Special Report: Player's paradise

Big bets, quick cards and fast fortunes, but casino life is more than bright lights and lucky slots.

Las Vegas TV show "I got a couple matches."

The series "Las Vegas" shows the top-secret security dealings that go on behind the scenes.

Las Vegas TV show "Are they in some kind of danger?"

But is reality anything like fantasy?

We went to Mohegan Sun, going to places you've never seen before.

This place has close to 4,000 cameras. Think about that: 4,000 cameras -- not just watching the gaming floor. Even in a hallway where you think you might get away with something, someone is always watching.

David J. Todd, VP of Security and Surveillance Technical
"Our cameras, especially on the casino floor, can go right down to read the hand on your watch... probably count the hairs on the back of your hand."

To prove it, without us telling them where we were headed, officers at the security monitoring room tracked our every move.

Here we are in the elevator, in the hallway, walking by shops and gaming areas and into a restaurant.

Joseph Lavin, Executive Director of Public Safety and Surveillance
"Our biggest claim to fame is that we can basically recreate any incidence that occurs here by going back to the coverage."

The bigger the bets the closer you're watched.

Here's an exclusive look at where the highest rollers get to gamble by invitation only.

When invited, you need to bring piles of cash because each player can make a bet as high as $10,000.

From winners to losers, if you're caught breaking the law, you'll be locked up in a holding cell.

Unlike the spas at Mohegan Sun, this place is not exactly luxurious.

The cells are suicide proof, which means no bars, no pillows or mattresses and absolutely no privacy.

Joseph Lavin /Mohegan Sun
"No it's built for efficiency not comfort. So you wouldn't want to be a repeat offender."

The goal is to keep Mohegan Sun a "Player's Paradise" where people take a gamble with cards, not with crime.

Both state and Tribal Police are on patrol 24-hours a day at Mohegan Sun.

(Copyright (c) 2006 Sunbeam Television Corp. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)