Chinook Winds Casino Resort, Oregon, is an example of how a gaming surveillance operation has been transformed following the installation of a digital IP video solution. The surveillance revolution was achieved when an end-to-end integrated 500-camera system from IndigoVision was deployed to replace the aging analog/VCR equipment. The system was installed by IndigoVision's approved partner, Southwest Surveillance Systems, a system integrator specializing in the gaming sector.
Chinook Winds Casino Resort, Oregon, is an example of how a gaming surveillance operation has been transformed following the installation of a digital IP video solution. The surveillance revolution was achieved when an end-to-end integrated 500-camera system from IndigoVision was deployed to replace the aging analog/VCR equipment. The system was installed by IndigoVision's approved partner, Southwest Surveillance Systems, a system integrator specializing in the gaming sector.
For nearly four years the casino evaluated various IP video systems before finally finding the solution with IndigoVision. Abe Martin, Head of Surveillance at the Casino, described the process as "a royal flush of project challenges; budget, space, power, cooling and load limits, all of which hindered our progress."
"Although some were skeptical when we started looking for a digital solution that would fit our needs, IndigoVision met the challenge head on and exceeded expectations," Martin said. "This can be seen through the reduction in the overall equipment footprint from 18 racks to only four, which addressed many of the project challenges."
Chinook Winds Casino Resort consists of a 24-7 casino, 227-room beach front hotel, fitness center, 18-hole golf course and six food outlets across the resort. As with all casinos, Chinook Winds creates one of the most demanding security environments that require the very best surveillance tools, not least to satisfy the local gaming board.
IndigoVision offers a guarantee to deliver high-quality, full framerate video without dropping a frame, under any conditions. This is fundamental to ensure that any fraudulent activity is detected and customer disputes are quickly resolved.
"Inconclusive reviews have dropped by nearly 50 percent since installing the new surveillance system, helping us to save money and improve our customer service" Martin said. "In addition we have realized labor saving efficiencies gained through eliminating tape changes, improving incident response and lower maintenance."
The casino's security team uses Control Center, IndigoVision's security management software to view live and recorded video from all the cameras. The software provides the operators with a range of tools to quickly locate and analyze relevant video clips, which helps improve incident response. One of the most significant benefits is the increase in the number of live views that can be displayed compared to the original system. Control Center is licensed on an unrestricted basis within the cost of IndigoVision hardware, allowing the software to be deployed for no more than the cost of a PC. This resulted in a 30-percent increase in the number of workstations used throughout the casino.
By installing IndigoVision video servers, the casino maintained much of its investment in the original analog cameras. An additional 55 IndigoVision network PTZ domes were also installed to increase coverage. The new system allows the casino to record continuously on all the cameras, which was not possible with the old setup. Recording is achieved with IndigoVision NVR servers, which are configured with failover redundancy. The casino's active retention period has more than doubled with the new archive storage.