As security and surveillance go, casino operators are in a world of their own, with needs that transcend other public facilities such as airports.

“The needs are not that different except for one thing,” said Dr. Bob Banerjee, IP video product manager for Bosch Security Systems. “You have to shut down the facility if you can’t view your video. That’s different than an airport, where it’s just an extreme embarrassment. You also have an instant six-digit fine if you cannot pull up video from two weeks ago, if that’s what’s regulated in your state. You also have the frustration of being one of the most intensive PTZ (pan-tilt-zoom) users in the world.”

In a brave new digital world, solutions to the security and surveillance problem include ever-more sophisticated tools, such as closed-circuit television, higher-resolution cameras, more efficient storage and retrieval and facial recognition.

“The Digital Age has made a huge change in the way things are done,” said Cynthia Freschi, president of North American Video. “In the days of video tape, a typical large casino would use 10,000 or more tapes to accomplish a seven-day retention. Tapes required labeling, cataloging, and regular testing to see that they were working — not to mention the hours spent doing tape changes. Now we're looking at digital systems that are self-monitoring, setting off alarms when a camera fails, a view is changed or any part of the system has a failure. Retention time for video is being increased as hard drives get larger and less expensive and managers are able to use their staff more efficiently.”

Added Dave Herrington, key account manager for casino security at Honeywell, “From the quality of cameras available today, to the amount of camera coverage on the gaming floor, and with the need for integration of multiple systems such as POS and slot data, casinos have embraced technology to drastically improve their surveillance operations. Over the last several years there has been a marked increase in IP-based systems, allowing for high-quality Network Video Recording (NVR)-based recording, which is much improved over traditional VCR-based recording.”

That doesn’t mean everyone is immediately jumping on the bandwagon for IP-based systems. There’s a cost factor in retrofitting existing security rooms. It’s one thing to replace VCRs with DVRs — improving both the resolution of recorded video and reducing the need for space to store tapes —  and quite another to retrofit an existing security room with IP-based systems.

At large multi-casino companies such as Boyd Gaming, the need to adapt in existing security rooms at older properties coexists with the ability to build a system from scratch at new developments. In the older security and surveillance rooms, the question becomes how to best take advantage of digital capabilities while keeping costs under control.

The security control room at Mystic Lake Casino Hotel in Prior Lake, Minn.

“You might have a camera with 1,200-plus resolution, a monitor with the same, but you’re recording on a VCR with 300 lines of resolution,” said Dave Chandler, Boyd’s director of surveillance operations of the Midwest and South regions, who noted that Boyd is looking into a complete IP solution in building Echelon Place in Las Vegas. “What happens is you have a good live format, but you lose resolution when you play it on a recorder. With a better product now in a digital video recorder, you can do a better job. The problem is the cost. When you integrate digital apparatus, there is a large cost attachment. With a new project, it’s easier to roll in the cost. At an existing property, you have to find funding.”

And there are trade-offs, according to Bosch’s Banerjee. “Digital” isn’t necessarily a synonym for “better.”

Bosch offers IP-based systems as well as its long-successful Allegiant, which relies on an analog-matrix switch. Banerjee said that even though his domain is IP video, he has no qualms about saying that analog-matrix remains a viable solution, especially in dealing with live video. Operators agree, he said, to the point of making June the biggest-selling month in Allegiant’s 20-year history.

“At least for some classes of properties, there are strong regulations about what should happen if I cannot view live video, or the penalties if I cannot play back video,” Banerjee said. “Those are two completely separate problems. If you look at the old way of doing things, actually still the way we do it, you used to have an analog-matrix switch, which meant you had the reliability characteristics of a refrigerator. If it worked after you powered it up in the first three minutes, it was likely to run for the next 20 years. That’s different than PC-based, network-based, cutting-edge IT stuff, which has many, many good properties, but which does not have those same kinds of reliability characteristics because of the amount of change that you go through every few months, how quickly they evolve and how cutting-edge they are. They simply are not as reliable.”

At Honeywell, which manufactures cameras, PTZ domes, matrix systems, digital recording systems, integrated point-of-sale systems and video analytics, products have been installed at more than 300 casinos worldwide, from Wynn Las Vegas to Wynn Macau, Mystic Lake, many MGM Mirage properties and several Canadian casinos.

