Gilbert Arenas and 5 others arrested in a federal gambling ring

Illegal theft of wages at an illegal game? LOL.

The truth is that many places pool tips, when I was a busboy the waitresses paid out some of their tips to me and the cooks. It certainly wasn't theft of wages.

Serving customers is a group effort, the waitress and dealers don't do everything themselves. If the game runners are taking some of their tips, that's their share for bringing in the customers, organizing the games, getting the space, taking the risk, etc. If the dealers/waitresses don't like it, they can go deal at a legal casino or waitress at a legal restaurant. But they won't ( or will do it only when the home game isn't running) because the amount of cash they get to keep at home games is far beyond what they can get at "legit" jobs.

I will say that when I play home games, I don't tip the dealers or waitresses at all. When I'm paying huge rake it should be the game runner's job to compensate them. And when I do tip them for extra effort, I do it directly in cash away from game to make sure the runner isn't skimming from my tip.

The reason private games happen in places where there are casinos are mostly due to the ability to establish a “credit line” with the proprietors, whether the liquid comes from legal or illegal means. Whales and big fish would rather not carry around any money, show up, get the amount they want to play, lose it all, and square up later, or win some and get paid later.

Casinos will only open credit lines for gaming if your money is legit and you give them all your personal info.

Imagine all the illegal games nik airball is playing in. There are so many of these games in LA.

they also aren't lending you money to play poker.

One thing is for sure- Arenas is still an immature idiot running his mouth on social media about this case instead of shutting his mouth and letting his lawyers speak for him.

there were no "employees", no one was "stealing" tips lol. none of the money people working these games gets is considered "tips". its all income for the house and its doled out by the host based on the arrangement he has with the people he allows to "work" the game. this is all up front and consistent or the people working the game will become trouble maybe even call the cops. obviously sometimes this gets "muddied" to the point there are people who try to blackmail the host or the host breaks his promises and then it can all go haywire. in general no one involved wants the system to break down because the "poker game" makes more money for everyone in an easy one stop shop for non violent criminality.

They definitely care. They aren't giving people 6 figure markers to get a couple hundred bucks in rake.

If they kkow you're going to play poker with it they won't give it to you. And if they don't know and you take it to just play poker good luck getting another market next time.

Sure they do. You take $1000 and lose it all at BJ, they made $1000. Lose it all at poker and they make $100. They care a bunch.

Most casinos will close your credit down and demand you settle up if they find you only playing poker. Now for true whales, esp if also playing house games along with poker, the rules are different. If you are expected to lose $50K, some poker is not an issue if you still play the tables to a expected -$50K EV, they won’t care.

If you do not pay off the marker before you leave, a $1k check is cashed to the casino regardless…..they make $1000 even if you lose it in the poker room. They only make “nothing” if you win on any table, and then pay it off before you leave….

Ducy

Edit: and for context I know people with small markers in Vegas, 3-5k (I wasn’t speaking on 6fig markers) who play plenty of poker, they may play a couple hundred dollars at black jack, and as long as the check clears, their credit line is good. Vegas, specifically is not doing well enough to “shut down your credit” nowadays.

saying they don't care what you did with the marker is flat out wrong. they do care. Tell them give me a marker to play poker and they'll say no. Take a 6 figure marker and go play poker with it and see what happens when you want another one. Now can someone take a marker for a few thousand, give some small action in the pit and go play poker with it? Sure. But that's exploiting a flaw in the system not them not caring. Tell those same friends to do that without playing in the pit at all and see if they can get one again.

They don't make make 1000 off of someone who takes a 1k marker to the poker room and loses it all there. They make a few dollars in rake that's it.
I take a 1k marker, go to the poker room get felted and leave. How exactly are they making 1,000 there?

That’s not a line of credit. They are only holding your check as convenience. Actual credit line they pull a credit report, and decide what you carry and give you a credit line to draw from. Does not have to be paid off when you leave. They hold the marker you sign for 30 days.

