The suggestion to "scream as if I'm being murdered" is a good one. I
can tell you from experience it will get an immediate security response,
as well as other patron's attention. This will make it less likely the
casino will wash its hands of the whole affair, per usual.
But the most critical point is this: your primary goal is to get paid,
and insure the thief doesn't. It's a slot department issue first --
they have the ability to void a ticket immediately, but you must act
quickly. Find a slot employee -- one with a radio, tell them the
machine location, denomination and number. Make sure the priority is
voiding that ticket before anything else -- you want them to shoot first
and ask any questions later. I had this happen to me at a major strip
casino and the ticket was voided and replaced within minutes. Possibly
not quick enough for this case, but the theives may have (foolishly)
left the casino with the intention of returning later, or hiring a
homeless guy to do it ("I don't know nuthin' 'bout no stolen ticket!").
I am sorry to say this, but when it comes to protecting _your_ stuff,
casino security is of generally no value. They refuse to use security
tapes for anything other than catching cheats and card counters, hiding
behind "privacy" laws. After having a some valuable items stolen from a
slot area, I talked to a detective at a major strip joint who told me 1)
We'll take your report (they love reports, especially when you do the
work) 2) We'll "investigate" (have another cup, Joe) 3) Don't call us,
we'll call you if anything comes of our "investigation" 4) You can not
see the tape, and will never learn the results of our investigation, nor
the identity of the thief, nor anything that would help you prosecute.
I for one am getting God damn sick of this self-serving attitude from
casinos when it comes to anything other than their money. The elaborate
security setup, mandated by statute in Nevada and New Jersey, is there
for the protection of customers as well as the gaming establishment. A
gaming license is a privilege given in exchange for certain duties, one
of which is protection of patrons and their gaming stake. TITO has
saved the industry a boatload of money on maintenance, overpays, slugs,
and the like, but it has also made it easier for thieves. In such a
case, the casino has increased responsibility, not less. Every location
using TITO should have a documented procedure for quickly voiding stolen
tickets, and signs informing patrons of exactly what to do. Naturally,
casinos would rather not advertise this system weakness. Therefore, it
should be mandated by statute.
In Nevada, any casino that would allow a 91-year-old to have a $400
ticket stolen and refuse to use every means at its disposal to catch
them should be charged by Gaming Enforcement with an Unsuitable Method
of Operation (UMO) and fined. Such inaction certainly meets the
statutory definition of "bringing disrepute to the gaming industry or
the great state of Nevada".
TC
AMEN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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