Casino security

Casino security refers to the measures that are taken at casinos to protect the establishment's money, property and patrons. The security protects the casino and its customers from violent crime, theft, and other inappropriate behavior.

Given the relatively large amounts of currency that are handled within a casino, the temptation exists for both patrons and staff to commit crimes. Many casinos take security measures to prevent theft and other crime. The most basic level of security today consists of cameras located throughout the property operated by highly trained individuals who attempt to locate cheating and stealing by both players and employees.

While casino security of the past was nothing more than a "muscle man," today's security is a multimillion-dollar investment that is as complex as a police department. Modern casino security is usually divided between a physical security force, often trained professionals who patrol the casino floor and responds to calls for assistance and reports of criminal and/or suspicious activities, and a specialized surveillance department that operates the casino's closed circuit television system (known in the industry as the eye in the sky) in an effort to detect any misconduct by both guests and employees alike. Both of these specialized casino departments work very closely with each other to ensure the safety of both guests as well as the casino's assets, and have been quite successful in preventing crime. Before video surveillance technology, most casinos had catwalks in the ceiling above the casino floor. The catwalks allowed surveillance personnel to look directly down, through one way glass, on the activities at the tables and/or slot machines.

In addition to cameras and other technological measures, casinos also enforce security through rules of conduct and behavior; for example, players at card games are usually required to keep their hands visible at all times.

The amount of security that is used at a casino is determined based on local laws and ordinances and what the prosecutors in the region are willing to act upon.

Security in casinos serves the following purposes:

In Roulette, the following rules are enforced for security reasons:

In craps, all the tables within a casino are arranged in a "pit." There is a supervisor security who is known as a "pit boss" who is in charge of the security of all craps tables. Below the pit boss are a group of floormen who are assigned to watching the craps table to look out for cheating and any unusual activity. There is generally one floorman per table. This is all in addition to the "eye in the sky" security.

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