A look at casino security
The majority of players are looking for an evening of entertainment when they visit their favorite land-based casinos. It’s about going and playing your favourite games, enjoying the company and maybe even having a few drinks. Of course, there are those who take things a little more seriously and spend their time trying new tactics and doing their utmost to win. Then there are those who take it a step further and turn to cheating. That´s where casino security comes in, which is what we will be dealing with in this article.
Given the amount of money that’s up for grabs, it’s perhaps unsurprising that there are those who look to cheat casinos. While some may get away with such actions, there are plenty that don’t and that’s because of the levels of security that are in place. Let’s take a look at just some of the things these establishments are doing to catch the cheats.
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First things first about casino security
Before we move on and look at the security that casinos have in place to prevent cheats, it’s worth looking at what doesn’t constitute cheating. The big thing here is card counting when playing blackjack. As we’ve covered in previous articles, card counting is not cheating and it’s not illegal. It is in fact a skill that players master to increase their chances of a win.
Now, just because it’s not illegal doesn’t mean that casinos like it. They will still employ tactics to identify those who are doing this and, once found, they can expect to be thrown out. However, they still have nothing to worry about where the law is concerned.
How seriously do casinos take security?
As all players know, the house will always win over the long term. Casinos know this too, after all this is their business and it’s how they make money. That being the case, you’d expect them to be super hot on security and to be taking every possible step to catch the cheats. With new tech such as facial recognition and the like, you’d expect it to be easier than ever to identify a cheat as soon as they walk in and not even give them a chance to play. The reality, however, is a little different.
Industry insiders have revealed that casinos will literally do just enough to get by. Why? Well, security is expensive and the casinos would rather spend on a new slot or two than it would on extra security measures. With the house always winning, the belief is that they can simply make more money with new games than what they’ll lose to cheats.
While casinos may be jam-packed with 2,000 or more surveillance cameras, the reality is that there are nowhere near enough screens to monitor these and there certainly aren’t the levels of staff that are required to be effective. These cameras only provide assistance to casinos after the fact. If it’s been noted that someone has had a particularly successful night, the footage can be played back and any cheating identified.
Just what are the cheats doing?
Those who are looking to cheat a casino have a variety of methods at their disposal. Some may be legal while others clearly aren’t. Here’s a look at just some of the things that these cheats are up to:
The infinite hundred-dollar bill
Now, this is a cheat that will have been shut down now but you never know if it’ll ever start working again on any other machines. Over a two-week period, this cheat was used by a team who took over $1 million from the casino that they targeted. So, what did they actually do? Well, they discovered that you could feed a hundred-dollar bill into a slot and, if you pressed buttons at the right time, you’d be given $100 credit. Not only that, but the machine would also spit out the bill meaning that you could do it all over again.
The chip cup
This is a method that requires a player and dealer to work together. If they master this cheat properly then they’re able to make a killing. How does it work? This involves a chip cup that looks identical to a stack of $5 chips. However, the cup is hollowed out and that means that it can also hold $100 chips. When utilised correctly, this is a highly profitable cheat.
The palm
While there are some high-tech methods of cheating, this one certainly isn’t. However, when this strategy is carried out properly it’s almost impossible to detect. It involves a player palming a card and then passing it to another player to make a better blackjack hand.
Speciality code
This cheat goes back to the programmer of a video poker game. The programmer decided to sneak in a hidden code that would give a real benefit to players. By following a set sequence of bets over several hands, the game would automatically produce a royal flush.
Hidden cameras
There are players who utilize buttonhole cameras to give themselves the edge. These infrared cameras had the ability to identify, and record, the cards as they passed through a shuffle machine. The footage would be shared with someone outside of the casino who would then communicate with the player and tell them which card was coming next.
Casino security – How casinos fight back
The only real thing that casinos have in their favor is that they can ask you to leave. If you’ve won a large sum of money by shifting the odds in your favor, you can expect to be banned. If, however, you’ve won by sheer luck then casinos will be keen to see players return so that they can take their money back.
Every casino you enter will also be filled with sensors. It has been claimed that a casino will have more sensors per square foot than a battleship. These sensors protect doors, slots, ATMs and everything else.
Final thoughts on casino security
If you’re going to a casino with the intention of cheating, you may well get away with it in the short term. However, if you’re looking at the long game it’s no different to playing at a casino anyway: the house will always win so you can guarantee that you will be caught.
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