by identifying intoxication.
How It Works
Element Security can assist your pub and club with the installation of security systems and management of the latest advances in Facial Recognition Technology for pubs and clubs.
Features
Facial Recognition
Recognise faces from odd angles. Deep Learning algorithms group distinct faces together without the need for manual labour. What is Facial Recognition – Definition and Explanation.
Smart Alarms
Customise alarms based on labels, temperature, time, location, cameras, and more.
You decide who receives those notifications and if it’s done by in-app push notifications or email.
Metadata
Metadata that empowers your company may be stored using custom fields.
Each venue is different. To help your company, use custom fields. This data will be presented to your employees at reception, providing them with useful information.
Instantly identify
Once a potential suspect walks through the door, you can quickly determine whether they’re of interest with a few clicks.
Easy To Use
A product that anyone can use and feel in control of. Even the most sophisticated technologies are simple to use, allowing your team to focus on more critical matters.
Regular Updates
With software and AI model upgrades, facial recognition technologies improve all the time.
Multi-Platform
The app is available on Android, iOS, TV or desktop. Notifications will be sent to you based on your alarm preferences.
Platform Agnostic
Keep using the cameras you trust with our Facial Recognition software that works with any RTSP (Real-Time Streaming Protocol).
Conclusion
In conclusion: Utilising facial recognition at your pub club or gaming facility is an excellent way to safeguard your business and customers by employing cutting-edge technology.
Element Security prides itself on being at the forefront of cutting facial recognition technology. Speak to one of our specialist security consultants today.
If you or anyone you know needs help:
· Lifeline on 13 11 14
· Gambling Help Online on 1800 858 858
· Beyond Blue on 1300 22 46 36
