Businesses across various sectors continually strive to improve their security systems due to ever-present concerns about crime and risk. Security magazine states that "Criminals annually steal $603 billion in assets while also creating an additional $1.1 trillion worth of lost productivity." Employee theft, property crime, and access control represent the top threats to companies' asset protection goals.
In the casino industry, these threats are particularly concerning for management. Employees are routinely entrusted with keys granting access to different security levels. Given the substantial financial transactions occurring daily, ensuring a secure key management system is crucial. The Oneida Bingo and Casino, located on the Oneida Indian Reservation in Green Bay, WI, successfully tackled this challenge by implementing a new key management system.
Implementing a key management system
Like many casinos, Oneida faced issues with the efficient handling of floor keys, as staff would spend considerable time waiting for supervisors to sign them out. Recognizing this inefficiency, Project Re-Key began in 1998 with Tom VanDeHei tasked as the Project Manager. Collaborating with Morse Watchman, a Connecticut-based security company, the casino adopted the KeyWatcher system, a sophisticated key storage solution.
The KeyWatcher system offers personal user codes, tracks "Smart Keys" with security reports
The KeyWatcher system offers personal user codes, tracks "Smart Keys" with security reports, and triggers alarms if keys are not returned on time. VanDeHei explored the KeyWatcher as a versatile solution tailored to Oneida's needs. However, prior to installation, VanDeHei needed to ensure compliance with Wisconsin Gaming Commission regulations. Once approved, ten KeyWatchers were installed throughout the casino, all connected to a central computer. Training sessions were conducted for over 1300 employees to integrate the new procedures.
Outstanding outcomes
VanDeHei described the results as "phenomenal." The key retrieval time for employees was reduced significantly, from 15 minutes to under 90 seconds. All keys were accounted for during audits, indicating unprecedented accuracy and accountability. Additionally, custom software was developed to enhance key tracking and enforce policies, including using hand readers for employee identification.
Following the positive results, Oneida expanded the system to all six of its casinos, linking all KeyWatchers to a central server managed by the security department. The integration has enabled comprehensive key management across different departments and sites.
Enhanced Security and Accountability
In discussing Morse Watchman's effectiveness, VanDeHei remarked, "Among the thousands of companies, Morse Watchman is one of the best companies I have ever worked with. They worked closely with us to install the system, program our customised software, and train our employees. You’d be amazed how many times a day we access keys in this place, and still achieve 100% accountability from the KeyWatcher.”
Casinos like Oneida Bingo and Casino cannot afford security lapses in key management, and with Morse Watchman's KeyWatcher, key accountability is assured.
Challenge: The ever-present concerns of crime and risk are motivating business managers across all industries to implement superior security systems. According to Security magazine’s “Security @ the Millennium” white paper presentation, …criminals annually steal $603 billion in assets while also creating an additional $1.1 trillion worth of lost productivity.” Furthermore, employee theft, property crime and access control, respectfully, are the leading threats to companies’ asset protection.
Client: In the casino industry especially, these security threats are weighing heavily on the minds of managers. It is common for casino employees to be entrusted with keys that permit access to different levels of security every day. Considering the millions of dollars exchanged throughout casinos daily, a reliable, secure system to control access to company keys is essential. The Oneida Bingo and Casino, located on the Oneida Indian Reservation in Green Bay, WI faced this security challenge, and was successful in implementing a key management system that gave the gaming facility total accountability.
Key management system
One problem facing Oneida, and most casinos, is the checking in and out of floor keys. Throughout Oneida’s daily gaming hours, a team of about ten employees would remove money from the casino floor to be accounted for in other areas. The team had to wait an average of 15 minutes while a supervisor signed the keys out under the watchful eyes of security personnel. This unnecessary waste of time, labour and productivity signalled that a new system needed to be investigated.
Project: As a result, in early 1998 Project Re-Key was launched with Tom VanDeHei as Project Manager. VanDeHei was assigned the daunting task of implementing a brand new key management system throughout the casino.
Provider: VanDeHei had partnered with Morse Watchman, a Connecticut-based security management company, to set up new locks and discovered that they offered a key management system, known as the KeyWatcher.
Key storage locker system
KeyWatcher is a sophisticated key storage locker system. Its security management features include personal user codes that allow access to colour-coded “Smart Keys“, which are tracked using detailed security reports. The Smart Keys sound an alarm if they’re not returned within a designated time period.
Protocol: “I researched the KeyWatcher and found it to be a security system versatile enough to meet Oneida’s specific key control needs. I told the managers, ‘this is the only system I’ve found that can do it all,'” VanDeHei explained.
But before the casino could get the KeyWatcher installed, VanDeHei had to make sure the system met Wisconsin Gaming Commission regulations. VanDeHei teamed with others to write a comprehensive manual describing the KeyWatcher and its proposed use in the casino.
Three training sessions
Implementation: After reviewing the manual, the Commission found that the KeyWatcher met all their criteria and Oneida was granted clearance to implement it. VanDeHei and the Morse Watchman team set up ten KeyWatchers throughout the casino all linked to a central computer. The casino’s 1300 employees underwent three training sessions to become familiar with the system in conjunction with the casino’s new policies and procedures.
Benefits: The results, in VanDeHei’s words, were “phenomenal.” “The wait for ten employees to get their keys has decreased from 15 minutes to less than 90 seconds. We’ve had three audits since last December and every key has been accounted for, which is unheard of with other systems,” VanDeHei informed.
Developed custom software
Furthermore, VanDeHei and Morse Watchman engineers developed custom software to produce special key tracking reports, enforce policies and procedures, and increase employee productivity. Special hand readers were installed that substituted for the employees’ user codes.
Oneida implemented the system into all six of their casinos. All of the KeyWatchers are linked to a main server run by an administrator in the security department. The Smart Keys have made it easy to account for all the keys, regardless of department or site location.
High-level security companies
Success: VanDeHei is very frank concerning his assessment of the company and its products. “Among the thousands of companies, Morse Watchman is one of the best companies I have ever worked with. They worked closely with us to install the system, program our customised software, and train our employees,” VanDeHei commented. “You’d be amazed how many times a day we access keys in this place, and still achieve 100% accountability from the KeyWatcher.”
Like all high-level security companies, gaming facilities such as Oneida Bingo and Casino can’t afford to gamble with the security of its keys. Thankfully, the KeyWatcher from Morse Watchman is making 100% key accountability a lock.
