Casino Etiquette: What You Need to Know When Gambling in Wyoming

Casinos are bustling places with many people from many backgrounds, so it is possible to step on people's toes, literally and figuratively. If you are new to the gaming community, you will want to read this to ensure you are not offending your fellow gamblers. Even if you have been gambling for a while, brushing up on this casino etiquette probably doesn't hurt.

What Is Casino Etiquette?

If you have no idea what it is, the first thing we need to do is define casino etiquette. This is a set of spoken and unspoken rules of how people should behave at a casino. Some of it is common courtesies, while other aspects have more to do with how a casino operates.

Slot Machine Ettiquette

While nobody means to be offensive, there are many things one can do on a casino floor that will annoy employees and other patrons. While this will mostly focus on slot etiquette because that is the majority of Wyoming casino floor games, there is also general etiquette to know no matter where you are in the country.

First, you want to know how to handle a hot machine. If you are on a roll, you don't want to lose your seat, but there are certain bodily needs that you can't ignore. The first rule is it is okay to take breaks, but you should be respectful and keep your breaks to a minimum. Fifteen minutes or less is considered considerate when taking a break from a machine. To signal to other players that you are taking a break, do something simple yet obvious, like leaning your chair forward onto the machine or leaving a personal item like a player's card or pack of cigarettes on the screen to indicate someone is playing that game.

Another essential rule is not blocking games people want to play; this can happen in multiple ways. Sometimes skilled slot players may want to play two or even three games at the same time, which is fine on a slow night, but if you are a single person taking up three machines and you see people waiting around for a machine to open up, it is the right thing to do to only play one game. Also, don't sit in the chair of a game you're not playing. Many times people will be done for the night and meet up with their friends still playing and take a seat next to them, not knowing they are blocking another player from taking that seat.

On the other side, you don't want to be the person hovering over a machine you want to play while someone else is playing it. Imagine how you would feel if you were trying to enjoy the slots you are playing and someone was staring over your shoulder the whole time.

You must also clean up and be as courteous as possible to the people around you. This means not spilling food, drinks, or ashes on the machine, chair, and floor around you, and if there is an unfortunate accident, you should immediately clean up after yourself.

General Casino Ettiquette

While slots have their own etiquette, there is also some general etiquette, no matter which casino you are in.

First and foremost, many of the casinos in this country are run by Native American tribes, and you should do everything you can to respect tribal law and culture. While some tribes are beginning to allow alcohol sales at their casinos, it is still banned in many casinos, so don't bring your own liquor into their establishments thinking you are pulling a fast one. Not only is it disrespectful, it can land you in hot water that, at the very least, will get you kicked out. If the casino does serve alcohol, take care to enjoy it in moderation so you don't become a hindrance to the casino or your fellow gamblers.

Many casinos still allow smoking in designated areas, so if you are a non-smoker who is sensitive to cigarette smoke, you should steer clear of those areas. If you are a smoker, try to be respectful of non-smokers and keep your smoke in the designated smoking areas.

In the 2020s, everyone has a phone in their pocket, but having your smartphone out on the casino floor is rude and can create unsafe conditions on the casino floor. Casinos don't know whether you are taking pictures of a friend or trying to case the joint for vulnerabilities, so they don't take kindly to people having their phones out. In addition, high rollers may not take kindly to being in your pictures and could get aggressive about it.

Staff at casinos are there to do their job just like anyone else, so it is essential to treat them with respect. Often, if they are enforcing a rule, it is not them that want to. It's simply part of their job. If you are given any kind of service like food and beverage at your seat, it is proper to tip even if the drink is free. Most servers work on tips, and the gratuity is highly appreciated.

Good Intentions Lead to Great Nights

An apology goes a long way, so if you are ever guilty of committing a casino faux pax, learn from it, apologize, and move on. Just like you might make a mistake occasionally, try to forgive others' mistakes as they may not know proper casino etiquette as you do. As long as everyone tries to be on their best behavior, a melting pot of people can all come together and have a great time at your favorite Wyoming casino.