Four Winds’ Michigan, Indiana Casinos the Latest to Turn to AI for Security

Artificial intelligence (AI) is already an integral part of a lot of online activity, from browser searches to advanced threat detection. It’s also making headway in the live casino industry, as well, and a number of casinos have already embraced the technology. The number is about to grow, too, as the Pokagon Band of Potawatomi has teamed up with Evolv Technology to install the latter’s AI security solutions at its Four Winds venues in Michigan and Indiana.

Better Security Through AI

Casinos often make good targets for criminals looking for an easy payday. Both the properties and gamblers are at risk, and there has been no shortage of violent attacks over the years. Many casinos have turned to screening everyone who enters in an attempt to keep the properties safe, but this leads to frustration and violations of personal space that most patrons don’t enjoy. As AI has improved, however, it has reached the point that it can provide security screening capabilities that don’t require intrusive pat-downs, metal detectors and more.

Starting with the Four Winds Casino South Bend in Indiana, the Pokagon Band will install Evolv Technology’s AI screener at the entrances, allowing guests of the property to walk in and not be delayed by the need to empty their pockets and submit to a security screening. The AI solution is unobtrusive and requires virtually no interaction on the part of the guest. Once the initial installation is complete at the South Bend venue, it will be rolled out to the tribe’s other properties in the Michigan cities of Dowagiac, Hartford and New Buffalo.

AI Benefits Casinos in Different Ways

The Four Winds casinos aren’t the first to deploy AI to keep them safe – The Plaza in Las Vegas, as well as a few others, has already turned to AI to improve their security operations. The Plaza turned to Patriots One Technologies last November for its solutions. Not only is the technology able to detect weapons and possibly prevent any unexpected surprises, but it can also be used to detect COVID-19 and other health issues by instantly reading temperatures. The tech allows casinos and other companies a seamless alternative to increasing protection without negatively impacting the customer experience. This makes it an ideal solution with very limited drawbacks.

Evolv Technology’s AI security screener can reportedly check as many as 3,600 people an hour, operating at ten times the speed of today’s typical security screening. Security personnel at the Four Winds’ properties can still pull someone aside for a more detailed check, but the inclusion of AI-based security will make the day more enjoyable for everyone. Four Winds Casinos CEO Frank Freedman expects the technology to take the company’s no-weapons policy to a new level and, as AI continues to show its capabilities, it will be found at more casinos, sports stadiums, airports and more in the future.