A video-camera and artificial-intelligence (AI) -assisted “Bet Attributor” function for Angel Group’s ‘smart’ casino-table technology is poised for use in several Asia-Pacific gaming markets.
That is according to Aaron Raj (pictured), chief technology officer (CTO) at the Japanese group’s Angel Australasia Pty Ltd unit. He was speaking in an interview with GGRAsia at the recent Global Gaming Expo (G2E) Asia 2026 casino trade show and conference held at The Venetian Macao.
Bet Attributor is designed to handle “pose recognition” of table players via table-mounted cameras and AI-powered analysis, Mr Raj explained.
He stated: “Because we use video-assisted AI, we are able to directly track the player and their bets and to retain a library of images for all events.” The executive is also tasked with being the group’s “global smart table integration specialist”.
He contrasts the Bet Attributor function to an alternative approach in the smart-table market: attributing gaming chips to players deemed to ‘own’ them. Mr Raj says of the latter: “This indirect method faces many challenges particularly for the common occurrence of players swapping chips.”
He added: “Through our direct approach, we know exactly who that player is, and what is the turnover – or the win or loss – from the player.”
Mr Raj further noted: “That same player – whether seated or standing – is not constrained to a specific [betting] box. He or she can bet anywhere on the table, and the system will identify the player accurately.”
Angel asserts that once the Bet Attributor function is activated, casino operators can “know directly all the ratings, award points and comps [complimentary offers to players],” based on the player’s “bet information”.
Mr Raj stated that with Bet Attributor, “players have the full flexibility to play the way they want to”.
Bet Attributor is currently configurable for Angel’s smart baccarat and smart blackjack tables. Mr Raj said the technology is being readied in order to offer it for gaming floors in Singapore, the Philippines, Australia and New Zealand. It is also undergoing a regulatory-approval process in Macau, according to Mr Raj.
He said Bet Attributor could “add a lot of value” to casinos’ gaming-surveillance effort, as every transaction on the gaming table had its associated image captured from the table-mounted cameras.
Notwithstanding such surveillance, it would not violate player privacy, as personal information is not stored, Mr Raj noted.
He explained: “There are no personal details involved: all we know is there’s a human placing a bet.
“This information can go to the customer’s [casino operator’s] TMS [transaction monitoring system]; and CMS [casino management system], and then we get a ‘dummy’ ID. And the dummy ID is what we use to track all the bets that are being placed by the player.
“So at any point of time we are not violating the privacy of the player,” said Mr Raj.
‘Entire’ floor covered
Angel provides its fundamental smart technology for all casino table-game formats. At the trade show, it demonstrated blackjack, roulette and sic bo smart tables, as well as Bet Attributor functionality for baccarat and blackjack.
It hopes to see the the non-baccarat smart solutions live soon in Asia-Pacific.
For its fundamental smart technology, Angel adopts a hybrid approach of AI-analysed video from table-mounted cameras, and radio frequency identification (RFID) technology in chips, ensuring “highly accurate” reading of play, the Angel CTO remarked.
For the blackjack offer, “the biggest enhancement is the camera at the top, which focuses on the felt in such a way that it reads the cards, the movements of the cards and the movements of the chips,” stated Mr Raj.
For Angel’s smart roulette table, “when the [gaming] chips are placed on the felt, the [RFID] antenna knows what chip sets have been placed,” he explained.
“Since roulette has so many betting positions: like ‘straight’, ‘corner’, ‘the split’, ‘the dozens’… all of that – the exact portion is known only through AI [with camera capture]. That’s how we are able to calculate the payout, which has to be done for the winning number,” said Mr Raj.
A display screen attached to the smart roulette table showcases the winning number; where the bets have been placed, and the payout. “So the dealer doesn’t have to do the complicated math,” Mr Raj noted.
Angel asserts that as the payout calculation is handled efficiently and accurately by the brand’s smart table products, this helps casino operators in enhancing game speed.
Mr Raj also suggested that regardless of game type, Angel’s smart table technology is centred on allowing table staff to maintain their normal dealing procedure, and allowing players to bet in their usual and preferred manner.
In terms of market competition, Mr Raj stated: “It is not easy for anyone to replicate the level of accuracy and the quality of data that we bring in.”
