Casinos are a world of their own. Each day, the thrill of potentially walking out thousands of dollars richer can create a unique pattern of human behavior.
What’s often forgotten about is the people who keep the whole operation running. Staff, security, dealers, and anyone else associated with the “house” are tasked with monitoring some rather unusual occurrences from time to time.
From the disgusting, to the dangerous, to the deadly, they’ve seen it all. In this article, I’ll lay out four of the craziest things that casino workers have talked about witnessing.
1 – The Clients Aren’t an Accident
Everyone knows that businesses seek to put new locations in places where they’re most likely to be successful. You wouldn’t put a streetwear clothing store in the middle of the country or a Goodwill on Wall Street. That begs the question, when it comes to casinos, what makes the perfect spot?
By the account of casino workers, two of the most popular targets casinos routinely seek out are old people and active members of the military. Unfortunately, these groups are often vulnerable due to their lack of options during a current stage in their lives, and they are more than willing to get their thrills at the roulette wheel or the blackjack table.
So, who exactly are those groups that casinos are looking for when they set up shop? Typically, it’s retired citizens and military personnel.
The reason that these types of people are particularly likely to engage in more gambling is simply that they have more time on their hands and less ways to spend their money.
For Example:
A 19-year-old Army trainee who receives his paycheck can’t really take a vacation on a whim or buy new furniture for their house, so they’re more likely to take that money to the casino. Similarly, old people usually have a limited range of activities, but sitting in front of a slot machine isn’t too physically taxing.
Now, plenty of casinos open up in major metropolitan areas because there will never be a shortage of potential customers. The casinos I’m referring to are the ones that seem to “randomly” pop up in rural places that you wouldn’t expect. In these cases, you can rest assured that there is a very specific reason why they’re there. And casino employees watch these targeted audiences enter every working day.
2 – People Will Do Anything to Keep Playing
Most people have heard the horror stories about the things people will do in order to keep gambling. I’ve always wondered, “Are these really true? Or are they just hyperbolic representations meant to scare people into learning how addicting gambling can be?” It turns out, as is so often the case, that the reality is even more jarring than expected.
It’s not unusual for casino workers to witness people going to the bathroom right in their slot machine chair while in the middle of a hot streak. That’s right, people would rather sit in their own waste than leave the machine alone for just a couple of minutes. It can get that bad.
In one case, a casino employee mentioned that the longest session he had ever seen was 28 hours. And even in that situation, the player only left because they eventually fell asleep which gave the casino the right to escort him away.
The reason why this phenomenon happens is somewhat understandable (okay, calling someone who sits in their own pee “understandable” might be tough to get on board with, but you get the point).
Casinos do everything in their power to make time stop. The next time you visit one, just take a look around. You won’t find a window or a clock anywhere. To take things a step further, the music you might hear in the background is always going to be one continuous song.
The goal is to simply get players in the mindset that the slot machine, and the chance to get rich, are the only things that exist at that time. The casino isn’t always successful in this venture, but when it is, it’s truly shocking.
3 – The Cheating Is Usually Pretty Basic
Yes, casino workers observe people trying to cheat on a somewhat regular basis. No, it isn’t quite as complex as you might think.
While it might be interesting to look back at some of the most advanced cheating scandals that have happened in casinos over the years, the reality is that more often than not, it’s someone using a technique you might observe at your local church festival’s blackjack tent.
One of the most popular types of cheating is called “past posting.” This simply means that players put down their bests after they know the outcome of the hand in question. Another form of cheating is called “pinching” or “capping.” This happens when a player removes some of their chips from a losing hand before being collected by the dealer.
What Do Casino Workers Receive for Their Dedication to Preventing Cheating?
For many, it’s simply suspicion. Most people who work in casino management often admit that they’re more concerned with employees cheating than they are with players cheating.
Dealers who have been caught up in cheating scandals have been known to overpay players for their wins, and under-collect on losses. Again, we’re not talking about mastermind stuff here.
Perhaps the weirdest thing about cheating in a casino—whether it’s by past posting, counting cards, or using strategically placed mirrors—is that it’s really not illegal. Yes, you will undoubtedly be asked to leave if you’re caught, but there’s almost no chance any follow-up action will be taken.
In fact, as long as you aren’t being brash about your scheme, or haven’t actually stolen money from the casino, most of the time, you’ll be able to keep your winnings.
If you’re thinking that cheating sounds pretty appealing after reading this, don’t get too confident that you’ll be able to pull it off. Casino workers have seen it all and know what to look for.
4 – Death Happens
If you were going to put together a list of the saddest ways to see someone die, sitting at a slot machine has to at least make the top 10.
It’s not just a crazy story that has taken on a life of its own. People dying at slot machines is actually more common than you’d think. Several casino workers have said that they’ve experienced a lifeless body sitting in front of the machine, often being alerted by other gamblers that something seems a little off.
Most of the time (yes, it happens often enough that I can use the phrase “most of the time”), it’s an elderly person who was already on their way to the afterlife. But occasionally, it can come as the result of drugs. If I’m being honest, anyone who spends over 10 hours in front of a slot machine was probably battling some demons before they arrived at the casino that day.
The bottom line is that casinos can have a massive impact on people who are already emotionally unstable. But one thing is for certain, when it comes to dealing with death, casino workers seriously aren’t getting paid enough.
Conclusion
Casinos can be one of the happiest places in the world, but they are certainly no stranger to sadness. Above all, you’re bound to witness a nearly endless cycle of absurdity if you pay close enough attention.
Perhaps it’s this type of drama that makes casinos so entertaining. When people go through the wild swings of winning or losing large amounts of money that they shouldn’t be betting with, it’s hard to look away.
Next time you visit a casino yourself, think of this article and kindly tell the employees: “Thank you for putting up with all this so I can be entertained.“ And don’t forget to tip!
Michael Stevens
Michael Stevens has been researching and writing topics involving the gambling industry for well over a decade now and is considered an expert on all things casino and sports betting. Michael has been writing for GamblingSites.org since early 2016. …
