Las Vegas Casinos Have Used AI for Years: What It Means for Your Next Trip

_{Las Vegas casinos have been using AI for almost a decade in ways that you may not have noticed previously. (Photo: Scharfsinn / Alamy)}

Artificial intelligence, better known as AI, is the biggest thing happening in the world right now, and it is still in its infancy. Mainstream news outlets are seriously asking if AI will take over the world and kill everyone.

Not so fast, my friend.

AI could change our future in casinos and everyday life, but it won't happen overnight. Last year during G2E, casino executives didn’t seem to know much about AI beyond using it as a search engine.

Slow Start for AI in Las Vegas Casinos

Currently, the technology is being used more for online casinos than for land-based properties in Las Vegas. The AI in Gaming report from UNLV earlier this year details how casinos have already fallen behind with the technology, so let’s not get too worked up about the AI takeover.

The biggest AI news in Las Vegas over the past year might have been Oyo using it to create fake hotel brands because of its bad reputation. That’s not going to end the world, and it’s not horribly exciting for anyone curious about AI in Las Vegas.

Great news! Casinos are so far behind in implementing AI that it won’t kill you the next time you visit Vegas. Bad news: One of the best uses of AI is creating efficiencies, and things that save casinos money aren’t always good for guests.

The funny thing is that AI isn’t new in Sin City. The branding has changed, and its capabilities have expanded, but casino operators like MGM Resorts and Caesars have been using it for years.

During the early days, many people unfamiliar with the technology confused AI and algorithms. Technical jargon aside, they’re very similar, and most people still don’t notice. Both companies have used AI in the backrooms the whole time.

You may have seen the changes from automation and not realized AI could be powering the innovations. Some physical products also never carried the AI label because of the branding.

Chatbots First on Casino Scene and Evolving

Beyond using AI for better searches, chatbots may be where most people come across AI. They’re used for things like customer service and customer support.

I first encountered AI in Las Vegas when Caesars introduced the Ivy chatbot/concierge at The Cromwell (now Vanderpump Hotel) in 2018. The app was very glitchy and pretty useless, but it was a start, and the technology continues to improve.

Rose at The Cosmopolitan is a much better product than Ivy. When this chatbot can’t handle a task, it sends the request to a human, which Ivy didn’t do. It’s efficient and useful for guests who’d rather not make multiple calls for towels, restaurant reservations and more.

Now Rose already looks like old technology. Rio’s new chatbot takes the concept to a new level, and that’s just the beginning of how AI may affect your next Vegas vacation. You can use Rio Rita now if you want to test its capabilities.

The early days of chatbots in casinos are prime examples of how casino operators are using AI. Saving front desk attendants time answering phone calls for small tasks isn’t very alluring, but it helps casinos operate more efficiently. Since attendants don’t have to deal with as many calls, they theoretically have more time to spend with guests face to face.

Rio Rita is the first fully transactional ChatGPT experience for hotel guests in Las Vegas. In addition to small tasks, guests can book hotel rooms. You can also have a more natural conversation to plan your Vegas vacation.

AI goes beyond chatbots for mobile devices. Companies are using it in their apps for a variety of tasks, including creating promo vouchers for meals and drinks.

While I found Rose useful, the technology hasn’t taken off in a major way. Time will tell if the evolution changes that.

Casino Operators Use Automation to Create Efficiencies 

The least sexy thing about AI in casinos is automation and making jobs more efficient. Guests can see and use the chatbots, which help casino staffers be more efficient in their jobs, but they don’t see everything AI can do.

AI can optimize employee schedules, improving productivity and helping staff accomplish more in the same amount of time. It can also help maintain the same level of service with fewer hours worked.

Las Vegas casinos manage thousands of hotel rooms and large workforces, and AI helps maximize their output. Those efficiencies can affect the guest experience in the same way chatbots can streamline guest communication.

AI-powered scheduling can help ensure the right employees are available when and where they’re needed, supporting faster service and a better guest experience.

Resorts World Las Vegas has cut the energy use of its chilled water plant by more than 10% with the help of AI-enabled controls.

These are just a few ways AI is helping casinos save money. This isn’t all that interesting for most casino guests who visit Las Vegas to eat, drink, gamble and take in a show or game. 

While casinos are saving money, creating these efficiencies should, theoretically, improve the guest experience.

Casinos Can Make Better Offers & Promotions

Casinos making better and more personalized offers could be one of the best features of AI guests will engage with. Again, this isn’t exactly new, and it should continue to improve.

