Inside Asian Gaming

June 2009 | INSIDE ASIAN GAMING 37 BMM important with this kind of investigation, especially for high value disputes,” he adds. Alert surveillance “The first responder to the scene should immediately notify surveillance to monitor the area of activity from several angles. That should happen even before the area is secured,” explains Mr Sreedharan. Surveillance should also gather together all CCTV or other relevant recordings that covered that area of the casino floor leading up to the time of the incident. The slot operations group, in conjunction with the security team, would also be expected to secure the game in question without disturbing any current status of the gaming equipment in question and secure it such that it cannot be operated by anyone other than the professional investigators. Use the right expert To ensure the integrity of the game software and game configurations, a trained representative from the regulatory authority with detailed knowledge of the game software and hardware would normally be the most appropriate lead person to gather evidence from the exterior and interior of the machine, says Mr Sreedharan. This process should consist of taking still photographs and/or video recordings of the game exterior, including any relevant screen shots, reel positions, meter readings, last game recall information, program data, configuration settings, error logs, communication logs, other information logs within the gaming equipment and ancillary equipment settings. Details of the visual evidence should also be written down so that it can be easily accessed by anyone writing a report on the incident. Anyone making notes at the scene should have their work reviewed by a colleague before the investigation moves to the next stage, states Mr Sreedharan. Look for abnormalities “It’s especially good practice to document anything that may seem out of place or abnormal,” he explains. “It never hurts as well to have more than one person checking the screens and the gaming device as a whole just to make sure the proper information is being recorded,”he adds. Only once all the exterior information has been noted should the response team move to the next phase—inspecting the inside of the machine. Protect interior evidence Investigation of the interior of the game cabinet and its electronics is normally the most critical step in the investigative process, says Mr Sreedharan. Only properly trained people should be involved in this phase, to reduce the risk of physical evidence or data evidence being corrupted. Another key step is to keep a record of all personnel involved in the investigation. “Securing evidence can be a slow and painstaking process so you need to make sure case reviews are done with the whole team present so that no detail is overlooked,” he says. Consult IT In most casinos the games on the floor are all communicating with a back- end system or systems depending on the size and complexity of the operation. Investigators can get vital help from the casino’s information technology experts by asking them to obtain all the system data for the game in question. Information related to the last time the game door was opened and the last time the game stopped communicating with the management system may be especially relevant. Records of authorised and unauthorised entries can also be obtained (e.g., whether the door open ‘event’ was preceded by the insertion of an authorised employee card). In any case the system data may be able to identify exactly what happened at the time of the game malfunction. Investigators should also try to take statements frompatrons who were near the area of the incident. They may prove to be important witnesses. Take pictures Above all, take plenty of relevant photographic evidence, says Mr Sreedharan. “The phrase ‘a picture’s worth a thousand words’ is especially true on forensic investigations,” he states. Some of the key areas that should be recorded photographically are: • game screen information (pay line patterns, current credits on game, credits wagered, amount of pay lines played, etc); • photos of help screens, pay tables, and all relevant information displayed on- screen that would be visible to patrons (i.e., excluding information accessed via the attendant menu); • photos of the cabinet, specifically of any areas that show evidence of tampering; • photos of all the error, communication and other logs available within the gaming equipment; • photos of the patron who reported the disputed transaction, as well as patrons who were in and around the relevant part of the casino floor at the relevant time. Test labs have a role Depending on the size of the disputed award, the operator and/or regulatory body may want to have the entire forensic investigation conducted by an independent testing lab such as BMM Compliance for an impartial third party opinion. “In those cases the use of clear and effective procedures at the preliminary stage of the investigation really comes into its own,” says Mr Sreedharan. “It means that there should be a good fit between the standards of the in-house investigation and the standards of the independent testing laboratory. As a result, information of reliable evidential value can be passed from one team to the other.” Hope for the best but prepare for the worst is probably a useful motto for any casino operator in today’s litigation-minded society. For more information on forensic dispute investigation, or specifically on BMM Compliance’s services, visit the company’s booth at G2E Asia. BMM Compliance: Booth # 1613 G2EAsia2009,CotaiStrip®CotaiExpo™, The Venetian Macao 3rd-4th June.