Inside Asian Gaming

inside asian gaming November 2017 4 Transformation from tragedy www.asgam.com T he tragic Mandalay Bay shooting that saw 58 people lose their lives in Las Vegas on 1 October was another sobering reminder that, as an industry, we must always stay vigilant. And just as airport security both in the US and beyond underwent a major transformation after 9/11, so too will casino security become a greater focus for operators around the world in the wake of this terrible event. The fact that it was the second shooting incident to take place at a casino this year following the Resorts World Manila (RWM) attack in June only sharpens the significance. In the wake of the incident in Manila, where 38 people were killed when a lone gunman fired shots and set fre to gaming tables, the Philippines’ gaming regulator Pagcor implemented strict new requirements on RWM before re-instating its gaming license. They included increasing the number of x-ray machines and metal detectors at casino entrances, doubling the deployment of armed security guards, conducting additional safety and security protocols for staff and the hiring of new security experts to improve systems. Other operators in Manila announced that they too would increase security measures. Melco Resorts, operator of City of Dreams Manila, increased its “security presence at every entrance that is also supplemented with metal detectors, x-ray machines and canine support.” It also revealed it was conducting pat downs, bag checks and car inspections, with armed guards stationed around the property’s perimeter as well as in the garage and either near or inside entrances. Likewise, it didn’t take long after the Las Vegas shooting for the issue of casino and hotel security to take center stage – an understandable inquisition given the daunting arsenal of weapons the perpetrator managed to carry to his Mandalay Bay room. Among the first to comment was Wynn Resorts Chairman and CEO Steve Wynn, who explained his company’s security protocols and how they deal with certain hotel guests. “We certainly wouldn’t invade the privacy of a guest in a room,” Mr Wynn told Fox News Sunday . “But put it this way – the scenario that we’re aware of would have indicated that he didn’t let anyone in the room for two or three days. That would have triggered a whole bunch of alarms here and we would have, on behalf of the guest, investigated for safety and it would have been a provocative situation.” Mr Wynn also revealed that Wynn Resorts had implemented extensive new security protocols in 2015 that involved re-training “the entire workforce from housekeeping and room service and people in the tower and observing people. We had to cover every exit and every aspect of the building to see if we could identify and pre-empt any kind of terroristic or violent action. It’s never perfect, of course, but what you can do – to use local vernacular – you can change the odds, I guess.” Wynn boasts of having up to 40 security personnel at all major entrances to its buildings, many of them plain-clothed, and it has been reported that every Las Vegas operator would have begun reviewing its security procedures within hours of the 1 October shooting. That level of self-assessment has also spread further afield, including to Macau where the government has since announced a list of new recommendations. They include everything from permanent metal detectors and increased crisis training to the creation of a special ops team specifically tasked with responding to critical incidents. It is an uncomfortable truth that many major developments that take place on this planet of ours are shaped by tragedy, but we can at least hope the lessons learned from the Manila and Las Vegas shootings help prevent it from happening again. Ben Blaschke Managing Editor We crave your feedback. Please email your comments to [email protected]. Editorial