Harrah’s looks to settle sports book complaint for $100,000
LAS VEGAS SUN
Representatives of Harrah’s Entertainment Inc. have signed an agreement with the state Gaming Control Board settling a complaint involving the rescission of three sports wagers in violation of state gaming regulations.
According to a stipulation for settlement signed by Harrah’s President Tom Jenkin, the company will pay the board $100,000, which includes a $75,000 fine and $25,000 to reimburse investigation costs.
Approval of the settlement is expected to be considered by the Nevada Gaming Commission later this month.
According to the complaint posted today by the Attorney General’s office on behalf of the Control Board, sports book personnel at the company’s Harrah's property on the Strip took back three $550 wagers written for an unidentified patron.
The complaint said that on April 12, 2008, the patron attempted to place three bets on professional basketball overnight lines. The patron presented a Harrah’s player’s club card and a winning sports book ticket from an unrelated sporting event plus $600 to a sports book writer to place the three bets.
The sports book writer generated three $550 sports wager tickets and gave them to the patron for him to review. But almost immediately, a sports book supervisor retrieved all three tickets and left the betting window to check the patron’s player rating history.
After reviewing the patron’s rating records, the supervisor informed the patron that the sports book would not accept the three wagers that had just been placed.
The Control Board said the action violated Nevada gaming regulations that say a wager cannot be unilaterally rescinded without written approval from the board’s chairman.
The complaint also said that in the investigation of the matter, it was determined that the sports book supervisor erroneously believed that it was Harrah’s policy to only allow patrons with certain high player rating levels to place wagers on overnight lines. Limiting access of the public to certain gaming activities except in specific areas outlined in legislation is a violation of gaming regulations.
In addition to agreeing to pay the fine, Harrah’s provided additional training to sports book supervisors and staff affirming the policy on acceptance of bets, subject to minimum and maximum betting limits. In addition, Harrah’s has overnight line scratch sheets available to patrons in its sports books and, when possible, posting that information on electronic screens in the book area.
The complaint also said that in the investigation of the matter, it was determined that the sports book supervisor erroneously believed that it was Harrah’s policy to only allow patrons with certain high player rating levels to place wagers on overnight lines. Limiting access of the public to certain gaming activities except in specific areas outlined in legislation is a violation of gaming regulations.
He was scared of taking 3 500.00 bets and getting fired, it ended up costing them 100,000 instead of possibly losing 1,500.
;D
This is a weird story. Why would this guy do this? Anyone who works there knows you can't do this. I think there is more to this story.
This is a weird story. Why would this guy do this? Anyone who works there knows you can't do this. I think there is more to this story.
The mentality of the books in Vegas in particular the Harrah’s books is never take a bet these days and the supervisors are totally incompetent since none of them are true bookmakers, they are nothing more than babysitters. I have a friend who was a supervisor for Harrah’s and he said the upper management for the books were nothing but bean counters who know nothing about how to run a book let alone being a bookmaker.
Still though man, they gotta run these clowns over the rules annually with so much at stake. I wonder if this dude had a grudge against the bettor or something
Still though man, they gotta run these clowns over the rules annually with so much at stake. I wonder if this dude had a grudge against the bettor or something
It is a rule most probably don't really know about I bet since it came about years ago after a book got caught giving bets that couldn't lose to horse bettors instead of rebates when rebates were banned in the racebooks. You have to remember the Race & Sportsbook managers these days in Vegas are nothing more than ass kissers who wouldn't even be a clerk in the old days.