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| The IQinVision megapixel IP cameras include a mix of IQeye711s, Sentinels, and Alliance domes |
The Choctaw Nation is the third largest Indian nation in the U.S. and is comprised of over 175,000 Choctaws with their tribal complex located in Durant, Oklahoma. The Choctaw are a sovereign nation that maintains a special relationship with the U.S. and Oklahoma. The Choctaw Nation owns a large number of gaming casinos in Southeastern Oklahoma. The income from these casinos provides jobs, healthcare, educational programs, and community assistance to the tribal members.
The challenge
The Choctaw casinos began upgrading their security in 2006, moving from analog cameras, direct link monitors, and manual video tape recording to the latest in high-resolution cameras, IP video networks and automated storage. This allowed the casinos to better protect their assets, customers, and employees from theft, fraud, and unfounded insurance claims.
The Choctaw Nation formed an internal committee to decide on a reliable and cost-effective video surveillance and storage solution. When the committee began researching IP cameras to upgrade existing gaming facilities and for new construction, they were looking for cameras that would fit their legacy surveillance systems, future planned systems, and meet the needs of the Gaming Commission.
1200+ IQeye HD/megapixel cameras are installed at the four casinos |
The solution
The Choctaw Nation selected Genetec's fully integrated IP video management and access control solutions, Omnicast and Synergis. After an on-premise "shoot-out" between several camera manufacturers in 2007, the Choctaw Nation decided on IQeye HD megapixel cameras to be deployed at key strategic locations throughout their casinos. Pivot3 was chosen to handle the storage solution. Upon completion of a fourth casino site, over 1200 IQeye cameras will be installed at the McAlester, Grant, Stringtown, and Durant casinos. The IQinVision cameras include a mix of IQeye711s, Sentinels, and Alliance domes.
As Paula Penz, Gaming Commissioner for the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, explained: "We were interested in securing the best technology possible to accomplish our goals, and to allow for future growth and expansion."
Grant is the largest of the three casinos completed thus far, with some 68,235 square feet of gaming space. Stringtown has over 14,000 square feet and McAlester has some 30,500 square feet at that gaming facility. The Grant Casino recently opened a new hotel resort area that is expected to double casino traffic by 2010. When the Durant facility opens in 2010, it will be the largest, grandest of them all.
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| Choctaw security staff values the IQeye CCTV cameras low-light performance to cover gaming tables |
The highlights
- With more than 1200 HD/megapixel IQeye cameras and growing, the Choctaw Nation casinos represent one of IQinVision's largest and most successful casino applications.
- IQeye HD/megapixel cameras were specified to protect high-value areas at the four casinos, including gaming floors and tables, cashier windows and cash counting rooms, entryways, main choke points, and parking lots. The Choctaw use a mix of IQinVision cameras including the IQeye Alliance vandal domes and Sentinel Environmental cameras to best meet a variety of specific surveillance needs.
- Choctaw security staff value the IQeye's low-light performance to cover gaming tables. When researching cameras, casino management did side-by-side camera comparisons, but no camera could measure up to the IQeye's light-grabber performance.
- To date, Choctaw management still has not seen another camera that can compare with the IQeye's image quality and network stability.
- Employee theft can seriously impact the bottom line; however soon after system deployment, staff swiftly recognized a decrease of incidents allowing casino security directors to report a measurable return on investment from their video surveillance system to the Choctaw Governing Council.
- "The IQeye's high level of image detail aids us in combating slot ticket scammers and also in disproving slip and fall claims. It definitely has a deterrent effect on our staff; we have seen no inside jobs in terms of cheating," Brett Green, Integrations Managers for Choctaw Nation.
- The combined Genetec, Pivot3, and IQeye security solution installed or planned for all four casino locations represents one of the most cutting-edge casino solutions available today.
