Sunday, Nov. 22, 1998 | 9:50 a.m.
AND SO the plot thickens in the Great Chip Caper at the Horseshoe Club.
Unless cooler heads prevail, Horseshoe owner Becky Behnen and gambler Bob Stupak are headed for a fight to the finish.
It'll be a fight worthy of two of the most recognizable names in Las Vegas -- Stupak and Binion. But it also could end up seriously embarrassing Nevada's celebrated gaming regulatory system.
You'll recall that Behnen, the daughter of the late gaming pioneer, Benny Binion, bought the Horseshoe from her older brother, Jack Binion, in July after a bitter sibling battle for control of the downtown hotel-casino.
The current fight has erupted over Behnen's refusal to cash $250,000 in $5,000 chips held by Stupak. Earlier this month, Stupak filed suit against the Horseshoe, and last week he obtained a letter from state gaming regulators ordering the Horseshoe to redeem the chips.
Jack Binion has come down on the side of Stupak, vouching for the longtime Horseshoe patron's dealings at the casino. Binion has described Stupak as a "valued customer" for more than 20 years who's entitled to cash the chips. The Gaming Control Board agrees with that assessment.
But Behnen late last week, through her attorney, George Kelesis, said the Horseshoe has been unable to verify that Stupak won the chips. Records, primarily those turned over by Binion, show only $13,000 worth of gambling play by Stupak since 1994, and Kelesis said it's doubtful the $250,000 will show up in records prior to 1994.
Horseshoe records, however, may not tell the whole story of Stupak's gambling activities. He has been known to play high-stakes poker and make "gimmick" bets at the Horseshoe over the years. Those activities haven't been recorded by the Horseshoe because the house wasn't involved in the wagering.
Behnen said she's appealing the Control Board's decision and will turn over Horseshoe records to the board.
In the meantime, the feud between Behnen and Stupak has escalated.
Late last week, Behnen's husband, Nick Behnen, rallied to his wife's side. He pooh-poohed Stupak's claim that the flamboyant gambler was a longtime friend of the legendary Benny Binion.
"Benny never considered him a friend," Nick said. "He was always known as a small-time operator."
What's more, Nick put Stupak on notice.
"He (Stupak) started a fire with my family that will never go out, and I know his story," Behnen's husband said.
Ouch!
Stupak knows his colorful history in Las Vegas even better than Nick Behnen. A lot of others whom Stupak would prefer to keep quiet probably do, too.
For his part, the street-wise Stupak came back with his own message.
"I believe that Nick has done irreparable harm to the Horseshoe," he said.
Nick Behnen is not an officer of the Horseshoe, but he was named as a defendant in Stupak's lawsuit.
So the battle lines are set.
And now it's a question of how many bodies will get caught in the crossfire.
Already there are signs that the Great Chip Caper is causing some embarrassment to Nevada gaming regulators.
Last week, the Rev. Tom Grey, one of the nation's leading gambling critics, said he unfairly was being singled out because the Horseshoe wouldn't cash a $5,000 chip Stupak had donated to his church. Grey used the incident to mount a nationwide attack on the regulators.
The dispute at the Horseshoe also has brought to light how common the use of chips have become in Las Vegas. They've become an underground currency that can be hoarded by those looking to circumvent state and federal cash reporting laws.
It's a problem regulators have only just begun to examine.
By law, casinos aren't supposed to cash chips unless they can show those seeking to redeem them are customers. But enforcement has been lax over the years. Casino dealers frequently receive chips as tokes, and ministers often solicit then as donations to their churches. And professional poker players carry them around like loose change. Few have complained while these people have been cashing in.
So start ducking, friends. Bullets are flying in the Great Chip Caper.
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