Insider Secrets Casinos Don't Want Us To Know

Data Mining

"In Las Vegas, the sheer amount of data that is collected and analyzed on everything."

"From the weekend traffic coming from LA, the demographics going to see a concert/show and how that impacts staffing, everything about your slot or table play, down to how the size of the pans used in a buffet relate to food waste."

~ srslytho

Rat Heaven

"How much waste there is."

"Literal tons of food, paper products, stuff like soaps, shampoos, lotions, key packets/folders... It's obscene."

"We've got a lot of rats here in Las Vegas that appreciate it, though."

~ hypothetical_zombie

What Time Is It?

"Casinos hide the passage of time."

"No clocks on the walls and, in general, no windows with views to the outside."

~ HardRockGeologist

"UK government changed the law that all casinos have to have clocks now."

"They don’t make them very big obviously but they can lose their license if they fail an inspection."

~ stoofa69

The Ground Beneath Your Feet

"Casino carpets are intentionally designed with crazy patterns."

"They are distracting to look at, so you keep your eyes up and focused on the slot machines and gaming tables. They also make it hard to find the exits and are easier to keep clean."

"There is a whole science to designing casino carpet patterns."

~ Robbie-R

Scent Memory

"Some casinos add scents to the air (they do not pump in extra oxygen in as some people believe)."

~ HardRockGeologist

"The lobby at The M Resort south of The Strip is a patented scent they have with vanilla, pear, and other aromas that frankly, is one of the best things ever."

~ Shoegazer75

"Every casino has its own scent. They want you to associate that smell with the casino subconsciously."

"It's like going to the movies and you smell the popcorn and your brain is ready for the experience."

~ Icuivan

Slot Machines

"If you like to play slot machines never play penny slots."

"Those are the machines that make the casinos their most money."

"Play quarter or dollar machines—you spend just as much or less each spin and they tend to have better payouts. But your brain says penny slots are cheaper but they have machines that you can hit $20 a spin and higher."

"Where I used to work penny machines had a 14% hold while quarter and dollar machines had an 8% hold."

"The hold is how much the machine will win over the lifetime of the machine the higher the hold the more you are likely not to win."

"Also, a machine is never due. They use random number generators that act the moment you hit the spin button or pull the arm."

"The machine already knows if you have won or not as soon as you push the button and everything you see in front of you is for your entertainment."

"Always use your player's card. Yes, they track your play and try to lure you back based on how you play but it's also how they determine if they give you things."

~ Icuivan

"Penny slots are designed so you can play so many lines that virtually every single spin you make wins something, but rarely more than you bet."

"It gives the player the excitement of winning constantly while their bankroll keeps dropping."

"For some players they'll happily put in a dollar, get 86 cents back, get told they're a winner, and push the button again without realizing they just lost 14 cents."

~ NS8VN

Underneath It All

"I wandered down to the basement of MGM from a truck ramp and man, it was like a whole city down there, imagine a massive warehouse with roads and offices and supplies everywhere."

"The opposite of the glitz going on above it."

~ Renorico

"My ex worked for MGM for a while and she hooked me up with a comped room at NY/NY when I came to visit family. She met me at the check-in at NY/NY and then asked if I wanted to see her office."

"She took me through a door, down some steps and then through several corridors, passing by laundries, cafeterias, locker rooms, offices, storage, etc. She would point out all of these different areas and points-of-interest along the way and all I could think of 'where the hell are we? Are we even in the same hotel?'."

"We eventually go up some stairs and out a door and we're now at the valet at Aria next to where her office is located. Granted, we've only walked a few properties over but it's simply unbelievable how much activity there is underneath those hotels."

~ FopFillyFoneBone

Unclaimed Funds

"Just how much money goes unclaimed/uncollected."

"I worked in the accounting department at one of the main gaming conglomerates and was tasked with cleaning up their unclaimed property accounts."

"There were players aka 'whales' who'd deposited millions and just forgot about it for years."

~ Swole_Troll

"My dad, who died last month at age 90, was awfully good at finding machines that had money accumulated on them."

"Most of the time, it was basically pocket change, but he found a couple of 3-figure jackpots over the years. Of course, he would play a round so nobody could accuse him of deliberately breaking rules."

~ wilderlowerwolves

"This was huge when electronic slots were first introduced. Many had a button you had to press to 'pay out' winnings that accumulated."

"But many people had no idea and thought they had lost all the time."

"I'd walk around and look for Pay Out buttons that were lit up, hit them, and rake in the money."

~ Rougaroux1969

The Inside Scoop

"I worked at a casino (well, the resort portion of the casino) for a summer. I don't have any sordid secrets, but general interesting things I learned:"

"The security cameras are scary good. Like can read your name off your badge hanging off your waist good."

"You aren't doing a damn thing the camera can't see."

"At this casino, employees were required to wear badges clearly visible at all times when on the premises, even if not on the clock."

"Escorting your grandma to the bingo hall after your shift? Badge still better be visible."

"In the parking lot? Badge still better be visible."

"At this casino, employees were only allowed to gamble there 1 day a month. You'd think it'd be money right back into the casino's pocket, but they don't want the risk of an employee being heavily in debt."

"Which leads to the next point..."

"Anyone getting a job within the casino itself is getting background checked, especially for bad credit and outstanding debts."

"If you're a guy down on his luck, with some maxed out credit cards and you want a job to get back on your feet, the casino doesn't want you. You're a liability, you're not worth the risk."

"All the cash goes into 'The Vault'."

"I assume it's a literal bank vault. But I've never seen the vault. Most employees have never seen the vault. You don't f*ck around when it comes to the vault."

"You better have a real good reason why you're approaching the vault. Security will turn your a** around and send you on your way, and you'll probably be flagged for questioning."

"People don't just stumble onto the vault, you end up there knowingly. And unless you were specifically, by name, called to the vault, or you have an urgent reason for being at the vault, for which you've already radioed ahead, showing up at the vault is a red flag."

~ thattoneman

I've been to a couple casinos in my life, but aside from the entertainment and food they offer, the experience doesn't appeal to me.

I guess I don't have the gambling bug.

Do you enjoy casinos?

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