{"id":284508,"date":"2023-08-09T08:25:06","date_gmt":"2023-08-09T13:25:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/?p=284508"},"modified":"2023-08-09T10:51:47","modified_gmt":"2023-08-09T15:51:47","slug":"gaming-regulators-warn-casinos-about-scam-where-workers-steal-cash","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/gaming-regulators-warn-casinos-about-scam-where-workers-steal-cash\/","title":{"rendered":"Gaming Regulators Warn Casinos About Scam Where Workers Steal Cash"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Nevada Gaming Control Board<\/a> (NGCB) and the National Indian Gaming Commission<\/a> (NIGC) recently issued stern warnings to casinos about an ongoing scam targeting casino workers.<\/p>\n

\"Nevada
Nevada Gaming Control Board Chair, Kirk Hendrick, pictured above. The board warned casinos about a theft scam. (Image: The Nevada Independent<\/em>)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The nefarious scheme involves calls made to cash cage employees. The caller poses as a top casino executive and instructs the employee to take money from the casino and bring it to another location.<\/p>\n

The caller suggests there will be \u201cnegative consequences\u201d if the employee doesn’t go along with the instructions.<\/p>\n

Whenever an employee hesitates or resists prompt action, subjects state there is extreme urgency for the offsite payment,\u201d<\/strong> the July 7 NGCB statement<\/a> said. \u201cAdditionally, inferences are made that an employee bonus will be paid for the inconvenience of\u00a0the unorthodox assignment.\u201d<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The initial call is followed by a text message sent to the employee\u2019s cell phone which confirms the instructions.<\/p>\n

Particularly susceptible to the scheme are cage cashiers, supervisors, and managers, as well as surveillance, security, and gaming pit personnel, according to the NGCB.<\/p>\n

The board wants casinos to warn vulnerable employees about the scam.<\/p>\n

“The cage scam is sophisticated and has been surprisingly effective in defrauding casinos,\u201d the NGCB statement added.<\/p>\n

Two Incidents<\/h2>\n

Authorities made arrests in two recent incidents where the scheme was employed.<\/p>\n

In June, Erik Gutierrez<\/a>, 23, was charged with theft of more than $100K after he impersonated being the owner of a Las Vegas casino hotel, authorities said.<\/p>\n

Gutierrez allegedly called a Circa Hotel & Casino cage supervisor and told the person to fork over money for the purchase of fire prevention devices and for an emergency payment to the fire department.<\/p>\n

\n

The cage supervisor removed the cash, and on several occasions transported money to someone at an off-site location, authorities said. She believed the person accepting the cash was an attorney for the casino.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

After identifying Gutierrez as the suspect, officers searched his residence and located a \u201clarge bag of U.S. currency bundled together with the name Circa written on the bundle,\u201d Las Vegas TV station KLAS<\/em> reported.<\/p>\n

Officers were able to recover about $850K. The rest of the estimated $1.1 million taken from the property has yet to be recovered.<\/strong><\/p>\n

On July 30, Danika Young<\/a>, 38, of Coloma, Mich., a cash cage supervisor at Michigan\u2019s Four Winds Hartford Casino, allegedly stole $700K from the gaming property.<\/p>\n

A caller told her to bring the money to a location in Gary, Ind. She did and was charged with embezzlement by an employee of $100K or more, according to Michigan TV station WOOD<\/em>. That missing money has yet to be recovered.<\/p>\n

Tribal Warning<\/h2>\n

The NIGC released a July 13 statement about the scam.<\/p>\n

Recently, there have been multiple instances of scams at commercial and tribal gaming operations with losses in the hundreds of thousands of dollars,\u201d<\/strong> the NIGC statement revealed.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\u201cWe urge tribal officials to ensure that (employees) \u2026 who have direct access to cash assets \u2026 are made aware of the scam and know what to do in the event of such a call\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

Artificial Intelligence<\/h2>\n

There is more of a risk for such scams given recent advances in technology.<\/p>\n

Licensees should be aware that advanced forms of technology, such as artificial intelligence<\/a>, may increase the effectiveness of this type of fraudulent activity,\u201d<\/strong> the NGCB statement warned.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\u201cConsequently, heightened security protocols must be developed now to safeguard all employee information and casino assets.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Both the Nevada Gaming Control Board (NGCB) and the National Indian Gaming Commission (NIGC) recently issued stern warnings to casinos about an ongoing scam targeting casino workers.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":44,"featured_media":284522,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[21,18456],"tags":[13766,87448,82518,81862],"class_list":["post-284508","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-scandals","category-tribal-gaming","tag-crime","tag-national-indian-gaming-commission","tag-nevada-gaming-control-board","tag-tribal-gaming"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nGaming Regulators Warn Casinos About Scam<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The Nevada Gaming Control Board and National Indian Gaming Commission issued warnings about a theft scam. 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Ed was an award-winning journalist with credits ranging from the Associated Press to American Lawyer Media. Ed joined the Casino.org news team in 2019 after decades of experience in legal reporting. He passed away in February 2025, leaving behind a legacy of impactful journalism and a deep respect within the industry. His past reporting and editing assignments include Cowles Business Media, Columbia University Press, the Connecticut Post, and Southern Connecticut Newspapers, Inc. Besides the law and its application to the gaming industry, Ed\u2019s areas of expertise spanned business, politics, education, and state and local government. Ed held an undergraduate degree from the University of Connecticut and master\u2019s degrees from Harvard and Yale. His professional awards include recognition from the New England Press Association and New England AP News Executives. 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