25 Ways to Protect Yourself Against the BAD Guys in the Casinos! - Part 5

Some casino games and some casino-hotel locales lend themselves much more readily to criminals preying upon us than do others. Gaming readers get great advice in handling the various games in the casino, but rarely do we get good advice about how to handle the variety of games criminals might play upon us in and out of the casinos. Considering that there are two ways to lose your money in a casino: One, by having bad luck when the casino's edge defeats you, and two, by having even worse luck when some criminal steals whatever money you might have won after you had good luck, here are 25 ways to protect us (the good guys) against them (the bad guys).

16. Security is Your Blanket. If you have a big night at the tables and are staying at the casino, ask to have a security guard take you to your safe-deposit box or escort you to your room. That is one of their jobs and most casinos will even recommend that you have security escort you. If you have won loads of cash and are headed for your car (at valet!) also have security escort you to the valet parking area. You should offer to tip them when they perform these services.

Individuals who have won big have been robbed right on the casino floor. The Doctor, a member of the Captain's Crew of high rollers, had $12,000 stolen from him just as he left the casino cage. "Someone slammed into me as I was counting up my money. Then, as I tried to balance myself, someone else ripped the bills right out of my hands. Before I could say anything, I was on the floor, without my money, and the two guys were running out the door."

Had the Doctor asked security to escort him to the cage, there's a good chance the crooks would have gone away and looked to rob another day.

17. Credit Check. Most casinos are more than happy to extend you a credit line, which is essentially an interest-free loan of money to play the casino's games and you will have anywhere from one week to 45 days to repay it. Getting credit is easy: ask for an application; fill out the application, and return the completed application. You'll be informed within a week or two of how much the casino will give you in credit and any other particulars you need to know.

18. Checks Play. If you don't want to carry cash and you don't want to establish credit but you do want to play for substantial sums of money, then bring travelers checks to the casino. Cash as many as you have to in order to play your first session. Travelers checks are better than cash because if they are lost or stolen, you can get your money back.

19. What's Yours Could Become Theirs. At a craps table, always be aware of what bets you have in action. Some brazen thieves like to snatch winning bets from neighboring players. This can easily occur as many dealers place the winning bets on the felt in the proximity of the winning player, not directly in front of him. A crook can just reach down and grab the win and pretend it is his. If you aren't aware that you have just won a bet, the thief can actually get away with this ploy. If you make a small scene ("Hey, that's my bet!"), the thief will just pretend he got confused. By the way, often in this situation the adjoining player did become confused...so don't assume when this happens it really is a calculated attempt to steal -- but also don't let him get away with it! Know what bets you have in action at all times.

20. You Aren't Irresistible. Men, if a beautiful woman (or even a not-so-beautiful woman) approaches you in a casino and expresses great admiration for your wit, attire, looks, expression, or inner beauty (and the amount you are betting), she's either a hooker or a crook. No man can be witty from afar and no man is so devastatingly personable that women can read his inner spirit from across a room. Women who aggressively approach men in casinos should send up a red flag of caution in you: Halt! Continuing this conversation might lead to bodily injury due to disease or a lessening of one's bankroll due to diswalleting.

In the next part of this article, Frank lists five more ways to protect yourself in the casino.