Do Las Vegas Sports Books Jam Cell Phones?

Is there any truth to the legend that Las Vegas sports books used electronic “jamming” devices to disable cellular phone signals? I can distinctly remember that I would lose service as I stepped into the Mirage book.

A lot of rumors float around about the casinos jamming cell-phone signals.

Why? Well, cell phones are potential cheating devices, so it stands to reason that the casinos would want to disable them on the floor. They can also compromise privacy (the old ban of taking photos in the casino) and the casinos don't care for people photographing security areas or conducting loud phone conversations, which distract from the serious business of their patrons losing money.

By law, cell phones are banned in and around Nevada casino sports books. Some people believe that the ban has to do with the federal prohibition against transmitting gambling info over phone lines. But the real reason is messenger betting. Sports-betting syndicates used to station people in sports books around town and when they wanted to bet, for example, $50,000 on a game, they called up the "beards" at each book, who then bet the max the sports book allowed. By having 10 people, say, betting $5,000 each simultaneously, the syndicate could get down the $50K before the line moved in response to the big bet.

Sports books complained to the Gaming Control Board, which put into place a number of rules, including the ban on cell phones.

Of course, nowadays, with everyone carrying a phone and half of them staring at it no matter where they are, the books are much more relaxed about their use, except when one is near the betting counter. Then the book tends to get a bit antsy about them. Still, they remain illegal, so the ban can be, and often is, enforced anytime against anyone anywhere around the sports book and at the table games.

But as for jamming the signals, we have it on good authority that casinos don't actively engage in the practice.

Chris Andrews, sports book director at South Point and author of two of our best books, Then One Day ... 40 Years of Bookmaking in Nevada and Then One Year ... History’s Craziest Year as Seen by a Las Vegas Bookmaker, tells us no.

"I don’t think we’re sophisticated enough to pull that off," he admits. Besides, he notes, "There’s so much electrical equipment and metal in the buildings, it all interferes naturally with the signal. In certain points in South Point, I lose my signal."

And now for the clincher. "Plus, you have to remember that all the executives are on their cell phones all day. I know at South Point, we’ve spent a ton of money to enhance the signal, not suppress it."

Andrew Uyal, author of our excellent book The Blackjack Insiders, concurs. "I've never heard of casinos jamming signals. They're big concrete and metal fortresses that tend to mess with the signal anyway. However, I am aware of signal boosters underground in our back-of-house areas."

All in all, it looks like phone signals jammed by casinos is an urban myth.

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rokgpsman Jun-16-2022

Against to law to jam cellphones

According to the FCC website it is a violation of US federal law to use a cellphone jammer or GPS blocking equipment. There are no exceptions for any business, school or private person, but law enforcement is allowed to under certain circumstances such as conducting a raid on criminal activity. In other countries such as Japan it is allowed for certain businesses such as funeral homes, movie theaters, church buildings. These cellphone jamming devices are sold at lots of internet sites, many are small and battery operated. They transmit a signal that interferes with the signal from a cellphone tower, but have a limited range. They are in use in the US by people wanting to reduce the annoyance or chatter of folks using their phones in places like concerts, movie theaters, subways, elevators, etc. They don't affect the phone camera from working, just prevent it from connecting to a cell tower for texting, voice calls and internet data.

Kevin Lewis Jun-16-2022

"Cheating"??

How could a cell phone be used to cheat a sportsbook? Communicating with other people about lines and line movements isn't cheating, any more than, say, counting cards is cheating.

The law banning cell phones is ridiculous as well as unconstitutional, but of course, in Nevada, the casinos ARE the law. A statute making winning punishable by law is in the works.

Sandra Ritter Jun-16-2022

So True

Thanks for my morning chuckle "...and half of them staring at it no matter where they are".

AL Jun-16-2022

NEWS TO ME!

Until today, I had never heard of any law that bans cell phones in casinos, and the thought had never even crossed my mind. The very notion that your cell phone could be prohibited from some location (except for a few scenarios, such as taking an academic test) just smacks of antidemocratic government and a violation of a basic human right. Many people need to have their cell phones with them at all times for important reasons, such as doctors who get emergency calls, and children or grandparents who need to call or receive calls from parents especially for emergency reasons. It would be sufficient to merely have a law that bans using cell phones to get or send sports betting data or to make bets. We should be able to have our cell phone in a sports book to do all the other regular stuff, including answering a call from a friend who is coming to meet us at the casino but has gotten lost and is calling for directions. Talk about "throwing out the baby with the bathwater"!

Brent Jun-16-2022

Kevin Lewis...

Unconstitutional? What part of the constitution are you referring to?

full_monte_carlo Jun-16-2022

picture taking

During my first trip to Vegas in 2003 we went into The Hilton (to do the Star Trek Experience) and I was amazed by the beautiful Chandeliers and started to take pictures, a security guard rushed in demanding that I stop taking pictures and demanded that I delete them. I did as I was told but was a bit taken back by the situation, thinking to myself why? Oh how times have changed. Could you imagine that happening today.... They would need 200 secutity guards per casino just to combat photo taking. Was a silly rule anyway, my camera was pointed to the ceiling not the gaming floor. Only thing I could think of they were afriad I was taking pictures of their eye in the sky.

Jeffrey Small Jun-16-2022

Use of Jammers

Agreed that it is probably against the law to use a cell phone jammer.  However, there are uses that make sense!  We were in a long and complicated negotiation.  One of the gentlemen on the other side was paying more attention to his cell phone than to the meeting so one of the guys bought a jammer.  Every time he took the phone out we switched on the jammer.  We finally got his attention at the meeting--or he would leave the room to play with his phone so we could get business done!

[email protected] Jun-16-2022

My Hilton friends

Had my new Microtach Flip Phone out with the antenna up enjoying a Chicago Dog in the SportsBook deli telling my wife how I’m watching a race at Saratoga that I bet on.
Next thing I know two gentlemen well dressed, not smiling or speaking we’re standing next to me. I hung up.

rokgpsman Jun-16-2022

Cellphone ban

It's not just casinos, many concerts, Broadway plays and other events are now banning cellphones. They warn you ahead of time to not bring them with you. If you do they either take them from you when you enter or they place them in a rf shielded bag that is locked and given back to you. After the event is over you stand in line to get the bag unlocked. Doctors and other emergency people arrange for a calling service to take their calls and they are given a silent beeper device that vibrates to alert them. This practice is because so many fans complained about people in the audience using their phone during the performance, talking loudly or the lit screen annoying the people in rows behind the offender. And lots of musicians and actors do not want bootleg videos of their shows being recorded. So banning cellphone use is legal, same as some businesses saying you can't bring in drinks or a handgun, even if the handgun is legal to carry.

rds95991 Jun-16-2022

Cell Jamming

There are cell phone jammers in prisons but they also had to program cell phone numbers of phones that were allowed.

Question of the Day - 16 June 2022

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