by Ryan Rodenberg, ESPN Chalk
A few spectators for the US Open finals in New York’s Flushing Meadows last month probably weren’t smiling for the cameras.
Why not?
Because facial recognition cameras may have been scanning the seats looking for people transmitting real-time betting data to far-flung international locations, according to a disclosure earlier this year by the United States Tennis Association (USTA), the organization that runs the U.S. Open.
The USTA is “[e]xploring opportunities to utilize facial recognition software to identify known courtsiders at the U.S. Open,” wrote the USTA in an April report about tennis integrity and gambling corruption.
So-called “courtsiders” — some of whom have donned fake mustaches and other disguises to evade detection at tennis tournaments — help bettors and data brokers seeking a speed-based edge by transmitting data to their clients faster than “official” sources. In some instances, this allows bettors to place bets that will be sure winners (for example, the winner of a specific point), before betting has closed on the event.
In its recent disclosure, the USTA said 19 courtsiders were “caught, removed and served trespass notices” in 2016. At least one courtsider was arrested last year.
And tennis is not alone.
Mounting evidence suggests other sports leagues may also be looking to implement the technology following the Supreme Court’s decision in May to strike down the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act of 1992 (the federal sports betting ban), and allow states beyond Nevada to permit legalized sports wagering. Indeed, facial recognition cameras powered by artificial intelligence (AI) that tap into vast photo libraries can be an effective countermeasure in efforts to crack down on disfavored third parties who disseminate in-game data.
The USTA might even invite others to join forces with them.
“We remain open-minded about investigating economies of scale with other professional sports and law enforcement agencies related to enhanced enforcement of integrity strictures,” the USTA wrote in its recent disclosure.
The use of facial recognition cameras even garnered a mention at last week’s congressional hearing devoted to sports betting.
How prevalent will this technology be in the near future?
Rest is here…https://www.espn.com/chalk/story/_/id/24884024/why-use-facial-recognition-cameras-sporting-events-the-rise
