A Massachusetts man cheated a dealer at a table game in an MGM Springfield casino. It often has many players from the state and other neighboring states.
The theft took place in early 2019. But, the man who planned it has pleaded guilty and is willing to repay the money he stole.
Maura Healey, Massachusetts Attorney General, declared last week that a man from Holyoke agreed to $30,025 restitution and probation for committing the criminal acts at MGM Reports. His office states that Daniel Ruiz, a 41-year-old player pleaded guilty on March 24, 2022, to a count of swindling and cheating.
Ruiz’s cheating and swindling conviction stems from a confession he made explaining that he used a sleight of hand scheme when he played Four Card Poker in February and January 2019. The Attorney General stated that Ruiz went to MGM Springfield several times in that period.
Ruiz participated in bet capping during one of his regular casino visits. The illegal practice entails removing or adding chips from a wager after the outcome has been revealed.
Scott Roeben from Casino.org explained that an activity is considered to be capping when a player attempts to covertly add more chips to their wager. This is also known as pressing, and it normally is after the dealer announces the result. For instance, if a blackjack player initially placed a $20 wager and the hand favors them, a cheater can try to increase their wager when the dealer loses focus.
Ruse Is Discovered
MGM Springfield didn’t take long to detect Ruiz Four Card Poker’s illegal play. His winnings accumulated to over $30,000 as he continued winning large sums of money. This prompted the casino’s security to closely watch his actions.
Surveillance footage observed that Ruiz managed to continue walking away from big. Security personnel stated that the player occasionally asked the table game’s dealer to replace large-value chips with smaller denominations to distract him. He would seize this opportunity and add chips to the wager he had just won as the dealer was busy breaking down chips.
Capping is also called late wagering, past posting, or pressing. It is a common form of cheating that criminals use to steal in land-based casinos.
Ruiz didn’t have an option and opted to plead guilty to the charge. The commission ordered him to refund MGM his deceitful winnings.
The player is on two-year probation and will avoid being behind bars if he pays MGM Springfield $30,025. Even so, the Massachusetts Gaming Commission didn’t place him on its Exclusion List. So, he can still visit the gaming property in the future.
The First Prosecution
The Gaming Enforcement Division in the Massachusetts Attorney General’s office enforces the state’s 2011 Gaming Act. It investigates and later prosecutes illegal activities like alleged cheating and gaming-related money laundering.
The Gaming Enforcement Division partners with federal law enforcement bodies, Massachusetts State Police, the Massachusetts Gaming Commission, and local police. Healey claims that Ruiz is the first person that the state has charged for cheating in a local casino.
He urges the public to contact his office whenever they suspect that someone is violating its gambling laws.
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