Anonymous Ukrainian Croupier: "The ball had to be 'unintentionally' thrown out of the wheel"

Many aspects of land-based casino operations are still shrouded in mystery, so we’ve decided to interview someone with extensive knowledge of the topic due to their direct involvement with the industry during its development, and continue their journey in it to this day. Meet “X” - a professional croupier with 13 years of hands-on experience. They are still part of the active staff in one of Ukraine’s brick-and-mortar establishments. Under complete anonymity, “X” has agreed to answer some of our juicy industry-related questions, illuminating many topics that most gamblers find intriguing. We have divided our questions into categories to better encompass “X’s” experience, so feel free to check out the information that interests you the most!

Personal

1. Please tell us a little about yourself. How long have you worked in the casino industry, and what casino games do you service?

   I have been working at land-based Ukrainian casinos since 2012 on roulette, blackjack, and several types of poker.

2. Do you enjoy your job, and if so, what aspects bring you the most satisfaction?

   I like my job because of the communication with guests and the cool team of employees. Also, my brain is always working, calculating rates, and the work does not require heavy physical exertion.

Roulette

1. What was the biggest win for one specific bet and session you have seen yourself?

   A live game has a minimum and maximum bet amount set for a table. If the table’s upper limit is set at $300, then you cannot bet more than that on each position. Let me give you an example: $300 goes to the number, $600 to the split (2 numbers), $900 to the straight (3 numbers), $1,200 to the corner (4 numbers), and $1,800 to the six-line (6 numbers), while each position has its own payout. In such a case, with the maximum bet on all positions of one number, the payout will be $117,600. I’ve witnessed a guest guessing two “completes” in a row, so the payout was $235,200 (for two spins), plus the wagered amount remained with him. He thanked me and then left to play something else.

2. What is the set of rules for croupiers like? What can and cannot be done?

   The most crucial rule is not to take anything from the guests; all interactions should be conducted at the table. Also, you can’t give any advice on the game; when in contact with the chips, you must show the so-called “clean hands” for transparency.

3. In your practice, have there been cases when you knew that the wheel you were working on was somewhat curved? And in practice, how much does this affect the course of the game?

   Regarding the curvature of the wheel, this is the first time I've heard of such a thing, and I've never encountered it in practice. I've heard about wheels getting worn out due to being used for too long without replacement, but I don't know whether worn wheels impact gameplay in some way.

4. How is the wheel maintained, that is, how often and for what reasons? We are also curious about how it is supposed to be done in theory, and has it always happened this way in your practice?

   Maintenance does not concern us as croupiers. There are designated people who understand and have permission to perform such services. I know that once every 24 hours, the hall administrator walks by each roulette table, uses a spirit level tool to determine whether the wheel stands straight, and wipes the inner part of it, along which we launch the ball. That’s about as much as I can say on this issue.

Insights from experience

1. Have there been cases in your practice when the casino acted against a player outside the regulations? For example, did they specifically not count the won bets? Maybe management gave instructions to carry out manipulations on your part?

   Unfortunately, I’ve had such an experience. I want to note that this occurred when the gambling business was illegal. Back in the day, from time to time, the so-called "katrany" (weekly casinos) were opened where the owners wanted to make a quick buck and shut down the establishment. While working in one of these, we were once asked to throw a ball out of the wheel to delay the game. I quit immediately after this request because I was never taught this, and I find such manipulations disgusting. Since everything became legal and official, this has not happened.

Editor’s note: For context, the croupier is talking about the pre-KRAIL (the Commission for the Regulation of Gambling and Lotteries, Ukraine’s gambling regulator from 2020 until its dissolution in favor of PlayCity in 2025) times on the Ukrainian gambling market.

This only happened in one establishment, though. In my experience, other illegal casinos did not encourage such shady practices. The process worked as follows: the player guessed 5-6 numbers in a row, and for example, after the 5th payment, the administrator would wave or somehow hint that the pace of the game should be disrupted, so the ball had to be “unintentionally” thrown out of the wheel. I have never done it, so I can’t describe exactly what move is used, but in theory, we would have to perform it and then pretend that it happened by accident. According to the rules, until the lost ball is returned, we must put another one in as a replacement. There are always two of them on the roulette wheel - a big one and a small one, and if the player refuses to change the ball for another one, we wait until the staff brings back the original one, and because of that, the game could switch vectors.

