It’s important that casino staff be aware of non-verbal behaviors, but judgements about the meaning of those behaviors need to be made carefully, according to Billy David, owner of Bo-Co-Pa and Associates and one of two speakers at the Wednesday NIGA Gaming Tradeshow session Body Language on the Gaming Floor and How to Look for Red Flags.
“The majority of (gaming floor) communication is non-verbal,” David said. “Interpreting it isn’t 100% accurate, but it suggests what might be going on and raises red flags on who to focus on.”
David and co-presenter Andrew Hofstetter, chairman of the Tribal Gaming Protection Network, covered a number of types of non-verbal communications at the session and explained how they related to observing customers at casinos in order to identify potential problems.
The most common form of non-verbal communication is facial expression, according to David. “It can vary between cultures,” he said, “but the facial expressions for happiness, sadness, anger and fear are similar throughout the world.”
Most of the expressions you see in a casino relate to how the player is doing, he pointed out, but casino employees should also be alert to expressions of fear that may indicate, for example, that the person is a human trafficking victim.
David also emphasized the potency of gesture as a form of non-verbal communication. “Can you guess what the most common gesture is?” he asked the audience. He confirmed an audience member’s suggestion that flipping people off is the most common.
The possibility of violence is also something that staff needs to be aware of. “Somebody pointing their finger like a gun at someone is something that we need to be concerned about today,” he said.
“Body language and posture may be the most commonly known forms of non-verbal communication,” David said. “But body language is far more subtle and less definitive than previously believed.”
It’s also an important tool for security officers on casino floors. “Using open hands can make people feel more comfortable than pointing,” he said while demonstrating the gesture.
A key issue that surveillance and security officers need to be alert to is proxemics, more commonly known as personal space. Personal space is generally defined as the range from one and a half to four feet around us, although obviously personal preference dictates one’s own comfort zone.
“Knowing this helps to identify cheaters and thieves,” David said. “Cheaters and thieves tend to violate the victim’s acceptable personal space.”
“If you want to creep someone out, stand near them when you are in an elevator and you’re the only two people in it,” he said.
“That said, the social setting determines the comfort level,” he pointed out. “When we are all leaving here, there will be a lot of people within our personal space as we go out the door.”
Another element of non-verbal communication that casino employees should be aware of is eye gazing, or the responsiveness of one’s eyes to external stimuli. When people encounter things they like, David said, in most cases the rate of their blinking increases and their pupils dilate. This has tipped him off to situations where a supervisor was in a relationship with an employee.
Hofstetter pointed out an example of making an incorrect assumption about what non-verbal communication means. “I squint a lot and people think I’m angry, but it just means I can’t see well.”
The pair also briefly discussed haptics, or the effect of touching as a way of non-verbal communication.
“Women (generally) use touch to communicate care, concern and nurturance,” David said. “Men (generally) use it to assert power or control over others.” He demonstrated how some men will use a second hand over the other person’s hand when they are shaking hands.
David pointed out that touch and distance are important when dealers are tapping another dealer out. “Sexual harassment complaints have been filed if the man was too close,” he explained.
Appearance, including clothing, sends strong non-verbal clues about the person, although they aren’t always accurate.
“Just think of all the subtle judgements you make about someone based on their appearance,” David said. “One client told me not to wear a suit the next time I came. He said everyone thought I was FBI.”
