Casinos probe suspected cheating

Associated Press

CLEVELAND

The early odds of catching a suspected cheat at Ohio’s two new casinos are about one every other day.

The Cleveland casino has been open almost six weeks and the Toledo casino more than three weeks.

In that time, 15 to 25 suspected cheaters and others involved in gambling-related offenses have been investigated, according to Karen Huey, head of enforcement for the Ohio Casino Control Commission.

Matt Schuler, executive director of the commission, said Friday that the cases would be turned over to prosecutors in Cleveland and Toledo for possible prosecution.

“We have investigations under way at both casinos on cheating activity,” he said. “Up until charges are filed and the investigations are still under way, we can’t go into any detail.”

By law, cheating includes using phony chips, falsely claiming winnings without betting or having a device that can affect a game’s outcome.

First-time offenders of the state’s casino law can face felony charges and up to a year in prison and a $2,500 fine.

Agents have worked about 80 cases in all, including disorderly conduct accusations and compulsive gamblers who signed up for a voluntary exclusion list but showed up at a casino anyway. Twenty-seven people have signed up for the exclusion list, Schuler said.

Casino employees are trained to watch for gamblers who have signed up for one-year, five-year or lifetime exclusions.

A supervisor, a lead investigator and 10 state agents, armed and working in plainclothes, are assigned to each casino and have enforcement power on the casino floor, Schuler said.

“An individual may or may not know that they could be sitting next to a gaming agent or sitting across from them,” Schuler said.

In Cleveland, the casino also has private security guards and off-duty police officers for issues such as drunken patrons, plus more than 1,000 security cameras, according to police Chief Michael McGrath.

Brad Hirsch, assistant manager of the Cleveland casino, said cheating wasn’t limited to new operations.

“It is common for a small number of patrons to attempt to compromise casino security, and these incidents occur in both mature and new gaming jurisdictions across the country,” he said in an email. “We anticipated and were prepared to address any incidents with a primary goal to provide a safe entertainment environment for all of our guests.”

Eight cases involving cheating allegations at the Toledo casino will be handed over to prosecutors within the next week, said John Weglian, an assistant prosecutor in Lucas County, who met with state officials Friday.

“A lot of it is people reaching down and pulling their bets back, stuff like that,” he said.

Most of the incidents happened soon after the Toledo casino opened, including one involving a suspected cheating ring operated by a group from the Dominican Republic that has hit other casinos around the nation, Weglian said.

Horseshoe Casino Cleveland opened May 14 in a renovated department store. It was developed by Rock Gaming, led by NBA Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert, and Caesars Entertainment, which is managing day-to-day operations.

The partnership also is developing a casino in Cincinnati.

The casino expects 5 million visitors a year.