Why Do Casinos Dispose of Their Used Decks?
Where Do Old Cards Go? Inside the Surprisingly Dramatic Life Cycle of Casino Decks
Goodbye, Lucky Lady ššā ļø
Youāre deep into your third round of playing blackjack for money, riding a lucky streak, when you notice it ā a new deck. Fresh, clean, suspiciously crisp. What happened to the one you were just bonding with? The one that helped you win twenty bucks and an inflated sense of invincibility?
Well, turns out, casinos donāt play around when it comes to card security. In most cash casinos, decks are swapped out faster than a Bachelor contestant gets dumped post-Fantasy Suite. Some get pulled after a few hours, others after one too many shuffles, but either way, they donāt just get tossed in the trash.
Shout-out to everyone who was given used casino playing cards as birthday/Christmas gifts. pic.twitter.com/Loup73Z5kY
ā Las Vegas Locally š“ (@LasVegasLocally) November 18, 2018
What Happens to Old Decks?
Nope. Old decks get ācanceled.ā Literally. Thatās the term. Canceled, like your favorite comedian who canāt quit being creepy. To prevent cheating, some cards are marked with ink, snipped at the corners, or sent through a drill. And the idea here isnāt arts and crafts, itās to make it impossible for any one card to sneak back into a live game and throw off the odds.
And if youāre thinking, āI never thought to do that, surely thereās a loophole.ā Welp. Think again, bestie. Altering a deck (even just one card) is a felony in Nevada, and youāll definitely end up in casino newsĀ headlines. Weāre talking real prison time. Like youāre now lumped in with armed robbers and car thieves. And as far as gambling regulations go, this oneās carved in stone. You mess with the cards, you mess with The House. And the House will come down on you like the hammer of Thor.
Playing Cards Bellagio Resort & Casino Las Vegas https://t.co/39ZN6Q1zCW pic.twitter.com/SXrBjx3Drl
ā PlayingCardsLV (@PlayingCardsLV) May 7, 2023
Some canceled decks end up in the hands of tourists (yes, you can buy them at the gift shop ā they make great stocking stuffers for your degenerate uncle), while others get donated to troops overseas or even repurposed in prison programs. My first and only canceled deck? I scored it free from a pit boss at the Flamingo in 2019 after I accidentally spilled a vodka soda on myself. Memories.
So next time youāre flipping cards at a Vegas table, remember: behind every deck lies a strange little world of crime prevention, charity, and a whole lot of prison-sourced hole-punching.
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