Casinos are always vigilant for Craps cheats trying to get an unfair (and illegal) edge on a game, so enforce tight rules on dice security.

Because there will always be crooks who want to switch crooked dice for the straight casino dice used in a Craps game, casinos have strict rules and procedures for use of their precision-level dice during a game.

There are a number of ingenious ways to switch dice and you can find descriptions of them on the Shooting/Rolling page.  However, casinos are always on the look out for cheats trying to exchange the dice and it is an extremely risky thing to do.  You could possibly end up in prison for trying it

The first rule Casinos insist on, is that the shooter must only use one hand to handle the dice.  Shaking them in cupped hands is definitely not allowed.  The only way the shooter may swap hands when handling the dice is to put them down on the table, let go, and then pick them up with the other hand, although some casinos won't even allow this.  These rules reduce the opportunities to switch the dice with sleight-of-hand by ensuring they are kept in view of the crew most of the time.  In fact casinos usually insist the dice shouldn't be taken further than beyond the surrounding rail of the table.

Should the dice ever leave the table, because the shooter has over thrown the back-rail for instance, then the crew will thoroughly examine them once they are returned and may possibly put into play a new pair from their selection kept in reserve.  It is often a given that players may ask for the "same dice" for further rolls.

Most casinos allow the shooter to "set" the dice as long as they don't use two hands and they are quick about it so as not to slow down the play.  This means they are allowed to space the dice out on the table and pick them up with any desired combination of values facing upward, down, forward, backward, or to the sides, and with any "grip" (finger positions to hold the dice) they want.  However, there are some casinos who ban any form of dice setting.  .

The shooter may ask to exchange the dice for a new set at any time.  The crew will present a bowl of casino dice and the shooter may choose any they wish to shoot with.

Cocked Dice or Unclean Throws

The shooter is expected to throw the dice the length of the craps table, hitting the backrail before coming to rest.  A roll that doesn't hit the backrail is sometimes referred to as a "Mellenberg Roll".  Such rolls may be allowed to stand if the dice have been thrown past the table's halfway point, but can be declared "no rolls" at the casinos discretion due to the possible use of controlled shooting techniques.

The dice will be considered to be "in play" if they come to rest on any players chips on the table, the dealers stacks of chips, on the marker puck, or with one die on top of another.  The roll is considered invalid if one or both dice land in the stickman's dice presentation bowl, the boxman's bank, or in the table's surrounding rails.

Should a die come to rest at an angle, leaning against chips, marker, or the table's side, then the number that would be face-up if the obstacle were removed, is the declared number for the roll.

Should any dice hit a player or member of the crew then it is at the casinos discretion whether the dice are considered a valid roll.

The crew are not allowed to touch players or hand chips directly to them, but must instead place chips in front of the individual player.

The casino may ask any player to leave the table or the casino at their discretion or for any reason.