Weighted-Living-Logo for website

Are Weighted/Loaded Dice Illegal?

are weightedloaded dice illegal

For many people, dice are a popular pastime, and these games of chance are no different from any other form of gambling. A fair dice is an untampered dice, whereas crooked dice or loaded dice are dice that have been tampered with or specifically made for cheating. These type of dice are also known as weighted dice or loaded dice.

But are weighted/loaded dice illegal?

Throughout this article, I will discuss if casino dice are legal or not. Additionally, I’ll explore the use of loaded dice and other methods of cheating in casino dice.

Are Weighted/Loaded Dice Illegal?

What Do Weighted/Loaded Dice Mean and are They Illegal?

are weighted or loaded dice illegal

Are weighted dice illegal? Weighted dice, also known as loaded dice, usually have weighted sides, making it easier for certain numbers to fall. Loaded dice can make cheating more difficult to detect. There are several types of loaded dice. For instance, some of the spots on one face could be drilled out and filled with a heavy substance to give the die a better chance of landing with this face down. 

By drilling out the number one, you are more likely to see the number six since the six is always on the opposite side of the one. 

One way to make a die more likely to keep rolling is to slightly change its shape after loading. Even though this may only give the cheat a small advantage, it could be enough to tip the game in his favor.

Are Weighted/Loaded Dice Illegal?

Weighted/loaded dice are made in such a way that it is guaranteed to land in a certain way. This is perhaps the most famous dice-manipulation trick, in which some numbers come up more frequently than others. 

Casinos don’t allow loaded dice, as they are against the rules in any competitive setting. Cutting off 1/500 of an inch from particular sides can alter a die’s odds and manipulate its interior to add or remove weight.

Cheaters use sleight of hand to trick dice into winning or losing a game, and rigged dice are put in play. As a result, people call them percentage dice since they increase the take or benefit for the user. Casino dice are designed for craps tables and are bouncy, soft, and constructed to match the true odds. Casinos never recommend using loaded dice since they can cost them a great deal of money if they are biased.

Can Weighted/Loaded Dice be Used in Competitive Settings?

are weighted or loaded dice illegal

When you describe dice as uniform and random, when you know they are not, you are lying. Lying to make money or gain something of value is usually criminal fraud, which is against the law. However, you can argue that no value is at stake when you use loaded dice in a game of Monopoly, so fraud has not occurred. If you use weighted loaded dice in a legal casino, you might violate specific anti-gambling laws. I believe most jurisdictions have laws against loaded dice.

Which Dice do Casinos Use?

Casino dice are often called precision dice because they are made to exact specifications. A 3/4-inch dice is used in most casinos, and each die’s dimensions must be accurate to within 0.0005 inches. 

As dice wear over time, they can become unreliable, so casino dealers replace them regularly. As a precautionary measure, it is important to remember that casinos reserve the right to change the dice at any time to prevent cheating and tampering.

Casino Safety Measures to Prevent Loaded Dice

Casino Branding on Dice

Introducing a new method of cheating prevention. The dice used in many casinos are branded with a serial number so that dealers and croupiers can be sure they are genuine. Therefore, players are not allowed to use their own dice.

Casino Dice Glow Spots

You will notice that some casinos have special spots on their dice. The epoxy on these spots changes color when scanned with UV light. A casino dice’s authenticity can be determined by the pit boss or floor manager very quickly. The dice are simply looked at under a black light. This will ensure whether a play involves loaded dice or fair dice.

Sharp Corners

Take note of the corners of the dice the next time you play a board game at home. Dice outside casinos usually have rounded corners, while dice in casinos have sharp edges. When the corners of the dice are rounded, the rolls become distorted, and the bias is exaggerated. With sharp corners, the felt is “grabbed” and ensures that rolls are random, so casinos can keep the odds in their favor.

Casino Logos

Casinos actually use their logos on dice as a security measure. Simply putting a logo on dice is relatively simple. However, this “unique identifier” is another factor that a cheater must consider and an additional way they can be caught attempting to use counterfeit dice.

