vpFREE2 Forums

Beware of Potential Scam at Horizon (Tahoe)

#1

I recently played at the Horizon (in Lake Tahoe). When I cashed out, I brought two tickets to the cashier. Kevin (the fellow in the cage) did not scan the tickets immediately. Instead, he looked at them, mentally added them up, looked at me, smiled and said, "$765." I looked him right in the eye and said, "No, it's $865." He seemed very surprised that I caught his "error," and looked like he was going to challenge me. When he saw my serious expression and heard the determination in my voice, he gave me the right amount.
   
  I then watched him interact with other customers, and I noticed that Kevin did not scan customers' tickets until after they left the booth. This made me realize how easy it would be for Kevin (and/or his fellow Horizon cashiers) to short customers throughout the day and pocket the extra cash at the end of each shift.
   
  At every other casino in which I play, tickets are scanned and totaled by the computer; leaving the cashier to dispense the correct amount. This procedure seems to be accurate and fair -- and leaves little room for abuse. Alternately, I found the "Kevin method" to be too error-prone and unsecure. I was very uncomfortable and frankly, somewhat unnerved. (I started wondering, "what else are they doing?" Actually, since reading how Jean was ripped off at CP, I've been much more alert; my thinking is that if Jean can be taken, then we're all very vulnerable.)
   
  This experience taught me a very valuable lesson that I wanted to share with the group. DO NOT TAKE MULTIPLE TICKETS TO A CASHIER. There's too much potential for abuse. If I had been drunk or careless, it would have been very easy for me to have lost $100.
   
  Lainie

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#2

Lainie Wolf wrote:

I recently played at the Horizon (in Lake Tahoe). When I cashed

out,

I brought two tickets to the cashier. Kevin (the fellow in the

cage)

did not scan the tickets immediately. Instead, he looked at them,
mentally added them up, looked at me, smiled and said, "$765." I
looked him right in the eye and said, "No, it's $865." He seemed
very surprised that I caught his "error," and looked like he was
going to challenge me. When he saw my serious expression and heard
the determination in my voice, he gave me the right amount.

  I then watched him interact with other customers, and I noticed
that Kevin did not scan customers' tickets until after they left the
booth. This made me realize how easy it would be for Kevin (and/or
his fellow Horizon cashiers) to short customers throughout the day
and pocket the extra cash at the end of each shift.

Sounds like something their management would be interested in hearing
about....

  --Brett

#3

Hi Lainie,

Thanks for your usual interesting and extremely valuable post. It
has certainly given me something to ruminate over, that I had not
thought of previously.

I have never cashed in multiple tickets that were not first scanned
by a computer. I also always try to be aware of the total amount of
the tickets being cashed. I would hope that I wouldn't be a victim
of this kind of scam. But, as you correctly point out, when
fatigued, or confused by just a tad too much great VP, or a potent
beverage, anything is possible.

I usually try to combine my tickets so that I only have one ticket
to cash in. Sometimes, however, when fishing in my wallet for the
ticket, I notice that I have prior uncashed tickets as well. Even
with one ticket, I nearly always use a cashier since I try to avoid
the self-serve kiosks.

I have had problems with some kiosks in the past. The most notable
goof-up occured very early one morning in the El Cortez. I had hit a
few big hands and was attempting to cash out a ticket worth over
$800. There was coin/ticket/bill cash-out apparatus near the bank of
machines I had been playing. When I tried to cash out my ticket, the
machine swallowed it quickly. It then rumbled and grumbled before
finally flashing $800+ on the screen, and spitting out $140.00+!

It was about 6:00am. There were not too many casino folks around.
I couldn't leave the recalcitrant machine, fearing that someone else
would come along and use it. I waited and waited. Finally, a Slot
Supervisor, who I knew well, came along. He quickly called for back-
up. The back-up arrived, looked the machine over, and eventually
called for more sophisticated back-up. After much head scratching,
and a lengthy period of time, they finally dismantled the machine,
from the back, discovered the mistake and gave me the rest of my
money.

It was a frustrating and time consuming experience, which I will
continue to try to avoid in the future. I was also lucky that I am
well known at the EC. Had I been a stranger, with no witnesses to
what the machine had paid me, I might have had a much more difficult
time convincing the slot people that I had been underpaid.

I do think that the suspicious behavior exhibited by "Kevin", at
Harrah's Tahoe, should be reported to his superior. If this was not
a "mistake" on his part, and he tried this with you, he has surely
successfully cheated others. At the very least, his "carelessness"
bears some investigation.

Best regards,
-Babe-

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================================================
--- In vpFREE@yahoogroups.com, Lainie Wolf <lainiewolf702@...> wrote:

I recently played at the Horizon (in Lake Tahoe). When I cashed
out, I brought two tickets to the cashier. Kevin (the fellow in the
cage) did not scan the tickets immediately. Instead, he looked at
them, mentally added them up, looked at me, smiled and
said, "$765." I looked him right in the eye and said, "No, it's
$865." He seemed very surprised that I caught his "error," and
looked like he was going to challenge me. When he saw my serious
expression and heard the determination in my voice, he gave me the
right amount......................
                       <SNIP>
  
........This experience taught me a very valuable lesson that I
wanted to share with the group. DO NOT TAKE MULTIPLE TICKETS TO A
CASHIER. There's too much potential for abuse. If I had been drunk
or careless, it would have been very easy for me to have lost $100.
   Lainie
     

#4

Hi Babe,
   
  Thanks for your (as always) nice reply. I'm really sorry to hear about your experience with kiosks. It was certainly lucky for you that you're so well known at the EC!!! I know that I'm always afraid of having a kiosk "eat" my ticket, so I also try to go to cashiers whenever possible.
   
  On a semi-related note, FYI, Harrahs seems to be restricting access to cashiers for cashing in tickets. It seems that they're only allowing Diamond and Seven Stars players to use their cashiers for cashing out; I think that "regular" players are only allowed to use the cashiers to cash in chips. Next thing you know, they'll start charging people transaction fees the way banks do...
   
  Overall, I guess this experience has provided me with a good reminder that we need to be extremely careful when dealing with our money.
   
  Best,
  Lainie

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#5

Brett, I sent an email to VIP Services this morning. I'm guessing that I won't hear back from them, but if I do, I'll let everyone know what happens. Lainie

vex <vexicon@spamarrest.com> wrote: Sounds like something their management would be interested in hearing
about....

  --Brett

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