Security at the Casino

The word casino invokes visions of glamorous, flashy and opulent gambling establishments where millionaires roll the dice and take their chances on a winning streak. Casinos have fascinated us even those who don’t gamble, inspiring the Rat Pack’s Ocean’s 11 and its many sequels, and generating millions in revenues each year. But the truth is much different than the Hollywood image. There is something about casinos that encourages people to cheat, steal and scam their way into the jackpot, and that’s why they spend so much money and effort on security.

Casinos guarantee profitability in a variety of ways. One is by ensuring that the house always has an advantage over players, which can be expressed more precisely as the house edge for each game. Another is by managing player behavior, offering complimentary perks to keep gamblers in the casino longer. And still another is by imposing strict rules and regulations to prevent cheating and ensuring that games are played fairly.

All casinos are monitored constantly, with security cameras in nearly every room. In addition, all modern slot machines have chips with built-in microcircuitry that allows the casinos to oversee how much is wagered minute by minute and to immediately discover any statistical deviation from expected results; roulette wheels are electronically monitored regularly for the same reason. Casinos also have a “count room,” where employees will count and bundle the money brought in by gamblers and then await transportation by armored car for deposit into a bank.