Online Casino Score

A camouflaged hole occurs when someone is supposed to be an expert in a certain area but isn’t. They are thought to have the capability of completing the job and are being paid for it, but are not doing it. This can either be a partial or full job.

A good example is when a Surveillance Investigator is assumed to be knowledgeable of overall gaming, but is weak within a specific game. Since they continue to conceal this information from their supervisors, they are creating a camouflaged hole. The Surveillance Investigator is unable to handle the work but nobody is aware of this.

It is important for everyone be aware of this weak spot so it can be handled properly. There are several actions that can be taken once discovered including:

• Finding a partner
• Conduct coaching
• Further education

The individual can easily be partnered with a more experienced employee that knows the specific game well. Also, the supervisor can conduct coaching in which the individual will gain valuable tips and follow specific procedures. Finally by assigning the employee a tutor, they will gain the proper education needed to properly complete the job.

Since the employee’s supervisors are aware of the weakness in one area, the Pit Manager will often be pulled into the surveillance to review a tape and provide insight into speculative questions.

On the other hand, when an employee conceals this information, they will review a game they aren’t familiar with and often provide false information to upper management. This makes the whole surveillance department look bad, greatly reduces credibility and effectiveness. Even worse, it could put the whole casino at risk through false evaluation.

An even worse situation occurs when the employee believes they have extensive knowledge pertaining to a specific game but cannot identify crooked activity or bad procedure used to hide theft. The employee often has taken extensive courses but never put the ideas to practice; always finding a way to have someone else complete the task.

Another use of a camouflaged hole is to trap the unsuspecting. If the camouflaged employee is briefly covering your shift and an incident occurs they will incorrectly feed the information to the supervisor. When you return, you are responsible for that area even if another employee has covered for you.

Camouflaged holes can be considerably detrimental to co-workers as well as upper-management and even cause a liability issue for the casino. It is difficult to pinpoint these individuals as a manager. Perhaps monthly training sessions are the answer to weed these employees out.

Equipment malfunctions occur in every type of operation imaginable. Having procedures in place to deal with these failures is the key to success. In casino surveillance rooms, there are many equipment issues that may arise. These include:

• Switchers (computer or keyboard)
• Cameras and recorders
• Power issues
• Monitors
• Dedicated cameras

If this occurs, surveillance operators need to immediately contact their supervisor. The supervisor will generally contact maintenance personnel. This is especially important for cameras and recording devices. If customers discover they weren’t being watched by the eye in the sky, chaos would ensue.

Games that offer progressive jackpots (like Caribbean Stud Poker) must have camera coverage at all times. If the camera dies or becomes unavailable in these areas, the Casino Manager needs to be notified of this issue immediately. This procedure is also applicable to pit areas for games like Baccarat, Mini-Baccarat, Roulette and High-roller Blackjack. These areas must also have constant camera coverage.

These departments will always ask whether the affected games be shut down. You must reply by informing them that these areas have no camera coverage until repairs are made and that this is a major violation of gaming regulations. Without cameras present, there’s no way to verify a win. The surveillance operator does not make the final decision to temporarily end any games; it’s more of a suggestion.

Managers of other departments should be familiar with gaming regulations so it is their job to assess the severity of the situation and make the decision as to whether the game should or should not be shut down.

If an isolated camera fails but can be covered with other equipment, an entry into the DSR should be made. In the entry, its common practice to describe the issue and any corrective actions. This is usually a requirement so the supervisor can add specific entries to the Maintenance Log. Again, notify the current supervisor immediately and the supervisor that’s covering the next shift.

The current supervisor will create a work order, inform the director and enter the camera issue into the Repair Log as well as the Maintenance Log. Of course if any questions arise, feel free to ask the supervisor or director for further clarification.

When surveillance equipment fails, if diligent, decisive action does not occur immediately, not only could the casino lose a significant amount of money but it could be in major violation of gaming control laws due to un-verifiable wins. It’s best to thoroughly know the procedures in case of an emergency.

During the normal course of duty, a surveillance operator will eventually be witness to a crime. Some will be just about to occur, others in progress and more after the incident. Specific procedures have been implemented to ensure proper reporting to law enforcement agencies. This format is applied to all crimes; gaming related or criminal activity.

