Milestone IP Video Technology Protects Northern Europe’s Largest Casino
Casino Copenhagen, the largest in Northern Europe, is using a powerful yet flexible surveillance solution based on XProtect Corporate from Milestone Systems.
In 2009, Casino Copenhagen also took over full control of security monitoring for the Hotel Radisson BLU Scandinavia, adjacent to the casino, where many VIPs stayed during the Copenhagen Climate Conference in December.
"Like all other casinos we must conform to strict laws and regulations for security and internal procedures,” said Surveillance Manager Jesper Frederiksen of Casino Copenhagen. “We also want to provide the best possible service to our many customers. So we have chosen to work with the most advanced surveillance technology available on the market."
This technology is based on Milestone Systems' IP video open platform solution, XProtect Corporate. With just a few clicks, operators control hundreds of surveillance cameras at the same time, viewing live or archived images from different servers simultaneously. In addition, the video material is easily exported when the police want evidence.
Several hundred cameras are connected to the servers, each with a storage capacity of 10 Terabytes. This is critical for the video archives since recordings from the gambling tables must be saved for 31 days according to the law, while images from the cash transactions must be kept for 62 days.
The video records with sound and this gives a special advantage: should a customer ask to put his money on the color red and there is a dispute, the operators can scroll back to determine precisely what did occur, which quickly resolves any disagreements. The images are also used to ensure that all internal procedures are upheld.
"With Milestone we can find precise sequences from many different angles, scroll back and forth quickly, synchronize time, and zoom in for close-ups,” Frederiksen said. “The issues often have to do with who has put a chip on the table at a certain time and for a particular amount. We can browse the images from several cameras at the same time and see the details of a person's hand in action.”
The certified Milestone Partner Info-Connect has installed the IT network and surveillance system at Casino Copenhagen including multiple integrations and tools for optimizing the performance. Info-Connect also advises about ongoing upgrades with the latest features every time Milestone releases new software versions, which ensure the solution is future-proof for the best return on their investment.
The law requires that all casino guests are registered. When customers arrive at the casino, a receptionist takes a photo via the guest registration software that Info-Connect developed with the camera system. The video image is shown in the Milestone Smart Client together with extra information on the customer along with their ticket information in Milestone's XProtect Transact software. This integration makes the surveillance system act as added confirmation and reacts with an alert if needed.
In addition, all customers will receive an access chip with RFID (Radio Frequency Identification), so the system shows the guest's photo on the surveillance screen when they go through the entrance to the casino. Security personnel will be able to compare the guest's photo on the screen with the existing customer information, to help avoid photo fraud. The RFID technology is built in to the guest registration software designed by Info-Connect and is fully integrated with the video software via the Milestone SDK.
Overall, Jesper Frederiksen believes that IP surveillance systems like this one based on the Milestone platform, are invaluable when one considers the risks connected with running a casino.
"There are professionals out there who have made a career out of cheating both their co-players and the dealers,” he said. “Our people are trained to spot these cheaters, and when that occurs we are talking about very large amounts of money. That's why it really pays for us to invest in such comprehensive technological solutions -- and that also benefits our customers in relation to security and service.”