Devices In Some Casinos Lessen Cheating -- Emerald Queen Has Chosen Not To Use The Special Blackjack Tables

The cheating system believed used by dealers and players arrested at the Emerald Queen casino in Tacoma might have been impossible if the casino had used a security device employed in many other Washington casinos.

But a Washington gambling official said the state has not pressed for use of the device, leaving the decision up to individual tribal operations.

"It's a casino-management decision. They're the ones that stand to lose money," said Carrie Tellefson, director of policy planning for the state Gambling Commission.

Devices built into blackjack tables in six of the state's 11 casinos, and in some Nevada gambling houses, read a corner of the dealer's face-down card to help determine if the dealer has a total of 21, called a "blackjack," which would end the hand.

At casinos without the device, such as the Emerald Queen, dealers must look at their down card if they have an ace to determine if the house's hand is a blackjack. In blackjack, all face cards are worth 10; an ace is worth one or 11.

If the dealer does not have 21, the hand continues and players decide whether to take additional cards to get as close to 21 as possible without going over.

It was at that point, say state and tribal agents, that the four dealers arrested at the casino Sunday night used voice signals to inform certain players what the dealer's face-down card was helping those players decide how to play their hands.

Five gamblers were also arrested Sunday, and more casino employees have since confessed. Tribal police and state Gambling Commission officials refused to be specific about how many, saying they do not want to compromise the investigation.

Tellefson did say, though, that one dealer not implicated previously heard about the arrests and voluntarily called in to confess.

Officials said some suspects were being offered deals in return for cooperation in the investigation. They said the investigation also involves another tribal casino in the state, but they would not say which one.

The alleged voice signals used in the scheme also would be impossible if blackjack here were played under the rules used in New Jersey casinos, in which the dealer never looks at the down card until all the players have finished playing their hands.

In recent years, cheating has been discovered four times at four separate tribal casinos. All but one case involved collusion with a dealer.

-- In 1994, at the-now closed Lummi casino, an employee removed a deck of cards from the casino, marked the cards and used them when certain players gambled.

-- Also in 1994, a blackjack scam similar to the one at the Emerald Queen was discovered at the Tulalip casino, this one involving hand signals.

-- In 1995, a blackjack dealer at the Muckleshoot casino in Auburn got caught discreetly revealing down cards to some players.

-- In 1996, at the Harrah's casino in Skagit Valley, players were caught peeking at cards before dealing them at a baccarat table. In baccarat, players deal their own cards.

Those arrested Sunday were taken in handcuffs from the casino, but no charges have been filed. Pierce County Deputy Prosecutor Doug Hill said they were booked on misdemeanor cheating charges, which could be upgraded to felonies if it turns out they took a large amount of money.

The victim in the scheme was the casino itself, not other players, Tellefson said. She said casino operators told the state the loss was likely about $50,000.

Ramona Bennett worries that the losses will be higher. Bennett is former president of the Puyallup Tribe, which operates the casino.

"To notice the pattern, to monitor and observe, and catch the people, all that time," she said. "That's a lot of shifts and a lot of dollars."

The economic health of the casino is important to the tribe.

"Until we're on the profit side," Bennett said, "the tribe is not going to be able to start buying things or putting kids through college. This casino is an opportunity for Native people to prove they can be clean, healthy and hard-working. It dispels long-standing stereotypes. It gives Native families an opportunity to work."

But the arrests also are being viewed as a success story in the tribal community. "If anything, it proves we have a lot of security and if there was anything crooked, it would be detected," Bennett said.

Tellefson said the 11 tribal casinos operating under agreements with the state have elaborate surveillance and security systems, including security personnel and continuous videotaping of all gambling tables.

Several players and an employee at the Emerald Queen said last night they were unconcerned by Sunday's arrests and that, for them, it was pretty much gambling as usual.

"That's what their security is for, to catch employees and others cheating," said Gene Masten, 50, of Tacoma. "It's not that unusual. It happens in Reno, Las Vegas and everywhere else." Nevada Gaming Control Board agents make about 500 arrests a year for cheating, with only a small minority involving collusion between a player and a casino employee, said Keith Kopher, chief of the board's enforcement division.

Information from Seattle Times staff reporter Carole Beers is included.