Legal News In The Gambling

People often take things that don’t belong to them and don’t get caught. Perhaps you can get away with sneaking a snickers bar out of a grocery store or loot change from someone’s unlocked vehicle without ever getting noticed. And even if a security guard notices you pocket a candy bar without paying, chances are you’ll leave with a slap on your wrist. But good luck trying to steal $86K worth of items from a Pharmacy store - you will get busted, and there will be no mercy for such stupidity. 

It’s not just guests that attempt to cheat casinos out of money during various table games - sneaky employees also get caught up in questionable activities at times. Some manage to get away with it, while others test their limits to the point where they begin to feel invincible. Hieu Duc Lam, a former Baccarat dealer at the Sydney’s Star casino in Australia, happens to be one of them as he “reaches for the stars” and gets caught cheating his workplace out of almost $500,000. 

Almost 70% of people in NJ participated in gambling just this last year, and 6.3% are suffering from uncontrollable gambling addictions. It’s a massive issue, considering that suchlike activities trigger parts of the brain that make it far too exciting for the participants to stop, eventually making gambling a habitual chase. What drives the addiction is usually the first successful win, which sets in a feeling of thrill and prompting a hunger for more. That in itself is a recipe for disaster, and the state of New Jersey suffers greatly, not just from addiction but also from gambling-related crimes.

Smoking in a gambling facility is almost an aesthetic to some people. And even looking back at old-fashioned American films with casino scenes, you will see fancy men tossing cards with a cigar in their hand or a group of guys playing jackpot with their cigarettes filling a dark room with gray smoke. In other words, smoking while gambling is almost like a ritual to those who fancy tainted lungs. However, Americans for Nonsmokers' Rights foundation is not too happy about it.

Stealing money from a casino is quite a challenge, and showing up with a gun to do so will quickly land you in jail. However, there are some creative people who need no weapon to do such a thing. A man from Harper Woods named John Christopher Colletti used his artistic skills to steal nearly $100,000 from VIP casino patrons by using quite literal impersonations and using the guests’ personal information to collect cash at several casinos, including MGM Detroit.