Better facial recognition in Macau casinos

The technology for facial recognition may become an important part of security setup in the casinos of Macau. Lam Lon Waiu, a lawmaker in Macau, is pushing to make the technology more widespread, possibly including it as a requirement in the next round of licensing renewals.

The lawmaker has shown his concern for the rising criminal cases in the city, with an 8% increase in 2018 alone. Although existing plans already call for an additional 1,620 cameras to be installed in the city, Lam is not happy about the fact that privacy laws may prevent the cameras from being used to their full potential.

Another lawmaker, Leong Sun Iok, has specifically requested that the Unitary Police Service (SPU) take a look into making facial recognition surveillance systems mandatory at casinos with the upcoming licensing renewals for concessionaires. SPU representative Mui San Meng has said that he will look into it.

That renewal period is scheduled to take place in 2022, so there will not be any legislated action in the nearer times. Some of the high technology cameras are likely to be installed before then, with Melco having promised that they will be put in place both in Manila and Macau this year.

In an attempt to reduce potential for any criminal activity in their casinos, Melco Resorts and Entertainment Ltd had earlier announced that they would be updating their facial recognition technology at its Manila and Macau operations this year. This information was divulged at the Sustainability and Corporate Social Responsibility Report for 2018.

With the new cameras installed, and assuming that Lam is able to dismantle the existing privacy laws, facial recognition technology could make a remarkable difference in the SPU’s investigations into crime around casinos. For instance, the recent robbery at the Four Seasons Macau could have resulted in arrests happening much earlier if law enforcement could have identify the culprits instantly.

Leong’s push to make cameras mandatory at casinos is easy to appreciate as well. The 8% increase in total crime would be alarming on its own, but statistics indicate that casino related crime has increased by 14%, outpacing the average of the rest of the city.

It seems that cameras are likely to be installed either way, and the casinos are rarely short of them. The bigger question now is if Macau legislature will side with Lam and the SPU as a whole in removing privacy laws that protect the people against intrusive surveillance methods, or if that will be a bridge too far for a city that is keen on promoting itself as a friendly tourist destination. This can really be a close one, only future will tell which side the government sways to.