What Will Get You Banned from a Casino

min read
A lock and chain wrapped around a laptop, four aces and a set of three dice.
BetMGM Nov 03, 2023, 5:38 AM

Casinos are fun entertainment venues that people visit to have a good time, but just like any other venue, casinos have rules that all visitors must follow. Anyone who breaks these rules may get kicked out or may even find themselves added to the casino’s blacklist and permanently banned.

Whether you like to find thrilling casino games to play at brick-and-mortar casinos or you prefer to use your phone or computer to play online casino games, there are steps you can take to avoid being ejected or banned from a venue. Here are the rules you need to keep in mind for each of these different types of casino venues. 

What Will Get You Removed from Brick-And-Mortar Casinos?

The best casinos in the world work to make their experience as enjoyable and luxurious as possible — they want as many people as possible to be able to enjoy their offerings in a safe, fun, and entertaining environment. However, the casino rules and regulations are there for a reason, and the establishments tend to be relatively strict when enforcing them. If you decide to visit a casino in person, here’s what can get you kicked out or banned from a physical casino.

Being Too Young to Gamble in Your State

If you want to play for real money at casinos, you must be of minimum legal age. Depending on which state you are in, the minimum age can vary from 18–21. If you are underage and are found gambling, the casino will remove you from the premises. 

Breaking the Rules Around Casino Etiquette

As with any public space, you are expected to behave appropriately at a casino by following casino etiquette. At a bare minimum, this means treating people around you, including casino staff and other visitors, with respect. Disruptive acts that include being rude to servers or dealers, sexually harassing other visitors, or drinking too much are likely to end with you being escorted off the premises by casino security.

Cheating

While many people enjoy casino games responsibly and honestly, there will always be those who push their luck and try to cheat. Knowing this, casinos worldwide have equipped themselves to identify and stop cheaters. It goes without saying that cheating will get you banned from a casino. Any attempt to bend or outright break the rules of a game will result in a ban from the casino. Cheating includes things like hiding cards on your person and using them during a game, trying to tamper with a slot machine, trying to slip loaded dice into a casino dice game, or even colluding with staff to manipulate a game in your favor.

Implementing Techniques That Give You an Unfair Advantage

Techniques like card counting in blackjack or edge sorting in baccarat are not illegal and are unlikely to get you a full ban from a casino. However, there are still several reasons you shouldn’t count cards or try anything similar — the main being to avoid getting kicked out of your favorite casino. Should the casino suspect you of using systems like this to give you an edge, they will most likely ban you from playing the game the technique applies to. For example, you may be banned from playing blackjack at a casino if you’re too good at counting cards.

Loitering

Casinos are places for people to enjoy gambling games. If you are suspected of loitering, security is likely to ask you to leave — particularly if you’re making other players feel uncomfortable for any reason.

Taking Photos or Recording Videos

Many casinos don’t allow patrons to take photos or record any videos. They will usually have signs up to remind people that they are not allowed to use cameras, smartphones, or any other photo or video capture devices. This rule exists for security and privacy reasons, so if you want to have a long and fun night at the casino, avoid getting snap-happy.

Asking To Be Banned

Not everyone banned from a casino received that ban against their wishes. People who have problems controlling their gambling can request to be added to a casino ban list to prevent themselves from engaging in irresponsible gambling. This is known as self-exclusion from gambling.

Responsible gambling practices are essential, whether you’re playing online or at a land-based casino. So, if you feel like you may need some help taking a step back from betting, adding yourself to the casino’s self-exclusion list may be a good idea. The exact process for how to “ban” yourself from a casino will differ from venue to venue, but the just of it is that you will need to sign an agreement that lists which venues you would like to be banned from and for how long. 

What Will Get You Banned from Online Casinos

Even though you can play online casino games from home, it doesn’t mean there aren’t rules you need to follow (and consequences if you don’t). If you prefer to play casino games online, here’s what might get you suspended or banned.

