Cherokee Nation Entertainment Enhances Operator Efficiency

Cherokee Nation Entertainment (CNE) is the gaming and hospitality arm of the Cherokee Nation, operating multiple casinos and hotels across northeast Oklahoma, USA, including the prestigious Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tulsa.

Concerned that their security team was spending an overly large number of person-hours reviewing video recordings searching for a single person of interest, CNE sought to reduce the time it took to review security footage, so their security team could remain focused on proactive tasks and optimize their day-today efficiency. CNE also wanted to obtain and assess accurate data on occupancy and visitor trends for business intelligence purposes. Furthermore, CNE wanted to be alerted to security-related events in real-time, in order to handle security issues as they developed.

CNE selected savVi, Irisity’s on-premise video analytics solution, due to the wide range of video analytics capabilities that savVi offers. Over 1,000 savVi licenses were purchased, allowing cameras at CNE’s ten Oklahoma-based casinos to be enabled with different combinations of real-time event detection, video search and business intelligence capabilities.

CNE utilizes the video search capability most widely – to enable rapid search through the surveillance video to pinpoint events of interest – and therefore video search capabilities are enabled on the majority of cameras at the sites. Business intelligence capabilities are mostly deployed around the various gaming machines, and at entrance and exit points, to show traffic patterns and real-time people counts. Real-time event detection capabilities are used largely for the high-security areas to ensure that CNE’s security team is informed regarding situations, as they unfold.

savVi is deployed through integration with a range of Axis network cameras, primarily the AXIS P3225 and Q3505 fixed cameras, the AXIS P5635, Q6044 and Q6045 PTZ cameras, and for outdoor vehicle search, the AXIS Q3708 fixed camera with three sensors. CNE uses Milestone XProtect Corporate Video Management System (VMS), which is fully and seamlessly integrated with savVi, a Milestone Certified Solution.

savVi’s video search capabilities are of considerable importance to CNE. There is a prevailing need for the casinos to be able to swiftly locate specific events within masses of footage (“incident remediation” as it is known within the entertainment industry). Among other things, this allows for verification of personal injury claims by customers who may be trying to defraud the casino. Previously, the security team’s time was heavily occupied by observing hours of footage in search of a specific person or incident. savVi now enables CNE to run the search automatically, allowing far more effective use of the operators’ time, and reduced search time from as much as 16 hours for a single search, down to a matter of minutes.

savVi’s real-time event detection capabilities are primarily used by CNE to ensure a safer and more secure environment within the casino parking facilities. By immediately alerting to any suspicious event, such as people loitering or cars moving in an unauthorized direction, the security team can monitor events and act accordingly as they unfold.

savVi also allows CNE to gather and analyze essential business intelligence data on occupancy and visitor trends. savVi delivers accurate headcounts, meaning that the security team is constantly aware of how many people are on-site and using the casino facilities. This provides essential knowledge in the case of an emergency where a facility might need to be evacuated, and also helps prevent over-crowding.

By utilizing savVi’s heat mapping capabilities, CNE has knowledge of which areas of the casino are more heavily populated, and at what times. CNE can then leverage the data collected in a number of ways, including negotiating leasing deals for externally-owned casino equipment and knowing which internal locations require heavier investment of machines and personnel. This puts CNE well ahead of its competitors, as it is one of, if not the, first gaming company to employ Business Intelligence through video analytics.

“It was savVi’s swift and effective video search that caught CNE’s attention when searching for an enhanced security solution, in particular due to the automated query ability,” said Joshua Anderson, Director of Surveillance and Technology, Cherokee Nation Entertainment.

“We have been extremely impressed with savVi’s capabilities and the quality of its performance, and fully expect savVi to increase efficiencies and provide true ROI which will have a major impact on the bottom line.”

“Cherokee Nation Gaming Commission’s approval of savVi’s deployment in CNE’s casinos is an endorsement of the great benefit that savVi’s video analytics capabilities offer to gaming concerns,” commented AJ Frazer, VP Business Development, Irisity. “Having selected to deploy the full range of savVi video analytics functionalities, savVi offers CNE valuable insights into the activities and customer experience at their multiple sites, benefitting both CNE and their customers.”