$30K Chip Theft Results in Star Sydney Sacking Two Employees
Star Entertainment Group’s Star Sydney Casino sacked two employees over a $30,000 casino chip theft. A New South Wales Local Court convicted both men this week.
Star Sydney employed Richard Quach as a baccarat dealer. CCTV captured the casino chip theft last year. Cameras caught Quach taking five chips from the baccarat table and putting them into his sock.
The chip theft resulted in Star Sydney launching an internal investigation to see if Quach had stolen before. The investigation revealed Quach stole $11,000 worth of chips in one week in July 2020.
Police recovered $5,000 worth of chips, but Quach admitted to cashing in the other $6,000. He did this by playing pokies and table games inside the casino, effectively money laundering.
Quach received a two-year Community Corrections Order (CCO) from the New South Wales Local Court. In addition to the CCO, Quach must pay $6,000 in compensation.
Furthermore, Quach is at the court’s beck and call during his two-year COO. The court can demand Quach appears before the court at any time, placing him under significant restrictions.
Second Star Sydney Employee Sacked Over Chip Theft
Quach was not the only employee involved in chip theft because Pharadorn Naweesakorn got in on the act too. Naweesakorn was employed as a dealer at Star Sydney and used his position to steal at least $26,000.
CCTV caught Naweesakorn giving $6,000 worth of casino chips to a customer in exchange for $1,000 cash. A subsequent investigation revealed Naweesakorn was in cahoots with the customer and had overpaid a total of $20,000 on four occasions.
Naweesakorn admitted his chip theft. He claimed he first conspired with the customer after it was suggested as a joke. The thief received a two-year CCO and an $8,550 fine.
Philip Crawford, the Independent Liquor and Gaming Authority chair, believes Star was correct in sacking the employees.
“A casino special employee is a licensee engaged in supervising and facilitating gaming activities. These people help safeguard the integrity of casino operations from criminal influence, serious misconduct or exploitation and a special degree of trust is placed in them.”
Two Other Star Sydney Staff Sacked and Banned From NSW Casinos
These two chip theft sackings come less than three months since Star Sydney sacked two other employees.
Star Sydney sacked a female gaming attendant who placed 28 bets on a gambling app while on shift. The women admitted to an ongoing gambling problem. The Independent Liquor & Gaming Authority (ILGA) banned the woman from working in or entering an NSW casino for five years.
Another Star Sydney employee lost his job and received the same five-year casino ban. CCTV caught the unnamed ma throwing a bag of white powder over a railing. Security later found the bag in a public area. The man claimed not to know where the powder came from and just wanted to get rid of it.
ILGA and the NSW Police Casino and Racing Unit are working together on both matters.
Casino Thefts Are Quite Common
Chip theft from casinos is a common occurrence around the world. A croupier at Cromwell Mint Casino in West London, United Kingdom, lost his job in 2016 for chip theft. He created a device that allowed him to funnel chips into his sock via a tube running from his pocket.
The man passed the stolen chips to an accomplice during his break. Another of the thief’s friends visited the casino in the days following and cashed them in. Unbelievably, police did not charge the man despite being caught red-handed.
Two other British croupiers were not so lucky, however. Wayne Wagner was caught stuffing chips into his socks. Wagner stole chips for six years and received a 15-month jail sentence after admitting to stealing £69,000.
Paul Kennedy spent 20-months in jail after stealing £1,000 in chips every day for four years.
