Casino Shutdown Result: Individual Fails to Secure Payment for $59,500 Chips from Closed Atlantic City Casino
Breaking News — A gambler's bid to claim almost $60,000 worth of casino chips from a now-shuttered casino hits a roadblock. The New Jersey appellate court stated that the chips were allegedly pilfered by an employee of a demolition company, causing the gambler's claim to be rejected.
Share this story — ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. — In an unusual turn of events, a man tried to cash in a staggering total of 389 chips amounting to $59,500, acquired at an online auction, with the state Treasury Department's Unclaimed Property Administration (UPA). These chips were once issued by the Playboy Hotel and Casino, which operated from 1981 to 1984.
However, the UPA refused the claim in June 2023, stating that the chips were not legitimately issued to patrons in the usual casino operations. The gambler filed an appeal saying that the UPA's decision was based on insufficient evidence and lacked fairness.
But the appellate court, in a ruling dated April 1, sided with the UPA, denying the gambler access to the funds as the chips he presented were not issued by the casino itself.
The Pirate Among us
According to the New Jersey State Police investigation, the casino hired a demolition company to destroy the chips following its closure. Unbeknownst to the casino, an employee of the demolition company had pilfered several boxes of unused chips circa 1990 and stowed them away in a bank deposit box.
Eventually, the bank unearthed the deposit box in 2010 and confiscated the chips, then selling them at auction. The ex-employee, who had since declared bankruptcy and forgotten about the deposit box, later confessed to his deeds.
While the UPA rejected the gambler's claim, the legality of these so-called pilfered chips is under question. Law enforcement has confirmed that the chips could be considered stolen, and the former casino's estate may face charges for mishandling the chips during their destruction. But, without New Jersey-specific laws or case studies relevant to this situation, an expert opinion or consultation with gaming regulators would be essential for a definitive legal outcome.
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- The confiscated casino chips, worth $59,500, that a man tried to redeem were not legitimately issued by the casino-and-gambling establishment, as stated by the State Treasury Department's Unclaimed Property Administration.
- During the investigation, it was revealed that an employee of a demolition company had pilfered the Playboy Hotel and Casino's unused chips in the 1990s, which were subsequently sold at auction in 2010.
- The legality of these supposedly pilfered casino chips is under question, with the possibility that they could be considered stolen and the former casino's estate may face charges for mishandling them.
- To determine the definitive legal outcome, expert opinion or consultation with gaming regulators might be necessary, as New Jersey-specific laws or case studies relevant to this situation are not readily available.
