4 Security Challenges Casinos Face (and 1 Solution) | Oncam

A casino is often a lively, busy atmosphere, filled with excited and hopeful gamblers looking to win big. For your average player, a trip to the local gambling establishment may consist of nothing more than placing bets and partaking in mixed drinks, but behind the scenes, security officials are working hard to address the challenging and evolving risk landscape of modern-day casinos.

The gaming industry has a huge responsibility to help safeguard guests, employees and assets, but accomplishing this task isn’t easy. Casinos encounter a number of security challenges, including:

1. Space and volume. These large, wide-open environments with many entry and exit points create a difficult landscape to comprehensively secure. And to top it off, the large numbers of people surrounding tables or walking through entrances or exits on a busy night makes it tough to monitor each individual’s actions at all times.
2. Regulations adherence. Stringent regulations must be followed in the gaming industry to maintain the integrity of operations and ensure data protection. This adds an extra level of complexity to the security required, demanding that each and every table, machine, cash vault, etc., be monitored at all times.
3. Theft and fraud. There are unfortunately always going to be those with bad intentions to commit fraud or theft at casinos, as these establishments are known to have large amounts of money changing hands at a rapid pace. The challenge lies in rapidly detecting cheaters and deterring theft and vandalism.
4. Evidence gathering. In the event that an incident has occurred, security officials in casinos must be able to quickly and efficiently respond and investigate. Casinos require security technology that has the ability to monitor in both real-time and retrospectively, as well as incorporate analytics to track behavior patterns.

Casinos are turning to omni-directional surveillance technology solutions that support high-quality analytics to confront the challenges mentioned above. This is where 180- and 360-degree cameras can increase situational awareness by enabling security personnel to get a complete view of the scene and at the same time, be able to zoom into parts of the image to track people and objects. The abilities of a 360-degree camera allow for massive amounts of data and intelligence to be viewed in real-time as well as through previously recorded footage, mitigating fraud and assisting investigations.

In Aria Resort and Casino, an MGM Resorts International property in Las Vegas, 360-degree surveillance technology replaces pan-tilt-zoom (PTZ) cameras to observe the entire area, allowing security personnel to spot incidents from across the floor and then track suspicious behavior or individuals to a choke point. On one occasion, an employee’s purse was stolen, and officials were able to follow the suspect for two hours following the incident and they were able to successfully retrieve the purse. 360-degree cameras help combat fraud and optimize business operations as experienced by Soaring Eagle Casino and Resort in Michigan, giving operators the ability to manage traffic on the casino floor, target theft and fraud, and achieve higher customer satisfaction.

Emerging technology, such as 180-degree cameras, can add additional benefits to casinos as well. Designed for wall mount applications, these devices can provide high-resolution panoramic images in casino hallways or corridors, where traffic flow is often congested and specific, wide coverage is necessary.

Learn more about how Oncam’s 180- and 360-degree surveillance technology enhances casino security by visiting booth #7 at the World Game Protection Conference (WGPC) Expo March 14-15, at Bally’s in Las Vegas. We will see you there (or maybe at the slots).