Las Vegas myth restored: Taking photos in casinos is illegal
Editor's Note: Vegas Mythbusters releases new entries every Monday, plus a bonus Friday flashback edition. Today’s entry in our ongoing series originally appeared on December 2, 2022.
The signs indicating redline cameras were not placed at the casino by police. Taking photos in a casino is not an activity that is accountable to a judge, nor is it illegal. This is just a self-enforced policy that the casino tries to stop you from violating. Similar legal but not accepted guidelines include counting cards in blackjack, not wearing a shirt, or drinking excessive amounts of alcohol.
Unlike other myths explored in this series, casinos keep this myth alive. They want guests to think twice before taking photos to protect the privacy of other guests. Not everyone visits a casino and wants everyone else in their life to know about it. A guest who stumbles upon playing craps in the background of your Instagram post could be a public servant or an undercover agent. The woman playing around him may be his lover or a prostitute.
When it comes to smartphone cameras, casinos prefer you wear them in your pants.
Understanding Myth
According to former Las Vegas Review-Journal investigative reporter A.D. Hopkins, the myth goes back to the early days of Las Vegas, when people didn't want people at home to see them in situations associated with sin. middle.
"I was constantly told that we couldn't take pictures in the casinos because it was illegal," said Hopkins, who first covered Las Vegas casinos in the 1970s. “Then I wrote a story about (future South Point owner) Mike Gaughan. He said, ‘This is bullshit! "Not only did he allow me to take his photo in his casino, he insisted that I do it." He believes some security officials believed it was better to falsely tell newspaper photographers that it was illegal than to ensure they got a photo of everyone in the photo. It's easier to agree. "
Duel Priority
The standard casino policy of “no photos” goes head-to-head with a changing world. Now, nearly every casino guest has a high-resolution camera in their pocket. People of almost every age are now accustomed to acknowledging life’s every thrill through real-time social media posts – and these posts have certainly become a valuable source of advertising for casinos.
People want to capture their experiences to share," said Scott Roeben, founder of his blog Vital Vegas. "Strict rules alienate customers and create Creates unnecessary tension between guests and staff. Casinos already face significant challenges because young players are not keen on paying to sit in front of a slot machine and press buttons. They created another obstacle with their old-fashioned, intrusive photography policy. "
In modern Las Vegas, no one is more involved in casino photography than Robben. (His best guess is "dozens of times.") He was kicked out of Palace Station for filming bingo and kicked out of the Sahara for possessing a digital camera. At one point, he was even sent to a back room, like in the movie Casino, as he was taking photos of Jerry's Nugget restaurant sign.
"I was also ordered to delete photos multiple times," Robben said. "I often remind visitors that they do not have to comply with this policy. No one can force you to delete photos or videos. You may no longer be welcome at the casino, but it is your decision whether to comply."
The bigger picture
Since casinos can't do anything to stop selfies, most casinos are slowly relaxing or seriously modifying their photo bans. Photo tolerance varies by casino. Caesars Palace and Sahara, for example, have always leaned toward the less tolerant end of the spectrum. Strat, on the other hand, actively promotes selfies and places its social media tags on baccarat, blackjack and craps tables. Four Queens Casino and Rampart Casino also encourage selfies.
In the middle are casinos like Park MGM, which have reserved areas on the course away from live gaming tables and slot machines for selfies. Today, most casinos try to implement a nuanced policy that considers the type of photo being taken before asking guests not to take it. Some types are more allowed than others. You'll still often see "no photography" signs, but it's mostly used to justify taking action against less-permissible species.
What is allowed and what is not allowed
These days, snapping a quick selfie or two anywhere on a casino floor is a great option. Most tourists do this anyway. But if you're photographing an active gaming table, even in the background of your selfie, you're taking a greater risk. In addition to the potential invasion of guest privacy, casinos may also be concerned that your photo is part of a fraudulent scheme.
If you want to measure how quickly a casino's security responds, take a photo of one of its checkout counters. You may not even receive a warning before you are escorted out. Casinos have little legitimate reason to take photos like this other than to plan for future robberies like those that occurred at Resorts World and the Gold Coast in November 2022.
Video Banned
Because moving images in casinos are considered more likely to disturb other guests than static images, camerawork, live streaming, and video conferencing are taboo almost everywhere. Casinos will only break this rule for social media influencers whose vlogs and slots channels are very popular. But they must also approve their live broadcasts in advance. No one can just randomly start FaceTiming in a casino. "Casinos are working hard to address two priorities," Robben said. “They want influencers to drive business, but also don’t want to ruin the experience for their best players, often in high-limit slot rooms.” Influencer-friendly casinos have been rethinking their policies lately, So the story is not over yet. But this is indicative of some of the growing issues surrounding technology and casinos. "
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Source: www.casino.org
