Wednesday, February 10, 2010

Poker Cheat Teams Working Morocco...Should You Worry About Their Poker Room and Casino Security Upgrades?

Source: John M. Gaming Zion

According to Moroccan gambling law, most forms of gambling are legal in the nation. This is likely a result of its being quite popular amongst the locals and the government’s realization that, through gambling, they can provide the nation with social benefits and a better stream of revenue.

Morocco is one of the most popular gambling destinations on the entire African continent, including both tourists from Africa and other parts of the world. As a result, Moroccan casinos and gambling centers are often abuzz with life. The huge crowds that can be found in Moroccan casinos are a plus when it comes to revenue, but can also lead to some problems. Players are always trying to get an edge on casinos and to find an easier path to free money. Due to this, Moroccan casinos need to have pretty high security levels.

In order to guard against sleight of hand, substitution of dice, theft of chips and inappropriate card counting and other issues that plague brick and mortar casinos, The Casino Agadir Atlantic Palace, one of Morocco’s most popular casinos, is making efforts to upgrade security. They are doing so by installing networked megapixel cameras and speed dome cameras which are capable of panning at a rate of 400 degrees per second! These steps to deter cheating are likely to benefit the casino greatly.

My Take: I don't think much of anything can help Moroccan poker rooms and casinos safeguard against cheating. Remember, all improvements to video surveillance and gadgetry are subject to the knowledge and intelligence of the people looking at the images and deciphering the information.