Many casino markers specifically state the funds are not for poker. Only house games and slots.

Cashing your check but holding it for day or so is different than a LOC where you sign a marker for each draw. Very similar but different terms. And yes, even during down times they will pull a LOC if you are playing (only) poker. It is a 30 day (usually) no interest loan. They are not doing that for poker rake. No incentive

BTW they give you $1000. You lose it all playing poker then don’t pay. Sure they cash your check but that only gets their $1000 back. They did not make anything. They broke even. Now if you play BJ and lose it all and don’t pay the marker, they still cash your check but they also made $1000 on the BJ losses. Now they are holding $2000. See the difference now?

Call it a flaw, fine, but if they cared then it would not be “exploitable”…..no one in the casino business is ever happy with being exploited right?

Also the assumption of a poker opponent to the hypothetical person with a marker, winning $1000 off this person and leaving the casino with all if it, is just as poor of an assumption as the person with the marker losing all of the $1000 at a table game….they could win a $1000

And beyond the verbiage, the ability to get the marker again is is being understated, you can just be a table game nit for all they care and not give significant action to any table games, if you have a history of playing a little and paying it back they will want you to continue using it, to keep you coming to the casino, whether poker is involved or not.

As far as markers explicitly stating they cannot be used for poker I am going to ask a friend who is a shift manager if that is the case where they work (casino has poker). I have always been told once the marker is signed and is converted to chips, you can do what please.

Caring and being exploitable are 2 different things.

If you're so sure they don't care then don't exploit them don't try to trick them straight up tell them you want a marker for poker and see if they give it to you.

A marker generally is just like a check. Your chips are the counterpart promise by the casino to be redeemed for cash at the cage, only. (You can't use a chip for anything else. I'd be interested in the idea above that a casino can impose conditions, other than they can refuse to cash in your chips at the cage , chips are sold for gaming use only, at the issuing casino ........ something with a stored history in Nevada going back to why you should never accept a large denomination casino chip directly from a third party to settle a debt, even from someone sitting at the poker table.

Fwiw, also, if you do not honor your casino marker (or generally bounce a check in Nevada), when it is presented for payment, you can be sued in Nevada, where you gave your marker. If you are planning to visit the US, if you have an outstanding judgment against you for a marker or bounced check, you may find you're being arrested when you go thorough immigration.

Don't try kiting a marker of check in Nevada if you plan to cross the border into the US from overseas. (They don't need to go to "WhereverUFrom" to squeeze you for failure to pay if they catch you at the border on your next US visit.)

Strip clubs typically charge strippers a fee for working.

I mean, they set this whole operation in a luxury house with luxury drinks/food, security, parking, etc

These young hotties just get to come in and clean up with the high end whale clientele.

It's almost not fair to the people that set up the whole operation if the girls keep all the money.

Fitness trainers and tennis coaches and golf coaches often have an hourly rate, out of which a decent chunk actually goes to the club they work at. If they don't work at a club, they don't pay the fee, but then they have to deal with location/equipment etc themselves.

I realize far from a definitive source but here is what Gemini AI says about using a LOC to play poker at Las Vegas MGM properties.

“ MGM Resorts, which operates numerous casinos in Las Vegas including Bellagio, Aria, and MGM Grand, generally does not allow a casino line of credit to be used for playing poker.

Here is a breakdown of their policy and the reasoning behind it:

Credit for House Games Only: A casino line of credit (marker) is intended for games where the casino has a built-in house advantage, such as table games (blackjack, craps) and slot machines. The casino extends credit to encourage players to play these games, where the house expects to profit over the long run.

Poker is a Player-to-Player Game: In a poker room, players are not competing against the casino. The casino's profit comes from the "rake," which is a small percentage of each pot. Because the casino does not have a house edge on the actual wagers, it has no financial incentive to extend credit for this purpose.”