The Australian Hotels Association and Clubs NSW revealed that facial recognition technology to help operators identify gambling addicts is set to be introduced to clubs across the state of New South Wales (NSW).
The systems, which will be deployed across local hotels and clubs in 2023, have been developed by both associations. They will see the faces of problem gamblers scanned, and images cross-checked with a state-of-art system that monitors gambling addicts who have opted to take part in a self-exclusion scheme to keep themselves away from gambling.
Under the plan, cameras are set to be installed in clubs and pubs in the NSW as of 2023.
As revealed by the CEO of Clubs NSW, John Landis, almost 100 clubs have already implemented the facial recognition technology, with them so far giving positive feedback on the matter. He further noted that New South Wales clubs had demonstrated a willingness to protect their patrons and members from gambling-related harm and the aforementioned technology would take the Multi-Venue Self-Exclusion program of the state to the next level.
John Whelan, who is the boss of the Australian Hotels Association NSW, explained that the statewide roll-out follows a successful trial with six hotels. He further shared that the technology in question allows hotel and club employees to accurately identify problem gamblers who had previously banned themselves from gambling and then stop them from gambling.
The New Facial Recognition Technology Already Available in Some Venues in NSW
The announcement of the upcoming implementation of the new facial recognition technology has faced criticism from Cate Faehrmann, an MP of the Greens Party. She described the plan as terrifying and absurd because she finds the new technology would invade customers’ privacy and could constitute a threat of a potential public data breach. Furthermore, Ms Faehrmann believes that it would be far less accurate than a mandatory card.
According to the Greens Party, the New South Wales lawmakers need to suspend the new facial recognition technology so that it could be evaluated and properly regulated before every club and pub across the state starts using it to prevent problem gamblers from accessing more gambling, especially after they have already decided to exclude themselves from such services.
Ms Faehrmann suggested that the state of NSW should instead adopt so-called cashless gambling cards that would see the amount of time spent by gambling addicts on controversial pokies limited. Also, the limitations should include a ban on the poker machines’ operating hours between 00:00 AM and 12:00 PM.
As previously reported by Casino Guardian, Australians are among the heaviest-gambling nations per capita on a global scale. According to reports, local people spend approximately AU$24.9 billion on gambling every year, with the lower socio-economic areas in the country usually being the biggest losers, hence people living there tend to contribute the most to local clubs and operators of poker machines.
- Author
Daniel Williams
