The North Star Mohican Casino in Wisconsin upgraded its surveillance capability with an innovative, integrated solution that uses IndigoVision's IP video technology.
by IndigoVision*
The system integrates closed-circuit cameras (CCTV), access control, intrusion detection, emergency alarms and electronic point of sale (EPOS) into a single unified system that transformed the casino's operation. The surveillance system has been expanded to cover the new hotel complex that opened in late 2010. The original solution and new expansion were designed and installed by IndigoVision's authorized partner, Reliable Security Sound & Data.
"The work that IndigoVision and Reliable Security did for us is excellent; they created what we consider to be one of the most advanced systems in the world in casino surveillance. It has become an example of the technology, and many other casino operators have come to visit our facilities to see the technology in action," explains Ray Bowman, the casino's director of surveillance.
Known as "the friendliest casino in the Midwest," the North Star Mohican Casino Resort is owned and operated by the Stockbridge-Munsee Community Band of The Mohican Indians.
The hotel complex consists of 97 rooms, a new main entrance, several conference rooms, a spa, an additional Star Club, a poker lounge, a gift shop and cafeteria, plus the play space and other hotel amenities. In addition, at the end of 2011 he developed the construction of a new conference and entertainment center.
"From the early stages of the project it was clear to us that we were receiving flexible surveillance technology that had been designed for the future, but was ready to be used immediately," Bowman added. "IndigoVision's adaptive technology was just what we needed for the casino's multi-phase expansion plans, as it provided a platform that could easily incorporate new cameras when the hotel was expanded."
More than 180 new cameras have been placed in the hotel complex and are monitored in the surveillance room, along with the casino's more than 450 original cameras. Operators use Control Center, which is IndigoVision's video management software (VMS) to view live images, analyze recordings, and handle alarms from all embedded systems.
The new cameras are a combination of fixed and PTZ units (offering zoom and panning function in all directions), including an IndigoVision high-definition IP camera, installed in the parking lot to record license plate numbers.
"Since the original installation, IndigoVision's system has been rock solid and has had no faults or incidents of any kind," Bowman added. "The video quality is great, with very clear images, whether they are viewed at 15 or 30 frames per second, even if you use the video's fast-forward feature. Everything can be seen clearly."
Most cameras are analog and converted to digital video using IndigoVision's encoding modules. This is achieved without any frame being lost, whatever the level of movement and activity in the scene, which is an exclusive guarantee of IndigoVision.
This is a fundamental requirement of the local casino and gambling regulatory commission. Any loss of frames in a video could hide fraudulent or criminal activity and make disputes with customers more difficult to resolve.
The casino uses real-time analytical resources running at the edge of the network, in IndigoVision's coding modules. Analyzing the video on the camera makes the system faster and more adaptable.
As with alarms from other security systems, analytical resources automatically warn operators about events as they occur. This helps the casino better monitor the more than 600 cameras and improves incident response times.
For example, the Virtual Tripwire analytics feature helps protect warehouses. When a person enters the warehouses, the program is activated, the camera view is automatically shown to the operators and an alarm is launched to draw attention to the event.
*IndigoVision is a leading manufacturer of comprehensive IP video security solutions for airports, railway facilities, ports, traffic services, urban areas, shopping malls, banks, mining operations, schools, casinos, police stations, prisons and government institutions. These enterprise-class systems improve companies' operational efficiency, increase public safety, and enable rapid response to emergency situations.
