Safety and security take high priority at new casino in Fayette County
State police Trooper Scott Williams takes a photo of Jerret Belt, 20, of Uniontown, at Lady Luck Casino at Nemacolin Woodlands Resort. Belt is in the process of training to be a barback at the casino. State police also take fingerprints of new employees for the casino.
Surveillance monitors operated by the Pennsylvania State Police are pictured at the Lady Luck Casino at Nemacolin Woodlands Resort. The casino will open on July 1 with four separate security entities working together, including casino security and surveillance, state Gaming Control Board, resort security and the state police.
John F. Brothers | Herald-Standard
Workers put the finishing touches on the new Lady Luck Casino at Nemacolin Woodlands Resort and Spa in Farmington. The casino is set to open July 1.
FARMINGTON — Lady Luck Casino at Nemacolin Woodlands Resort opens July 1, and casino operator, Isle of Capri Casinos Inc., has set in place strict operations to ensure safety and security.
Four separate security entities work together at Lady Luck including casino security and surveillance, state Gaming Control Board (GCB), resort security and the Pennsylvania State Police.
All costs associated with security at Pennsylvania casinos, including state police installations, are paid for by casino operating companies. Lady Luck is Isle of Capri’s first Pennsylvania casino; however, the company operates 15 other casinos in Colorado, Florida, Iowa, Louisiana, Mississippi and Missouri. The company is tight-lipped about its security operations and permits employees to speak little on the topic.
And even though Isle of Capri officials say little about protecting customers and ensuring safety at Lady Luck, casino General Manager Rich Laudon said doing just that is paramount to the company.
“Both customers and employees are entering through secured entrances, IDs are checked on everyone under 30, and transactions, procedures and behavior are all carefully observed,” Laudon said.
He said activities are monitored through the casino’s extensive surveillance system.
The Lady Luck surveillance and security team consists of 36 observing officers and six supervisors who will be monitoring all the activity on the gaming floor where dozens of table games will be offered as well as 600 slot machines.
“There are three or four observers and a supervisor in the (surveillance) room at all times,” said Mark Starrett, security director at the casino.
The numerous ‘eye-in-the-sky’ closed circuit cameras allow the surveillance officers to monitor activity inside the casino as well as in the parking lot.
State police Cpl. Chuck Frey said that in the instance of an incident, police will have access to all casino monitoring cameras, with the ability to move from camera to camera to track a suspect or an event.
“We can go into surveillance if we get a funny feeling about someone or need to look at something,” Frey said. “It is an awesome tool for police officers to be able to pinpoint just about anything with the cameras.”
Advancements in information technology allow security personnel to be deeply involved in every aspect of observation and tracking, according to Laudon, who said he has worked in the industry since 1975.
“These days with surveillance and technology, the surveillance ability is tremendous,” he said.
The GCB also monitors all activity within the casino and has access to all the surveillance monitors at Lady Luck. In addition, a GCB casino compliance representative is on the premises at all times.
“Surveillance is a very important part of the operation that helps both the customer and the casino. There’s not much that isn’t covered by surveillance,” said Kevin O’Toole, executive director of the GCB. “The compliance representative is there to observe the collection of revenue, counting process, and there to assist if there are any patrons who have complaints or even a question.”
O’Toole said the compliance representative often interacts directly with patrons.
O’Toole calls casino security a “broad concept.”
“There are aspects of security for patrons. There’s security for gaming activity. And there’s security for gaming and revenue. There are components that focus on all aspects of (casino) security,” he said.
According to O’Toole, there is a significant checklist casinos go through before opening, and his department works with casino operators to make certain there is adequately-trained security on the premises.
The GCB dictates the size and scope of security at casinos in the state, Laudon said.
The casino is also required to submit all internal control procedures to the state in respect to every facet of the casino’s operation from accounting to security, according to Laudon.
“There has been pressure from the legislature regarding gaming and security. A lot of pressure to make sure our operation is squeaky clean,” he said. “Everyone wants a positive impression of gaming to be given.”
O’Toole said through the internal controls, there is an audit trail and accountability.
The GCB also has rules governing equipment and other gaming activities including software lab testing to determine slot machines are operating properly.
“The objectives and standards for Pennsylvania casinos are making certain patrons are safe, assets are guarded and gaming is fair,” said O’Toole.
Laudon said protocols are in place in the event an incident arises which requires the intervention.
“If something is noticed by security officers, they will radio the supervisor who radios surveillance, the (gaming) control board (officer) and the state police unit.”
A state police installation or gaming enforcement office is located within each casino site in accordance with state law enacted in 2004 under the Race Horse Development and Gaming Act (Act 71).
The police substations statewide are manned by one sergeant, two corporals and eight troopers – the same compliment that will be tasked at Lady Luck. Police offices, a holding area and an evidence room are part of each installation. The state police unit is responsible for supporting and assisting the other security departments of the casino and the GCB, as well as working closely with other law enforcement to ensure optimal criminal investigation and public safety in and around all gaming facilities as outlined in Act 71.
The state police gaming enforcement office at Lady Luck is no exception.
“The office is for the casino and the casino only,” said Frey, one of the state troopers who’s part of the gaming enforcement office at Lady Luck.
Frey explained the state police unit is called upon when necessary to assist casino security and surveillance and gaming control officers in the event a crime is committed or an arrest needs to be made on the casino premises.
“We are not security, they have their own security,” Frey said.
Under provisions of Act 71, gaming enforcement offices exist for the sole purpose of providing law enforcement within the casino itself. Troopers are not permitted to respond to or investigate any call or criminal activity outside the casino. Troopers will work in plain clothes and will mingle among the guests at the casino and monitor the gaming floor for possible criminal activity, the same monitoring that is done by troopers working at other casinos across the state.
Frey said that troopers are called in if casino security cannot diffuse a situation such as a fight or an intoxicated customer. Otherwise, unless the incident rises to the level where criminal charges need to be filed or an in-depth investigation is required, the troopers at the casino are not involved in day-to-day security operations.
The Nemacolin Woodlands Resort security team will monitor security outside the casino. The security officers are responsible for securing the grounds around the casino in the event an incident occurring inside the casino would spill over into the parking lot, the resort security would be responsible to pursue the matter.
Beyond the grounds of Nemacolin Woodlands and Lady Luck casino, state police stationed in Uniontown would be responsible to pursue any lead or suspect that might have gotten away from the grounds.
“We do not have the ability or the authority to pursue beyond the casino,” Frey said. “If we have someone get away or something occurs in the parking lot and the suspect gets away from security, we will be on the radio with state police in Uniontown to respond.”
O’Toole said disturbances are not common in Pennsylvania casinos because of the layers of security coverage.
“The message is out that Pennsylvania is not a good place to commit crime in a casino,” he said.