Roulette pastposting cheats had been working casinos in the southern US.
A security guard at the Clearwater Casino Resort may have broken up a cheating ring Thursday before it had a chance to bilk the casino. A Kitsap County sheriff's deputy was called to the casino at 15347 Suquamish Way NE at about 7 p.m. after the security guard recognized the suspects from an alert from another local casino, according to sheriff's reports. Three men in their 20s were detained, although a fourth man fled when security guards spoke to the group, the report said. Two of the men had New York City addresses, and the third was a Spanish national. Investigators found a Ford van in the parking lot of the casino linked to the men. Inside were "gaming papers" (I don't know what that means) from other local casinos and several suitcases.
A security guard from the Emerald Queen Casino in Pierce County had warned Clearwater employees about the men and a scheme to cheat at the roulette table. According to the casino, the scheme involved sneaking betting chips under other betting chips already placed on the table "to make it look like the bet was worth more," the deputy wrote. It appears to me that the cheats were simply slipping larger denomination casino chips (probably $25 greens) underneath winning $1 roulette chips already on the layout.
Puyallup Tribal Police in Tacoma reported to deputies they did not have enough evidence to have the men arrested at that time, but said they would like their identities recorded. This simply means that surveillance had no video evidence and security probably should have waited for the cheats to make their moves before busting them. This is a classic example of inexperienced security staffs too eager to make a bust!
The three men, ages 27, 28 and 29 were released and told not to return to the casino under penalty of trespassing.
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