My boyfriend just recently got a job at a casino, and I was wondering what kind of Pokémon would be allowed out by patrons? I figure ghost and psychic types would be considered a no go due to cheating. And would blackjack or other card dealers have pokemon with them to ensure cheating wasn’t occurring?

Psychics and ghosts, as well as any pokémon with precognitive abilities (namely absol, which can predict when their owners will lose disastrously and thus warn them from placing certain bets) are the ones that are typically banned from most establishments, yes. However, there are other pokémon that are barred, depending on the game and region in question. For example, chatot’s exemplary memory means it’s generally banned from blackjack tables due to their ability to count cards. Likewise, anything capable of learning Psychic (or telekinetic moves in general), regardless of whether or not they actually are psychic-types are also barred from roulette tables, slot machines, and pachinko parlors. Because that last quality covers an extensive list of pokémon due to the TM system, pokémon in general are barred from Sinnohan casinos, many of which rely on slot machines.

Additionally, most regions prohibit trainers from releasing members of the chansey line, members of the togepi line, and anything that evolves by happiness or affection, as these may attack game machines or dealers if they sense any sort of unhappiness in their trainer, including mild forms stemming from particularly long losing streaks.

Also, wailord, onix and steelix, and any large or lethal-to-the-touch pokémon are barred, but this is less because of casino rules and more because releasing any of these pokémon indoors, within crowded places, is generally considered to be rude.

Most other pokémon are perfectly fine to keep with you, however.

As for your question concerning what blackjack owners may be given, many casinos employ telepaths to ensure that no one is even thinking about cheating, yes. However, other houses may prefer to use intimidation tactics by employing tyranitar, aggron, machamp, or other large pokémon capable of reaching over the table and breaking a player’s arm at a moment’s notice. You’ll especially see these pokémon in the Johto region, where many casinos are quite literally run by the yakuza.

Of course, cheating can sometimes be a difficult thing to prevent, even with these precautions, as some players can be tenacious and clever enough to figure out how to do so with practically any pokémon in existence. And on that note, if anyone is curious as to why I know any of this, it’s because a wise man once told me that one must know the customs thoroughly in order to break the rules, and I’m pretty sure the reason why the Goldenrod yakuza has not broken this wise man’s legs yet or banned him from their game corner is because they’re still thoroughly impressed that he had figured out how to cheat a card flip table using only a metapod.

My mother, however, has always been somewhat less impressed.