Comments on: Follow-Up on Casino Security Dangers

By: Sue Bunce

Sue Bunce — Sun, 04 Jul 2010 20:49:36 +0000

I too have a happy ending story. Was playing at Mirage about 6 in the morning …. was just about leave when i heard a tanoy call for me to go to security. A cocktail waitress had found my wallet left on a slot machine I had been playing on … i had’t even realised I lost it. First day of our two week trip would have been a disaster. When i finally found out which cocktail waitress had found it, she refused any reward. Gave her a generious tip later ..

By: Joan

Joan — Sun, 04 Jul 2010 13:19:42 +0000

I also have a “happier” experience about honesty in a casino. We were at Harrahs in Laughlin; couldn’t check in yet…had my purse with me, which I always leave in the safe in the room, and while watching the roulette table, I put the purse down on a chair. Walked away without thinking about it. I heard an announcement that “Joan xx from xx,” please come to the security office for a phone call. I was shocked that anyone knew we were there yet, but suddenly realized that my purse was missing. Some very honest person had picked it up and immediately took it to security. It had all our travelers’ checks, money, and of course all my ID and charge cards. What a mess that could have been! They didn’t have the person’s name…just told me to be more careful, which I definitely am now! It’s just nice to know that there are honest people around, too!

By: Joe

Joe — Sat, 03 Jul 2010 06:08:10 +0000

My wife and I almost always play side-by-side, which helps us cross-check each other for the basic bits of carelessness (e.g. walking off without actually cashing out). Even so, we’ve gotten into the habit that if either of us is going to be distracted for more than a literal second (cocktail waitress coming, bathroom break, etc), we leave BOTH machines in the middle of a hand, which makes a ticket cashout impossible. (You have to complete the hand before cashing out.) Has this paranoia ever saved us from a theft? No clue, but we figure it doesn’t hurt!

By: thiefhunter

thiefhunter — Wed, 30 Jun 2010 13:28:23 +0000

Pickpocketing is a huge problem everywhere — I study it. I find, follow, film, and interview thieves, then write about them at http://bobarno.com/thiefhunters

Believe it or not, Vegas has less of a problem than other big cities, partly because we prosecute and pickpockets spread the word: “don’t go to Vegas, if you’re caught, it’s all over.”

Some helpful anti-theft tips:
http://bobarno.com/thiefhunters/theft-thwarter-tips/

By: Linda Carole

Linda Carole — Tue, 29 Jun 2010 22:18:52 +0000

We were playing VP at the bar in O’Sheas. I was sitting at the end machine and had my purse on the bar next to me. A security guard came up to me and suggested it would be wiser to keep my purse in between me and my hubby or best to cross strap it across my body and keep it in front of me. He told me, you have to be careful, alot of unsavory people looking to rip of vacationeers. It took awhile to get used to playing like this, BUT, now it’s 2nd nature. He also mentioned to my hubby, keep his wallet in the front pocket of his pants. At the time, I thought this was overkill, but, to this day I thank that security guard.

By: Connie Keenan

Connie Keenan — Tue, 29 Jun 2010 20:49:32 +0000

Almost all of us have “been there, done that” when it comes to casino mistakes. Being a professional “Granny Gambler” I STILL use the tres’ un-chic fanny pack and am no longer afraid to yell at the top of my lungs, “That’s MY TICKET! You’re TAKING my ticket.” It’s amazing how fast security comes.

By: Rob Reid

Rob Reid — Tue, 29 Jun 2010 19:17:01 +0000

I have a similar story from the Palms, but a different ending. A couple of years ago my wife and I were playing the sit down 9/6 JOB bank in the middle of the casino. I was at one end of the bank and she was at the other. She asked a question about a play, so I got up from my machine to answer her question without cashing out. I thought I would be able to watch the machine while I answered her question, but I was wrong. In the time it took me to look down at the hand she was asking about and answer her question, someone cashed the ticket in my machine and walked off.

I noticed it as soon as I sat back down and immediately went to the security booth (which fortunately is very close to where we were playing). They looked up the ticket issued by my machine, voided the ticket and took me to the cage to have my money returned. Later the security person told me they also caught the perpetrator trying to cash the ticket.

I learned two things from this experience. First, when you are in Vegas you have to assume someone is watching you all the time in order to try and take advantage of you in situations like this. I’m sure thiefs and pickpockets regard LV as the land of plenty in this regard. Second, the more quickly you can make casino security aware of the problem, the better chance they have of either thwarting the theft or catching the perpetrator.

By: Judy Taylor

Judy Taylor — Mon, 28 Jun 2010 19:57:39 +0000

I learned the same lesson a few months ago. It haunts me because it was so ironic.
I had just cashed a small payroll check at the Palace Station Cage and won a free T-shirt on the Paycheck Wheel. (Yea, Me!) I walked past the Security Podium to tuck the cash and t-shirt ticket into my little wallet. As I dropped the wallet into my cloth bag, I thought, “This must be the safest place on the whole casino floor.” So I was smiling as I walked away to treat myself to $5 on a silly slot machine that I like.
Fifteen minutes later, I wore a puzzled expression as I tried to find the wallet in my bag.
I backtracked to the podium…and the Cage…and the podium again.
Security helped me look and took my statement. I have never heard back from them. There must have been nothing on the cameras. I had to replace my new drivers license, bank cards, EPPI card, Social Security Card (which I was stupidly carrying after my trip to DMV) and blood donor card.
I was on Unemployment, so losing any money was hard, but we could still get by. I had hoped someone picked it up for the money and tossed the wallet, so I could get my cards back. It was a nice thought but did not happen.
Every time I think of it, it is with another, smaller smile, a shake of the head and a mental kick in the rear to make certain I do not forget the lesson. Life can be so funny sometimes.

By: Peter Machon

Peter Machon — Mon, 28 Jun 2010 15:46:03 +0000

Yeah,

My father-in-law was playing in Tunica with $500 credits on the machine. He turned to talk to someone, and while he was distracted, someone hit the “cash-out” button and made off with the ticket. Again, security was contacted, but the thief was never found.

I always cash-out, especially during restroom breaks.

Pete
Indy

By: james thompson

james thompson — Sun, 27 Jun 2010 19:11:42 +0000

Left a 400 dollar tix at wynn. Thief grabbed it within 30 seconds. I had only walked a way for that long and it was gone.