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Security Technology Executive
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Case In Point: Viejas Casino
When an incident does occur and is recorded, locating the clip via the VCR can take hours
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Cheating by players, embezzlement by employees and fraudulent claims by customers are just some of the challenges American casinos face on a daily basis. Gaming establishments have installed video recording systems to catch the culprits, only to find that older systems are clumsy and slow and produce huge amounts of taped footage.
Tapes must be stored, taking up valuable space. Then, every nine months or so, they must be replaced. VCRs, too, are constantly being replaced due to wear and tear. For some casinos, videotape recorders require replacement every two years because of mechanical breakdown.
When an incident does occur and is recorded, locating the clip via the VCR can take hours. By that time, especially in a casino environment, the perpetrator could be out the door or even out of the country.
It is for these reasons, as well as many others, that Viejas Casino Security Director Jerry K. McCawley decided to go digital, installing 1,000 Sanyo DSR-M800 casino digital video recorders and compatible VA-SW814 software.
Viejas Casino, located just east of San Diego, CA, is owned and operated by the Viejas band of Kumeyaay Indians. Viejas’ 210,000-square-foot complex has 2,050 slot machines and more than 100 gaming tables. Guests enjoy the compound’s six restaurants, shopping mall, entertainment lounge and outdoor concert hall. McCawley and his staff rely on the Sanyo system to help keep their guests safe by maintaining a vigilant watch over the indoor and outdoor areas of the property.
McCawley chose Sanyo’s real-time casino DVR because it is user-friendly, sustainable on a generator and technically accessible. In addition, the unit offers from one week up to one month of recording at 30 fps real-time (NTSC).
Like the Sanyo casino DVRs, the compatible Sanyo VA-SW814 software was developed with input from Sanyo’s casino partners. “This software answers many of the needs specific to casino security operations. This is one of the only pieces of software on the market that is strictly for casino use that I know of,” said McCawley. The software allows the connection of 4,000 DSR-M800 units and 16 PCs in a single, closed LAN system. McCawley particularly likes the software for its key features, including its broadcast functions and the ability to zoom in and out and monitor full-screen or quad pictures. “With three different user levels, I can assign people to monitor areas that are appropriate for their level,” said McCawley. The user levels are password controlled.
