Four Winds casinos in Michigan rely on video surveillance technology “made in Germany”. A video system by Dallmeier has been watching over Four Winds Hartford since August 2011. Now, locations in New Buffalo and in Dowagiac, the latter of which opened in April, 2013, have also been equipped with Dallmeier technology. Four Winds Hartford Four Winds Hartford casino is synonymous with gambling fun in southwestern Michigan. On over 4800m² (52,000 square feet) more than 550 slot machines and numerous gaming tables with Roulette, Blackjack, and more, are available to the guests. When the casino was built in 2011, the management placed the highest value on the latest video technology and on selecting the right cameras. After extensive testing, a decision was made to utilize high-resolution HD network cameras by Dallmeier, manufacturer and video experts in developing and producing specialized security and surveillance solutions for casinos since 1997. “Casinos always present a challenge for cameras: Lighting conditions are often unfavourable, but even the slightest movements lasting only fractions of seconds at a gaming table have to be followed to allow unclear situations or attempts at cheating to be unequivocally resolved,” explains Marcel Zangger, Director of Operations at Dallmeier USA. Reliable recording was also important to those responsible for security and surveillance at the Four Winds Hartford casino. Dallmeier offers various options, from the highest-technology blade solutions to energy-efficient video appliances with integrated storage system. “This enabled us to have a custom-made solution specifically created for us. It offers maximum fail-safe operation but at the same time it is very attractive from a financial point of view,” says Stacey Soria, Vice President of Surveillance for Four Winds casinos. The video system is controlled by the SeMSy management system; it is simply and intuitively operated. From showing live images, to searching through the recordings in many different ways and on to controlling PTZ cameras: SeMSy offers a wide variety of possibilities which were individually adapted to the requirements of Four Winds casinos. Integration with the cashier system in all Four Winds casinos was also implemented. This allows the POS system from InfoGenesis to send transactional data to the Dallmeier recording system for later interrogation. Each transaction can then be searched and verified with its corresponding video. Four Winds New Buffalo The video system in Hartford proved itself so well in practical application that after one year, Four Winds casinos decided to replace the existing video system in New Buffalo with Dallmeier technology. “We were always having problems with the old system and the support was not very good. That’s why we wanted to switch to Dallmeier products here, too,” says Stacey Soria. Now, over 1,800 cameras in the resort look after its guests and provide a safe and secure environment. Four Winds New Buffalo casino is located close to the border to Indiana and with more than 12,000 m² (130.000 square feet) of floor space, it is substantially larger than the casino in Hartford. Approximately 3,000 gaming machines with the highest jackpots in the region are in operation and gaming tables with Roulette and Blackjack set gaming hearts to racing. Whoever gets hungry after that much adrenaline can have a meal in one of the resorts award-winning restaurants, relax with live music in the Hard Rock Cafe Four Winds or enjoy the shows in Silver Creek Event Center. Four Winds Dowagiac The Dallmeier solution was also put to use in the Four Winds Dowagiac casino, which opened its doors in 2013. This system keeps an eye on 300 of the latest slot machines and five gaming tables. Stacey Soria says: “We believe in the Dallmeier technology. That is why we once more decided in favour of this solution for our third casino in Dowagiac. The equipment works reliably and the support by Dallmeier USA is fantastic!” Joe McDevitt, President of Dallmeier USA added: “we are delighted to include Four Winds casinos to our list of happy customers. This is a truly professional operation that provides us with feedback enabling us to add useful features that will benefit all of our clients.” www.dallmeier.com www.panomera.com www.casino-surveillance.com
