Winning big with unified casino security
The River Cree Resort and Casino strengthened collaboration and compliance across their gaming operations. Learn how their teams are responding faster to events and video requests, and the new ways they’ve improved the guest experience.
The company
The River Cree Resort and Casino is a bustling casino and entertainment venue near Edmonton, Alberta in Canada. Over 45,000 guests flock to the resort every week to play slots, poker, and other card games. They also enjoy featured shows and events, dining, nightlife, and ice skating. River Cree offers a full-service hotel on site, making it an ideal venue for an exciting getaway or private event. Since the Enoch Cree Nation owns and operates the business, all profits are directly invested back into a charity that supports social programs in the First Nation community.
The challenge
At River Cree Resort and Casino, both the surveillance and security teams work around the clock to keep visitors and staff safe. Over a decade ago, the surveillance team began experiencing issues with an analog video system. The security team was also having trouble with an aging access control system. Dealing with these recurring device failures and performance issues was not only time-consuming, it also heightened security risks. For River Cree Resort and Casino, finding a solution that could evolve alongside new business objectives over time was critical.
The solution
Unified alarm management
Within Genetec Security Center™, the team has set up various event-to-actions. Operators receive alarms when certain doors are accessed, if a panic button is pressed in the cages, or if there’s a problem in the pit. All associated video is tied to the alarm, making it easy for operators to act quickly.
Secure evidence sharing
When River Cree Casino needs to send footage to various partners, it’s a simple and secure process using Genetec Clearance™. Using this evidence management system, they’ve also been able to streamline the auditing process by quickly sharing information and reports with the gaming commission as needed.
Intuitive map-based response
River Cree Casino is simplifying operator tasks using Plan Manager, the map-based interface of Security Center. All cameras, doors, and other sensors are plotted on a map of the property, so operators can quickly find devices and see where alarm notifications are coming from.
“An open platform has been key for us. With Security Center, we know that no matter what we’re looking to do, we’ll have options for new features, built-in modules, cloud solutions, and third-party integrations that will serve our needs.”
Bob McDonald, Director of Surveillance and Compliance, River Cree Resort and Casino
Results
Today, River Cree Casino is using Security Center to manage over 1150 cameras and about 150 doors. They’ve also connected their fire alarm system and 25 DMP panic buttons within the unified platform. Now, both surveillance and security operators work from a unified view of the casino and resort. Not only does this help them see what’s happening across the property, but they can also quickly respond to alarms with all information at hand.
During the pandemic, the team deployed KiwiVision™ People Counter analytics within Security Center. Though they already had a head-count system, having the people-counting solution allowed them to verify that numbers were accurate to avoid any compliance issues. Today, they rely on the people counting analytics for fire and safety codes. “They’ll get notified when we’re bordering occupancy limits, so we can take appropriate action,” said McDonald.