Puerto Rico Deals with Casino Tampering Case
Author:
Scott Lawson
In the midst of international discussions about making safer gaming environments and reducing fraud, casinos may have to be on their toes as a person was caught tampering with games in Puerto Rico. In the Puerto Rico case, the suspect was apprehended and charges have been filed against him by the correct authority — in this case, that is the Economic Crimes Division of the Department of Justice. The incident took place at Tropical Casino in Bayamón.
Authorities are investigating a casino scam in Puerto Rico, which resulted in the loss of over $60,000 USD to one suspect.
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Investigating casino game manipulation in Puerto Rico
The case in Puerto Rico is somewhat unusual and has thus garnered much attention in the gaming industry and beyond. That is because, while gaming companies and regulators worldwide are used to talking about common issues like match fixing, money laundering and — on the other side of the equation — unlicensed or illegally operating establishments, casino tampering is a bit more rare.
This is probably because casinos, where one bets offline and in the company of other people — including security — feel like a riskier area to attempt illegal behavior. That is why it was somewhat shocking to those involved to find that a guest of a casino in Bayamón, Puerto Rico managed to “win” more than $40,000 USD illegally.
Not the first accusation for suspect Victoria
The suspect is Edmanuel Victoria, a fugitive already facing charges for a similar crime in the San Juan District — Puerto Rico’s capital district, located to the northeast of the island. Bayamón is located just to the south of San Juan, the capital city. This crime took place in a hotel that offered casino games and resulted in the collection of nearly $20,000 USD.
So how did Victoria perpetrate this bold crime? Authorities have found that he was able to tamper with electronic roulette wheels. After every spin, he performed an action which allowed him to reset and gain unlimited spins. These are considered illegal, as they are not the result of genuine gameplay, and thus his earnings are deemed illegal as well.
Victoria’s spree at Tropical Casino took place during two visits in December, 2022. It was there that he managed to obtain about $43,000 USD in prizes. His unbelievable “good luck” most likely raised the suspicions of the casino staff, who may have alerted authorities to possible fraud.
From there, the case has been investigated using collaboration between several different Puerto Rican entities. To start, it was investigated by San Juan Criminal Investigation Corps’ Property and Fraud Division, under an agent, Nilda Couvertier Lassén.
The case then changed over to Puerto Rico’s Department of Justice. Prosecutors Jahnny Rodríguez Malavé and María Teresa Carro Lahongrais took the charge there. They are still working on the case and filed charges against Victoria in mid May, 2023.
Speaking on the case, Secretary Domingo Emanuelli Hernández said that Victoria could face up to eight years in prison, with a minimum of three years. He is charged with fraud as well as other actions against Puerto Rico’s Penal Code.
A judge set his bail at $400,000 USD based on the severity of the crime and his likelihood of fleeing, but Victoria did not appear in court when he was summoned on April 12. Authorities have therefore ordered his arrest.
