Online Casino Gambling

Casino surveillance must not only be vigilant for cheaters and scam artists that are visitors of the casino, but also must watch for employee cheaters. In rare instances these employees are working alone. In most cases they are working with a guest or other employees to scam the casino. It is much more difficult to spot an employee than a guest. Casino staff that are commonly involved in these cheater situations are dealers, floor supervisors and boxmen.

Luckily, there is common behavior that can be spotted that tend to further reveal their actions and motives. Dealers typically enact the following:

• Places hands in bankroll tray when not dealing
• Always looking at the floor supervisors
• Random violations of procedure
• Does not clear hands prior to touching body

If the dealer has their hands in the bankroll tray, this may be an indication they are secretly skimming chips. Also, whenever a guest or employee is cheating, they will be constantly looking around for higher authorities. Additionally, when the dealer is consistently violating dealer procedure they become suspect for collusion. Furthermore, if the dealer does not clear the hands prior to touching their body, they could be taking chips.

There are also a few indicators for Floor Supervisors and Boxmen including:

• Rubbernecking
• Gambling heavily when not on the job
• Bad attitude
• Won’t talk to surveillance
• High standard of living for income

Rubbernecking or always scanning the floor to find the boss is a common indicator of some type of misbehavior. This way they can keep their eyes on the boss to ensure he is not watching. Also, those that gamble heavy when off duty tend to be more interested in cheating the system. Furthermore, a bad attitude and not talking to security departments such as surveillance can show an unwillingness to cooperate and a potential for theft.

One of the biggest indicators is an employee that lives significantly beyond their apparent income. In most cases they are acquiring the extra income from some outside source. In many instances it is a second job. However, if the employee is living well beyond their means it could be something else.

These signs help Surveillance personnel catch employees involved in some type of theft each day across the globe. Often a suspected employee’s personal life is reviewed to verify anything out of the ordinary. The bottom line is the Surveillance Department is trained to spot these individuals.

There are many differences between the ways in which online games are played versus land-based games. The biggest differences are found in the game of craps. Although the mechanics of the games remain the same, there are specific aspects that differ in a brick and mortar casino compared to online.

The land-based craps game has a different layout of three sections from its online counterpart. The two end sections contain the field, pass and come bets which are identical to the online version. The middle section provides the proposition bets. In online games only the middle and one end section are viewable. This is because online craps was made for a single player and land-based for multiple bettors.

Also, at a land-based casino there are a number of employees observing the table. With so many employees at the table, craps can be quite intimidating. These employees typically include:

• The stickman
• The boxman
• Two dealers

The stickman remains at the center of the table and uses a hooked stick to collect and pass the dice. All new shooters are provided the dice by the stickman. Following the player’s roll, the stickman announces the number thrown and gives the dice back to the shooter. The stickman is also responsible for placing proposition bets.

The boxman is centered across from the stickman and supervises the payouts of the game to ensure fairness and accuracy. The boxman is also responsible for the casino’s bankroll which is directly in front of him. Additionally, the boxman facilitates any disputes that may arise.

Finally, there is one dealer on each side of the boxman. Each dealer handles the financial operations at their respective ends of the table. The responsibilities include, collecting chips, paying out and returning chips to the boxman. Dealers also place special bets on the table for players. Additionally, dealers handle pucks that are used as a benchmark for a number. On the other hand, all positions in online craps are manned by the software.

Additionally, online craps simply offer a graphical representation of the dice based on a random number generator. Some have animations of a player shooting the dice while others spin the dice when the “roll” button is clicked. To ensure randomness at an online casino, the player must hit the dice off the back wall.

There are many differences between online and land-based craps. However, the mechanics of the game do not change, just the way it is played. Either way, craps is one of the most exhilarating casino games available.

There are many methods of cheating at land-based casinos. As technology improves, the casino systems for spotting cheaters are upgraded but the method of cheating also becomes more complicated and difficult to spot. Signals between colluding players used to be a popular cheating method. However, that has been replaced by electronic devices and more advanced techniques.

There are many tells for which to spot different types of cheaters. This article is going to focus on some of the most common ways to spot a patron cheater. Keep in mind, none of the following are definite evidence of cheating, instead they indicate something may be wrong. If a player is looking to cheat a slot game, they may exhibit the following motions:

• Rubbernecking
• Blocking the front of the machine
• Collecting a crowd around them
• Constantly looking at the cameras
• Leg jumping
• Indicator on the machine covered

Generally when a player is cheating, they will become nervous and paranoid. As a result, they will rubberneck, look at the cameras often and have uncontrolled muscle spasms such as constant leg movements. Also, they will want to fix the machine or input counterfeit money in secrecy. Therefore, they will find every method in the book to block the cameras or the machine using innocent bystanders.

When a player is attempting to cheat at a table game, the following may be traits that are important to look for:

• Rubbernecking
• Name refusal/only provides name when losing
• Accessories to conceal face
• Brings large amounts of checks
• Little play, large buy-in

At table games as well as slots, the cheater will be nervous and paranoid. Also, they will refuse to provide their name if winning since they do not want it on record. If losing, then they have no problem doing so since cheaters do not play to lose.

Furthermore, the perpetrator will wear sunglass, hats and other accessories to conceal their face. Additionally, the will bring a large amount of checks and buy-in large with little play which indicates a potential for using counterfeit money.

As cheating methods evolve and become more advanced, casino surveillance and other observatory departments need to be more vigilant and constantly training. Modern technology plays a big role as well so it is important to be up-to-date with surveillance equipment. Despite these tools, human nature is human nature so when an individual is doing something wrong, they usually exhibit some type of indicator which should be caught.

