Understanding Casino Bans - From Cheating to Excessive Winning

Author: Matthew Haynes

A trip to the casino can make for an enjoyable experience for many. Especially for those people who regard it as somewhat of a novelty or only go every so often.

Of course, when it comes to land-based casinos, people typically have a number of different options, and there is always at least one in a city or town, depending on size. Some cities even have several, while at gambling resorts such as Las Vegas and Atlantic City, you cannot walk for more than five minutes without seeing one.

There are many things to do at a land-based casino, and for some people they prefer the experience to playing online. Regardless of whether you enjoy spending time at the tables or a slot machine, there are ways to while away your time, though this is not without being watched closely. Security is a major presence at all land-based casinos, with multiple cameras manned by personnel from an office, in addition to security staff on the floor.

As a result, one of the biggest things that security staff are watching for is untoward behavior, especially that which affects the enjoyment of other customers and flouts any regulations.

Should there be instances of this, depending on the severity of the behavior in question, security staff will use their judgement, usually issuing a warning, asking players to leave or calling the authorities to take the matter further. As such, this could well end up in criminal charges or being banned from the venue. As such, below, we have looked into some of the reasons why you might get banned from a casino.

Card Counting and Cheating

Perhaps the most obvious and common reason to get banned from a casino is through cheating, specifically ‘card counting’, which many casinos have become more sophisticated at identifying.

In 2014, actor Ben Affleck, who is a highly accomplished card player, was playing high-stakes blackjack at the Hard Rock Casino and Hotel in Las Vegas. Following multiple wins, casino staff were suspicious that he was counting cards. Ultimately, he was asked to stop playing and asked to leave, which resulted in the casino banning him from returning. It should be noted, however, that card counting is not illegal.

Aggressive and Anti-Social Behavior

Iconic former NBA basketball star, Allen Iverson has many black marks against him, mainly for anti-social behavior in casinos.

In 2005, he was banned from several land-based casinos after a notable incident occurred whereby he was paid $10,000 in chips accidentally. Upon being asked to return them, he refused and a heated argument broke out, resulting in security getting involved and him being escorted out of the casino and later banned.

Nine years later in 2014, Iverson again was the subject of scrutiny when he was banned from Bally’s Casino in Atlantic City after he was caught urinating in a trash can in the middle of a blackjack game.

Meanwhile, Iverson has also been banned from the MGM Casino and Greektown Casino because of his rude and belligerent displays of behavior towards other guests and casino staff. It is also understood that Iverson’s bodyguard was also involved in fights at the casinos, which resulted in both of them to be banned.

Consumption of Narcotics

It is unknown how many people visit casinos while under the influence of drugs, while there is no clarity about how many cases there have been about people seen to be engaging in drug activity while they are inside a casino.

However, multi-million dollar American heiress Paris Hilton was famously banned in 2010 from the Wynn Casino in Las Vegas when she was suspected of carrying cocaine in her wallet.

At the time she refused to be searched and denied the allegations, however, she later admitted to them and ultimately had to pay a $2000 fine and complete 200 hours of community service. Her ban though, did not last for long and just 15 months later she was seen again in the casino.

Winning Too Much

Believe it or not, casinos can ban you from their premises, even for life if you are a good player and constantly win all the time, regardless of whether this is for card counting. This is precisely what happened to UFC president Dana White, who has been banned from multiple casinos in the US because of how much he has won.

He has twice been banned from the Palms Casino in Las Vegas - the first time in 2012 when management became worried about his seemingly extraordinary gambling skills, while two years later, he was banned again after he cashed in $2 million after another portion of good luck.

Defamation or Slander of a Casino

Casinos and even all other businesses take a dim view of people making defamatory comments about their establishments and are well within their rights to take action.

American rockstar Vince Neil historically had a problem with alcohol and drug addiction, which also spilled over into gambling, causing him further difficulties.

As a result, in 2012, the Palm Casino in Las Vegas banned Neil from entering their casino, after Neil went on a suspected drunk social media rampage, which raised objections about the poor facilities of the casino and hotel.

What to Do If You Get Banned from a Casino?

There are many ways that you can deal with being banned from a casino - the most obvious one is to apologise and sincerely mean it. While it may not result in your ban from being rescinded, it could well at the casino manager’s discretion.

However, another way to deal with a casino ban is to take a break from gambling because it could well be having a negative impact on your lifestyle and affecting those close to you.

Instead of finding another casino to go to, it may be beneficial to reflect on why you go and even what you can do to limit this. Also, there are many free organisations that can offer advice for gambling addiction, which could be the last resort.

If you feel that the casino ban was unjustified or you were falsely accused of something and have evidence to the contrary it could be worth arranging a meeting with management and explaining the situation calmly. Should they be in the wrong, they may even reverse their decision and give you free chips to use in their establishment. It is very rare that a casino goes back on their verdict though, so unless you have concrete proof, this is unlikely to have any effect, regardless if you were in the right. Most of the time, casinos are usually correct in their decision to ban players and most people accept this.