International. Leading Balkan casino operator, Merit International, has implemented an advanced video solution at its new luxury hotel and casino complex, the Starlit development in Budva, Montenegro.
The company, which has a portfolio of more than $1 billion in hotel and gaming complexes in northern Cyprus, Croatia and Bulgaria, aims to set new standards in security, customer service and business efficiency.
The 2,500-square-meter Starlit Resort & Casino is the company's third and most ambitious development in Montenegro. The complex, which features a penthouse-level playground with stunning sea views, also includes a luxury hotel complex, private residences, and high-end guest facilities.
The end-to-end IDIS video solution, installed by Volga Electronics Ltd, comprises more than 90 NDAA-compliant cameras, including 5MP IR dome cameras and compact PTZ with true WDR and two-way audio; four ready-to-install 64-channel IDIS Solution Suite (ISS) servers with dual feed; Plus, all network accessories, including specialized surveillance keypads.
The solution ensures HD coverage of the entire hotel and casino, including gaming tables, slot machines, and surrounding areas, allowing for real-time monitoring of all transactions and activities.
ISS Federation Services enable a centralized monitoring and management environment and distributed control functionality, linking Merit's various casinos and resorts and providing enhanced situational awareness. The VMS also supports integration with the casino's ERP software, with transaction data overlaid on the recorded video for efficient incident investigation.
Merit is also testing AI-powered analytics, including people counting and heat maps. IDIS's modular VMS infrastructure and plug-and-play installation of devices make it easy and fast to deploy deep learning analytics and target existing and new areas as needed.
Koray Ozyildirim, IDIS's country manager in Turkey, confirmed that the complex would take advantage of this future-proofing capability, which is a benefit of all IDIS technology.
"In addition to ensuring guest safety and satisfaction and providing a deterrent to potential criminals, IDIS' solution opens up new avenues to leverage AI-powered video analytics, for example, with people counting, which can help improve staff and resource allocation, as well as by taking a more proactive approach to security. The casino already has data collection systems in place, but heatmaps can provide a unique additional layer of business intelligence; for example, by allowing metrics on the direction of footfall and dwell time to be compared with customer spending patterns; and reveal the most used areas where customers spend time even when they are not spending money," he said.
He added that this additional level of knowledge would give managers the confidence to change the location of gaming tables and slot machines, improve the utilization of customer service staff, target promotions and refine the overall customer experience.
Malik Oğuz, Chief Surveillance Officer at Merit International, welcomed the flexibility offered by the IDIS solution and its potential for future enhancements with new AI capabilities.
"As we continue to expand and build Merit International's reputation for excellence, we are thrilled with the value and performance of IDIS video solutions. IDIS gives us the best surveillance capabilities and the flexibility to adapt and leverage new AI video capabilities in the future as our security, safety, and business intelligence requirements evolve," he said.