Being Too Young To Play Online in Your State

Just like gambling at a brick-and-mortar casino, you need to be of legal age to gamble online. If you try to register for an online service and you’re not yet of legal age, you will not be registered. And if you somehow manage to get around this and are found out, your account will be closed.

Cheating Online

Many people may be inclined to try and break the rules of an online casino from the comfort of their home, thinking they are safe in doing so. This may mean downloading tools that assist you unfairly in a game of online poker, abusing a glitch in online slots or casino platforms, or hacking a game or platform to try and manipulate it in your favor. However, this is a one-way ticket to a gambling ban from the online platform.

Needless to say, online casinos know how disastrous cheating is to their bottom line — and, more importantly, to their reputation. This is why they spend vast sums of money on protecting their games and platforms and monitoring players who engage in suspicious activity. If you’re caught cheating, there will be no second chances, and you will be banned. Casinos may even pursue criminal charges against you.

Committing Identity Theft

Some players think they’re smart by using another person’s information to create an online gambling account. While some players may initially slip through the cracks, casinos are constantly reviewing players’ accounts and taking steps to ensure players are who they say they are. If they find out you’re not who you say you are, you will definitely be banned. Depending on the state that you are in, you may also be subject to criminal charges.

Abusing Multiple Accounts and Their Associated Bonuses

Less-than-ethical players may create multiple accounts to take advantage of promotions like welcome bonuses. They may also try to shift the odds of certain games (like online poker) in their favor by filling up more seats at a particular table. If you create multiple accounts with other people’s personal information to abuse these bonuses or create advantages for yourself in other games, you may find yourself subject to more than just a ban because you’re committing identity theft as well.

Being Rude and Flouting Online Casino Etiquette

Like in offline casinos, players are expected to behave appropriately in online casino gaming spaces. If you follow these tips for great online gaming etiquette, such as not cheating, being polite and not spamming the chat, you’ll have a good time in a virtual casino and avoid being temporarily or permanently banned.

Requesting Temporary or Permanent Online Casino Bans

Much like their offline counterparts, online casino gamblers who struggle to manage their gambling hobby and find it becoming detrimental to their lives can ask an online casino to temporarily or permanently suspend them. A voluntary temporary ban is more commonly referred to as a “cooling off period.” So, once you’ve spent a certain amount of time or money at an online casino, you are not allowed to spend any more money or time playing until the cooling-off period you decided on has expired. 

Can Casinos Ban You for Winning?

Casinos are private institutions, so generally speaking, they can ban anyone as long as they have a valid reason and are not breaking any Federal, state, or local anti-discrimination laws — winning is not one of these reasons. Banning players for being good at something is not only bad for their reputation, it’s bad for business. So, you won’t get banned as long as you’re a legitimate player on a real winning streak. That said, casinos do need to protect themselves. So, if they suspect that a consistent winning streak is due to something like card counting or even cheating, they may ban you. 

Enjoy All the Best Old and New Casino Games at BetMGM

If you’re looking for great games to play, you can find a huge library of games at BetMGM.There are online slot machines like Gonzo’s Quest, Cleopatra, Abra Cat Dabra and many more. Prefer games like blackjack or roulette? Then, be sure to check out the many thrilling casino table games on offer. Or, if you enjoy a more social experience, why not try a great range of live dealer casino games

Register at BetMGM to enjoy all these exciting games and more.

Actress Vanessa Hudgens flipping casino chips next to the text "The King of Casinos"
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Our BetMGM editors and authors are casino experts with a wealth of knowledge of the online casino industry at all levels. Their coverage includes company news, game reviews, how-to instructional articles, strategy guides, and editorials showcasing BetMGM’s superior product and game library.

Our BetMGM editors and authors are casino experts with a wealth of knowledge of the online casino industry at all levels. Their coverage includes company news, game reviews, how-to instructional articles, strategy guides, and editorials showcasing BetMGM’s superior product and game library.