Sometimes you have to take your hat off to the people working in casinos. They are subject to endless bouts of abuse from the guy who just bet his whole house on a roulette table. But they also have to deal with people who are high and intoxicated, engaging in sexual acts right before their very eyes. And they always need to be on the lookout for cheaters, stand on their feet for hours on end, and turn down bribes. And they do it all by putting on their best smile for the players they are serving. It sounds like an exhausting job if you ask us! But casino workers get to witness some real sights during working hours. And they’re also clued up on exactly how casinos attempt to keep players in their establishments, and the tricks and techniques used to keep them spending.

Casinos don’t display clocks

casinos have no clocks

Its’ easy to become completely immersed in something you thoroughly enjoy. What can seem like minutes can easily turn into a few hours when it comes to playing blackjack games or a poker table in a casino. According to one casino worker, some casinos purposefully avoid displaying the time on gaming floors. This acts as a deterrent towards gamblers realizing how long they have been in there flushing away their cash! A few gaming firms in the UK have passed laws to say that players must be aware of how much time they spend gambling. The casino itself must encourage players to take regular breaks for health and safety reasons.

They also don’t have any windows

Following on from the previous point, you’ll also find many casinos do not have any windows on their gaming floors these days either. This isn’t because they want all you helpless souls to be torched in a fire (there are actually more fire escape routes in casinos than most buildings). It is purely to keep you away from what’s going on in the outside world. Casinos want you to play for as long as possible. So by removing windows from the equation, many gamblers won’t even realize the sun went down, came up, and went back down again, in the time they spent attached to that one single slot machine.

Staff don’t do hook ups

You may think fluttering your eyelashes is one way to get yourself a free round of shots on the house, but unfortunately, attempts at courting the server staff or bartenders rarely works. They are more clued up than you think and pushing the “bet one cent” button once or twice every time they walk past you is a move that will actually make most of them avoid you. This is because the servers themselves can get into trouble if they are seen providing you with drinks all night, when you’ve hardly even spent the amount that would cover one.

Gamblers like to get their freak on

Most people notably understand there is a time and a place for hanky panky. Yet a minority of gamblers who have a hard time controlling their primal instincts. Their morals have gone straight out the non-existent casino window. Casino workers have described finding people in corridors, bathrooms, stairwells, pretty much anywhere which is almost out of site.

Then, there’s drugs. Some gamblers think that just because they are in Vegas, they can openly flaunt a rock and roll/gangster lifestyle in casinos. Casino workers have reported people taking ‘bumps’ at bars. While others have been seen dividing up magic mushrooms and smoking joints in bathrooms.

Some people really take the p*ss

As gross as it is, it’s not anything new and is actually very common to see! Gamblers have been known for leaving pee-soaked panties in between slot machines, defecating on chairs, throwing up on themselves and even wearing adult nappies to casinos in the past. Some people just can’t bear the idea of leaving a slot and can spend several days attached to it. Guess when nature calls, you’ve got to go somewhere right? 

Neglectful parents

kids in casinos

Possibly one of the saddest stories about casinos is people taking their kids and then leaving them to wonder and roam around the outer facilities while they spend hours on the gaming floor. Security staff at one casino have also claimed to find kids locked in vehicles on occasions when they have been patrolling the carparks. At which point they are required to immediately alert social services and track down the child’s parents.

Casinos ‘supposedly’ giving back

Caesars is said to have one of the best reward schemes in the world. But only for those willing to spend a fair penny or two in one of their casinos. By accumulating points you can bag yourself free dinners, theatre tickets, days out at the races and even all-inclusive paid trips abroad for their ‘top-level’ customers. Even though it may seem strange that the casino are spending money on YOU, what they are really doing is making sure you keep playing! Because the cost of a free suite for a night is merely pocket change to the casino. Especially when they know that’s going to encourage you to stay there and keep spending.

Freebies for the low-rollers too

It’s not just the ones spending heaps of cash that are being rewarded for their efforts either. Even people who spend small amounts in casinos are offered coupons for free meals, buffets, shows, or given points cards to enable them to win additional prizes. It sounds like 5-star treatment, but again – it’s all to make you feel that little bit more important and keep you from leaving the building! Funnily enough, most business and profits actually come from the smaller gamblers, so it’s certainly in the casinos interest to keep these people happy.

Don’t break the rules

Casino workers must above all adhere to casino rules. A croupier had once witnessed a woman playing a game of Caribbean stud poker and managed to score a royal flush. In the heat of all the excitement, she left the table to go and show the cards to her husband. Big mistake. As there were clear sign postings around the casino stating that cards MUST be kept on the table at all times. Even though the croupier of that game tried to tell her, she still proceeded to leave the table and thus lost out on nearly $200,000 worth of winnings.

Maze-style gaming floors

casino workers tell all

Obviously, a lot of space is needed to accommodate a casino. How else are you going to be able to fit 1,000 slot machines, 15 poker tables, and VIP rooms as well as an entire hotel resort in one place? But there is an ulterior motive behind their huge, labyrinth designs too. Gaming floors are intentionally laid out in such a way because it is supposed to make you feel confused, get lost, and deter you from leaving. When you’ve been knocking drinks back most of the night – this is easily done too!

Conclusion

You might feel a bit different next time you walk into a casino now you know what casino workers put up with. We hope you’re not subject to some of the crazy happenings that go on inside these places. But at least next time you get handed a free drink or go to check the time, and can’t – you’ll know the exact reasons why!

Janae Johnson is a staff writer who loves old movies, meeting new people, exploring the great outdoors, and learning with her hands. After graduating from the College of William and Mary, she applied her degree in English to an ever-expanding industry. She has spent years searching for thrills and fulfillment in her work, until she finally found her home at Planet 7.