The Cosmopolitan hotel-resort in Las Vegas recently aired its first commercial following the season finale of “Mad Men” featuring hundreds of little furry animals. Obviously there is no correlation between hotel-resort and these animals but it certainly sparked viewer’s interest and curiosity which was the aim of the commercial. The hotel-resort is scheduled to open its doors in approximately two months.

The Commercial

The commercial was shot on a set resembling the Cosmopolitan hotel-resort and features societal taboos such as an old woman groping a younger man, a bellhop missing his pants while working and a dominatrix being strapped into a sexy corset. The advertisement was quite provocative and sexy.

The Cosmopolitan Vice President of Brand Marketing did not want an advertisement with people eating a one of the hotel-resort’s many restaurants and a few people gambling. Instead, their aim was to shock the viewers while enticing the customer to learn what the Cosmopolitan is all about. The primary target for this commercial is the curious class.

The naughty behavior (what you would expect in Las Vegas) at the beginning of the advertisement was soon overtaken by cute kittens and fluffy rabbits and chicks. The advertisement concludes with the Cosmopolitan’s slogan, “Just the right amount of wrong.”

The Symbolism

Naturally, the creative viewers broke down the symbolism in the commercial. However, the intent of the advertisement is to be a juxtaposition of naughty and nice. For those that do not understand the point of the message, they indicated they were interested in finding out more about the property.

The Curious Class

Unfortunately there is no specific demographic or defined marketing terminology for the curious class. However, it is viewed more as a shared attitude among a group of people. Therefore, specific age, location and income have no bearing. Instead, these individuals are creative, well-traveled, open-minded and like new ideas.

The Ad Agency

The commercial was created by Minneapolis-based ad-agency Fallon. They have worked with other major brands such as Starbucks, Travelers, Holiday Inn Express and NBC Universal. Fallon has also taken on the role of managing the Cosmopolitan’s print and electronic ads.

This advertisement is a great lead into their opening. By airing the commercial for the next two months until the grand opening, they should be able to attract a large number of curious customers.

The American football season is now underway and so is the release of football-themed slot machines. In 2010, there are quite a few leading gaming software developers that cater to American clientele with the release of football-themed slots. Each year, many Americans not only look forward to the beginning of football, but also the release of new slot games.

Vegas Technology

Industry-leading software developer, Vegas Technology, has released the $5 Million Touchdown game. This particular game can be found within the English Harbour Group network of casinos. To win the $5 million, 5 Strategy symbols must appear anywhere on the reel with maximum coins and maximum paylines wagered.

Other symbols originate directly from American football such as, kicking, throwing and tackling moves, cheerleaders, the football, a whistle and the goal post. Additionally, there is an integrated bonus game. Football players are lined up on both sides of the screen. The player selects one player from every row which simulates passing the ball from one to another. Every selection rewards the player with bonus credits which continues until fumble or touchdown.

Rival Gaming

Rival Gaming also provides their share of American football-themed slots called Pigskin Payout. The reels display as a scoreboard with the backdrop of a stadium. The numerous symbols include cheerleaders, referees, the stadium, a strategy board, a football, a quarterback, fries, beer and the 50-yard line. The software features vivid graphical animations and crisp sound during a win.

In the Jackpot Can’t Lose game, stadium scatter symbols distribute 25 free spins at triple payout with the first and fifth reels being wildcards. The cheerleader wild symbol in the normal spin games doubles the payouts. Also, when five wild symbols are aligned, the subsequent payout is 7,500 coins.

Realtime Gaming

This year Realtime Gaming has released a version of American football-themed slots aptly named Fruit Bowl XXV. This game differs from earlier versions in that the symbols are fruits including, grapes, bananas, pineapples and strawberries which represent the football players, plums are the cheerleaders and cherries are the spectators. Other symbols include stadium, trophy, football and cap.

The bonus game is called Fruit Bowl which involves the player bypassing opponents with moves such as right, left and duck in order to score a touchdown. The amount of success determines the number of free spins acquired. These three gaming companies continue to provide exciting, interesting games to maintain the attention of avid gamers. These football-themed slots provide further excitement during an already exhilarating sports season.

Many online gaming sites offer American Express (AMEX) as a method for depositing money. Since this is another type of credit card, the deposit method is similar to using Visa or MasterCard. AMEX provides a convenient and quick deposit method at online gaming sites which is much less frustrating than other deposit methods.

Important Points to Remember

One point to remember is that AMEX is not accepted at all online casinos. Also, not all gaming sites are as efficient as processing AMEX transactions as others. Therefore, it is important to select the correct casino when choosing to make a deposit. This is common amongst players from the United States.

Another tip is that all online casinos that accept Visa also accept MasterCard. However, these may not also accept AMEX cards because the merchant accounts for processing credit card transactions differs between Visa/MasterCard and AMEX.

How to Use an AMEX Card

For those online casinos that accept this type of deposit method, it is simple to use. You simply enter your information and hit the submit button to process the transaction. Ensure you have the card in front of you even if it is stored by the casino because they will require your security code from the front.

This security code verifies you have the card in front of you. For example, if an individual acquires your credit card number and expiration but does not have the card in front of them, they will be unable to use it in an online transaction.

AMEX Security

Overall, American Express provides excellent security measures to their customers. The company implements enough security for online transactions to make it extremely difficult for outsiders to steal credit card information. All processed online transactions utilize 128-plus bit SSL encryption. This ensures card data transferred across the internet is safe.

AMEX is an excellent option for those looking to make large deposits at online gaming sites because they typically have higher limits for American Express Platinum Card or an AMEX Black Cards. Also, online casinos that accept AMEX will permit players to make higher-than-usual deposits using the card. This is all dependent on a fax back form for proof of ownership.

When a casino offers AMEX to all players as a deposit method, it is the best way to transfer money due to the many security functions. Hopefully in the future, it will become the preferred method of deposit at all online gaming sites.