Online Casino Gambling

Prior to making an arrest, probable cause must be enacted. This is a set of conditions that law enforcement officials feel satisfied prior to making an arrest. The agent must have sufficient evidence in the form of witness testimony, recordings or physical evidence that would convince a rational person that a specific crime was committed by the suspect. Suspicion is not probable cause as it would never hold up in court.

An arrest must abide by the characteristics of the law that is potentially being broken. NRS 465 is a violation that enforces cheating in gambling. Therefore, prior to an arrest for cheating at a casino, the arresting agent must be familiar with the term cheat and have evidence to prove it.

Evidence of cheating according to the law includes:

• An alteration of the gambling devices that determined the outcome of the game
• An alteration of the gambling devices that determined the amount of payment in a game
• An alteration of the gambling devices that determined the frequency of pay in a game

The investigating agent does not make the decision to arrest the suspect. In many cases there is not enough evidence to initially arrest the suspect so the agent completes the investigation and presents the findings to the District Attorney for a warrant. In some cases significant probable cause exists with a lack of evidence. Therefore, the suspect cannot be arrested solely for this purpose.

The casino can make a citizens arrest found in provision NRS 171.126. However, casinos must be careful as they assume all criminal and civil liability when this course of action is pursued.

When an employee observes a gaming crime that does not endanger life or safety, there are a few specific steps that should be taken. First, the actions of the suspect should immediately be recorded to obtain a clear identity. Second, the employee’s immediate supervisor should be contacted.

Third, a Security Manager should be informed that the employee is watching that individual. Fourth, continue to observer the perpetrator until an investigative agent arrives. At this point hand over the investigation to the agent.

Probable cause gives law enforcement officials the right to make an arrest based on strong evidence. In the casino industry, it is important to have all ducks in a row and keep the communication lines open until an investigative agent arrives and provides direction. This protects the casino from significant loss due to cheating.

The most valuable tool a security officer or surveillance operator can have is excellent observational ability mixed with instinct. Simply put, they act when they suspect something is not right. In the surveillance industry, this is known as JDLR or “just don’t look right.”

The Umbrella of JDLR

JDLR encompasses all the knowledge the observer has acquired from experience over the years. This typically includes experience observing others, the actual activity of observation at the casino, shopping malls or anywhere with crowds of people, and wraps it into a large program that can immediately identify an issue.

The Casino Business

In the casino industry, employees tend to become comfortable and lose their attention to detail. Sharp observers tend to notice little things that are out of the ordinary. For instance, the five o’clock shadow of a woman sitting next to a whale or the player that is continually looking at the camera.

In many cases, these little oddities are nothing at all and have a simple explanation. However, the observer with JDLR notes these differences and looks a little further into the situation. Upon further investigation, they find the situation has a simple explanation and they move on. However, every so often the observer’s instinct is correct and they unveil the true identity or agenda of the individual in question.

Learned Skills

In an occupation that requires repetitive motion on a consistent basis will develop a comfort-zone where they do not have to think about the routine, it just occurs. For instance, a veteran dealer hesitating in the middle of a hand or dropping chips. This is a clear sign that dealer is thinking about their motions and should be observed further. Perhaps they are having a bad day or perhaps they are stealing from the house.

A Normal Environment

One thing sharp observers learn is what a normal environment on the casino floor consists of. That helps them easily identify actions that just don’t look right and need further investigation.

Experience in the surveillance industry is like gold. The longer you have been there, the more you learn the actions of your guests and know and how to act accordingly. There are so many tricks and cheats that may not be detected by a new employee that a veteran can spot from a mile away. In surveillance you need a sharp eye, proper training and good experience to catch the perpetrators.

One of the biggest dangers to casino assets and liabilities to the casino is complacency among its employees. These employees are typically most insidious within the Surveillance and Security departments. As an employee, this is also where they can do the most damage to the business, its assets, reputation and guests.

Within the Surveillance and Security departments, it is easy to fall into a repetitive daily routine without being alert and observant at all times during operations. These typical functions include:

• Checking specific areas of the property
• Patrols
• Escorting fills to specific games
• Slots drops

These actions become so routine the employee begins to get to know those individuals they interact with, even the less desirable employees. This type of repetitive activity dulls the sense causing the employee to be less alert and less ready to spot wrongdoers. This also creates procedural sloppiness and tolerance of error.

For example, if an officer carries money at a predictable time on a predictable route that puts them in reach of criminals and the money is stolen, the officer is likely to be responsible for the theft. The insurance company could also be hesitant to cover any injuries the officer may incur. This is because that employee did not follow the procedure for transporting money which consists of using pre-determined back-halls route.

From a corporate viewpoint, the company could be partially liable for the officer’s injuries if they had not been properly trained and corrected following the incident. For the same reason, the corporate insurance could hesitate in paying most of the medical bills. As a society, the United States is considered complacent and vulnerable to sneak attacks and this is a perfect example.

However, since alertness and awareness are the job of a Security or Surveillance officer, there is no excuse for complacency. The job entails being responsible for the assets of the casino and safety of its employees and patrons. Without these job functions, balance would disappear and disorder would ensue.

Complacency is a serious issue in the security and surveillance world in an industry. Since they are hired to protect the company, its services and its guests, acquired routine can become the enemy. Any type of error by either department due to complacency can have catastrophic results for the business. This is one of the primary reasons Surveillance and Security Officers and staff are being constantly trained and retrained.

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 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.

In order to successfully run a casino, all departments must work in unison and follow the approved procedures for various situations set forth by executive management. When a game is successfully cheated or the casino is robbed, pit personnel tend to immediately lose their jobs from not detecting and reporting it.

Therefore, it is imperative to follow the procedures to ensure no theft at the casino occurs and employees are able to keep their jobs. It is necessary to always let other departments know the Surveillance Department has everyone’s back with the eye in the sky. Surveillance is preset to help correct errors, detect cheating, identify theft and log procedural errors.

In return, there are specific guidelines that must be followed by pit personnel and other departments when calling for the assistance of the Surveillance Department. These include:

• Giving your name and the pit number
• Give the game number
• Provide the name of the player and their position at the table
• Describe the situation
• For those with a heavy accent, speak slowly and clearly
• For cheating, after providing your name and the game number immediately state your suspicions
• For a cheating situation do not allow payoff until Surveillance has reviewed

The previous are the most basic guidelines for pit personnel when calling surveillance for help. Another rule to follow is to report any suspicions regarding a dealer directly to the pit supervisor or a higher position as opposed to calling surveillance. Also, if a dealer makes an error, call surveillance with the name of the dealer. This will not get them into trouble but consistent errors will result in retraining for them.

If card-counting or other out-of-the-ordinary betting patterns are detected, contact the pit supervisor prior to calling surveillance. Finally, after calling, back away from the game to give the suspect air and allow surveillance to do its job. If you hang over them, the suspect will disappear leaving no evidence of their wrongdoing.

These are the common procedures most game floor departments follow when dealing with surveillance. This allows the department to utilize the cameras to catch someone in the act or acquire further evidence against them. Once again, all departments must work together to allow the casino to run effectively and efficiently. These blips in the normal flow can be eliminated through collaboration between surveillance and all departments.