Casinos never sleep, and neither do the demands of managing thousands of uniforms for staff who keep operations running smoothly around the clock. From dealers and security personnel to restaurant servers and housekeeping teams, every employee needs the right, clean uniform, ready on time.
We sat down with Morgan Umali, Sales Manager for the HID Textile Services BU, to learn how RFID technology is modernizing uniform and laundry management in casinos.
Q: Casinos have massive workforces and very specific uniform needs. Why is managing uniforms such a challenge?
Umali: Casinos operate 24/7, and they have diverse teams wearing job-specific uniforms. Every role — from housekeeping to dealers — has different requirements. On top of that, uniforms need frequent laundering and rotation. Making sure each employee gets the right, clean uniform at the right time is critical to ensure smooth operations. Without a tracking system, this process becomes extremely complex and labor-intensive.
Q: How does RFID solve this problem?
Umali: We tag each uniform from the start with discreet, washable RFID labels, either heat-sealed or sewn in. Once tagged, every garment can be tracked automatically through its entire life cycle. That means casinos get real-time visibility into their inventory — they can see where each uniform is, who it’s assigned to and when it’s being laundered. This automation eliminates guesstimations and errors, and cuts down manual sorting time by over 90%.
Q: Can you walk us through what this looks like in practice?
Umali: Absolutely. Our HID InvoTech Uniform Solution follows three key steps:
- Uniform Issue — Employees collect their uniforms simply by walking through an RFID-enabled doorway. The system reads the tags instantly, logging which items are checked out, without the need for manual checklists.
- Soiled Garment Return — After a shift, staff drop their used uniforms down a chute into the laundry area. An RFID reader inside the chute picks up each item and updates the system, so management knows it’s ready for washing.
- Clean Garment Return — Once laundered, garments are scanned again upon arrival at the casino. The system updates their status to “clean and available,” ready for the next shift.
This closed-loop process ensures uniforms are always available, clean and properly assigned.
Q: Beyond day-to-day operations, what other advantages does RFID bring?
Umali: There are a few big ones:
- Labor Savings — Staff no longer need to hand-count or sort uniforms
- Reduced Replacement Costs — Because every uniform is tracked, losses and thefts go down significantly
- Inventory Control — We can run reconciliation scans to identify missing or damaged uniforms and remove them from the system
- Data-Driven Insights —Management gets reports on garment usage, laundry delays and replacement needs. This helps optimize budgets and purchasing decisions.
Overall, RFID brings efficiency and accountability into a process that used to be manual and error-prone.
Q: You’ve mentioned safety as well. How does RFID support that?
Umali: The system is contactless, which means employees don’t need to handle uniforms unnecessarily. By automating checkouts, returns and sorting, we reduce touchpoints and make the whole workflow safer and cleaner.
Q: Any final thoughts on what casinos gain from adopting RFID-based uniform management?
Umali: The bottom line is that automation changes the game. Casinos save money by reducing labor and replacement costs. Employees are happier because their uniforms are always ready and waiting. And management gets real-time data for smarter decisions. When implemented consistently, RFID delivers long-term value and supports a more efficient, accountable workplace.
With HID InvoTech’s RFID solution, casinos transform a labor-heavy, error-prone process into a streamlined, data-driven system — keeping staff dressed, operations efficient and costs under control >>
