Security & Underage Access at Casinos

[SIW Editor]

After seeing this story about how a variety of staff members, including a member of the casino's security staff, overlooked this underage gambler, and then faced a $10K fine, I would love to hear your input.

http://www.securityinfowatch.com/article/article.jsp?id=2899&siteSection=344

How responsible should the casino's security staff be in terms of this kind of incident?

[LonB]

Re: Security & Underage Access at Casinos

IMHO, with any protective operation, all staff should be trained by security to constantly assess patrons -- not sure the security director should face any repercussions -- this has to come from farther up the food chain. I think it's really an education issue, the fact that a 19-year-old can slip through so many people speaks to the fact that the employees just weren't paying attention. We've got to train our staffs better.

[Ollie]

Re: Security & Underage Access at Casinos

Talk about your liabiliy issues! I would hate to be the director of surveillance at this casino. There is not doubt that staff and bosses' heads should roll!

[JonB]

Re: Security & Underage Access at Casinos

Ultimately, it is the responsibility of the Casino. In a day and age of noone accepting responsibility for their actions, we must hold accountable the casinos to incorporate procedures internally to avoid underage gambling.
Corporate Governance must rise.

[TV Inc.]

Re: Security & Underage Access at Casinos

I feel that the casino should be held legally liable. The employees should be disciplined by the company of course.

[exguard]

I did Casino Security both in Atlantic City, NJ and Las Vegas, Nev. and I have to tell ya' it isn't easy to watch every single body that walks in the door. - Nevada it's a little easier because Minors can enter the Casino and walk through but A.C. was very stringet {At least they were when I was there over 12 years ago. -- The "Eye in the Sky" or surveillance as we know them sometimes has a better vantage point than roving officers or even door officers. With Thousands of people passing through gaming establishments each day utimitley someone is going to slip through the cracks.

We swept the Casino Floors Every Night aggresivley targeting under-age gamblers when I was in A.C. {ID Checks and so forth} and on a usual night {I worked 3rd Shift mid-night to 8 with a 5am Casino Closing} we usually caught 15-20 minors or subjects who couldn't produce ID which we believed to be too young off the floor

[N. A. Corbier]

I did Casino Security both in Atlantic City, NJ and Las Vegas, Nev. and I have to tell ya' it isn't easy to watch every single body that walks in the door. - Nevada it's a little easier because Minors can enter the Casino and walk through but A.C. was very stringet {At least they were when I was there over 12 years ago. -- The "Eye in the Sky" or surveillance as we know them sometimes has a better vantage point than roving officers or even door officers. With Thousands of people passing through gaming establishments each day utimitley someone is going to slip through the cracks.

We swept the Casino Floors Every Night aggresivley targeting under-age gamblers when I was in A.C. {ID Checks and so forth} and on a usual night {I worked 3rd Shift mid-night to 8 with a 5am Casino Closing} we usually caught 15-20 minors or subjects who couldn't produce ID which we believed to be too young off the floor

Hit on a good point. Does the casino have sufficient manpower to keep an eye on everyone going in, without interrupting or causing distress to the patrons, and sufficient manpower to watch for subjects who don't look old enough to be there legally? How much manpower can the casino afford to keep deployed? And, how much manpower is the point where the patrons feel uncomfortable, and complain about "overbearing presence by casino security."

If it were all possible, I'd say install checkpoints where you must present proper identification to gain access, but with the current standard of wide entrances with officers at the door, who'd want to go through that hassle?

If the industry as a whole tightened up physical security so that the entrances and exits are funnel checkpoints, then it'd go a long way to stop underage patrons from entering. Of course, the uproar may not justify this level of security.

It sounds like a lottery. Only one you don't want to win.