Why can't customers take photographs at the gaming area in a casino?
The question was:Why can't customers take photographs at the gaming area in a casino?This is not universally true, and varies from casino to casino depending on that establishment's policy.I have worked at a casino now for well over a decade. When I began it was policy that guests could not take pictures on the gaming floor. The reasons given were manifold but of primary consideration were:Security. Freely taken photos on the gaming floor could be used to assist in surveying the property to facilitate criminal activity, recording high quality images of camera locations, floor layouts, security procedures, especially photographs of staff badges (which could be used to create convincing fakes).Privacy. Guests at a casino may have any number of reasons for not wanting their pictures to be taken. Some may have been avoiding paying child support, spousal maintenance, may be going through a contentious divorce, or are being stalked by a vindictive ex. Many people just don’t like having their photo taken. Forbidding photos on the gaming floor was seen as a way of heading off potentially messy customer conflicts.At my casino, the policy has relaxed, primarily due to technology and social media.The proliferation of cellphones with cameras and the popularity of social media and selfie culture has made it impractical to pursue a strict “no photos” approach. Staff and security would be spending an inordinate amount of time chasing down everyone who wanted a harmless selfie at their slot machine. It also makes the property feel, well, unwelcoming and unfriendly; not an approach to take when your business is in the service industry.Social media in particular is also an opportunity for the casino to promote the property with little or no cost. Every selfie posted to Facebook or Instagram is another free ad for the casino.There are limits. Although you may want to have a nice establishing photo of the venue, pictures of sensitive areas like the cashiers’ cages are off limits, and wandering around taking pictures of other customers or employees without their permission is frowned upon and will be discouraged. Video recording your slot machine as you play is also forbidden[1] . In general though, solo selfies, with buddies, other cooperative guests, or even employees with their permission are okay.Every casino will have their own policy. To be on the safe side, ask before you click.Footnotes[1] Meet Alex, the Russian Casino Hacker Who Makes Millions Targeting Slot Machines