As there is always a lot of money flowing through land-based casinos, it sometimes gives some employees wrong ideas. Two cases at the Star Sydney Casino have just made the headlines in the Australian press.
Each case involved a different dealer. One stole AUD 11,000 (about 124,463 ZAR) worth of chips over a one-week period in July 2020. The other overpaid a player a total of AUD 20,000 (or about 226,297 ZAR) on four different occasions.
AUD 11,000 stolen by a baccarat dealer at Star Sydney Casino
The first case involved a man named Richard Quach. Last year, surveillance cameras at Star Sydney Casino filmed the dealer taking 5 chips from the baccarat table he was hosting, before placing them in his sock. The establishment then conducted an internal investigation during which it was discovered that this employee had stolen a total of no less than AUD 11,000 in chips over a one-week period during July 2020.
After five tokens with a total value of AUD 5,000 were recovered, Richard Quach finally admitted to having used the remaining AUD 6,000 to play slot machines in the complex.
As a result of the findings, the dealer was dismissed from the Star Sydney Casino. In addition, he has just been found guilty of theft in a local court in New South Wales. He was ordered to pay AUD 6,000 in compensation to his former employer and to serve a two-year community correction order. The order requires him to commit no further offences and to report regularly to the court.
AUD 20,000 overpayment to the same player
The second case involved a man named Pharadorn Naweesakorn. He, too, was discovered through the surveillance cameras of the Star Sydney Casino. Security caught him giving AUD 6,000 in chips to a customer in exchange for AUD 1,000 in cash. After this incident was discovered, the resort also launched an internal investigation. It was discovered that the dealer had overpaid the same player a total of at least AUD 20,000 on four separate occasions.
After admitting the facts, Pharadorn Naweesakorn admitted that it all started when the customer suggested the scheme as a joke. But in the end, they decided to carry it out together.
As a result, our man has just been ordered to pay AUD 8,550 in compensation to Star Sydney Casino. He also has to serve a 2 year community correction order.
Two more cases to be tried in December
Following the announcement of these two verdicts, the Chairman of the Independent Liquor and Gaming Authority was keen to point out that dealers are licensed to run the tables. They are therefore expected to maintain the integrity of the casino’s operations. It is therefore important to punish them when they commit serious offences.
In December last year, two other employees of a gaming establishment were banned from the casino in New South Wales for five years. One was found gambling on his smartphone while on duty. The other was caught with drugs on the premises.
