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The charm of the twenties serves as the setting for high rollers at the Casino Locarno. The casino takes its guests back in time and invites them to immerse themselves in the unique atmosphere of the roaring twenties. A state-of-the-art video surveillance system by German CCTV/IP expert Dallmeier ensures undiluted gambling entertainment.

Since 2003, the Casino Locarno has been offering Grands Jeux in an extraordinary atmosphere. The casino is located in close vicinity to the Piazza Grande, not far from the harbour on the lakeside of the gorgeous Lago Maggiore. 150 slot machines and several tables with American Roulette, Black Jack and Stud Poker leave nothing to be desired and offer the right kind of entertainment for every taste. Guests who would like to recover a bit from the thrills can either enjoy the varied seasonal kitchen of the Casino Locarno at the “Le Bistro” or take a refreshing drink at the Casino Bar.

Michelle Marinari, Manager of the Casino Locarno: “We want our guests to feel good in ever respect and to be enchanted and inspired by the unique atmosphere. Regarding the atmosphere of our casino, we wanted to turn back the clock to the Belle Epoque of the twenties. In terms our security systems, however, we are up to date!”

This is because of the new video surveillance system by Dallmeier, which replaces the previous installation. Marinari: “We have already had digital recording devices. However, those repeatedly failed and it took a long time to get the system up and running again. Therefore, we were looking for a new solution.”

Blade technology for highest failure safety
Due to the negative experiences with the previous system, highest availability and failure safety were the top priorities for the management of the Casino Locarno. The casino found the ideal solution in using the Dallmeier blade technology with one-channel recorders. Owing to the storage directly at the encoder, a DIS-2/M, the recording is network-independent and therefore remains intact even in the case of a complete network failure. In order to further increase failure safety, the data can be recorded redundantly on two hard disks on the DIS-2/M. Additionally, the DIS-2/M uses the Linux operating system, which the IT world deems to be extremely stable. Owing to its modular design the Dallmeier blade technology is highly reliable. Even in the unlikely case of a complete recorder failure, only the recordings of one camera would be affected.

Optimal Integratability
“Another advantage of the Dallmeier solution was the fact that we could simply integrate existing cameras into the new system", says Michelle Marinari. “Where new cameras were needed, particularly at the gambling tables, we decided to use the Dallmeier CasinoCam DF3000A because it can be ideally adjusted to the conditions in our casino." The DF3000A is a high-resolution UWDR colour box camera with Cam_inPIX® technology, which also provides clear, high-contrast and colour-true image material even under the most difficult lighting conditions. Through its special casino presets it is also optimised for the use in casinos and can be easily and quickly installed.

Ergonomic management
Four workstations are available for the control of the CCTV system: Two for the surveillance personnel, one for the head of security, and one for the casino manager. All of the four workstations use the Security Management System SeMSy® which allows for the convenient operation of the video system. PTZ cameras for instance can be controlled via the operator station. It can also be used to process alarm messages or perform searches with various criteria. In addition, site plans can be integrated to enable the intuitive selection of cameras.

“We are pairticularly impressed by the Dallmeier Video Management Centre. It really is a very well-conceived control tool which significantly facilitates the work", explains a satisfied Marinari. In developing the Video Management Centre VMC-1 "Eagle” Dallmeier emphasised the device's suitability for everyday use. That is why, during months of field tests, the motion patterns typical of security operators were analysed by the product designers. The result is the VMC-1, a modular and flexible management centre which, thanks to its sophisticated ergonomics and the classic, timeless design, allows for an effortless and efficient operation.

Exchange during operation
The system was installed by Dallmeier's Swiss partner Divinet, who also takes care of the regular support for the casino. According to the standards of the Swiss Casino Commission (ESBK), in Switzerland, the recordings must be archived for 28 days. Therefore, the existing system and the new installation were operated simultaneously for a period of twenty-eight days. Following acceptance by the ESBK, the migration to the new system was completed. Marinari is convinced by the Dallmeier system: “The commissioning was carried out while business at the casino continued so that we didn't have any losses. And the system has been running smoothly ever since. We are more than pleased with the choice we made!"