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Helmet-wearing gunman robs Bellagio casino of $1.5 million in chips (video) ccn.com

bishtw

By bishtw
in The Tailgate

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bishtw

bishtw

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http://www.cnn.com/2010/CRIME/12/14/nevada.bellagio.robbery/?hpt=T2

(CNN) -- Police say they're trying to find a helmet-wearing gunman who robbed one of Las Vegas' most recognizable casinos of $1.5 million in casino chips Tuesday morning -- and may also have robbed a different casino last week.

With a helmet and visor hiding his face, the man rode to Bellagio casino on a motorcycle, walked inside and pulled a gun at a craps table where several people were gambling at about 3:50 a.m., said Lt. Clint Nichols of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department.

The gunman told everyone not to move, and then took the casino's supply of chips "that were ... [in] the box they keep on the craps table," Nichols said.

The man then ran back outside to the motorcycle, which he rode away, Nichols said. No injuries were reported.

The man might be the same person who robbed the Suncoast Hotel & Casino on Thursday morning, police said. In that robbery, a man wearing a motorcycle helmet robbed the cage area of a poker tournament room of less than $20,000 in cash at about 12:30 a.m., Nichols said.

The Suncoast casino is about a 20-minute drive northwest of the Bellagio, the Las Vegas Strip facility that is renowned in part for a huge fountain that shoots water 240 feet into the air, choreographed to music.

Police released surveillance images of both robberies, as well as surveillance video of the suspect running through the Bellagio. The Bellagio images show a man wearing a black helmet with white stripes, a black down jacket, black pants and gloves, police said. The man is white, about 5 feet 10 inches to 6 feet tall and weighs about 220 pounds, according to police.

The Suncoast images show the robber wearing a silver helmet and dark clothes.

Nichols said he believes the chips taken in the Bellagio robbery range in value from $100 to $25,000. The higher-value chips should be hard to convert, he said.

"The industry has some safeguards in place that make that ... extremely difficult," Nichols told reporters at a news conference Tuesday.

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bishtw

bishtw

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Say it isn't so.

Pretty stupid.

Looks like he has got away with this twice tho. I'm surprised, I always had the idea that casinos are robbery proof unless you're one of Oceans 11.

Dude has some huge cojones to run in straight to the craps table welding a gun and wearing a bike helmet. Just wonder how he'll get them cashed in?

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SnyderShrugged

SnyderShrugged

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Most likely he stole a whole lot of nothing. He'll never be able to cash those in. The casino industry is miles ahead of everywhere in the world in private security. They all share information better than the DHS every dreamt of doing.

(I lived and worked in Vegas and have somewhat inimate knowledge of security procedures via a good friend who gave me an insiders view)

Most likely he now just has a really nice set of chips to play poker with his boys at home.

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Bliz

Bliz

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Most likely he stole a whole lot of nothing. He'll never be able to cash those in. The casino industry is miles ahead of everywhere in the world in private security. They all share information better than the DHS every dreamt of doing.

(I lived and worked in Vegas and have somewhat inimate knowledge of security procedures via a good friend who gave me an insiders view)

Most likely he now just has a really nice set of chips to play poker with his boys at home.

I'd be interested to hear more.

Obviously he can't just walk up to the cage with $1.5M in chips. But if he goes to a craps table with $100k in chips, plays for a while, then cashes out, and does it over a period of time (or recruits a few friends or, even better, a wife/gf to do it) how would they ever prove it was him?

I think most people would be amazed how many people are walking around the big casinos with insane amounts of chips.

I assume that presents a problem because to cash out that much you would have to give your info for tax reporting purposes. But what's to stop him from selling them on ebay or craigslist (or on the black market to a bunch of different people). Sell the $25k chips for $20k each and use the smaller denmoination ones yourself, slowly, and you still clear $1 million

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SnyderShrugged

SnyderShrugged

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I'd be interested to hear more.

