On any given day in the surveillance room, Pit Supervisors and other officials will request operators to give special attention to a specific guest, area or activity. The Surveillance Supervisor or Director will make the decision as to the best method of handling the request. These requests occur often; sometimes they are false observations and others are a crime in progress.
Observing for Suspicious Activity
Observing a specific player or dealer for suspicious activity is a common request. Every request needs to be taken seriously and should be followed if it doesn’t interfere with higher priority activities like a crime in progress. One consideration to remember is that it could be a team or group operation. Therefore, all surveillance operators shouldn’t focus on the same person. The whole casino needs to continue to be observed.
If any criminal activity occurs, try to capture it from as many cameras and viewpoints as possible. These recordings may play the role as vital evidence at a later date. The Director of Surveillance must be notified of the incident immediately.
Utilizing Proper Etiquette
Remember, when calling management personnel or other departments use the proper tone, language and utmost professionalism when discussing the issue. The same is consistent with other departments when talking to surveillance. If any discourtesy does occur, report it to your supervisor.
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Also keep in mind that no floor person should be calling surveillance personnel even if they witness crimes or cheating. The proper protocol is for them to report the activity to their Pit Manager or above. Regardless of the results, once the evaluation has concluded, report them to the Pit Manager. Sometimes even the Pit Managers forget that floor supervisors need to report all activity to them. Politely remind them of the proper chain of command.
On the other hand, floormen are required to call surveillance when they witness a dealer error that has occurred. According to their procedures, floormen must also report the incident to their supervisor. This is to confirm correct reporting to higher-level personnel and ensure another witness has been informed.
There are many different casino specific procedures and protocols to follow. The most important points are to be courteous, respectful to other departments and your co-workers, be diligent with your actions and have a good attention-to-detail. This combination will allow you to be successful and efficient within your job.
