Casino Dude

“In House,” Casino players are a controversial topic in the gaming world. Few people may know it, but there are legal ways that casinos can affect their profitability.

Regulations for these actions can vary from state to state, but there are potential illegal versions of players. Many deny their existence, there are others with inside knowledge who swear by it.

So How Does the Casino affect their profitability?

This is through “Prop Players” or sometimes incorrectly termed “shills“, and are used predominantly in poker but can be used on other table games and slot machines.

How Do Prop Players Work?

These players are hired by the casino, paid an hourly wage, but they gamble with their own money. Their job is to either start up a new game or keep a game going when they begin to get short-handed. Props are directed by casino floor managers and are told which tables to play at.

Although this may seem like a dream job, once the table gets hot, the prop players have done their job and are generally told to leave the table. They then head to another table to hopefully repeat their performance.

Why Do Casino’s Hire Prop Players?

Casinos make a profit from raking the pot, therefore they have a vested interest in keeping as many tables going as possible.

Aside from this, casinos may want to help gather crowds around a table or entice more people to play. This can be done by employing people that are let’s say, attractive to the eye. If a beautiful woman is seen sitting at a table, she may be more likely to attract a crowd, which would turn into more money being gambled.

Why Are Prop Players Legal?

Because prop players gamble with their own money, it can be entirely legal in many jurisdictions. If they lose, the house gets the money. If they win, they keep the earnings. This is no different than any other person who enters the casino.

One important distinction with legal prop players is that in some jurisdictions, they are required by law to identify themselves as a prop player, either by wearing a badge or identifying themselves if asked. Some jurisdictions allow them to be silent, and not identify themselves.

So what about a potential illegal prop or in house players?

This is where things get interesting. There are numerous stories out there regarding illegal ways casinos increase their profits.

While prop players are sometimes called shills, a shill is actually not the same. By definition, shills play with house money and not their own money like a prop player. Because shills play with house money, any losses simply get absorbed by the casino, and if they win, the profits go to the house.

Shills were previously legal in the state of Colorado but became illegal in 1996. When the house has a vested interest in the outcome of a game, its no surprise that this can spell bad news. The use of shills is still legal in some jurisdictions.

In the last few years, Las Vegas has been in the news surrounding allegations of shill players being used for Chinese high rollers, to hide their identities and sources of their income.

Be sure to check within your specific jurisdiction to determine the rules and regulations surrounding prop players and shills.