Many superstitious players believe such occurrences negatively impact the winning streak, and indeed, I heard that often after such scenarios are executed, a player usually loses his cool and begins to think chaotically about the bets, disrupting the previously winning pace.

2. Have you ever noticed how management or security supervise suspicious but not dangerous winnings? Are overly successful players blacklisted? And on what grounds if they did not do anything illegal?

   Regarding the observations of winnings, I have not encountered such instances. But when it comes to aggressive or drunk guests, yes, they are being paid attention to by the security, for the safety of other guests. I know that in card games, restrictions can be imposed on the number of boxes and minimum bets, but I have not encountered such restrictions regarding roulette. The reasons for this are not given to us as croupiers.

3. How often do players, in a fit of emotions from a loss, enter into conflict with the croupier - accuse, shout, etc.? How should you behave in such a case? And is there a line where either you or the security can intervene?

   This happens on average in 8 out of 10 cases. Screams, accusations, and sometimes even chip or card throwing. Sometimes, guests simulate the intention to throw something, trying to intimidate the croupier. In such cases, we must not show emotions, stress, or anxiety, and avoid direct eye contact, so that it is not perceived as a provocation. Usually, when this happens, an administrator or manager tries to calm the guest down. If they are not responsive to dialogue, then they may be given a temporary blacklist (from an hour to several days) to cool down. And if the guest has already crossed the boundaries of what is permitted, then security intervention to remove the guest from the establishment also becomes an option.

4. Are there hidden practices to "push" players to make large bets?

   No, because it is unnecessary; human greed will do the job. For example, a player decides to take a risk, raises the stakes, and hits a win; that's it. Then, they will no longer be interested in playing at tables with smaller stakes. They will try to satisfy their needs by playing with slightly higher stakes, risking getting up from the table early, either with a big win or nothing, so “pushing” tactics are not required.

5. Do you have KPIs (performance indicators) - for example, regarding player retention or the number of hands that need to be played?

   We don’t have KPIs, but there should be a dynamic. If several people are playing at the same time, and someone wants to go to the toilet and asks to wait for them, then we will politely refuse because the said guest is not the only one playing at the table. If only one player is at the table and they ask to wait, then why not? It is their wish, and we are always happy to meet the guests’ needs if it does not contradict our rules.

   Regarding the retention of guests, there was no such thing in the establishments where I’ve worked.

6. What mistakes do players most often make, regardless of their experience?

   The most common mistake is when, while playing roulette, guests forget to place the number they’ve chosen. For example, a player makes their placements on a tier series (one of the sectors on roulette, with announced bets) and forgets to put one/two numbers in this sector. Or if a guest plays card games and usually bets a bonus, but forgets to bet it in a specific instance, when the bonus combination lands. These are probably the most common mistakes.

Common myths

1. Is it true that experienced croupiers can influence the outcome of a round? There is a widespread belief that a croupier can affect the position in which the ball will land by manipulating the wheel or introducing the ball into play in a special way. Assuming that’s possible, have you encountered this in practice?

   I've heard of this myth, too, but it's not possible in my opinion. The wheels are designed so that the system works on simple probability theory. There is always a 1:37 chance that one of the numbers will come up for each new spin.

2. One of the common myths among players is that using magnets can manipulate the results of a hand/round. Have you encountered cases in practice when you had to work at a table/wheel with a magnet? If not, do you know of such cases?

   In practice, I have not encountered this. In theory, I believe in such practices in some illegal casinos, but croupiers are usually not in on it. However, I have heard gossip about similar cases from players and other croupiers. Once, one of the players showed me a video on his phone, which covered a police patrol being called to a casino, where a wheel with wires was used. I was shocked by what I saw, but this allegedly happened in an unlicensed establishment.

Responsible gambling

1. Do casinos follow responsible gambling principles? Can they ask players to stop if they see that they are losing control?

   Yes, the casino is guided by these principles, but, in my opinion, asking a player to stop isn’t going to be fruitful, because guests in an emotional state will simply not listen to us. They will most likely state that they know better, and if they start losing, the accusation of deliberate hindrance on our part that disrupted their pace is inevitable.