There are four primary steps to take when witnessing an illegal activity as a casino surveillance operator. These include:

1. Identity that a crime is being committed
2. Stay off security communication lines
3. Notify a supervisor
4. Give reports to proper individual

The first step a casino surveillance operator must take is to identify that the crime is occurring or about to happen. The first action to take when dealing with a crime that’s a threat to life is to notify security as quickly as possible. Most casinos have an emergency security number. Also, surveillance rooms typically have a security radio for these situations to enable rapid communication.

The second step to remember is stay off the security communication lines other than to answer questions from the dispatcher or supervisors. Full camera coverage will be provided to the security dispatchers.

When the threat does not involve the threat of human life or bodily harm, an investigator must immediately notify their supervisor who directs surveillance activities and contacts security, casino management and executives, the police and gaming control. If the supervisor cannot be reached, the investigator must know the procedure and take appropriate action.

The final step is to give all reports to the surveillance director. Attached will be written statements made during the investigation as well as surveillance and dubbed recordings of the incident. The primary purpose of a surveillance operator is to observe, provide recorded evidence and report the incident exactly how it occurred.

Surveillance operators are necessary for the proper functioning of all casino operations. Unfortunately casinos attract criminals with many different intentions. As a result, operators must be constantly trained on new cheating methods as well as procedural information. They should be able to spot a crime prior to it occurring and react accordingly when it does.

Casino operators are some of the most highly trained individuals in a casino. They must know how to deal with each situation by following procedure and dealing with the proper parties. As cheating methods and critical procedures continue to evolve, casino operators will become even more skilled at their job.

An important motto in any industry is, “if it isn’t in writing, it doesn’t exist.” This is especially true in the casino surveillance business. It’s often much quicker for an individual to get into trouble through verbal communication as it can be misread as intent. At least in a formal, written document individuals are protected by fact and not hearsay.

The Advantages of a Written Report

This is the reason reports are communicated through written means and not verbally in which information can easily change as it’s passed from one person to the next. On the other hand, written reports are reviewed, scrutinized and clarified prior to reaching the proper channels. Errors can be caught and explained while missing data can be completed.

Writing isn’t limited to paper, it also includes video surveillance. Within the Surveillance room, written reports are always substantiated with video backup.  All reports utilize raw data (tape) and are forwarded with the reports. Without it written reports are almost worthless.

Writing Suggestions, Improvements and Grievances

With large organizations like casinos, there are many suggestions for improvements as well as grievances. Unfortunately these are rarely put into writing and distributed through the appropriate channels to the proper levels of change. Usually suggestions, improvements and grievances are verbally stated which brings the idea to a screeching halt. This is commonplace in all industries.

In most cases the authority figure informed on these ideas isn’t likely to remember everything that’s stated due to the demands of their day-to-day functions. As a result that verbal communication is lost. It’s of best practice to document any suggestions, ideas for improvement or grievances for these to be heard and implemented.

Exclusions of the Rule

In the Surveillance room there are some reports that must be verbally communicated but are always backed up with a written report. One example occurs when a guest is suspected of cheating, like card counting in Blackjack. A phone call is immediately placed to the Pit Manager with an entry to the daily log.

If the suspicions are true, the Director of Surveillance and Shift Manager will receive a phone call and a detailed written incident report with numbers and times logged will be created to corroborate the claim.

Verbal communications in any situation are open to speculation, subjective interpretations and error which can endanger jobs or create liabilities within the casino. To combat these potential miscommunications, documenting every event and important conversation will benefit you personally, the department and the casino as a whole.

Written reports are especially important in the surveillance industry. They inform the next shift of any issues that occurred, specific guests to observe and most importantly notifies upper management of the various happenings that occur from around the casino. Many casino surveillance operators are critical of the dealers, pit managers and pit bosses for letting laziness and sloppy work performance slide.

Upper management personnel that usually reviews surveillance reporting includes:

• Pit supervisors
• Shift managers
• Casino managers

These individuals are often so busy they need a solid summary of the different events which have occurred on the casino floor. Other than personal observation, they aren’t aware of many issues that may be occurring. Their job is to staff, coordinate and supervise specific employees and locations not watch the dealers.

