IP Video Helps Oversee Gaming

The Marbella Casino has belonged to the Spanish group Cirsa since 1985. Just like any casino, it is required by law to use video systems, and therefore has a number of infrastructures and equipment that need to be updated on a regular basis. The Marbella Casino is currently in the process
of migrating to IP video. Advances in technology are a major asset to casinos, because they offer new features and improvements in the quality of images, especially for the most critical aspect of their activity, which has to do with the monitoring of gaming operations. The Marbella Casino has been a client of Sensorvideo, a partner of Axis Communications, since the mid-1990s. Following its advice, the Casino has been gradually incorporating the necessary hybrid and IP equipment to facilitate a smooth transition from analog video to digital video
without compromising its business operations, since it only closes one day a year.

Move to IP With Less Cameras
The use of Axis IP cameras with HDTV and megapixel resolution has enabled the Casino to reduce the number of cameras required to cover the gaming area, and it also delivers clearer  and better quality images, which is essentialto providing adequate monitoring of all the activity taking place at the Casino's tables. It is expected that by 2014 all points where money changes hands will be covered with IP cameras, and that the video system will be 100% digital by 2016. Cirsa, owner of the Marbella Casino, is the number one Spanish company and one of the world leaders in  the sector of gaming and recreation.
Cirsa presently owns, among others, 32 conventional casinos and 83 electronic casinos. Since its opening, Casino Marbella has received more than 4 million visits, with occupancy levels of up to 1,400 people per day. Spanish casinos are subject to very strict regulations and overview, and due to current legislation, they must have numerous mechanisms that enable them to ensure the reliability, security and transparency of gaming. In this sense, the video system is key to the monitoring and traceability of the gaming operations recorded. Casino Marbella has worked for years with
the company Sensorvideo, specialized in digital video recording and transmission for casinos and gaming rooms, among other sectors. The current video system consists of 123 cameras and is divided into two subsystems. One of these subsystems is responsible for controlling the entrances and areas outside of the casino, and has about 80 cameras. The other subsystem has 45 cameras and analyzes - both on live images and recorded video - all of the procedures associated with the different games available: cash movements, opening or closing of tables, the individual operations of each game, etc. Thanks to this video system, it is possible to resolve all conflicts related to gambling, as well as identify people who try to commit any act of fraud. Nearly forty Axis network cameras have been added to this latter subsystem, mainly AXIS P3346 Network Camera,  which provides images with a resolution of 3 megapixels and offers other quality features, like the P-Iris. It also includes features for easy installation and use, such as remote focus, pixel counter, multi-view, and the ability to generate multiple streams of video simultaneously with different configurations.

Low Light and Reflections
The unique characteristics of casinos make them a very demanding environment. First of all, the lighting is low and soft, which presents a major challenge for the majority of cameras. Secondly, the cameras must have control over items that produce reflections, such as the playing cards,
and which are of a different color, such as the gaming chips. Using Axis cameras delivers images with an optimum level of detail and crisp color. The majority of the work of the Risk Inspection team is performed on recorded video, which makes it essential for the recording to be of high quality and readily accessible. The Heitel recorders and the images from the Axis cameras represent a leap forward in that there is a noticeable technological difference compared to analog video. Other characteristics inherent in IP video are very advantageous for a casino: the flexibility they offer for adding one or more cameras to the system, the ability to easily change their location, and the possibility of creating highly accessible systems that provide the facility to ensure that the video system remains operative even in the event that any of its components should fail or malfunction.