As my channel approaches its 10th anniversary, some things have changed dramatically since I got started. One aspect is the acceptance (at least by some casinos and jurisdictions) of the ability to film my slot play. I often get asked about this:
I have been doing YouTube videos for a couple of years now but get discouraged sometimes by worrying if casinos will let me record. What have you done in the past to get permission or how do you even go by it? Thank you!
Gabriel C.
There are a few factors that are in play when it comes to recording. One is jurisdiction – some markets are more restrictive than others over who can film, when and where. For instance, every trip I used to take to Atlantic City since I started my channel required partnering with a casino, who secured permission to film with the New Jersey regulators for my visit.
Other times, it’s casino-specific permissions. Casinos like Yaamava’ have long had a permissive filming policy, as long as you follow their recording rules. MGM Resorts has rolled out something similar, although they have a more nuanced policy based on whether you’re just an excited casual player capturing a bonus vs. a content creator capturing video for a future release.
Given I’m frequently at casinos to promote them and events we’re doing together, filming privileges are one of the things that is confirmed as part of a visit. There were definitely periods of time, especially early on in my channel’s history, where I’d have security shutting me down even when I had permission to be filming. I’d be handing them a letter confirming permission, and even then I’d sometimes still be shut down until security could verify this was the case.
10 years of doing this, though, means also establishing best practices, and casinos themselves have been getting more organized over time, particularly ones that see the value of having players visiting to promote the casino.
Some places have me check in to receive a badge that security watches for and are familiar with, so they can be confident this was a confirmed visit, for instance. Some casinos assign employees to stay with me for the duration of filming to ensure they can verify that I have permission to be recording on the casino floor (I personally feel sorry for that person who has to ‘babysit’ me).
As far as how to ask for permission, usually the marketing department is the best way to get in if it’s a casino that requires permission, or simply messaging them on instagram. Seeing where others are filming, and looking for patterns, can be a great way to understand what casinos are more likely to allow it or even encourage it. For a long time the Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas was a hub for filming because they had a policy similar to Yaamava’ in being more permissive (and now, as part of MGM, is part of that previously mentioned filming policy).
Of course, as this is my business, I have support before and during the visit to ensure smooth sailing, and I realize that’s a luxury not everyone has. But I do recommend asking for permission upfront, so you have the best chances of success, and perhaps even find a home casino that can give you a steady location to capture those great wins.
And remember, casinos are businesses. If you ran a business, you wouldn’t want people coming inside and filming on the floor without permission either. You would want to vet them first, and make sure they align with your brand.
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