A gambler at a Columbus, Ohio casino recently received a sentence of nine days in jail for cheating a local casino. He is the first person in Franklin County without a previous criminal record to go to jail for this offense since the casino opened.
Under Nevada law, it is unlawful to cheat at gambling. Cheating can take different forms. It can include playing the slots with counterfeit coins or, in the Ohio case, quickly adding more chips to your pot when you see that you’ve won your hand.
Always assume that casinos have cameras monitoring the activity at every table. Nevertheless, there are still defenses to a charge of cheating, including:
Penalties for cheating
Cheating is a felony under Nevada law. The penalties depend on whether you have prior convictions:
The court is not allowed to grant probation or suspend the sentence if it is a second or subsequent conviction.
Because cheating carries the possibility of both prison time and a felony conviction, it is imperative to obtain the skilled representation of a Reno criminal defense attorney.