Cameras in casinos

My wife and I met up with some old friends for a show at the Bellagio a few years ago. I had my SLR with me, and after the show I asked a stranger to snap a shot of the foursome standing in front of one of those giant slot machines. After we had the picture, this HUGE security guard came over and said we were not allowed to take photos in the casino.

I really liked the way he handled it. I think he had seen us and the camera in plenty of time to stop the shot, but he realized we were harmless and weren't getting either security stuff or other guests in the shot, so he let us get our souvenir before he mentioned the rule.

I concur with the earlier comments that the lighting in the casino probably required a long exposure time for the cell-phone camera (particularly if it didn't have a flash) and the operator likely just didn't hold the camera steady enough for long enough.

Not to poke fun at your friend, AZ, but I'm surprised at the level of silliness people take in regards to casino security. While it's true that security and the equipment involved is a multi-million dollar setup, it's very "normal". A few, nice, HD cameras in key locations is typical, and the rest is just a large quantity of very regular cameras positioned for effectiveness. Any soccer mom's home video setup is probably of better quality, it's simply the placement and the knowledge of the crews using it that creates the effectiveness.

It just makes me laugh sometimes what people think. My brother in law is a sharp guy, both in business and on the street. Trying to pull one over on him is near impossible. Yet when discussing my job, he believed we, as well as any other major casino, had bioware similar to "The Greco" featured in "Ocean's 12".

Quote: Doc

I really liked the way he handled it. I think he had seen us and the camera in plenty of time to stop the shot, but he realized we were harmless and weren't getting either security stuff or other guests in the shot, so he let us get our souvenir before he mentioned the rule.

Other guards have come down fast and hard on people photographing the exterior main entrance sign from the sidewalk as well as a tripod mounted camera that was clearly aimed at the overhead cloud formation.

Some slot players have threatened to call security if they see another player "filming" a slot machine's jackpot spin.

Quote: Face

Any soccer mom's home video setup is probably of better quality, it's simply the placement and the knowledge of the crews using it that creates the effectiveness.

Do you suppose the belief in an all-seeing, all-powerful security helps with such effectiveness?

I think many players like to think the casinos have all kind of extraordinary awareness and/or powers, because that helps them explain away their losses. Ergo the belief in the Powers of Security (or si it Surveilance?), and the many myths and urban legends surrounding the casinos, aprticularly those in Vegas. You know, things like they pump additional oxygen in the gaming rooms, as if the free booze and, lately, distracting female dealers weren't plain enough to see.

Quote: FleaStiff

Other guards have come down fast and hard on people photographing the exterior main entrance sign from the sidewalk as well as a tripod mounted camera that was clearly aimed at the overhead cloud formation.

Some slot players have threatened to call security if they see another player "filming" a slot machine's jackpot spin.

Since the sidewalk is a public place, and the sign is in plain view to the public, Bellagio would have a hard time defending that one in court.
Rules on photography vary from casino to casino, but usually it's OK, just be respectful of other people's privacy. I once won a nice jackpot on a slot while waiting for my wife while she was in the restroom at the Golden Nugget, LV. When she came out, I asked her to take a picture, she said it was prohibited, I said it wasn't. There was a security guard nearby, I asked him, he said anywhere but the sports book. But at the Plaza, a dealer and pit boss both just about had strokes because I was carrying a camera, not even using it.
This applies to still photography, most if not all casinos ban video photography. Come to think of it, I wonder what they're doing now that most still digital cameras also have video capability.

Quote: Doc

My wife and I met up with some old friends for a show at the Bellagio a few years ago. I had my SLR with me, and after the show I asked a stranger to snap a shot of the foursome standing in front of one of those giant slot machines.

I've gotten great results of casino floors when using my big SLR, but I was also using a wide aperture lens (f/2.8) and high ISO. Most cell phones have crappy lenses with small apertures (f/8 etc.) and most casinos are dark. The cell phone camera tried to compensate for the low light with a long exposure. Long exposures will only remain sharp and in focus when used with a tripod. Without a tripod, (or a flash) expect blurry out-of-focus images.

Take your friend to the library and see whether his camera does not behave with the same poor results.

I've probably taken about a dozen photos of various Baccarat tables over the last few years, usually with my phone but sometimes with a digital camera. I've never had one not turn out; the worst has been a little blurry, but not bad. I've also seen others post photos surreptitiously grabbed with their cell phones of VP jackpots and unusual roulette history sequences.

Quote: EvenBob

I was trying to take a cell phone pic in the
Milwaukee Indian casino and was almost
tackled by a fat assed security guard. I stepped
aside just as he went flying by me. It was pretty
funny.

That is funny. I've never had any trouble, but, then, I've only ever tried to take pictures in high-limit and Baccarat rooms. There might be less stuff that they're concerned about being studied in there (just a guess), or it could just be another case of casinos letting high-limit players do crazy stuff, like the incident a month or so ago where one place got fined for letting an idiot dance on the Baccarat table.

EDIT: I'll add this as a bit of further evidence that phone cameras do, in fact, work in casinos:

Quote:

As long as its in the slots area, nobody
has ever said a thing.

I was in Sam's Town in Tunica last year with my friend. It was her first time at a casino and we were sitting next to each other playing slots. She hit $350 on a single spin and got all excited.

I said, "Get the cell phone! Take a picture of the screen to show everyone!"

Well, she had borrowed her sister's cell phone for the trip and didn't know how to get it to take a picture, so I grabbed it out of her hands and said, "Here, let me try." I was pressing buttons all over the place. I only have a throw-away cell that doesn't have a camera option so I wasn't sure how this one worked either, and all I kept getting was voicemail or the temperature, so we just laughed and gave up.

Not two minutes later a security guard came over to us and said, "Ladies, were you taking pictures? That's not allowed." We laughed and said, "We were trying to, but we couldn't figure out how." He gave us a smile and shook his head and walked away and we couldn't stop laughing and wondering how dumb he thought we must have been, not just for not knowing how to take a picture with a cell phone but for admitting it besides.

Quote: AlanRRT

Since the sidewalk is a public place, and the sign is in plain view to the public, Bellagio would have a hard time defending that one in court.

Well, this wasn't the Bellagio, but it sure shows how dumb some security guards can be. The sign at the main entrance? I mean... the Vice President for Public Relations would love to have that sign be photographed! It has the casino's name and logo and the word's "Main Entrance"... I guess the security thought he was protecting some state secrets!

Quote: Face

Not to poke fun at your friend, AZ, but I'm surprised at the level of silliness people take in regards to casino security. While it's true that security and the equipment involved is a multi-million dollar setup, it's very "normal". A few, nice, HD cameras in key locations is typical, and the rest is just a large quantity of very regular cameras positioned for effectiveness. Any soccer mom's home video setup is probably of better quality, it's simply the placement and the knowledge of the crews using it that creates the effectiveness.

It just makes me laugh sometimes what people think. My brother in law is a sharp guy, both in business and on the street. Trying to pull one over on him is near impossible. Yet when discussing my job, he believed we, as well as any other major casino, had bioware similar to "The Greco" featured in "Ocean's 12".

Poke all the fun you like, it was my buuddy who thought it. And he is the kind who doesn't care about 6:5 BJ. I doubted it was "something in the casino" at the time. Another day to think about it I attribute it to lighting (blame that on casino if you want to stretch) and unsteady camera holding after several beers. But as I said I had to ask if just to get other ideas as to why.

BTW: my hat off to the bar and security staff at that casino. I broke a glass and sliced my finger, BAD. No stitches needed but I was bleeding all over. First Aid came fast and they were totally cool. And a free beer to replace the one I broke.