Higher stakes are attracting more criminals
By Cris Ornelas
Thursday, November 12, 2009 at 9:51 p.m.
Read more: State, Crime, Cripple Creek, Gambling, Teller County, Colorado, Casinos, Special Report
CRIPPLE CREEK, COLO. -- It’s been a little over four months since the stakes went up for gamblers in Cripple Creek.
FOX21 News wanted to see if crime went up along with it.
It’s easy to see why higher stakes would attract more criminals.
People can win much bigger pots, and with the addition of craps and roulette and casinos staying open all night, it’s a playground for crooks looking for an easy score.
The once-great gold mining town of Cripple Creek found new life in 1991 when voters approved limited stakes gambling.
Five dollars was the most you could bet on a hand of blackjack or poker. But that all changed in July.
The limits soared to a $100 maximum bet and more games were added.
It meant more fun and more chances to win for gamblers and more opportunities for crooks lurking in the shadows.
"This is what we thought would happen. We have those folks out there, the human predators. They know the people are going to be out there with more money because the stakes are higher, so if they win a bigger pot of money they are going to be targeting them," said Teller County Sheriff Kevin Dougherty.
The sheriff says the people preying on gamblers are simply opportunists. They go into casinos looking for someone who is winning big. They may look like any other gambler and may even be playing next to you.
"No one can stop that because people are free to do whatever they want. They could be hanging out at a slot machine watching the tables and pretending like they are playing the slots when they are actually watching someone winning big. Then it's simple -- you just follow them out to their car," said Dougherty.
Away from the casino and away from security, it's easy pickings for the thief.
"Cars are parked in parking lots that are well away from the casino, and there are dark locations and it could be fairly easy to target someone like that," said Dougherty.
There have been a number of cases of that happening since July. In fact, one triggered a high-speed chase that ended when Teller County deputies punctured the tires on the getaway car.
"Several individuals had attempted to strong-arm rob several people in the Cripple Creek area," said the sheriff.
Gamblers FOX21 News spoke to say they hadn’t made the connection between higher stakes and higher crime.
"It surprises me immensely -- amazes me, in fact, that there might be any criminal activity up here," said one long-time gambler.
"I never thought that it would do that once they got the overnight thing passed, but I see where people could key in on winners," said another Cripple Creek gamer.
But Doughtery says there's no reason you still can't go to Cripple Creek.
"I don’t think that anyone should be scared of going to Cripple Creek, not at all. It can be a very good and fun time," said Dougherty.
He says the key is to be aware of your surroundings and be conscious of people watching or following you.
"And if you do get that sense that there is someone then simply go into one of the casinos and go up to security or hang out and find out if that person is still around," Dougherty said.
There are other ways to avoid having your winnings stolen from you.
Some casinos offer direct deposit. Your winnings are automatically transferred to your bank account so there’s nothing for the thief to steal.
Click on the camera icon to view the story as it aired on FOX21 News.
