Macau Casino Pit Boss Allegedly Stole HK$400K in Gaming Chips

Posted on: August 5, 2024, 11:54h. 

Last updated on: August 5, 2024, 11:54h.

Devin O'Connor @CasinoorgDevinO Read More
Expertise: Asia Pacific Gaming, Commercial Gaming, Legislation, Politics.

A Macau casino pit boss is accused of stealing gaming chips from her employer in the Chinese Special Administrative Region (SAR).

Macau casino theft crime
Macau Judiciary Police officers conduct random patron checks on July 28, 2024, inside a Cotai Strip casino. Law enforcement says its ongoing surveillance of the Chinese gaming hub detected a pit supervisor stealing high-value chips from a roulette table. (Image: Macau SAR Government)

Macau’s Judiciary Police says surveillance video of a nondisclosed casino floor in the city’s ZAPE District (Zona Aterro do Porto Exterior) allegedly shows a female supervisor swindling gaming chips from a roulette table on four different occasions.

Law enforcement contends that the woman, identified only as a 56-year-old local, used double-sided adhesive tape to slyly steal gaming chips. Police believe the woman stole three HK$100K chips on June 1, 3, and July 21. Casino security said they observed the worker allegedly steal a fourth HK$100K token over the weekend.

The total value of the theft — HK$400K — is worth about US$51,400.

Crime Crackdown

Judiciary Police say the woman was caught red-handed over the weekend while in possession of the HK$100K gaming chip and a sticky substance on her one palm. The woman was arrested and charged with aggravated theft. ?

Macau’s law enforcement agencies this summer are embarking on a crackdown on illicit activities inside and around casinos. Dubbed “Thunderbolt 2024,” police officers have ramped up their presence throughout the SAR but are focusing on the Cotai and ZAPE districts.

ZAPE is located east of Grand Lisboa, Wynn Macau, and MGM Macau downtown on the city’s main peninsula. The neighborhood is home to several smaller casino hotels including the L’Arc. The Cotai District is home to the Cotai Strip, Macau’s glitzy main drag where five-star ultra-luxury resort casinos dominate the skyline. ?

The law enforcement mobilization has resulted in several large-scale criminal takedowns.

Late last week, police apprehended a woman accused of stealing HK$320K (US$41K) from an unsuspecting gambler. On Aug. 1, casino surveillance caught a woman sitting down next to a man playing a table game with a large pile of gaming chips inside a fanny pack, described by Judiciary Police as a “crossbody bag.”

After chatting for roughly three minutes, the woman stood and walked away. Moments later, the man realized his fanny pack was missing HK$320K worth of chips.

After notifying casino security and police being tipped off, the woman was found on surveillance video at another casino in the ZAPE District exchanging the chips for cash. She was located later and arrested, but only HK$82K was recovered. The woman was also charged with aggravated theft.

Non-Casino Raids?

Macau’s Thunderbolt 2024 initiative extends to gambling operations outside of casinos. Law enforcement continues to focus its energies on ridding the region of such illegal gambling hubs and networks, much of which often focus on sports gambling.

Last month, Judiciary Police, in cross-border conjunction with police in Hong Kong and the Guangdong Province, apprehended 93 people suspected to be involved in an illegal sports betting ring. The sting discovered that at least MOP1.08 billion (US$134 million) in illegal bets had allegedly been facilitated by the operation.

Judiciary Police said 50 of the suspects reside in Macau, most notably one of the law enforcement agency’s own in a Macau customs officer.