Meanings
- idiomaticgamblingThe authority to charge a punter's gambling or other bills to the casino.
Mafia pit bosses had the 'power of the pencil' to hand out free rooms, food and beverages at their discretion, […]
2012, Time Out Las Vegas, page 241 more example
In the casino business, they call it the power of the pencil. As casino host I had the ability to sign away a guest's restaurant tabs, wipe out all room or suite charges, give away almost any casino and hotel bills.
2008, Barry Sinkow, The Count $ in Monte Carlo: An Insider's Look at Casino Life, page 182
Cite this entry
power of the pencil. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/power%20of%20the%20pencil
“power of the pencil.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/power%20of%20the%20pencil. Accessed November 5, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “power of the pencil,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/power%20of%20the%20pencil.
Source: power of the pencil on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.