Smarter Surveillance for a National Casino Portfolio

Operating nearly 50 gaming properties across the United States, PENN Entertainment has one of the most varied portfolios in the industry, including large destination resorts, racetrack casinos, standalone regional properties, mini casinos, and riverboats.

Different footprints. Different regulators. Different pressures. Yet across the entire enterprise, one constant remains: their security and surveillance platform.

Flexibility for a diverse property portfolio

For Stephanie Shockley, Surveillance Director for PENN Entertainment, the key reason Synergy has become PENN's platform of choice is its unique flexibility.

"We operate a truly diverse range of gaming locations", says Steph. "When that's the case, one size cannot fit all. But that doesn't mean you can't have consistency."

Each property runs its own Synergy system, configured around local operational and regulatory requirements. "There are multiple ways to achieve the same outcome in Synergy", Steph adds. "That flexibility means our teams can work in a way that suits their property and individual preferences, but we still know the system underneath is rock solid – as is the vendor relationship behind it."

Speed that supports better investigations

Across thousands of cameras, the challenge is not simply visibility – it's efficiency.

Surveillance operators must be able to move seamlessly between live feeds, recorded footage and incident management workflows without delay to investigate events quickly and accurately.

Synergy's mapping capabilities have been particularly valuable. Surveillance teams can upload and manage CAD maps of property layouts, switch between mapping layers and isolate specific areas of interest in seconds.

And as gaming floors evolve, tables repositioned, layouts adjusted, and new areas introduced, camera positioning can be easily and automatically updated, ensuring surveillance is always aligned with the live environment.

System integrations based on each property's needs

Synergy's open architecture enables integration with any third-party system or technology, a benefit that PENN properties leverage in different ways based on their specific needs.

At several casinos, point-of-sale systems are integrated directly into Synergy. Transaction data can be correlated with video footage within the same interface, reducing investigative time and complexity, and making it easy to spot events such as comp fraud.

Panic alarms are also located across gaming floors, pits, and cash-handling areas at many sites. When activated, operators are immediately directed to the relevant cameras.

In some properties, audio systems deployed in selected high-risk areas feed into Synergy, adding an extra layer of support for staff and context for surveillance teams receiving calls for assistance.

PENN has also started a trial of License Plate Recognition (LPR) to explore a wider rollout of this capability across its enterprise.

Remote access that meets gaming commission standards

Regulatory requirements vary across the jurisdictions in which PENN operates.

In some jurisdictions, for example, the gaming commission requires remote access to live and recorded surveillance footage. A requirement fulfilled by using Synergy's remote access capabilities.

These deployments often require formal approval, including validation of cyber security protections, user permissions and access controls.

With secure, role-based access in place, regulators can review footage when required, while each property retains full control of its own surveillance environment.

Ability to "audit anything"

Beyond regulator access, traceability plays an important role in day-to-day oversight and reporting. Thanks to Synergy, traceability is also something each property never has to worry about.

"I always remind our surveillance teams that we can audit anything," Steph says. "Every action within the system is recorded, and that's reassuring."

From footage exports to configuration changes and alarm responses, system activity is clear. This transparency supports internal accountability and ensures investigative processes are consistently applied.

Across a portfolio of independently operating properties, this level of audit visibility also provides confidence that standards are being maintained wherever Synergy is deployed.

Reliability without exception

Each PENN property deploys redundancy measures, such as failover servers and hot-swappable recording. If a primary server encounters an issue, replication ensures uninterrupted control locally. If a recording device fails, footage automatically re-routes to alternative storage.

System health dashboards further support proactive monitoring, enabling technical teams at each location to identify and address potential issues before they escalate.

A future-ready standard

Regulations will evolve. Security technologies will advance – from higher-definition cameras to AI-driven video and data analytics. 

Across nearly 50 properties operating under different jurisdictions, PENN knows changes like these won't require a rethink of its surveillance foundation.

Steph concludes. "The system is proven and built to integrate whatever comes next, and the Synectics team understands our business and our challenges. That combination means whatever changes come, we can adapt quickly and confidently."