Requests for Help

by Jim Goding

This article is a summary of the information Surveillance generally needs when the Pit or other area calls on required notifications or requests help on difficulties they are having, such as correcting dealer errors, players claiming errors, cashier errors or claimed errors, potential cheating, potential advantage play, suspicious activity by players and/or dealers, dealers who are new and make too many mistakes, and other problems that require Surveillance attention. Due to the fact that everything Surveillance does must be completely documented in case we need to refer back to it at a future date, there is a certain amount of information required. Because of the fact that personnel in Surveillance are merely human, some concessions must be made to the fact we are communicating by telephone, rather than face to face. In order to reduce or prevent the necessity of repeated calls, this is a summary of the information that will be needed. The goal of this article is to make the job easier for both Surveillance and Operations staff. In cases of possible theft or cheating, we can save the casino a lot of money and result in actually catching cheaters and thieves. It can also save the jobs of Operations personnel Equivalent information is needed in all areas of the casino, including Security, Cage and Slots. Our function in the Surveillance Department is a back-up for all other areas of the casino. We  provide coverage in case of questionable play; we help correct errors that occur in normal activity in all areas of the casino; we  locate and record and document cheating activity, theft, and serious procedural errors that could put the games and other assets of the casino at risk. We document Security situations, coordinate activities between Pit, Slots, Security and cage, and provide many other functions. In order to properly provide this valuable backup, Surveillance requires the following information on an initial call:

• Routine notification, current situation or review requested: There are different needs in case of current situation―such as intoxicated patron, irate patron, security situation, etc.―as opposed to review situations―possible past-post on a table game, possible theft in slots, possible error at cage window―and routine notifications, such as possible advantage players, etc. Especially, there are different priorities for a current situations as opposed to something that has already happened.
• General location (Pit number, cage or cage annex such as main cage or poker cage, slots area, casino entrance or Security dispatch, etc.).
• Specific location of the situation or problem (game number, slots bank and machine number, cage window number, etc.) If there is a problem or desired evaluation of play or close observation needed, the seat number of the player in question. This allows us to pull up cameras and begin observing the situation while you talk to us.
• Approximate time (current hand on table, five minutes ago, three hands back, an hour ago, etc) on a request for review.
• Name of the caller and position (floor supervisor, floor manager, slots  or player club manager, casino shift manager, cage shift manager, Director, Security supervisor, etc.). This is essential information which Surveillance must include in its reports. It also serves to help us set priorities and help direct other traffic such as Security, Managers, etc. It is important that you understand that because of shifting schedules in Surveillance, not everyone who answers the phone knows you by name and position and can recognize your voice.
• Name of the player and his player account number if this is a routine notification call (such as high action, etc.), or the fact he is refused name player.
  • Example: “This is Mary Smith calling from Pit 7. On BJ 46, we have a player, refused name, on spot 6, playing up to $2000 a hand. He varies his bet from $100 to $2000.”
  • Example: “This is George Jeffers, calling from Pit 4. On Craps 5, Jacob Twitcher, third from the stick on second base end, just took out a marker for $10,000, and he is making $500 place bets and $100 prop bets.”
  • Example: “This is Carl Jones, calling from Pit 1. I’m moving $5000 in checks from BJ 2 to BJ 1, on a marker buy-back for player Earl Franks, #971354.”
  • Example: “This is Lorna Espinosa, calling from Pit 2. On Roulette 3, the player third from the wheelhead is claiming that the dealer swept his $50 bet off the courtesy line on the last spin.”
  • Example: "This is Jim Roberts, cage manager in the main cage, and we have a problem on Window 7. The player standing next to the window is claiming he was short-changed on a $5500 chip cash-out, about five minutes back.
• In the case of a dealer error or suspicious activity on the part of a dealer, we also will need the dealer name. If we are reviewing for an error, we will need the name when we call back with results of the review. If there is no error, it will not be included in the report.

Further important items:

• If you speak with a strong accent (English is your second or third language), please try to speak slowly and clearly. Telephones tend to distort voices, and we would like to save you  the frustration of repeating information. Most of us are restricted to a single language; please bear with us.
• In the case of a possible past-post or other cheating or theft situation, after identifying yourself and the table, state immediately what you suspect. This places your call as an immediate priority.
  • Example: “This is Bill Smith, in Pit 4. I have a possible past-post on Wheel 3: A $55 bet just hit on number 34 and the dealer doesn’t think it was there before she waved off.”
  • Example: “This is Mary Jones in Pit 5: On Crap 6, the player on the hook on third base thinks the player to his right took several $100 checks from his stack on the rail. This would have occurred about five minutes ago. The guy who may have done it is a white male, blond mustache and beard, wearing a Buffalo Bills jersey and a cap with a logo on it.”
• In the case of possible cheating or theft, do not allow the payoff to be sent until Surveillance has reviewed the recording and gotten back to you, either directly or via your supervisor.
• While Surveillance is reviewing the recording, quickly notify your own supervisor or the Casino Shift Manager.
• If you suspect dishonesty on the part of a staff member such as a dealer, slots floorperson or cashier, please report it to your own supervisor or shift manager, rather than calling Surveillance directly. The manager will get the necessary information and call us without alerting the suspected staff member.
• In case of an error on the part of a staff member such as a dealer or cashier, etc., Surveillance will need the name of the staff member. Please note that no single error will get such a person “in trouble,” but that a series of procedural errors, a consistent pattern of inattention, etc., may result in some extra training or counseling for the dealer. The name will be needed when we call back with results of the review.
• If you, as a supervisor, suspect card-counting or other “non-recreational”  (but not cheating) play, or equivalent in other areas, please notify your own supervisor or above before calling Surveillance. Surveillance will want to know Game number, player name (or unknown name), player position, bet spread, when he or she arrived at the game, and any observed associates, either on or off the game.