Prepaid gambling vouchers are a great way to quickly withdraw funds at the most trusted online casinos that we recommend, but that’s not often the case when doing business with a retail venue. Brick-and-mortar casinos often deal with paper vouchers or prepaid cards, making them vulnerable to theft and placing the owner in harm’s way.
The following three voucher-related crimes occurred at domestic and international casinos over the past few weeks and serve as a reminder to keep your head on a swivel when handling monies of any kind while gambling.
Singapore Jails Tourist For Using Found Casino Vouchers
A tourist in a Singapore casino recently found out the hard way why picking up winning slots tickets off of a gaming floor and cashing them is a bad idea.
To many, the act may seem like finding money and fairly hanging on to it, but casinos do not share that belief. When 27-year-old Silitonga Andri Parulian picked up and cashed winning slots tickets worth $17,000, he departed the Marina Bay Sands Casino and promptly headed to the airport.
The casino became aware of the theft the following morning and was able to place Parulian on a no-fly list prior to his leaving Singapore. He was, however, able to transfer a majority of the stolen money before being apprehended.
Paurlian was sentenced to four months in jail on June 19th. The Marina Bay Sands Casino has yet to recover any of the stolen money.
Man Murdered Over $20 Voucher Theft In Las Vegas Casino
On June 10th, an argument over a missing $20 gambling voucher became deadly in a hotel room at the Excalibur Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada. Two friends began to argue after one accused the other of stealing a voucher that had been placed on a nightstand, resulting in violence.
The preceding fight was overheard on a phone call made from the shooting victim to his girlfriend, where he pleaded with her to convince the gunman that he had not stolen the voucher.
Hotel employees gained access to the room where they found Martell Merill, aged 35, dead upon arrival from a gunshot wound. Christopher Mason was arrested two days later on murder charges. A follow-up search of the hotel room revealed a bag of cocaine and other various unspecified illegal drugs.
A hearing for Mason in a Las Vegas courtroom is pending.
$859 Voucher Theft In Pennsylvania Casino
On July 11th, Jeffrey Clark, a 57-year-old man, allegedly stole a prepaid casino voucher from a woman valued at $859.13. Clark cashed the voucher at the casino and was later apprehended by Pennsylvania State Police.
The prepaid vouchers offered by the online casinos that we prefer are secure and incredibly difficult to steal without cooperation from the owner. Vouchers from offshore casinos are among the best options for the fastest payouts and are much more secure than physical credits given by local gaming houses.
If you do end up finding a gambling voucher that does not belong to you, contact the casino or your local gambling authority and report it to them. As you can see by these most recent examples, crime doesn’t pay.
Gambling vouchers are trackable, and arrests related to thefts are usually resolved within days. Kids, don’t try this at home.
Sources: South China Morning Post, KTNV News ABC Las Vegas, FOX 56 News Wilkes-Barre