QUEBEC, CANADA — "The Québec government says it will ban people convicted of a number of crimes, including money laundering and forgery, from setting foot in casinos." - CBC News
Over the years, we’ve seen several pivotal North American legislative acts designed to deter financial crimes such as money laundering within Casinos. While Title 31 of the “Bank Secrecy Act” (BSA) provides stringent reporting requirements for U.S. Gaming Enterprises, the “Proceeds of Crime (Money Laundering) and Terrorist Financing Act” (PCMLTFA) serves a similar purpose within Canada.
In fact, it was soon after 9/11 that FINTRAC amended the act to include the terms "Terrorist Financing" — a powerful demonstration of the role that Anti-Money Laundering (AML) practices can play in overall national security.
The Modern Dilemma in Security and Player Experience Management
In 2023, many casinos find themselves looking ahead to employ more efficient systems for Security and Player Experience Management (SPEM), especially those that may support compliance-related initiatives.
And many find that there is no shortage of security integrators who are eager to showcase all of their new vendor products (i.e. facial recognition, license plate recognition, etc.) that "integrate seamlessly" with one another.
While third-party interoperability is absolutely essential, it can be easy to lose sight of the complexities that arise when a single security and surveillance operation employs numerous software platforms from multiple vendors: the entire system can become not only difficult, but costly to manage over time.
A Simpler Way to Achieve Regulatory Compliance
With the all-in-one CORE Software Suite ("CORE") developed by Unity Surveillance, users can streamline their entire security and surveillance operation by utilizing one centralized platform for all activities related to Security and Player Experience Management (SPEM).
For example, the CORE “Roster” module can be used to manage all employee, patron and vehicle data within one centralized database or “Roster.” This allows operators to establish customized security alerts; create links between one or more players, vehicles or incident reports; and access relevant video evidence, within just a few clicks.
With advanced data import tools, the system is capable of automatically generating countless CORE Roster Profiles from Statewide Banned Lists, Self-Exclusion Lists and Internal Watchlist data. The level of detail included within each profile is only limited by the quantity of information inputted. From there, it only takes a few clicks to establish facial and/or license plate recognition alerts that can be sent directly to any number of security podiums or surveillance workstations.
As only one of several "modules" available within the CORE Software Suite, the CORE Roster is designed specifically for Gaming applications, with all activities tied directly to the StreamView Video Management System. This ensures that operators can focus on what matters most, while mitigating the regulatory risks presented when banned players enter the property.
Navigating Regulatory Changes in Québec: CORE Applications
The proposed legislation in Québec would prohibit individuals who have been convicted of select crimes within the past five (5) years from entering local casinos within that jurisdiction. Traditionally, this would require countless hours spent on updating Banned Watchlists, comparing casino guests to the most current watchlist data and keeping track of dozens of individual ban durations.
With CORE, operators can automate nearly all of the conventional tasks associated with database management and player recognition. From automatically generating countless CORE Roster Profiles from external data sources to immediately applying that data across the entire security and surveillance system, the CORE Software Suite brings together all of the advanced features necessary to maximize operator performance, while enhancing banned player detection rates.
For applicable convicts, each CORE Roster Profile can be customized to include key information such as the individual's Mugshot, Conviction Date and License Plate Number, if necessary. From there, operators can choose whether to establish real-time Face-X or LPR-X alerts across the StreamView VMS that end precisely five years from each individual’s conviction date.
After that period, all CORE Roster Profile data remains on file until manually deleted, either individually or via groups (e.g. Group = "Convicted-Money Laundering"). This ensures that future operators will be able to make informed security decisions with the ability to link newly-opened investigations to the previously-created offender profiles, if suspicious activity is later observed.
Final Considerations: Looking Ahead to Future Challenges
As the regulatory landscape continues to evolve within the North American Gaming Industry, Unity Surveillance ("Unity") remains at the forefront of technological innovation with an in-house software development team eager to take on the future challenges of tomorrow.
By specializing exclusively in Casino Gaming, UNITY boasts the fastest turnaround times for mission-critical software enhancements. Director of Development Brian Moore explains, "We own 100% of the code so when the client comes to us with an issue that requires new functionality, we can often push an update within a week, if it’s important enough.”
Not only does this ensure that each new installation contains the latest software features available on the market today, but it provides a foundation of assurance for c-suite decision makers looking to maximize the value of their system throughout its entire lifecycle.
About the CORE Software Suite
Designed exclusively for Gaming Enterprises, the CORE Software Suite (“CORE”) is a next-generation security and surveillance platform developed by Unity Surveillance that allows users to accomplish more than a dozen activities nearly twice as fast as traditional enterprise applications allow—with zero annual licensing fees required. Built entirely around end-user feedback, CORE features a wide range of software applications that make it easy to go from communicating to reporting to video monitoring, within just a few clicks. All functionality provided by CORE is complimentary, including automated report generation, ID badge management and more.
To learn more about how to consolidate your reliance on countless manufacturers, integrators and vendors, contact us at info@unitycore.us.
Sources:
“Quebec Will Ban People Convicted of Money Laundering, Forgery from Casinos | CBC News.” CBC News, CBC/Radio Canada, 27 July 2023, www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/quebec-money-laundering-forgery-convictions-casinos-1.6920287.
Government of Canada, Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre of Canada. “Government of Canada.” Government of Canada, Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre of Canada, / Gouvernement du Canada, 12 Oct. 2023, fintrac-canafe.canada.ca/act-loi/1-eng#s1.
“FAQs for Indian Tribal Governments Regarding Suspicious Activity Reporting by Casinos and Card Clubs.” Internal Revenue Service, www.irs.gov/government-entities/indian-tribal-governments/faqs-for-indian-tribal-governments-regarding-suspicious-activity-reporting-by-casinos-and-card-clubs. Accessed 28 Nov. 2023.