Two dealers arrested in thefts

Thursday, May 3, 2001 | 11:13 a.m.

Two dealers at the Plaza hotel-casino in downtown Las Vegas were recently charged by the state Gaming Control Board after they were allegedly caught stealing chips from players and the casino.

Keith Copher, head of the control board's enforcement division, said the board charged the dealers with petty theft, a misdemeanor, after the Plaza alerted the board of the thefts. The poker dealers, whose names were not released, were taking chips both from chip trays and from player pots, Copher said.

"There was no cheating involved, but straight outright theft, where they were taking chips and concealing them," Copher said. "They weren't taking that much each day."

Plaza officials said the dealers were fired immediately after the board arrested the dealers.

Copher said the control board averages 550 to 600 arrests per year, and about 10 percent are casino employees.

"(Arrests for theft) are pretty common," Copher said.