Issues arise when lower-level employees feel as if they’re not being watched so they become lazier and engage in sloppier work. If they aren’t in fact being watched or there are no repercussions, they’ll continue to get away with it. Unfortunately lazy thinking can often transform to criminal activity. The thought process is if nobody is watching, then why not take a few dollars here and there.

Although surveillance is the last line of defense for a casino, they must watch personnel in addition to guests. This is why reporting is such an important function. It directly exposes employee laziness, sloppiness and criminal activity to upper management.

Within the casino surveillance room many operators think that if everyone is engaging in this activity, why single one employee out. Nothing will ever change if these reports aren’t written. The reason everyone is acting in this manner is due to poor supervision and no consequences. Reporting will change that by notifying management of these issues.

A single report will not result in trouble for the employee in question. However, multiple unreported errors will result in the employee being dismissed. Consequently reporting may straighten that employee up and allow them to excel at their job. Surveillance reports are used to fine-tune the department, not as a cause for disciplinary action.

In the end most employees will get caught being lazy, sloppy or performing criminal acts. Reporting will expedite this and act as a deterrent if employees know they’re being watched. Producing thorough reports will result in a betterment of all employees and the business as a whole.

Although casinos are all about fun, games and entertainment, high-tech surveillance systems and well-trained operators are always around, always watching. After all gaming is a business with hundreds of millions of dollars worth of assets. Therefore vigilance needs to be enforced and preparation in place.

To continue to enforce and prepare, casinos must be up-to-date on training methods and most importantly innovative security equipment. Therefore to improve surveillance in a casino the following must occur:

• Improve training
• Improve the equipment

These two broad segments are the most important areas to improve. There are thousands of courses available, especially in casino areas like Las Vegas or Atlantic City, at local colleges and security schools on everything from dealing at a casino to surveillance management. By taking these courses, the casino will be better prepared for any wrongdoing. Security personnel will learn modern cheating methods and scams.

Similarly there are casino security seminars and trade-shows that display the latest techniques and systems. Sending the security manager to these events will greatly improve surveillance. This information will trickle-down to lower level employees through training sessions.

The second area to help improve surveillance is by the equipment. There are all types of surveillance systems available. Some casinos have top of the line equipment that monitors heart rate, pupil dilation and other factors to verify if a visitor has truly won a game. Currently most casinos use analogue surveillance systems to monitor the gaming floor. Unfortunately the images from the cameras are of poor quality which may be vital in a pending legal case.

Therefore upgrading to a digital system that can be recorded on a DVR maintains the quality and allows for easy storage. IP-based surveillance systems also work in high definition catching the most subtle moves. The newer systems are much easier to set-up or move around if needed.

Casinos may get by with their current training and analogue systems. However as thieves and scam artists find new methods of cheating, updated training and surveillance equipment is going to play a vital role in prevention. Constantly being up-to-date with security education and observation systems will make any transition much easier.

Most casinos in Las Vegas and Atlantic City do maintain proper training and equipment. However, many Native American-run casinos and isolated establishments do not have this degree of security. As the need for security increases, this should be implemented in a timely fashion to ensure safe gaming.

After the pre-shift check there are many responsibilities during the shift that encompasses being a casino surveillance operator. Since operators are the eyes and ears of the casino floor, they must be alert and on guard for any potential mishaps.

There are ten primary concepts to remember during the shift of a surveillance operator including:

• Ensure recording mediums are working
• Log all calls
• Cooperate with other casino departments
• Note situations that must be carried to the next shift
• Routine traffic is handled by the investigator
• Reports are handled by the supervisor
• Major situations are handled by the supervisor
• Floor surveillance is done by the supervisor
• Close watch operations are handled by the supervisor
• Investigators observe all areas

First, it’s important to ensure all cameras are recording at least once every hour. In the case of an incident, this can be used as evidence in court. Also it’s vital to log all calls into an out of the surveillance room. This includes all personal calls upon incoming. Additionally, cooperation between departments helps to expedite tasks much quicker. Surveillance operators generally have contact with the casino shift manager, security supervisors and the slot and cage departments.

