Operated by Arizona’s Yavapai Nation, Fort McDowell Casino has traveled a long and winding road in its quest to convert from analog to IP. Since opening the first bingo hall in Arizona in 1983, the Fort McDowell Yavapai Nation has expanded to become the Fort McDowell Resort and Casino, comprising 128,000 square feet of slot machines, a 1,800-seat bingo hall, 18 blackjack tables, and 20 pocket tables, as well as a number of food and beverage venues, a golf course, and a resort hotel.

Security for gaming and back-of-house areas is overseen by the Fort McDowell Tribal Gaming Office (FMTGO), which has maintained and fully provisioned surveillance coverage and compliance prior to each expansion initiative. The sometimes volatile growth has fostered a strong DIY culture with regard to surveillance, leading the tribe to embrace a culture of system design and full systems integration capabilities.

As a result, FMTGO surveillance techs and management are routinely called upon to design, source, build, and install off-site camera systems and other low-voltage solutions for nearby locations including courtrooms, schools, community centers, and mobile safety buildings.

All of these projects are provided without using local integrators for design and labor services, and the only interaction with surveillance providers is confined to equipment orders only. In 2004, following management changes, FMTGO accepted a proposal from a local systems integrator to convert the existing system from VCR to DVR recording — […]