Bellagion Robbery! $1.5 -$2 million in chips stolen

Quote: WizardofEngland

I'm guessing on what I know about RFID tech, but I believe each chip would be identified individually, and each unique number is then assigned a value, such as $25 or $25k

The question is, how good are the staff at logging in and out each and every chip, each and every time they come in and out the cage?
Would they know for sure which numbers were taken? Whatever the truth, the official story will be that they know exactly which chips were taken.

The staff doesn't do it - the RFID system does. That's the whole point. Here's an updated article describing how the chips were deactivated and are now worthless.

Let me guess!

Quote: FleaStiff

I won't name the casino but one major casino had a shooting incident several years ago wherein multiple suspects and multiple guards exchanged gunfire and not one single solitary guard was able to land a shot anywhere near what he was aiming at. The review of the incident and the film of the incident is said to have lead the casino to disarm its guards for a few years.

Harrah's Laughlin

Quote: FleaStiff

I recall one shooting incident at a Strip Casino wherein initial news reports named the casino and later news reports said that the incident took place "at a Las Vegas casino". Public relations plays a role in everything, I guess.

MGM

Quote: FleaStiff

I don't know why neither security nor surveillance spotted a helmeted person on the casino floor. That should have been an instant flag. And an instant response at the perimeter exits.

Casino security suffers the same fate as other 24 hour security anywhere -- whereas, if you have a brief transaction with a limited time frame, you can usually count on a pretty good reaction. Once you've got them in the "wait around until something happens" mode, people doing shift work have the same lapses as anyone else watching paint dry would. Plus, they take breaks, eat lunches, probably chat up some attractive patron without any official purpose in mind (I've witnessed that one personally). And just because there's a camera, doesn't mean someone has their eye on a screen 24/7 either.

If the robbery was well planned I would think the people involved would know it would be difficult and would have arranged for the chips to be cashed within a half hour at half a dozen casinos, probably none of which were yet equipped with RFID equipment much less RFID equipment for a competitor's signals. Major robberies of chips are one of the reasons Nevada Regulations require that each casino have two sets of chips and that they be separate and distinct from each other at a mere glance.

Counterfeit money is "sold" amongst criminals at a very steep discount, but stolen chips must surely be virtually worthless particularly if the headlines indicate RFID tags are contained inside them.

Quote: FleaStiff

Counterfeit money is "sold" amongst criminals at a very steep discount, but stolen chips must surely be virtually worthless

Maybe he can dump them on Ebay, but they'll catch him if he tries. Its all the big denom chips, its like he robbed a bank and got a bag full of nickels. Worthless..

Quote: FleaStiff

Major robberies of chips are one of the reasons Nevada Regulations require that each casino have two sets of chips and that they be separate and distinct from each other at a mere glance.

So does that mean the entire line of Bellagio chips is now out of commission, not just the specific ones that were stolen? It's too bad if so, because I know there are pretty strict procedures for chip destruction, but I'd love to have a souvenir worthless $25,000 chip from the Bellagio (that wasn't obtained by theft, that is).

Can't the reporter who had the $5000 chip confiscated at the MGM sue in small claims court?

Quote: darkoz

Can't the reporter who had the $5000 chip confiscated at the MGM sue in small claims court?

I doubt it. I'm pretty sure the Gaming regulations say:

1. The chips are only to be used for gaming purposes, and not for exchanging between players.

Quote: Regulation 12.060.2(d)

A licensee that uses chips or tokens at its gaming establishment shall...Post conspicuous signs at its establishment notifying patrons that federal law prohibits the use of the licensee’s tokens, that state law prohibits the use of the licensee’s chips, outside the Regulation 12, Chips and Tokens Page 4 establishment for any monetary purpose whatever, and that the chips and tokens issued by the licensee are the property of the licensee, only;

2. Chips may only be redeemed if obtained from playing at the tables. The casinos have every right to verify this.

Quote: Regulation 12.060.4

A licensee shall not redeem its chips or tokens if presented by a person who the licensee knows or reasonably should know is not a patron of its gaming establishment, ...

3. The chips are technically casino property.

Quote: Regulation 12.060.1

Chips and tokens are solely representatives of value which evidence a debt owed to their custodian by the licensee that issued them and are not the property of anyone other than that licensee.

Link to chapter 12 regulations.

I'm not sure whether Bellagio actually uses RFID technology in its blacks if the cost is $3/chip. That would be a significant cost to Bellagio.

Anyway, let's say for example that the robber is sitting on 2.5 million of RFID chips. How to cash them? They are absolutely worthless at the cage because the reader would mark them and he'd get caught.

What about doing a check change at a craps table where the RFIDs aren't installed. The chips wouldn't then be discovered until they were taken by security. I doubt that all of the tables would have an RFID reader installed to know that the chips are worthless. So, say, checking a purple chip might not get noticed.

I've looked on other forums and the 2+2 forum is reporting that the Bellagio Hosts are calling people asking them to get their 25K chips (cranberries) back.

I'm guessing that the 25Ks will be worthless but any demonination at 1K might be safe. Perhaps if he plays thems/launders them over a year he'll be okay, but criminals are dumb.

Since it would be hard to cash the chips if he had a sense of humor (very few armed robbers do) he should just wander the strip on NYE dropping them along the way.