Any situations that have occurred during the current shift should be noted and passed along to the next shift. These include equipment failures, collusion, changes in the casino, continued situations or special surveillance.

There are specific actions that are handled by the supervisor and investigator only. First, routine traffic is handled by the investigator with the supervisor assisting when needed. The investigator makes the final decision on any issues that arise in the surveillance room. Reports such as procedure violations and incident reports are always handled by the supervisor.

Any major situations that arise in any area of the casino are handled by the supervisor. This includes collusion, theft, collaborating with security or outside agencies, or any other traffic outside of the normal requests. The supervisor also handles any floor surveillance. When on break they take a communication device in case an issue arises.

Close watch operations are also conducted by the supervisor. The investigator handles all traffic while the supervisor is pursuing close watch operations. Finally, investigators observe all areas when not handling calls and other type of daily work. These areas include cages, count rooms, pits, slots, etc.

Surveillance of a whole casino takes many different sets of eyes. Investigators and supervisors handle the major problems and reporting. The surveillance department is such a vital aspect to the casino organization to ensure all operations are running smoothly on the casino

One of the most important departments within normal casino operations is security. Without the manpower, cameras and constant monitoring, casinos would not be able to function properly. Since gambling inherently draws a few bad seeds, security weeds those individuals out so other consumers can enjoy all the excitement without being swindled.

Different casino’s have different security needs. Small casinos require much less security and equipment than larger Las Vegas operations. Since the gaming market has become such a large and profitable industry, many complementing businesses have emerged. For instance, the need for surveillance employees is at an all time high. Consequently, many businesses have formed to provide this type of training.

In surveillance school, level one candidates learn numerous aspects of the casino to ensure effectiveness. These characteristics include:

• Knowing the casino layout
• Following emergency drills
• Operating a surveillance system
• Generating daily surveillance reports
• Forbidden activities
• Identifying locations from camera numbers

One of the most important pieces of information is to know the layout of the casino in detail on foot. If any issues arise, the operator will know the exact location. Next, it’s important for operators to follow emergency drills. This includes knowing where to go, what is expected of the operator, who will be notified and what must be done.

The candidate also learns how to operate the casino surveillance system. This also includes all surveillance room equipment such as phones and recorders. Another area covered in basic surveillance training is the fundamental requirements for generating a daily surveillance report. These are usually required within the security department.

Additionally, level one operators learn all forbidden surveillance activities. This includes departmental, corporate, legal and court-mandated activities. Finally, operators learn how to identify various locations around the casino by camera number and display from the monitor. This also includes the names of the areas on the casino floor, all locations where a camera is present and the best method for returning a camera to a parked position.

Casino operators are the “eye in the sky” that allow for gaming properties to run smoothly, effectively and within the limits of the law. They also ensure customer safety which, in the end, leads to satisfied gamers and an increase in retention rate. As technology improves, these aspects will become more effective and efficient which will ultimately lead to higher customer loyalty.

Cheating is not a new concept. As long as gambling has been around, people have been trying to cheat the system. With the invent of online casinos, a new rash of cheating developed in the gaming world. Cheaters have branched out to online casinos and developed new ways of perfecting their craft. Unfortunately, cheating can be harder to spot in an online casino.

Common Types of Cheating in Online Casinos

Playing More then One Account

One person playing multiple accounts is the most common form of cheating that goes on in online casinos. A player will set up two or more accounts for one online casino. They will then play all of these accounts at once using multiple tabs on their internet browser. The advantage of playing more then one slot at an online poker table is control. The player can manipulate multiple positions on the table to maximize their profits. Multiple accounts also increases the players odds of getting the best seat at the table.

Communicating With Other Players

Another common form of cheating in online casinos, is for two or more players to work as a team. Because online casinos are practically anonymous, players have a much easier time working together online then they would in a land based casino. Players have several tools at their disposal for this brand of cheating, such as instant messenger programs, email, or cell phones. When players work together then can manipulate how the game goes, greatly increase the chances of one player coming out the winner, and then splitting the profits.

Unfortunately, cheating in an online casino hurts the players just as much as it does the casino, if not more so. If you suspect someone of cheating, contact the casino. Online casinos provide phone numbers and email addresses on their websites that will help you get in touch with security.