When we think of crimes that are committed at a casino, we most often think of intricate heists that involve getting past the heavy security and making away with millions in cash or diamonds. The truth, however, is far more mundane, and shows that most crime that does take place in casinos is almost always opportunistic, and for the most part, involves the guests directly rather than the casino itself.
With that in mind, these are the types of casino crimes that tend to be committed the most in a gambling establishment, and might make you prefer to stay at home and play free bingo games.
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Theft
Theft does take place fairly regularly at most casinos, but almost all cases of reported theft are, in fact, related to people’s valuables being taken from them while they’re distracted. Due to the nature of the games at casinos, which involve having cash on hand, many thieves sieze the opportuniy to snatch a wallet or a handful of cash while the victim is busy with one of the games. Instances of petty theft occur more at casinos than any other type of crime, and outnumber others, such as larceny, forgery, or counterfeit crimes. One of the reasons that the guests have begun to be targeted is due largely to the high levels of security that modern casinos employ to ensure that nothing goes missing from the machines or the vaults.
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Cheating
Slot machines have come a long way since their first inception, and their security protocols are often some of the most advanced in the casino, with manufacturers adding many layers of security to try and dissuade anyone from trying to fool the system. But weaknesses are present in any security system, and it’s not uncommon for criminals to try and take advantage of the slots when they think that no one’s watching. And while it may seem obvious that cheating occurs at a casino, it’s almost always from the table games, whereas the physical slot machines require a fair amount of premeditated planning before being cracked.
One such instance saw a pair of individuals stealing over $400,000 from a slot machine after discovering a flaw in the security protocols, allowing them to siphon small amounts of money from the machine over a series of weeks.
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Scam Artists
Scam artists are in no short supply, and will often target gambling establishments for a number of reasons. These highly trained individuals tend to prefer their targets on the malleable side, and due to the amount of alcohol served at many casinos throughout the world, visitors tend to be easy targets for scam artists. And while these types of scam artists tend to be in the majority, there are still many that try and scam the games themselves, and have become much more sophisticated in their approach. A common scam involves marking cards with a colourless, odourless residue that can only be detected by special cameras that they carry on themselves, and then use to keep track of their cards.