Obviously he can't just walk up to the cage with $1.5M in chips. But if he goes to a craps table with $100k in chips, plays for a while, then cashes out, and does it over a period of time (or recruits a few friends or, even better, a wife/gf to do it) how would they ever prove it was him?

I think most people would be amazed how many people are walking around the big casinos with insane amounts of chips.

I assume that presents a problem because to cash out that much you would have to give your info for tax reporting purposes. But what's to stop him from selling them on ebay or craigslist (or on the black market to a bunch of different people). Sell the $25k chips for $20k each and use the smaller denmoination ones yourself, slowly, and you still clear $1 million

Its actually quite remarkable to witness the multiple security layers they use. The main thing that will prhibit him from cashing them in is that each and every chip has nanotech built ion, sometimes an RFID chip, sometimes even better (probably the case for a casino giant like the Bellagio).

I'd be surprised if they werent already tracking the movement of the chips as we speak.

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Conn

Conn

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What a badass. I kinda hope he gets away with it...no one got hurt, and its a sweet story. A movie will be made about it in ten years, if they never find him. And huge liberties will be taken with the story to make it even better.

I agree with whoever said that if you're gonna be a criminal, go big (unless it involves hurting someone).

I realize that the Ocean's movies are totally implausible, but if you can pull off a crime kinda like that...I think you deserve it. I can almost root for a criminal like that :ols:

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Titaw

Titaw

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Its actually quite remarkable to witness the multiple security layers they use. The main thing that will prhibit him from cashing them in is that each and every chip has nanotech built ion, sometimes an RFID chip, sometimes even better (probably the case for a casino giant like the Bellagio).

I'd be surprised if they werent already tracking the movement of the chips as we speak.

I am gonna call BS on this one. The amount of money it would take to install that technology, even if it was only in the higher denominations would be astronomical and not cost effective, at all. Besides if that were the case the guy would have been captured in less than an hour.

They make it hard for him or anyone to cash for that matter by requiring proof of purchase or play for any entry into a game over 3K. It will be nearly impossible for him to cash the higher denominations because he would have to play for an insane amount of time at a lover limit table to cash one $25,000 chip.

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In Flames

In Flames

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Most likely he stole a whole lot of nothing. He'll never be able to cash those in. The casino industry is miles ahead of everywhere in the world in private security. They all share information better than the DHS every dreamt of doing.

(I lived and worked in Vegas and have somewhat inimate knowledge of security procedures via a good friend who gave me an insiders view)

Most likely he now just has a really nice set of chips to play poker with his boys at home.

This! I have been in the casino business for 14 years, and currently work in PA, and to say the least these chips are worthless now. This information was sent to our casino with minutes of being reported, clear across the country no less, and I'm sure the Bellagio has replaced the chips within hours of the robbery.

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HOF44

HOF44

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I am gonna call BS on this one. The amount of money it would take to install that technology, even if it was only in the higher denominations would be astronomical and not cost effective, at all. Besides if that were the case the guy would have been captured in less than an hour..

No it's true.

Link

Kendall explains that, in 2005, the Wynn Las Vegas (WYNN) was the first casino to begin using chips embedded with RFID tags, electronic devices that assign a unique identification code, or “license plate,” to each one. Today, RFID technology is in use across the entire industry. While individual casinos are loath to discuss details of their security operations, it’s safe to say that players from the Venetian (LVS) to the Fremont (BYD) have RFID-tagged chips stacked in front of them.
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SnyderShrugged

SnyderShrugged

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I am gonna call BS on this one. The amount of money it would take to install that technology, even if it was only in the higher denominations would be astronomical and not cost effective, at all. Besides if that were the case the guy would have been captured in less than an hour.

They make it hard for him or anyone to cash for that matter by requiring proof of purchase or play for any entry into a game over 3K. It will be nearly impossible for him to cash the higher denominations because he would have to play for an insane amount of time at a lover limit table to cash one $25,000 chip.

Oh man! I thought we were pals? How could ya doubt me!

seriously, I actually talked with one of the head security guys at one of the better known large casinos and he told me all about it.

Think of it like the chips that are in passports now, etc

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