Shiraef claims he was losing around $4K when a floor supervisor at the Ameristar demanded to see his ID. The plaintiff had already shown proof of age on entrance and suspected the supervisor wanted his driver\u2019s license so his name could be added to a database of card counters and shared with other casinos.<\/p>\n
When Shiraef declined, the supervisor refused to cash out his remaining $1,800 in chips.<\/p>\n
The plaintiff had a flight to catch from Denver International and decided to leave and attempt to cash in his chips on a later visit. But as he was driving out of the parking garage, he was accosted by a CGC agent, who again demanded to see his driving license.<\/p>\n
Shiraef began recording his interaction with the agent, Joseph Nguyen, on his cell phone.<\/p>\n
I\u2019m going to go review the videos,\u201d<\/strong> Nguyen said. \u201cIf the videos show that you were committing a crime by cheating or counting cards, you will have a warrant for your arrest. In the state of Colorado, that\u2019s not allowed.\u201d<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n\u201cSo, counting cards is a warrant for arrest? Shiraef replies incredulously.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is illegal. It is a form of fraudulent activity in the state of Colorado,\u201d asserts Nguyen.<\/p>\n
$3M Sought <\/strong><\/h2>\nSoon after, a police officer arrived at the scene. Eventually, Shiraef was permitted to go, but he missed his flight. Somewhat optimistically, he is seeking $3 million in damages.<\/p>\n
The Ameristar hasn’t responded to requests for comment on the matter.<\/p>\n
\n
In a statement to KDVR,<\/em> a spokesperson for the state revenue department, which oversees the CGC, said: \u201cA gaming officer must thoroughly investigate the incident to ensure that Colorado Rules have not been violated. In the incident you have inquired about, the player left in a rush, unbeknownst to the gaming officer or casino operator, after refusing to comply with Colorado statutes that require patrons to produce IDs and exhibiting suspicious behaviors.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\u201cDue to the behaviors, the patron was confronted dutifully by a Gaming Officer to investigate the suspicious activities,\u201d the spokesperson added.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
A card counter from Georgia is suing the Ameristar Casino in Black Hawk, Colo., for illegal detainment, local Fox affiliate KDVR reports. Joseph Shiraef, 34, claims he was harassed, first by casino staff as he plied his trade at the blackjack tables and then by an agent of the Colorado Gaming Commission (CGC), who attempted […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":36,"featured_media":292810,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[21,60,86431],"tags":[88248,87455,88249,82103],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n
Ameristar Black Hawk Sued by \u2018Illegally Detained\u2019 Card Counter<\/title>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n\t \n\t \n\t \n \n \n \n \n \n\t \n\t \n\t \n