Nevada Casino Crimes Up as Economy Goes Down
As the economy continues to flounder in Nevada, crimes against its casinos have gone up. This year, gaming board agents have arrested nearly four hundred people for crimes associated with gambling and casinos when last year, there were less than three hundred. Las Vegas criminal defense lawyer Michael Becker says, “If the numbers are true, then it’s very strange because law enforcement has been given increased funding to fight theft crimes.”
One example of a recent casino crime-related arrest concerned a man who allegedly took advantage of a Silverton slot machine glitch, which permitted him to multiply by ten the cash he inserted into it. But, as Las Vegas criminal defense lawyer Michael Becker explains, “A lot of these crimes are allegedly being committed by casino employees themselves.” Recently, Planet Hollywood supervisors were arrested for stealing another person’s winnings after falsifying payout forms, a Caesars Palace ticket writer was arrested for stolen chips, and a River Palms craps dealer allegedly pocketed chips as well.
Las Vegas criminal defense lawyer Michael Becker believes instances of these alleged crimes will decrease as technology becomes more sophisticated. Casinos are starting to maintain an online accounting system that essentially networks their slots, which allows managers to more easily discover any tinkering or glitches. But now that floor tips have dipped forty percent and morale is low, it’s possible that crime levels will take a while to improve. Casino security consultant Willy Allison says, “People who were honest before the recession aren’t now, now that their children are starving.”