Change-Outs

Many casinos foil cheaters by changing dice frequently, just as they do with cards at a blackjack table. During use, edges and corners become less sharp, affecting the randomness of rolls. A craps game’s dice are re-rolled every four to eight hours, usually during shift changes. However, casinos can change the dice whenever they wish. Some casinos do this during hot rolls to ensure players’ good fortune isn’t a result of tampering.

Cancellation

Before dice are destroyed or sold in the casino’s gift shop, casinos use hand-operated press machines to “cancel” the dice. The cancellation markings on a die, usually in the shape of a circle, help casino security, dealers, and managers determine if an unscrupulous player has accidentally put a “retired” die into play.

Weighted/Loaded Dice: Frequently Asked Questions

How do Loaded dice work?

Loaded dice, or weighted dice, have been manipulated so that one side will face upwards more or less of the time compared to a normal dice. There are many ways to make weighted/loaded dice, including rounded surfaces, off-square surfaces, and weights.

How long do casino dice last?

Because casino dice are thrown frequently during rapid games, they will not last very long. In some cases, they may be used in four-hour shifts, or they may last up to eight hours. There is very little likelihood that a casino will use a set of dice after that eight-hour window.

Would you be in trouble for using loaded dice in a casino?

Using loaded dice in a casino craps game would be extremely dangerous. You will be banned from the casino, and they might share your information with other casinos. This is different from counting cards, which is legal but discouraged by casinos. The act of loading dice in a casino is illegal. You will have no defense when they have strong evidence. The jurisdiction’s casino commission has trained law enforcement personnel who will handle this case, and the jurisdiction makes significant money from the casinos.

Do casino dice have any bias?

Absolutely not. Casino dice are tested before they are put on the craps table so that they are square and have no cheating characteristics, or they are not allowed to play. Over the long term, the casino’s advantage guarantees a win since the odds are set up to ensure a casino advantage. Casinos would never risk losing their licenses by using gaffed dice in a game.

How could you detect loaded dice?

How they are loaded will determine whether it is possible to detect them. The most common method is to not have all six numbers loaded. The shooter would win 58% of the time rather than 49% if the dice had two sixes and no ones. The cheater will eventually be noticed, but it is difficult to detect if they switch the dice in and out for relatively short periods. This can be detected by examining the dice. When in doubt, you should always examine the dice.

So how do I make a loaded dice?

This answer aims to demonstrate tricks for friends, not to defraud a casino. You can influence the likelihood of dice landing in your preferred position by adding or reducing weight in one or more sections of the dice. Drill a hole just over half the way through the dots on one side of the dice to make it easier to see the numbers. Next, insert a nail and cut it to fill the hole without extending outside the dice. Make sure to paint the dots back over the nail with identical paint, so they appear unaltered. Now you can play various games with the loaded dice. But casino dice won’t allow this since they are usually transparent to prevent people from smuggling loaded dice in.

Conclusion

Due to their design, dice used in casinos are referred to as perfect dice or precision dice. Every cube is as close to perfection as possible, measured to the nearest millimeter, and created so that any die can land on any one of its six faces equally. 

Some players, however, use tricks to win because so much money is at stake. Some of them use weighted/loaded dice, which they cannot use legally. So if you’re wondering are weighted dice illegal, the answer to this is mostly yes, this largely depends on the state and city you’re in.

You may increase your chances of winning by using illegal dice, but it is not worth it. Any cheater who gets away with cheating the system will be caught. Try rolling your dice instead. The short-term gains might not be as great, but the long-term costs of fines are much less. 

Mike Horton (head of Weighted Living)

by Mike Horton

Mike is one of the lead editors at Weighted Living and the author of this article. He's become fascinated with weighted products (a bit too much we think) and loves to see all the different ways they can improve our loves. He's written quite a few weighted product guides as well.

Check Out Related Weighted Products