Gaming facilities and the regulatory boards that govern their activities are facing a wave of changes as online gambling, sports wagering, and daily fantasy sports are tapping into their conventional sources of revenue. Even in the cyber world, changes are occurring. Consumers now play games of chance on mobile phones, and developers incorporate player interaction, sharing and social connections as part of the new model to continue attracting players. Casino surveillance and security surveillance technology is also undergoing a sea of change.
Casinos are transitioning to full IP systems for the added value and functionality they provide. With IP technology, surveillance systems can deliver a higher quality image, store it for longer, and integrate analytics to further provide value. However, even with the new technology, many casinos continue to operate separate Pit Cam systems (for surveillance of gaming areas including blackjack, roulette, and baccarat) and general surveillance systems (covering slot machines, bars and entertainment areas, entrances/exits and public walkways).
Among the reasons for preserving dual surveillance systems is the ability to restrict feeds to individual operators, thus assuring their focused attention on an analog system. With dual surveillance, personnel can be assured that they are watching the camera feed that bears the most importance to that team. This dual analog system requires each separate system to have its own core server, recording server and workstations, housed in separate locations, and requiring separate teams for both operations and maintenance. Analog systems have limitations on cable distances and distribution points, limiting their functionality. Gaming regulations require high-quality video, recording equipment has to be changed out often, requiring a huge time investment on the part of the casino merely to keep up. IP systems provide solutions for many of these issues, in addition to providing improved functionality at every level of the surveillance system.
With the installation of an IP system, there is no need to design separate systems for users to ensure functionality and focus. Carefully designed and engineered network switch points allow all connected devices—workstations, servers, cameras, spot monitors, and PTZ keyboards—to communicate over the same IP infrastructure, meaning there need no longer be restrictions on cabling distances. Not only does this reduce the need for duplicate systems to ensure uptime and consistent functionality, but it reduces installation and maintenance costs across the board, as fewer devices require less upkeep.
Video Management Systems (VMS) solutions have the ability to distribute camera feeds to any given point on the network and can allow or restrict operators to view these individual feeds. With VMS driven IP solutions, surveillance and security operations can be centralized—all cameras can be integrated into one system, run on the same servers via one VMS, and run through a centrally-managed location, managing resources more efficiently to create the same functionality as separate pit cam and general surveillance systems would in an analog system.
Updated IP systems also provide a host of functionality with which analog systems simply cannot compete. Analog CCTV camera systems have a difficult time monitoring entrances and exits: refraction of light through glass windows and doors in combination with the rising and setting sun. Cameras need to account for a variety of light settings and quick changes in lighting that are difficult to manage for an analog camera. Many modern IP cameras, however, are equipped with Wide Dynamic Range that can account for these changes in lighting. Cameras on entrances and exits are crucial for casinos. Should a person of interest or a banned person enter the casino, it’s essential to know as quickly as possible. Wide Dynamic Range can ensure that cameras on these areas accurately capture the scene regardless of lighting challenges.
IP systems can also help casinos with retention and storage that is essential to the operation of their surveillance system. With an analog system—especially with a multitude of analog systems that cannot communicate with each other—it’s difficult to meet regulatory guidelines for retention, in addition to generating compliant quality video data. Digital megapixel cameras provide a high pixel count with fewer cameras, while many IP cameras and VMS systems provide improved video compression, reducing the cost of storage from analog VHS.
The ability to better identify persons of interest or watch lists also vastly improves with advanced VMS solutions. Persons of interest are often displayed in casino surveillance rooms on the wall, or in stored folders that require specific physical access. With a multitude of tasks requiring casino surveillance personnel’s focus to be on surveillance footage, it’s unlikely they’ll be looking at these essential persons of interest on a board that is typically not staged in their line of sight. With advanced VMS solutions, high priority persons of interest can be put on display as a digital slideshow right next to the live surveillance feed. With such advancements, it’s much more likely they’ll notice persons of interest when one of these people shows up on their feed. Analytics further assist in automating this process.
With VMS technology, integrations can provide additional functionality that would be beyond the capability of analog systems. Meta-tagging and predictive awareness provide efficient solutions that create easily searchable and storable data that meets both a casino’s compliance needs and internal surveillance needs. With analytics implemented on an IP system, an algorithm can use a casino’s vast database of video to track patterns of behavior and movement as well as watch for threats. This data can then be used to optimize the layout of gaming tables and slot machines, among other optimizations.
In the past, the need for separate pit cam and surveillance systems has been apparent. Separate systems provided additional functionality and security when systems were not capable of management from a central location. With today’s digital IP systems, functionality has improved significantly. A single, networked system dramatically reduces cabling needs without restricting cabling distances. Dynamic VMS solutions can designate accesses and denials of feeds to users individually, at a central location or throughout a facility, from cameras all networked to the same system. Additionally, digital networks can provide a great deal of added functionality. Megapixel digital cameras provide a high-quality picture with visibility in areas that are difficult for analog cameras to process. Integrated analytics create a searchable database of stored video and provide data on customer movement and behavior.
Integrated IP surveillance systems provide more data, more capability, and more accuracy for casino surveillance and security operations than ever before. With the functionality available via today’s advanced VMS solutions, there are numerous new solutions available and on the horizon.
About the Author: Miki Manjal is the Global Vertical Market Manager, Casinos & Gaming for Pelco by Schneider Electric.
