All the things that happen in casinos
A lot has happened in casinos around the world this year, and we are not referring to the coronavirus pandemic that has dominated the front pages day after day since practically the month of February. Actually, there's been everything. In our country, some casinos became real stars of the night while in the United States robberies, hacking and computer errors have been the order of the day.
This year in Las Vegas they have witnessed a million-dollar lawsuit for a previous cyberattack that has highlighted the poor security measures of computer systems, in addition to the occasional error in betting that has generously favored some lucky Bellagio. ©Mariamichelle/Pixabay
The effects of the global coronavirus pandemic are they have made a name for themselves in the physical casino sector ; not so much in the online world that he has known enduring the pull of the economic crisis and the partial cancellation of sporting events around the world that has harmed, and a lot, to sports betting .
While online casinos they have not stopped growing , physicists have taken advantage of every opportunity they have had to get afloat in the best possible way , even until they become stars of a bloodless night.
Nor have they lost the opportunity to close lucrative trades . In the case of the United States, we have seen an alliance develop between online operators and the Las Vegas gaming giants that will give a lot to talk about in 2021. Caesars it was done with the operations of William Hill in North America, while GVC Holdings, now Entain a piece of the pie was guaranteed by entering into an agreement with MGM Resorts.
Computer technology and computer errors
With computer technology advancing by leaps and bounds, physical casinos have not wanted to be left behind and facial recognition techniques and other applications , such as those aimed at monitoring the performance of blackjack tables and roulette wheels, have been experimenting. Although the mandatory wearing of face masks due to the health emergency has been able to cause problems .
Last July a computer error gave rise to what could be the biggest loss for a casino in sports betting . As a result of a glitch in the system, which may have been human, BetMGM would have allowed bets on events that were taking place, all from professional baseball leagues.
The number of bettors benefiting from the error is not very clear, but the tickets would have all been withdrawn at the popular Bellagio. The regulatory authority in Nevada would have sought the option of declaring the tickets void, but the amounts had already been deposited, bringing the total amount to about $250,000 . These mistakes are not so uncommon, but the profits are usually not a big deal.
Since the winnings are considered to have been obtained illegally, the operator usually gives bettors two options. They either return the tickets and winnings, or they keep them, but in this case the operator vetoes the bettor for life. In cases of small winnings there is no doubt that bettors choose the first option. But a bettor at the Bellagio would have gotten more than $100,000 this way . It is not very clear what he will decide.
Hackers: another headache
It is not uncommon let Las Vegas suffer cyberattacks , and casinos are not immune to these. MGM Resorts suffered it during the summer of 2019, with the personal information of 1.6 million customers checked and made available in some online forum.
The leak included names, addresses, emails, phone numbers..., etc. from clients and tourists and even public personalities. MGM tried to downplay the importance of the issue , but sources would have indicated that the information could have been made available to cybercriminals.
In February of this year John Smallman filed a class action lawsuit against MGM Resorts which could result in a multi-million dollar conviction for the Las Vegas casino company if MGM's negligence is proven in this case. MGM has reiterated that the hacked information does not contain sensitive customer data. However, Plaintiff Smallman considers that the leak has been a clear violation of privacy that MGM would have pledged to guarantee, and would have sought $5 million in damages.
Esfandiari gets robbed of 1 million
The case of professional poker player Antonio Esfandiari has been striking this summer. Esfandiari, who in addition to being a good poker player is also a magician, has won three bracelets of the World Series (WSOP) and two World Poker Tour championships in his career.
It seems that in July Esfandiari would have denounced theft of various valuables from the safe in your apartment in Las Vegas. Among the objects would be jewelry, luxury watches, cash and poker chips. All valued at $1 million. Among the stolen poker chips, the Bellagio hotel-casino appears again in our story, worth $25,000.
Svitlana Silva was arrested in connection with the robbery. Silva was caught spending $300,000 on a private poker game . Silva is the ex-partner of Esfandiari's father and they would have access to his apartment. In this way, Silva would have gotten hold of the safe's code.
Spectacular robbery in front of Bally's
Last November, and in broad daylight, three men were assaulting an armored vehicle stopped right in front of Bally's casino in Atlantic City . The sum of the stolen money would amount to just over $1.7 million. Thanks to the casino's security cameras the main suspect was arrested in a short time and most of the money recovered, according to police sources .
