The results of our random phone survey, below, indicate that as far as Las Vegas is concerned, many different policies are in place around town, but most properties have some kind of restrictions.
There are several good reasons why a casino might not permit its employees to gamble on-property. One is to prevent the possibility of potential collusion and cheating among colleagues. Another is to avert the danger of being accused of "fixing" an in-house jackpot payout, should it be won by an employee (in the same way that employees are generally excluded from taking part in promotional contests held by non-gaming companies). A third reason is to discourage absenteeism, with employees gambling while they should be working. Finally, these policies also relate significantly to the issue of problem gambling among casino workers, so we contacted Carol O’Hare, Executive Director of the Nevada Council on Problem Gambling, for her input. This is what Carol had to say:
"It’s a very subjective issue and every company has its own rules. In the old days, many casinos not only allowed employees to play at their own properties, they could do it on shift during breaks! Some companies would not allow you to play at the property where you worked, but you could play at other company locations.
"Another approach is the before/after shift rule -- you can't play within two to four hours of starting or ending a shift. That’s actually the approach that seems to have the most merit for promoting ‘responsible gaming.’ It establishes a boundary that says you should gamble only during true ‘off time,’ for recreation. Not allowing people to gamble immediately after work reduces the risk of the employees losing all their tips before they ever leave the property. Of course, when it comes to reducing problem-gambling behavior, no rule or limitation will stop problem gamblers from finding a place to play other than where they work."
In terms of specific current casino policies, here's what we were told by various Human Resources departments around town:
Mirage & TI: Yes, employees can gamble on property, but not when on duty or in uniform and not on progressives (presumably to avoid accusations of fixing, should a staff member win a big jackpot).
Bellagio: No
El Cortez: Yes, but not in the department you work in if you’re a casino employee (i.e., blackjack dealers can’t play blackjack). Also, if you’re a salaried employee, as opposed to being on an hourly wage, you can’t gamble on property at all, with the exception of parimutuel wagers in the race book.
Venetian: No
Westin Casuarina: Yes, employees can gamble after-shift and out of uniform. But like at the El Cortez, they can’t gamble in the department they work in and salaried staff cannot gamble at all. The very helpful human-resources department explained that the policy stems mainly from consciousness of possible public perceptions regarding fairness, if employees are seen to be playing, together with the fact that during their shift, employees are on the clock all the time, including breaks, so the casino does not want them to be gambling while they’re technically being paid to work.
Harrah’s: Yes, back-of-house employees can play anywhere in the casino and, as at other properties, dealers can play as long as it’s not in the department they work in and not within a two-hour window on either side of their shift. They can, however, play in the same department they work in at Harrah’s sister properties.
Palace Station: It depends on what department you work in. Dealers can’t gamble in the area of the casino they work in, while others, including anyone in the IT department and all Station Casino company directors, cannot gamble at any Station property.