Caesars was one of the first companies to dive into AI for marketing and promotions. In 2019, the company was working with Salesforce to deliver specialized marketing messages to guests.

The idea was that third-party software could comb through piles of data to create individual offers based on everything it collects from room folios and rewards card usage. That includes restaurant reservations, show tickets, gambling preferences and more.

While Caesars and other companies have used different versions of this technology, it’s only getting better. Today it’s much stronger than it was seven years ago and can isolate and optimize data better every day.

As the story goes, AI will know exactly where you are with GPS tracking and could send very specific offers. Here’s an example:

Say you’re walking out of the Caesars Palace Forum Shops to the casino. You could get a buy-one-get-one deal for Vanderpump Cocktail Lounge. While you’re enjoying the drinks, it could send a promo for a show inside the Colosseum. If you decline, it could send offers for a free bet at the sportsbook or hold space for you in the nearby poker room. Maybe it asks if you’d like to make a dinner reservation at Gordon Ramsay Pub, which is near the poker room and sportsbook.

Promotions today are much better than five years ago, and the possibilities are endless. We’re still not seeing the technology used to its full capacity.

Like most things with AI, there’s a potential win for both the casino and the guest. Visitors should be able to get individualized offers that nobody else will receive. In return, the casinos should see more revenue.

AI Changes the Player-Host Relationship

Most high rollers have a casino host, essentially an intermediary between the player and the casino. Hosts can act as concierges by making all arrangements, including transportation to and from the airport, hotel reservations, meal planning, show tickets and anything a guest could need in Las Vegas, including gambling, and especially gambling.

Hosts have done this for years by meeting players in person and building relationships where they learn about each client. Yes, you might be friends with a host, but you’re also a client who contributes to their paycheck.

One of the many strengths of AI is sorting through data. Casino hosts have access to more data than ever, and AI can sort through it more quickly and efficiently than they can by reading a spreadsheet.

New AI platforms can help hosts gather even more information from players and learn about them even when they’re not around. This not only gives a host more information to create a better trip to Vegas but also speeds up the process so the host can spend more personal time with players.

It’s no secret that casino operators are focused on high rollers with hotel room and high-limit gaming space upgrades. That’s another way to cater to the most profitable customers. It could also be a way for more guests to have their best trips to Vegas.

Entire Casino Experience Becomes More Personalized

Like most things, there are good and bad ways to use AI, and that’s the case in Las Vegas casinos.

Many of the positives come with negatives. The ability for casino operators to streamline everything from housekeeping to marketing offers should be making trips to Vegas more fun today, and that should improve as the technology improves.

It’s already streamlining processes that used to force guests to waste time. Nobody visits Las Vegas to stand in lines, and with AI and other technology, most of those can be skipped if you want. Kiosks should be your friend.

Marketing offers are easier to redeem, and depending on the person, they can be more robust and plentiful than ever. The olds (my age) might remember standing in long lines with a mailer the size of a large index card to get free promotional items.

Those are few and far between nowadays unless you’re at Red Rock waiting for a free apple pie for Thanksgiving. While there are still plenty of offers for the masses, individuals should already be seeing more custom promotions.

Likewise, hosts now know more about player preferences, and they can create unique trips for guests.

As AI learns more and the technology grows, player experiences in Las Vegas should become more tailored to individual preferences. Having the power to create personalized trips should allow guests to have more fun while casino operators generate more revenue.

For better or worse, that’s the kind of give-and-take the casino industry has always offered.

Heads Up: Casinos Tracking You Now More Than Ever

The eye in the sky isn’t new. Casinos have watched players since security personnel took positions in the rafters, using binoculars to keep an eye on the action back in the Rat Pack era.

“Secret Life of a Vegas Casino” at the Golden Nugget does a better job of showing what modern surveillance can do than some of the older, scripted casino shows. A recent episode showed just how effective facial recognition has become.

AI is taking that technology further, helping casinos collect more information and giving security teams new ways to use it. Resorts World Las Vegas, for example, has approximately 5,800 surveillance cameras connected to an extensive video analytics system, a setup that not every casino has.

Between the cameras and AI analysis, casinos can track you better than ever. Moreover, you can no longer stay off the grid by not using a rewards card.

This technology helps casinos catch cheaters and advantage players, but it can also expose guest behavior that might once have gone unnoticed. What happens in Vegas doesn’t stay in Vegas. Now it can be recorded, analyzed and shared.

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