ShareThe Nevada Gaming Control Board has warned Las Vegas casinos about a scam targeting the property’s cage. It was reported that at least $1.7 million has been stolen to date.
The “cage,” for the unfamiliar, is where all the cash is stored and where casino patrons go to buy chips or exchange chips back into money. Normally, you would expect employees in this area to be impossible to scam given how difficult it is to even contemplate cheating a casino, but that’s clearly not the case.
The perpetrators use deception to get the cage staff to hand over emergency payments while posing as executives for the casino. Sometimes the cage staff are contacted illicitly via the internal telephone system to add authenticity to the request.
A report issued by the Nevada Gaming Control Board stated:
“The cage scam is sophisticated and has been surprisingly effective in defrauding casinos. Subjects gain intelligence on high-level casino owners, employees, managers, and others connected to the casino’s money operations.
“The fraudsters then contact cage employees using a variety of scenarios to manipulate personnel based on a fear of negative consequences for casino employees and/or operations.
“Whenever an employee hesitates or resists prompt action, subjects state there is extreme urgency for the offsite payment. Additionally, inferences are made that an employee bonus will be paid for the inconvenience of the unorthodox assignment.”
Las Vegas Review Journal mentioned that the scammers are now so brazen that they are targeting gaming pits.
The Nevada Gaming Control Board is also working closely with law enforcement agencies, such as the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, to investigate and apprehend those involved in the scam.
Willy Allison, founder of the World Game Protection Conference, thinks there is a possibility the crimes are connected to organised crime and that employees should be protected from intimidation tactics.
“I think it’s bigger in terms of organised crime. What the casino industry needs to look at now is the safety of their staff. This is one of the reasons they put the memo out, to give them a heads-up.
“You can target somebody. This is an intimidation heist. They’re threatening violence against staff. That bothers me.”
“Awareness training should have been happening…months ago. That’s what this memo is saying. They’re putting it out and saying, ‘We expect you to get in there and train your people.’”
