- Officials seemed surprised to find the venue had added the detectors.
- Weapon checks are not common occurrences in casinos.
- The new devices were added to the casino in February.
This week, the Rivers Casino Philadelphia took part in a standard license renewal hearing.
Officials of the property met with the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board to discuss its services and hope for a positive outcome. Everyone expected that the hearing would result in a license renewal, but there was one surprise attendees were not expecting. The casino announced to officials that metal detectors had been installed two months prior to ensure a safe gaming environment for guests.
Surprising News to Officials
All 16 casinos in the state must have security checks at its entry points. These checks include age verification and ensuring that patrons are not on any exclusion lists in Pennsylvania. Weapons checks are standard in venues like government facilities or stadiums, but not casinos. So, the Board was surprised to find that the machines had been added at Rivers.
Officials were happy with the installation as an added security measure, but curious as to why Rivers would go the extra step. Chairwoman Denise Smyler asked the casino operator if certain incidents were the reason the decision was made. Officials said no that it was feedback from guests on safety that led to the installation.
Basically, the casino operator said that the metal detectors are a proactive measure. It stops a bad guy from coming to the casino and that is worth the extra effort.
Effects of the Metal Detectors
General Manager Justin Moore spoke about the installation during the meeting stating that around 80% of the comments regarding the metal detectors from patrons are positive. Most of the complaints stemmed from patrons who are smokers. They were a bit unhappy about having to leave to smoke then go through the metal detector again upon reentry.
Most casinos in the Pennsylvania allow smoking, but the Rivers venue is maintaining its ban due to continued COVID-19 precautions. It would be a bit inconvenient to have to be rechecked, but the process is not time consuming.
It makes sense in general to have metal detectors installed in casinos, especially in higher crime areas. It is not uncommon, though not a usual occurrence, for a patron to bring a gun to a casino for a robbery attempt or violence.
Casinos have been robbed at gunpoint before, and metal detectors would have kept that from happening. Shootings have also taken place with patrons injured or killed, so the extra measure is a good method of prevention.
So far, the sister site to Rivers Philadelphia, Rivers Pittsburgh does not have a metal detector installation. It will be interesting to see if this will be added in the future.
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