Monday, February 06, 2012

Gaming Tech Giant IGT Fined Nearly $400K in Online Poker Cheating Scandals

Source: Gaming Today

The Missouri Gaming Commission has announced a settlement with International Game Technology in which the Nevada-based gaming machine manufacturer agreed to pay a fine of $375,000 for not telling regulatory officials about a federal subpoena and other law enforcement actions related to its electronic bingo games in Alabama.

Officials said the information failures deal with the company’s receipt of a federal subpoena in June 2008 requesting documents related to IGT’s business dealing with VictoryLand and the Jefferson County (Ala.) Racing Association. It also cites a January 2009 letter IGT received from Alabama Gov. Bob Riley notifying it of a new task force targeting illegal gambling.

The Commission agreed that IGT did inform Missouri’s agency of a June 29, 2010, seizure of electronic gambling machines from the Greenetrack gambling center, but the Missouri settlement document says IGT did not promptly tell the agency of the seizure of a single machine from the same site several weeks earlier nor of resulting litigation.

The settlement also cites a failure to promptly notify the Missouri Gaming Commission of an attempted raid at the VictoryLand gambling site in January 2010 that resulted in litigation.

Missouri’s gaming regulations require gambling companies to inform the state regulatory agency of any subpoenas, and investigations of substantial changes to the information previously submitted as part of its licensure.

My take: The fine should have been at least a few million...They let the bastards off cheap!

Pair of Poker Card-Swapping Cheats Go Down in Pennsylvania Casino

Source: Lehigh Valley Live

Two people were arrested Friday at Sands Casino Resort Bethlehem after police say they were caught cheating at poker.

Pennsylvania State Police based at the Gaming Enforcement Office inside the casino say Jose L. Rodriguez, 46, of Hialeah, Fla., and Sandro Alonso, 38, of Guttenberg, N.J., were seen swapping cards with each other while playing Texas Hold 'Em Poker.

Alonso told authorities he and Rodriguez also have cheated at Texas Hold 'Em before at Sands and also at Mohegan Sun in Luzerne County, according to court records. Alonso said he started cheating at cards a couple of months ago to earn extra money, records say.

Both men were charged with four counts of cheating, attempted theft by deception and conspiracy to commit theft by deception, according to a news release.

Rodriguez also allegedly had four counterfeit American Express credit cards and was also charged with four counts each of access device fraud, forgery and tampering with records or identification.

Both men were arraigned and committed to Northampton County Prison in lieu of $25,000 bail.

My take: $25,000 is a high bail for a casino or poker cheating crime. I guess they're taking it seriously in Pennsylvania...even with amateur poker cheats.