[autumn]

"Casino to Go High-Tech with Radio Frequency Identification
By John G. Brokopp
11 January 2006


Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology has been a part of our every day lives for well over a decade, including the ID microchip tags that veterinarians surgically implant in pets, but only recently has it been rendered practical and affordable enough for implanting in gaming chips.

The deployment of technology that will revolutionize the way casinos rate individual play at table games is coming in the not so distant future. RFID makes use of wireless technology. Information is recorded when the tag is within the range of a transmitted radio signal.

When someone buys into a game and turns in a player's club card, he or she will be identified by table position. Every single bet the player makes during that session will be recorded by sensors at the table and stored in a database.

The chips don't look any different from a standard chip, but inside each of them is an embedded microchip. When the chip is placed in the betting circle, a detector plate emits an electromagnetic field that recognizes it and sends the information to the table's computer.

Slot players for many years have enjoyed the luxury of having their play tracked accurately and instantly. In return the casino rewards them with perks, coupons and cash-back based upon their frequency of visits and level of play.

The mechanics of table games have made this process much more difficult. Up to now it has been an inexact science on behalf of the supervisors, who make note of the buy-in and jot periodic notes about bet size and duration of play which they enter into a computer terminal in the pit area in an effort to rate players.

International Game Technology (IGT), a world-wide leader in gaming research and development, is on the verge of unveiling its patented Intelligent Table System which in its second tier of implementation will include RFID bet recognition.

By some estimates, there will be 10,000 RFID gaming tables, each with over 4,000 chips, at casinos across the country over the next five years.

Whereas a couple of casinos in Las Vegas (Wynn and Hard Rock) have already experimented with the technology on a limited basis, some gambling properties in Europe and the Far East are already fully converted to RFID table tracking."


Technology and more technology...

[DeepBlue]

Sounds interesting, but as with the slots, I would hate that "I'm watching you" feeling that comes with somebody having every chip and bet I've made on record.

I suppose it could be useful from a statistics point of view, and as you say players are given perks and coupons from the slots, so I would assume that a similar strategy will be deployed along with this technology.

Impressive though, tracking all those chips, all those players over all those tables...

[autumn]

I wonder if they'll give perks and things for bad bets, as well as good ones...lol..I guess they will just go by the number of times you bet, as in slot playing. So, if you don't bet and fold, no count?! I'm sure the amount of your bet will probably be tracked, as well. I'm just glad they weren't proposing a chip implant.

[DeepBlue]

Hehe I wonder where they'd put it anyway!

Probably be done on time spent, and how much you put in. The more time you spend, the more games you play the more vouchers and coupons drop through your door.

I doubt you'd be rewarded too much for just being there though.

[autumn]

Yes, I recall one casino where I had played for several hours. Lo and behold, they came around and gave me the player's card to insert in the slot each time. I guess it took two days and hours of play for them to realize I was spending some time and some money. They do watch, obviously!

[DeepBlue]

Hehe, nice when that happens isn't it!

They generally use automated systems so they will just get it come up on screen that someone at such and such machine has spent a fortune, go give them a card to encourage them to spend more

[autumn]

Yeah...the player's card was nice to get, but it wasn't retroactive and I was leaving the next day. I don't even think it's still good for the next time I go back...been a while..lol

[DeepBlue]

Hehe, it should have had you worried though - exactly how long were you in there? Normally you don't get membership cards until you've shown a bit of loyalty, so maybe you should spend less time at the slots!

[autumn]

Well, I was ahead, so I stayed a while.. As it so happened, I went back in the morning before catching my plane, and started winning again. I came very close to changing my reservation to the next day! Probably good that I didn't, might have lost what I was able to bring back home.

[DeepBlue]

Hehe, you would have probably spent your plane ticket if you'd stayed another day!

Unfortunately, I'm a great believer in equilizers - no matter how long you play, at the end of the day, you're probably going to end up even!

[BigAl]

Too true. Personally, I really haven't got the patience for those damn slots - too much time watching wheels spin round or lights flash for my liking.

Then again, I'm probably just biased because I never seem to win anything.