Security & Surveillance
SPECIAL REPORT
Casino Security in a Covid Environment
The world changed during the pandemic , and the casino industry did too , especially the security department
By Alan W . Zajic
When Covid first appeared and started causing casinos to shutter and close , most experienced casino executives thought it was a temporary condition that would soon go away . As we all know now , it obviously is something that the gaming industry will be dealing with for years to come as these new variants to the first Covid-19 virus continue to mutate and spread at higher infection rates with each new version .
All casino and hotel operations including security have been affected by Covid in many different ways , and it has challenged executives to come up with creative solutions to what were once routine and simple operational protocols . As always , casino executives have met those challenges to continue to operate and , in some instances , improve their bottom-line profits .
Many properties have improved revenues and report record high numbers of incoming gross revenue and customer counts even with fewer employees to service the guests . In my travels just this last year , I have found that when I stay at a casino property , many services are no longer available — such as room service — yet , there is no measurable reduction in hotel rate or the “ resort fee .”
Restaurants all operate on reduced hours and service at a level that was never tolerated by the guests prior . The complaints must also have dramatically increased . Only time will tell if that will have created a condition that will deter future guests and revenue . And as it has been historically , the customers still come , taking their chances at winning big and getting out and away from the home Covid confinements .
I like to call what we did operationally prior to December 2019 when Covid appeared in the U . S . as “ Before Covid ,” or “ BC .”
Rules , Regulations and Masks , Oh My
The barrage of mandates by state governors and other officials has had a tiring effect on gaming operations in all jurisdictions . The on-again / off-again mask rules that are virtually different in every state made it difficult for those casinos that required masks and social distancing to expect the public to know which rules applied when they traveled to their favorite casino .
The rise and fall of the “ mask police ” has created many issues for the casino executive , too . Customers who by strong conviction will not wear masks were sometimes arrested for trespass by security after the simple request was escalated to an eviction and they refused to leave . Managing slot areas with every other slot machine turned off and plexiglass shields on the gaming tables also proved challenging . The ever-popular buffets that had to close or seriously modify the serving of food also became a headache . But the customers still continued to come .
Some states like Nevada formally created gaming regulations to comply with the orders from the governor on masks and other measures . After a series of large fines were levied against gaming properties in both northern and southern Nevada , all casinos were forced to enforce mandates , causing more challenging confrontations from defiant customers .
Labor Market Challenges
There has never been a large labor pool for security officers , and most security directors will tell you that even though they have approved staffing levels , they historically have rarely filled those levels with competent staff . In my work as a consultant , I found that a typical average of 10 percent-15 percent security staff shortage was normal for security departments BC . At-
22 Global Gaming Business FEBRUARY 2022