Latest Blackjack Cheat Caught in Pennsylvania Casinos is Philadelphia Police Officer!

Surprised? Well, in spite of the cheating free-for-all taking place on Pennsylvania casinos' new table games, it's a bit surprising, to say the least, that a Philadelphia cop took a shot at joining the blackjack cheating epidemic.

This latest and somewhat embarrassing incident took place at the Parx Casino near Bensalem. But at least the accused cop/blackjack cheater showed a littly more mettle than the herd of blackjack bet-capping cheats plaguing PA's baby casinos. Apparently he was caught with a card-counting device, which violates the Pennsylvania casino law prohibiting play with any digital or electronic equipment abetting you. The blackjack cheating officer has been identified as John Gallagher, and although the Philadelphia Police Department has offered no comments on the blackjack cheating case, Gallagher has immediately retired from the law-enforcement job he has held for more than thirty years. He has not yet been charged with a crime, and I would not be surprised if he never is...I mean, come on, they gotta give one of Philadelphia's "finest" a break...and by "finest" I am not talking about blackjack cheats!

My take: Well, using a card-counting device to me is not a great feat or even a real intention of cheating, but practically all American gaming jurisdictions treat doing so as a felony...Hate to see a cop go down for this.