Question of the Day — 17 Sep 2020
Why did Vegas get rid of money plays?
And your link to the new poll on visiting Las Vegas during the pandemic is at the bottom of this page.
[Editor's Note: This answer is supplied by Andrew Uyal, floor supervisor at the Cromwell (currently furloughed and author of our book The Blackjack Insiders.]
It's no secret that Las Vegas casinos were once far more cavalier than they are today. Comps used to be given out to basically anyone who was playing. There were no player tracking systems, just a few pit bosses using their subjective judgment on whom to comp and how much. The casino was fine with honoring any kind of bet on the table (chips, cash, and a story goes around about a drug dealer tossing out a bag of cocaine onto a crap table). Back in the day, it was all about the action.
Things are quite different these days. Countless laws and regulations are now placed on the casinos, considered financial institutions, and their patrons. When these regulations started to roll in and be strictly enforced, "money plays" (when a player steps up to a blackjack table and generally plays one hand with cash instead of chips) was a casualty.
For some players, it's a fun way to feel like they're actually betting with their own money. A few subscribed to the superstition that it was better luck to play that way. And there was a time the casinos loved it too; cash in action attracted attention.
Unfortunately, it's nearly impossible to track.
With the arrival of all these monetary regulations, it was decided that cash was counted only when it was dropped into the cash box on the table. If patrons are placing cash bets, there's no way for the casino to track that action. It would be possible to show large losses without seeing drop (money in the box) to indicate where it went.
The regulations on patrons are different these days too. A lot of us know there are certain monetary thresholds that casinos are required to report for tax purposes for individual patrons. If players are placing cash bets all over the casino, it's impossible to abide by these regulations.
So every bet on the tables now must be done so with chips. Whether purchased at the tables or from the cage, every dollar is accounted for.
Tomorrow's QoD
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