Cogniac’s chip counting technology: a game changer for casinos

Casino Operator Bets on AI to Innovate Rewards Program

Cogniac’s computer vision platform provides the speed and accuracy needed to keep up with the pace of play

Casinos work extensively to create an environment that is fun and engaging for players. And keeps them coming back. A key strategy casinos use to encourage repeat visits is a loyalty program, which rewards members for game-play activity such as total time spent and amount wagered. But while tracking and accurately rewarding players for their activities at slot machines is fairly straightforward, doing so at table games is a tougher, largely manual task typically left to dealers and pit bosses. Given the fast-paced nature of table games and the flurry of activity on a casino floor, it’s easy to see how human error and the limitations of human capacity could lead to inaccurate tallies…leaving players missing out on valuable rewards.   

Upping the ante with computer vision

Tracking chip count is one of the many activities that casino operators must manage as part of running a loyalty program. It’s not uncommon for a single gaming table to have hundreds or even thousands of chips in play at any given time. Casino staff members simply can’t keep up with the volume and velocity of movement of these chips in order to accurately allocate loyalty points to program members. But computer vision AI can. 

Cogniac inspects poker chips for factors including number of chips and bet position

Cogniac’s AI solution can count chips quickly and accurately, without any modifications required to existing systems or game presentation—no special chips or gaming tables are required. Only a small, unobtrusive camera is placed in view of table activity. By partnering with Cogniac to inspect casino chips for factors like number of chips and bet position, our casino client can count chips much faster than human employees can manually do so. Chips can be counted regardless of their position on the table, whether stacked, tipped over, or in piles. Computer vision scaled the casino’s ability to process data, dramatically improving the loyalty program’s operational accuracy, service quality, and guest experience.

By leveraging computer vision AI, casinos can gather more accurate and detailed data on loyalty program members’ table gameplay. Without this solution, operators are left to rely on potentially inaccurate tallies kept by staff or highly expensive, less-effective solutions requiring special chips or retrofitted tables. The enhanced monitoring enabled by Cogniac’s computer vision platform allows for better evaluation of player activity, identification of high-value players, and customization of rewards and benefits within the loyalty program.