Morse Watchmans' Key Watcher.

“Casinos require high-quality, reliable systems that are proven in the field to integrate seamlessly with existing equipment to provide exceptional value and deliver a high ROI,” said Honeywell’s Herrington. With our IDM (Integrated Data Manager) software solution, for example, we can integrate into the casino’s POS system to monitor both live and recorded transactions in order to search on voids, no-sales, cashier efficiencies, and high-dollar-value transactions. We can also interface into the casino’s slot data system to search on jackpot size and on machine door openings. With IDM, both the POS and slot data interface enable the transaction to be reviewed simultaneously with the recorded video.

Panasonic, long among the leaders in providing surveillance cameras, produces video recorders, displays and matrix systems, all cutting-edge devices for casino security systems.

“Casino surveillance operators require fast and smooth camera control positioning, often through external hardware,” said Steve Surfaro, group manager and strategic technical liaison for Panasonic Security Systems. “Panasonic’s Digital Matrix System PFW950 provides user-friendly hardware-based camera control and the WJ-GXD400 decodes all video streams with images refreshed real-time and through a direct HDMI, high-definition display interface. Another important need for casinos is high-quality imaging with accurate color reproduction. Panasonic’s Super Dynamic III technology delivers this in any lighting condition, while allowing the highest possible resolution for forensic review, image processing and external recognition systems.”

Fernando Pires, vice president for sales and marketing for Morse Watchmans, addresses the need for access and key management as parts of any security system.

“Our KeyWatcher Key Management System has been a mainstay product for casinos over the past few years,” he said. “Over time, we’ve continued to evolve and improve the system to offer greater functionality and utility. KeyWatcher offers solutions that eliminate outdated and inefficient methods such as lock boxes, manual user logs that could be falsified, and identification tags. In addition, KeyWatcher does more than just lock keys into place; it provides complete audit and tracking functions for each key in the system. There are also modules available to lock access and other cards in place as well as modules to hold cell phones and other critical objects. It also includes the use of Morse Watchmans Smart Keys and Key-Pro software. Smart Keys are color-coded locking devices that are attached to each key and installed in KeyWatcher systems. Each Smart Key has a memory chip that allows security management to establish permissions of each key for specific personnel.”

At North American Video, Freschi likes to emphasize the need for training and recruiting to handle all the opportunities digital equipment opens.

North American Video’s intricate security infrastructure under construction in 2006 at Wynn Macau.

“We provide support services that range from developing an opening plan for a new casino to security/surveillance system evaluation and design,” said Freschi, who noted that her company’s services have been used worldwide by operators including MGM properties, the Seminole Tribe in Florida, Foxwoods and many more. “Another core expertise for us is operational evaluation and training to enhance efficiency. We also provide player and incident reviews and evaluation.”

Modern security departments, she said, “tend to encourage their officers to be approachable by the public, but are doing more training in what to look out for and how to handle emergency situations. We've learned a lot in recent years.”  

Better training for better tools only make sense. How quickly the better tools become widespread is another matter. Bosch’s Banerjee said most operators aren’t rushing into biometrics and other cutting-edge technology. Those are innovations for a few years down the road.

“Honestly, it’s more talk than dollars on the table,” he said. “What you’re seeing is the earliest end of the adoption curve. The ones who want to experiment with something before it’s ready for prime time. So they stand up and they talk about it as if this is it, it’s come, it’s now, everybody should be doing it this way, when in fact maybe it’s two years, three years, five years, 10 years away, and we must be careful about confusing a few visionaries compared with what’s mainstream ready for prime time.”

Still, noted North American Video’s Freschi, the possibilities are exciting as more casinos integrate innovations such as RFID chips and biometrics.

“The changes coming in security/surveillance are amazing. I believe video analytics will continue to astound us. We're already seeing software that, through the video, can read cards and wagers and tell you if your game is being dealt correctly. I think we'll see more work done with object tracking and recognition that will increase the efficiency of security staff. As technology continues to improve, we'll see a shift toward megapixel cameras.”