Utilistar Completes State of Louisiana Contract for Centralized Casino Monitoring System

Utilistar Process Automation has successfully completed a contract with the Louisiana State Police, Casino Gaming Division, to implement the Consolidated Operations Information and Notification System (COINS) as a version customized for the gaming regulation industry, that version referred to as the CASINO Operations Information and Notification System. This turn-key contract included all computer and telecommunications hardware, software, installation and integration, training, and documentation.

This COINS instance was designed by regulators to help them carry out their duties more effectively and efficiently. Utilistar built the system to meet stringent specifications and to provide a rich, robust, and scaleable system that will meet regulators' data collection, monitoring, analysis and reporting needs now and in the future.

The system provides comprehensive Electronic Gaming Device (EGD) transaction histories, including meter and event information, for thousands of EGDs at many casinos. EGD data is collected in near real time and regulatory agents can be automatically notified (via pager, PDA or cell phone) when user-specified events occur (such as illegal accesses, malfunctions and jackpots). All data is stored in high-performance, high-capacity, and redundant centralized databases. A Web browser User Interface allows users to retrieve data of interest and analyze and present that data using a variety of pre-defined and user-defined (ad hoc) reports in various formats including HTML, Microsoft Excel, and Adobe PDF. The browser User Interface allows all system administration and user request functions on the State Police secure intranet without requiring special software to be loaded on user PCs.

The system is not limited to EGD meter and event information. Virtually any type of data can be accommodated such as table game transactions, turnstile counts, or electronic requests for actions requiring regulatory approval (e.g., EGD moves).

The volume of information generated by casino operations is tremendous. Analyzing that data to support audits and investigations can be a formidable task. Important details can go undetected, errors can be introduced. COINS not only captures detailed data, but it helps regulators effectively manage and use the data in ways that were previously too cumbersome to be routinely practical or efficient. COINS also removes the dependence of the regulator on the casino operator to provide data (or casino system access) as information is automatically reported to the central COINS databases and made immediately available to gaming regulators at their desks. COINS provides a common and consistent platform for working with data from many casinos, each of which may have different methods of monitoring and reporting transactions. Paper reports don't have to be handled and hand-entering data into another system is avoided. COINS makes it possible to do monitoring, analysis and investigation more thoroughly and efficiently than ever before.

COINS' near-real-time monitoring features offer additional benefits. On-site agents can be notified of EGD events when they occur, allowing the agent to quickly respond to an event of interest. Likewise, floor testing can be quickly verified without requiring the witness to leave the test location. The complete history of EGD events stored in the central database is also a powerful tool to support after-the-fact analysis and regulatory compliance.

As casinos continue to move to cashless play, COINS will provide a data capture and reporting base that helps ensure an audit trail and smooth transition to this new technology.

Finally, COINS augments and adds value to existing regulatory information systems. Its non-proprietary open database makes data available to other authorized systems and users. Likewise, COINS can access data from other systems for integration with COINS information.

Utilistar is a Louisiana-based company established in 1987 to provide technological solutions to business, industry, and government clients.