Part II: Casino Operations · Surveillance & Security

Chain of Custody

Investigation

A documented, chronological record that establishes the sequence of custody, control, transfer, analysis, and disposition of evidence. In casino surveillance, chain of custody applies to video recordings, physical evidence, photographs, and any other materials collected during an investigation. Each person who handles evidence must document their actions, the date and time, and the condition of the evidence to ensure its admissibility in legal, regulatory, or disciplinary proceedings.

In practice

A broken chain of custody can render evidence inadmissible in court; surveillance departments follow strict protocols mirroring law enforcement standards.

One entry from the Casino Industry Glossary — 1,157 terms written for surveillance, compliance and operations professionals rather than for players. Definitions describe industry usage; where a term carries a regulatory meaning, verify against the instrument that governs your jurisdiction.