It’s not uncommon for businesses to place restrictions on the type of activities their employees can partake in. This can be especially problematic in the casino industry, where the house is pitted against the player and tries to protect its profits.
For this and other reasons, many casinos forbid their employees, especially dealers, from gambling at their workplaces. However, no rules are set in stone, and it is up to individual establishments to create their own guidelines.
Can casino employees gamble where they work? Why do some casinos enforce these restrictions? We’ll try to tackle these questions in the sections below.
Do Casinos Forbid Their Dealers From Gambling?
First, we must note that there are no legal restrictions pertaining to the gambling activities of casino employees, including dealers. In light of this, each casino is left to its own devices to decide whether it will allow its personnel to gamble or not.
Some casinos impose no limitations whatsoever, letting their employees do as they please with their free time, even if it means clocking out and moving to the opposite side of the table. What’s more, certain gambling establishments even encourage their staff to continue spending their time (and money) at the venue outside of their working hours.
However, it is far more common for gambling facilities to prohibit employees from playing casino games at their workplace, especially gaming personnel. The most lenient of these restrictions is casinos not allowing dealers to gamble at the same department they work at while permitting them to play slot games or video poker, for instance.
Other casinos impose this rule throughout the premises, which means that dealers are not able to play any games there. Luckily, these rules usually apply only to the casino where these dealers work, so they are free to gamble at sister properties and other local casinos.
Some gambling venues which allow partaking in games at related properties may impose other rules. For instance, Caesars Casino is known to forbid its employees from winning progressive jackpots at sister casinos. These workers could play the games and win fixed prizes, but if they won progressives, they simply couldn’t cash out.
The World Series of Poker, the most exciting annual poker event in the world, is also out of reach. To compensate for this limitation, casinos organize a separate staff-only tournament.
There are also facilities that take these measures to higher levels, banning their casino dealers from gambling altogether. In other words, as a staff member, you won’t be allowed to play at your native casino or any other venue in the jurisdiction.
Why Do Casinos Impose These Limitations?
There are a few reasons why casinos may want to prohibit their dealers from playing in or out of the facility. The most widespread explanation for these rules is that the casinos don’t want their employees to develop bad gambling habits. The rationale is that since dealers spend so much time at gambling tables, they’re at a greater risk of developing an addiction.
While it’s understandable that casinos want to protect their employees’ well-being and clarity of mind, a big part of the equation is also the desire to shield their own profit. According to some accounts, gambling establishments may fear that the dealers who play are more susceptible to being talked into committing fraud against them.
Moreover, some facilities may be concerned about the dealer’s expertise. Average players may understand the rules well, but it is the dealers who know the ins and outs of a game.
While most game outcomes come down to luck, casinos are afraid dealers might have the upper hand when compared to regular players. For this reason, it’s very common to restrict dealers to playing in other departments outside the one they work at.
Are These Limitations Fair?
Taking everything into account, it may seem unfair for casinos to place such limitations on their workers. After all, it’s not up to them to decide what the dealers will do with their free time. However, it’s reasonable that these businesses don’t want to risk losing money, especially if they’ve had adverse experiences in the past.
Furthermore, most casinos restrict gambling only in the dealers’ working areas, so they are free to play any game they like in other parts of the casino. They can also participate in table games at the facility’s sister casinos and those owned by competitors.
Some Alternatives for Casino Dealers
Dealers whose employers forbid them from gambling at their workplace and other venues in the area must find other options for entertainment. In this case, online casinos can be a great alternative to land-based ones.
There are dozens of online casinos catering to US players from all jurisdictions. They offer hundreds of slots, table games, and live casino games from notable software providers. All one needs to do is load the website, create an account, deposit some money, and they can start playing their favorite games.
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- Great selection of slots
- High-quality live dealer games
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Final Thoughts
As we’ve seen, answering the question, “If you work at a casino, can you gamble there?” is not as simple as it seems. The rules and regulations depend on a particular casino and its policy, with different degrees of leniency.
Most often, dealers are not allowed to gamble in their own departments, but they are free to participate in other games or play different games at other casinos.
If all else fails, dealers who are gambling fans can always turn to online casinos to provide them with their favorite pastimes.
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