Atlantic City, N.J. - As part of its strategy to harness leading-edge technology to improve the efficiency of its casino operations, Caesars Entertainment, Inc. has won approval from New Jersey regulators to install the state's first all-digital, casino floor video recording system at its Bally's Atlantic City casino resort.
By installing the all-digital system developed by Israel-based NICE Systems, the Bally's casino surveillance team will replace all analog video tape recorders with compact digital recorders that use computer hard drives, enabling the company to more efficiently store and retrieve critical casino surveillance video. The system is expected to be fully deployed by the end of 2005.
"Digitizing our gaming surveillance to match the digital surveillance we currently use in security operations will enable us to work more effectively as a department," said Caesars Entertainment Vice President of Corporate Compliance and Security James Darcy. "This system will provide us with instant access to surveillance video at the touch of a finger, instead of requiring us to sort through stacks of analog tapes, as we have for so many years."
Darcy said the company will look to expand the use of digital surveillance systems at other Caesars Entertainment casino resorts, pending further regulatory approval.
NICE Systems designed the Bally's application using both the current NiceVision Harmony and the new, high-end NiceVision Pro digital video recording solutions. Currently, Bally's is utilizing NiceVision Harmony for its general security application. The addition of NiceVision Pro will provide more functions and a faster frame-rate, specifically designed for gaming surveillance.
This space-saving transition from analog to the NiceVision solution will allow Bally's to maintain monitoring operations for its entire facility from one location, reducing overhead, manpower and maintenance costs.
"We are, of course, very pleased that Bally's chose the NiceVision solution," said Ian Ehrenberg, NiceVision vice president and general manager. "Even more exciting is the breakthrough regulatory approval, specifically naming NiceVision products for gaming surveillance."
Installation of the all-digital surveillance system was approved recently by the New Jersey Casino Control Commission, upon the recommendation of the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement. Prior to approval, Bally's and NICE successfully completed a two-year trial of the new digital gaming surveillance systems. This is the first time that a casino in New Jersey has received approval to use a digital video recording solution for gaming surveillance. Until now, digital solutions have been restricted to security only.
