Ask the dealer

Quote: AZDuffman

Here is a question for you. Do you have restrictions where you can gamble? I was told that dealer level as well as "key" employees may not gamble even a nickel slot in the state here. That's the law.

Back in 1978, Gov. Kean was speaking at the college I was attending. This was either right before, or right after the vote that finally got casinos in AC approved.

After the speach, I followed him and I managed to slip into an elevator with him, his aides, and some undercover state troopers. I could tell by their stares that all of them were wondering how I managed to get in the elevator, and wondering if I was dangerous.

Taking the opportunity, I asked him if there would be any restrictions on NJ residents or casino employees from gambling.

He looked at me like it was the stupidest question he ever heard, but did answer, "No."


Turns out that wasn't the right answer. Or things changed afterwards.

As I understand it, all employees, even the hotel employees, are barred from their casino, and other casinos in the company. The CAN play elsewhere.

In Ontario, dealers at the OLG run casinos can only play at the non-owned casinos (Rama, Fallsview, Niagara, Windsor). Dealers at the non-owned casinos cannot play at their own casino (Niagara and Fallsview are owned by one party and effectively work at the same place).

Funny thing is that consultants working for OLG can play at OLG casinos.

I dont know the rules for Vegas, but I can remember ending up playing [poker] at the same table as a dealer who wasdealing to me earlier. This was at O'Sheas (classed as a subdivision of the Flamingo if I remember) so owned by Harrahs. Didnt think to ask about ti at the time.

Quote: DJTeddyBear

Quote: AZDuffman

Here is a question for you. Do you have restrictions where you can gamble? I was told that dealer level as well as "key" employees may not gamble even a nickel slot in the state here. That's the law.

Back in 1978, Gov. Kean was speaking at the college I was attending. This was either right before, or right after the vote that finally got casinos in AC approved.

After the speach, I followed him and I managed to slip into an elevator with him, his aides, and some undercover state troopers. I could tell by their stares that all of them were wondering how I managed to get in the elevator, and wondering if I was dangerous.

Taking the opportunity, I asked him if there would be any restrictions on NJ residents or casino employees from gambling.

He looked at me like it was the stupidest question he ever heard, but did answer, "No."


Turns out that wasn't the right answer. Or things changed afterwards.

As I understand it, all employees, even the hotel employees, are barred from their casino, and other casinos in the company. The CAN play elsewhere.

In fairness to Gov. Kean, he was merely a State Assemblyman for a weak Republican Party in 1978 and wouldn't be Governor until January of 1982. I'm surprised he had any security at all. Most Assemblymen in NJ drive their own cars when they come to visit us on the radio.

I've spoken to him several times, but never about gaming. I last saw him last Spring. One of the genuinely good guys out there.

Hmmm.....

Obviously I've got some cloudy memory.

I just looked up who was Governor at the time. Yeah, I meant Byrne.

Quote: boymimbo

In Ontario, dealers at the OLG run casinos can only play at the non-owned casinos (Rama, Fallsview, Niagara, Windsor). Dealers at the non-owned casinos cannot play at their own casino (Niagara and Fallsview are owned by one party and effectively work at the same place).

Funny thing is that consultants working for OLG can play at OLG casinos.

Here is another one on that line. When I was at the Atlantis in the Bahamas (one week before the new towers opened) there was a big sign in front. As a reader I read this stuff. So everyone else was suprised when I told them that Bahamian Nationals were *not* allowed to gamble in the casino. But there it was, clear as day.

Personally I can see the logic about not playing in your own house. The appearance of impropriety is simply not worth it. But to say I can't gamble anywhere in the state at all is a little nanny-state to me.

So I will just keep going to Wheeling to play.

Quote: AZDuffman

When I was at the Atlantis in the Bahamas (one week before the new towers opened) there was a big sign in front. As a reader I read this stuff. So everyone else was suprised when I told them that Bahamian Nationals were *not* allowed to gamble in the casino. But there it was, clear as day.

The first time I visited Nassau on a cruise ship, back in 1976, we went to a show at what was then called the British Casino. It may still be there but with a different name. The taxi driver told us that Bahamians were not allowed in the casinos there. I later have formed the impression that such policies are not uncommon in localities where they strictly are interested in extracting funds from foreign visitors without risking detrimental impact on their citizens' finances. When I was in casinos in Egypt, I learned that Egyptians were similarly barred from the gaming. There were players from other Arab countries, presumably Muslims, so religion was apparently not the issue, though I will leave that to someone who knows more about the culture. However, the Egyptian nationals with whom I worked were unaware that there were gambling casinos hidden in some of the tourist hotels. To them, the word "casino" just had its more historic (I think) meaning of a public gathering place, such as a cafe.

I can confirm that I was in the Bahamas in 1995, and at the time they indeed had a policy that the locals could not even enter the casinos unless for work. If the policy changed since then, I'm not aware of it.

Around 2002 I went to Curacao, which had a similar policy. There the locals could only enter an island casino I think five times a month. Each casino had somebody at the door to ask for ID, and if you were a local I think they recorded your name in a log. I was told you could get around that rule by limiting yourself to each casino five times a month, because they didn't compare lists.

About Vegas, most casino employees I know are not allowed to gamble in their own casino, but are welcome to gamble elsewhere.

I was in Curacao last November and had a chance to play in five of the casinos (chasing my souvenir chips, as I do.) No one asked to see any ID as I entered any of them, but I suppose I may have looked much more like a Caribbean tourist than a local.

Just curious about this point: are employees permitted to gamble at other properties within the same corporation?

Quote: Doc

Just curious about this point: are employees permitted to gamble at other properties within the same corporation?

In the UK, No. But this is Company Policy, not law. As for Vegas, I dont have a clue, as like I said I ended up playing poker with a guy that had been dealing poker to me earlier.