4 Security Challenges Casinos Face

A casino often has a lively, bustling atmosphere, filled with energetic and hopeful gamblers waiting to win big. For an average player, a trip to a local gambling establishment may consist of nothing more than entertainment, placing bets and enjoying mixed drinks. However, behind the scenes, security officials work hard to address the challenging and ever-changing risky landscape of a modern-day casino.

The gaming industry has an important responsibility to safeguard guests, employees and assets adequately, but achieving this task is not easy. Casinos encounter several security challenges, such as:

Space and volume

These large, wide-open environments with many entry and exit points create a challenging landscape to extensively secure. And on top of that, the massive numbers of people surrounding the tables or walking through the entrances or exits on a busy night makes it difficult to monitor each individual’s actions at all times.

Regulations adherence

Rigorous rules must be followed in the casino industry to maintain the integrity of operations and ensure the protection of data. This adds as an extra level of complexity to the security required, demanding that every table, cash vault, machine, etc., be observed at all times.

Theft and fraud

There are unfortunately always going to be people with bad intentions to commit theft or fraudulent activities at casinos, as these establishments are known to have massive amounts of money changing hands at a rapid speed. The challenge lies in continuously and efficiently detecting cheaters and preventing theft and vandalism.

Evidence gathering

If an incident has occurred, security officials in casinos must be able to quickly and efficiently respond and investigate. Casinos require security technology that can monitor in both real-time and retrospectively, as well as incorporates analytics to track behaviour patterns.

Casinos are turning to omnidirectional surveillance technology solutions that foster high-quality analytics to face the challenges mentioned above. This is where 180-degree and 360-degree cameras can become extremely beneficial by allowing security personnel to get a complete view of every corner and at the same time, be able to zoom into the image to track movements. A 360-degree camera allows for large amounts of data to be viewed live as well as through previously recorded security footage, thus helping curb fraud and assist investigations.

In Aria Resort and Casino, a Las Vegas property of MGM Resorts International, 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 behaviour or individuals. 360-degree cameras also oversee security operations at a Resort in Michigan and Soaring Eagle Casino, allowing the operators to manage congestion on the casino floor and target fraud or theft.

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