The better the gambler, the worse the man, wrote Publius Syrus, and all casino
owners, from Nevada to Monte Carlo believe him. In fact, they believe him so
well that they do not just put watchers and security officers near tables, they
put up surveillance camera systems, too.
It is unheard of for casinos not to have surveillance camera systems. After
all, fortunes, big or small, are lost and won in the space of seconds inside
casinos. With so much money at stake, casino owners and managers therefore
anticipate the worst sides of human nature to surface. There will always be
people who will try to beat the odds by cheating the house; and what better way
to catch these people than through surveillance camera systems? These watchers
never sleep, never blink, and never get distracted by a scantily clad woman, for
example, or a brawl that erupted in one of the tables.
Cheating the House
Winning is addictive, and money even more so. Not surprisingly, hordes of
players try to cheat at the gaming tables. The trick range from palming of chips
and switching of cards to rigging games with the use of electronic devices. In
1998, Dennis McAndrew and his associates pled guilty to slot machine fraud. He
and his companions had used hand-held devices to program slot machines and
ensure a win each time they play. They won almost $17 million before the
operation's ringleader, McAndrew, was apprehended.
Stricter Security after the McAndrew Scam
After the discovery of the McAndrew scam, the gaming industry redoubled its
efforts to restore their credibility. Most beefed up their security measures and
had state-of-the-art surveillance camera systems installed. Cameras now monitor
not just gaming tables but also escalators, elevators, retail stores, and
hallways. With the exception of restrooms, just about every area in a casino, or
a hotel with a casino, is put under strict surveillance. Additionally, cameras
guard both front and back entrances of casinos.
Other casinos also integrate to their surveillance camera systems a means for
asset tracking. Wireless motion sensors are attached to gaming machines and any
attempt to move these will trigger an alarm.
Regulations on Use of Surveillance Camera Systems
Gaming commissions now recognize the value of integrating surveillance camera
systems with risk management. The federal Minimum Internal Control Standards
(MICS) specify 20 frames per second as the minimum recording speed of
surveillance camera systems. Moreover, it specifies that all captured images be
of sufficient clarity.
Gaming commissions, however, are not at all certain images captured in
surveillance systems will be admissible in court. Most industry experts and
gaming boards believe DVR evidence will be acceptable, but a case is yet to
prove or disprove this.
Still, gaming commissions continue to prescribe the use of surveillance
camera systems. After all, no matter how sophisticated gaming joints'
surveillance camera systems may be, or how painstakingly each camera monitors
every inch of the gaming floors, or how many personnel scrutinize the goings-on
of each table, there will always be someone who tries to beat the system.
Frequently, they fail and get caught. Every now and then, one succeeds and
actually makes money out of a scam. With surveillance camera systems, however,
apprehending con artists becomes a question of when, not if.
