Do Casinos Track Your Winnings?

Have you ever wondered if a casino is tracking your winnings? And if they do, is that something that should concern you?

Casinos are big business. Their success is all based on math. Overall, the casino has to take more revenue in than it pays out. So naturally, they are keeping an eye on all the games and transactions. In short, yes they do track your winnings.

Do Casinos Track Winnings?
Do Casinos Track Winnings?

Land Based Casinos

In a land-based casino anyone who starts winning big will certainly be monitored. One of the basic tools of tracking is video surveillance. A land based casino has cameras everywhere. If they get interested in you — perhaps because you’re on a winning streak — they can literally track you from table to table. Casinos can also use facial recognition cameras. If, for instance, you were caught cheating in a casino you would immediately be banned. You might also be prosecuted. But you would also be added to a blacklist that other casinos can share. Potentially, facial recognition software could spot you if you ever tried to enter another venue.

Loyalty cards are another powerful tool that casinos use to track your behavior. Just like store loyalty programs, the more you spend the more points you earn. In a casino these points translate into free games, free drinks and even free hotel stays. Sounds great, doesn’t it? But consider this. You are on a winning streak. Why are they being so nice to you? Basically because they want you to stick around long enough to lose all the money you just made. Getting the rock star treatment can be thrilling, but remember the old adage, ‘There ain’t no such thing as a free lunch.’

Crypto Casinos

When you play at an online casino you can have a greater degree of privacy. You never show your face, and you will probably play anonymously. But your game play and all your financial transactions will still be monitored. They know exactly how much you spend, and there will be built-in software alerts if someone starts winning big or an unusual pattern of play is detected. This level of surveillance is going on in the background all the time.

Unfortunately they can’t offer you free drinks, but almost all crypto casinos have a loyalty program designed to get you to play more and stay loyal to them.

Who Are They Most Interested In?

While casinos are tracking everyone all the time, they are most interested in four kinds of people. These include big winners, big spenders, celebrities and potential cheats.

As suggested earlier, if you start to win big it’s in the casino’s interests to keep you at the table. The odds are that if you continue to play you’ll start to lose. If you’re lucky enough to hit the jackpot, cashing in is the sensible option.

When someone starts wagering large amounts the casino gets concerned. If they win with a high stake, then the payout is likely to be big enough to hurt.

When a well known figure enters a land based casino they will attract a lot of attention. Whether it’s a business tycoon or someone from the world of sports or entertainment, the management will want to make sure they are being well looked after. This is less of an issue in online casinos, where you have anonymity.

Casinos are always on the alert for possible fraudsters. Again, this is more of an issue at land based casinos. It’s almost impossible to cheat at online games, but unusual patterns of play will be flagged up.

Should I Be Worried?

A reputable casino is only interested in your gaming behavior and preferences. They want to offer you incentives to keep you playing, so that you continue to contribute to their revenue. If their software was hacked, you might be concerned about your credit card details being stolen. In a land based casino the answer is to play only with cash. This has the added advantage that once you’ve spent it you can’t go over any limit you set yourself.

In online casinos the widespread acceptance of cryptocurrencies means that you can avoid the use of credit cards here as well. Cryptocurrencies are an anonymous and safe way of carrying out financial transactions.

Finally, you should consider if a casino might sell the information they have on you. No reputable casino, online or land based would do this. That’s one of the reasons you should choose a casino carefully, making sure they are properly licensed and comply with data protection laws.