Improving Horseshoe Casino Security: A Research Proposal

Introduction

Most casinos do not want to take risks when it comes to the integrity of their gaming operations and the security of their facilities. In most states, laws and regulations require slot machines and tables to be under constant surveillance. Moreover, most modern casinos, as massive complexes, have multiple risks that need to be considered. Security is a major issue for casinos of all sizes, as well as for other types of gaming complexes. This is primarily because large sums of money change hands every night and day in most casinos. It is also because gamblers need to feel safe to play, and because gaming must generally be secure for it to be conducted properly (Lee, 2011). Normally, casinos have an internal security department that handles all matters relating to security. The department usually employs a workforce of security personnel trained to monitor and manage security events and situations within and on the perimeter of gaming floors. They typically also have a surveillance team to monitor patrons and security cameras. In most casinos, security cameras play an important role in ensuring casino security. Modern cameras backed by current technologies mean that assaults, arguments, bribery, cheating, and similar unwanted events can be noted quickly and acted upon without inconveniencing other patrons. Security professionals not only secure the gaming floor and its perimeter — they also play a role in keeping away suspicious persons and preventing assault, kidnapping, and theft.

The legislation that regulates how gaming establishments need to protect money differs across states. For instance, in Nevada, the Nevada Gaming Commission is mandated to regulate how casinos and gaming establishments manage money on the gaming floor. The Commission requires casinos and gaming establishments to have sufficient money on hand to cover all chips in play on the floor (Lee, 2011). Because the number of chips in play varies, the amount of money required changes daily. The cash reserves held by casinos are typically stored in casino vaults. Casinos generally do not announce how much they hold in cash reserves or the location of their vaults, in order to protect themselves from criminals.

Background

Traditionally, casinos only hired individuals to act as security for the money that changed hands on their floors. Nowadays, security personnel fulfill several roles in casinos. Without them, gaming operations cannot be secured, nor can the integrity of those operations be maintained. For this reason, casinos are usually very selective when hiring security staff to ensure they recruit intelligent and physically capable individuals. To attract qualified candidates, they typically offer competitive salaries and benefits (Staub, 2006). Modern casino security personnel generally have two main jobs: to protect guests and to protect casino property. However, while security personnel do protect casino clients, their priority is to protect casino property — and this sometimes means keeping an eye on clients who are attempting to steal from or cheat the casino.

In recent times, events such as mass shootings in entertainment venues have forced casinos and gaming establishments to re-evaluate their security measures and plans. Those plans are designed to protect both casino property and casino patrons. Patrons need to feel safe in order to play more and spend more (Lee, 2011). Many casinos have uniformed security officials and metal detectors around the perimeter of casino floors and other parts of their complexes to make patrons feel safe. In some cases, casinos recognize that metal detectors and uniformed personnel can make patrons uneasy and therefore employ more subtle methods to protect casino floors and clients. As is evident from the above, casino security is a complex matter.

Statement of the Problem

Casinos have a significant responsibility to ensure that their assets, employees, and patrons are protected and that their interests are secured. Additionally, they are required by law to protect their assets, staff, and clients. However, providing effective security is not easy. It is difficult to monitor wide spaces with many people and multiple exits and entry points (Lee, 2011). The difficulty in monitoring large casino floors, combined with the vast amounts of money circulating in casinos, often makes them vulnerable to fraud and theft. This is why security personnel must plan carefully to prevent crime, investigate incidents, and resolve crimes when they occur.

Research Questions

The following research questions guide this study:

i. What new security improvement or enhancement measures can be used to deal effectively with modern security threats?

ii. How can existing casino security measures be updated to meet new security challenges and threats more effectively?

iii. Considering the security threats at the Horseshoe Casino, what specific measures can be adopted to improve the casino's security cost-effectively?

Rationale and Purpose

Because most casinos handle thousands of dollars in cash, they consistently attract criminals and individuals with ill intent. For this reason, it is critical to maintain high security in casinos. These days, the most basic casino security includes cameras positioned throughout casino facilities to monitor both employees and patrons. The presence of cameras helps deter stealing and cheating — a significant contrast with the past, when most casinos simply hired large individuals to provide physical security.

Moreover, casino security in the modern era attracts millions of dollars in investment compared to the few thousands or tens of thousands of dollars casinos once spent on security. However, despite increased investment in casino security, theft, cheating, and other offenses remain a persistent problem because these crimes have also evolved over time. For this reason, casinos must continuously review their security measures and modify them to ensure they are up to date and sufficiently robust to deal with current security challenges. The need for security improvements informs this study, as it seeks to determine how to improve the security measures and models being utilized at the Horseshoe Casino.

Significance

Very few research studies focus on how to prevent crime in the casino industry. This lack of empirical evidence on crime prevention means there is a gap that needs to be filled. Several articles suggest the use of different security models in the hospitality industry; however, relatively few scholarly articles address casino security specifically. This study will examine how casino security can be improved to avoid inconveniencing guests and to prevent theft by casino patrons, employees, and criminals in general (Cebekhulu, 2016). Therefore, this research's contribution will be significant as a scientific endeavor to study current casino security measures and how to improve them.

Casinos generally invest millions in building beautiful facilities with magnificent gaming floors. They spend considerable money and effort making sure their environments are as comfortable as possible for patrons, because the more comfortable a casino customer is, the longer they will stay and the more money the casino will make. Casinos also invest heavily in security for several reasons, including giving customers the sense of safety they need to feel good and spend freely (Cebekhulu, 2016; Lee, 2011). This study is significant because it reveals how security can be improved at the Horseshoe Casino and other similar establishments to ensure customers are comfortable and feel secure enough to stay longer and spend more, resulting in a stronger business for the owners.

Definition of Terms

Risk assessment: The investigation and evaluation of risks, threats, or vulnerabilities to inform the probability of the risk occurring, its impact, and how to prevent it (Roper, 1999:14).

Risk management: The identification and preparation for the occurrence of a risk, or the taking of action to reduce the likelihood of a risk occurring or causing devastating damage if it does occur (Manley, 2009:21).

Countermeasure: An action taken to eliminate or reduce a vulnerability. The cost involved in a countermeasure can be nonmonetary or monetary. Nonmonetary costs include bad publicity, unfavorable working conditions, and reduced operational efficiency (Roper, 1999:14).

Safety: The protection of an individual's health and well-being (Hayes & Ninemeier, 2006:410).

Security: An organized effort to ensure the safety of individuals and property from risks, threats, and vulnerabilities both within and external to an environment (Wood, 2013:77).

Security survey: An analysis of a facility's internal controls, operating procedures, environment, physical features, structures, and property, often conducted for the purpose of improving the facility's security (Floyd, 2008:1).

Threat: An event that can potentially result in the damage or loss of an asset, or an indication of a party's intention to cause such damage or loss (Roper, 1999:13).

Limitations of the Study

This study will rely primarily on literature from the hospitality industry because that is where the most relevant available literature resides. There are not many thorough studies examining casino security specifically. Furthermore, the researcher cannot easily obtain statistics on crimes committed in casinos, largely because security in most casinos is handled by independent contractors who are not very interested in revealing security lapses or crimes that occur under their watch. Most casinos and casino security firms also recognize that publishing information about theft or crimes would negatively affect their business, as clients would be less inclined to visit. It is also expected that casinos will be reluctant to provide documentation for this research, since most will naturally not want to reveal their security measures.