Posted on: November 1, 2023, 03:57h. 

Last updated on: November 1, 2023, 03:57h.

Mississippi’s Scarlet Pearl Casino Resort had to temporarily suspend gaming floor operations due to surveillance cameras malfunctioning. However, the cameras were repaired, and play resumed the following day.

Once the surveillance cameras failed, immediate action was taken by the casino staff, evacuating visitors and players from the gaming floor.

The repair of the surveillance system started on Monday around lunchtime and took several hours to complete.

Players were able to return to the casino floor on Tuesday at approximately 5:30 a.m.

About 75% of the gaming floor was affected by the malfunction, according to the Mississippi Sun Herald news outlet.

According to Mississippi TV station WLOX, state regulations require functioning surveillance cameras for casinos to operate in Mississippi.

As soon as the malfunction was noticed, the Mississippi Gaming Commission (MGC) was notified by the casino staff.

Surveillance cameras are essential for casino security to monitor gambling activities and ensure overall safety. Both players and employees are typically monitored to prevent any rule violations.

Since the malfunction was not related to a power outage, there was no need to test the games before reopening the casino floor, as confirmed by the MGC.

Rumors Galore

Scarlet Pearl Casino CEO LuAnn Pappas addressed the situation in a Facebook post, stating, “Despite all the rumors (and there were many), we experienced technical difficulties with our casino surveillance coverage. As such, we were required to shut down the casino until coverage could be fully restored.”

Pappas expressed gratitude towards players and employees for their cooperation during the shutdown.

When they say ‘it takes a village’, they were not kidding,” Pappas said. “Thank you for your patience and understanding.”

“Most importantly, I want to thank our surveillance TEAM and I.T. Not a day passes whereby I do not tell myself how blessed I am to work alongside a great team I call my family,” she added.

Edward Wong, deputy director of the MGC, acknowledged that similar breakdowns can occur in the state’s casinos.

Most of our casinos have experienced similar events,” Wong said. “It does happen from time to time.”

Hotel, Eateries Remained Open

The casino’s restaurants and 300-room hotel continued their operations while the gaming floor was temporarily closed.

The cause of the surveillance camera system failure is unknown, and there is no evidence of foul play.

The casino did not disclose the amount of revenue lost during the closure of the gaming floor.

The Scarlet Pearl Casino Resort, opened in 2015, is located in D’Iberville, Miss, near Biloxi.