Saturday, February 19, 2005

Special Report: Casinos to Double-Down On RFID Chip Technology
News.com recently reported that billionaire Vegas developer Steve Wynn was planning to unveil not only another mega-casino, but that deep inside the new digs would be hundreds of thousands of little chips - RFID chips that is, inside the chips.

Here's a bit from the piece:

"In casinos, RFID technology is still relatively rare and in search of a killer application to spur adoption. Yet some tech-savvy casino executives envision RFID transforming the way they operate table games, including blackjack, craps and roulette, over the next four or five years.

"For one thing, there's the counterfeiting problem, on which there is scant data. The Nevada Gaming Commission gets about a dozen complaints every year related to counterfeit chips, said Keith Copher, the agency's chief of enforcement. Last year, a casino in Reno quickly lost $26,000 in such a scheme--one of the biggest hits reported to the commission in recent years. And counterfeiting is on the rise at overseas casinos, Copher noted. The RFID technology would let dealers or cashiers see when the value of the chips in front of them don't match the scanners' tally.

"However, financial losses due to counterfeit chips are usually minor, and few perpetrators get away with it, Copher said. Perhaps that's why the Wynn has found a dual purpose for the high-tech chips: The casino is also using the chips to help account for the chips they issue on credit to players, since managing credit risk is a huge part of any big casino's operations.

"Wynn plans to take note of the serial numbers of the chips they lend and of the name of players who cash them in. The technology could also help casinos catch card players who sneak extra betting chips onto the table after hands are dealt or players who count cards. That's one reason the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas plans to switch on a new set of RFID-equipped betting chips and tables next month.

"The casino is installing RFID readers and PCs at game tables. With antennas placed under each player's place at the table, dealers can take a quick inventory of chips that have been wagered at the push of a button. The PCs display all the initial bets, deterring players from sneaking extra chips into their pile after hands are dealt."

For more up to date info on RFID technology, check out RFID Gazette and VOIP Now.

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