Are Casino Employees Stealing Your Loyalty Points?

[vegetagirl2008]

Are Casino Employees Stealing Your Loyalty Points?

Posted: Aug 17, 2009 09:05 PM


Are you part of a casino reward program? The Nevada Gaming Control Board says you could be a target for thieves by stealing your loyalty points.

Gaming officials say the thieves are hotel-casino employees. And they say it's easy to steal your points. "An employee who has access to the system manipulates points or creates new accounts in someone's name and then will transfer or create points into that account or they may draw points or deduct points from one player's account and transfer them to another player's account," says Jerry Markling.

As you may already know, loyalty points are customer rewards for hotels and casinos. Customers get the points by staying at the hotel, buying merchandise and eating in restaurants among other things.

Gaming officials say stealing loyalty points isn't a new crime. They say employees do have access to points with passwords and authorizations and say they steal for a number of reasons, from making a couple of extra dollars to free slot plays only at company-owned casinos.

"You should keep track of your player points in your account. You should know the rules behind the program you're entered in because some of these programs drop off points after a certain amount of time."

If someone is caught, they could face charges including computer fraud to embezzlement and up to six years or more in prison.

That is crazy why would anyone do this?

[CURTSONLYLOVE10]

That is crazy why would anyone do this?

HI VEGETAGIRL, seen ur location and just wanted to say hi neighbor...i live in the bronx, but have lived in bk, and manhattan

[Mousey]

Casino points are worth money and perks.

Story: (I know ... I always have a story...)

2 years ago. Had an offer for a couple of free nights in a suite at the HorseShoe Tunica. Made reservations. Week later, but 2 weeks before the reservation date, I canceled. (Real world crap screwed with much needed vacation time.) Not only did I speak with someone at the reservations desk, but also a host. Everything was hunky dory, reservation canceled, offer was still good whenever we were able to come back (within reason... probably within 6 months or so).

Fast forward a couple of months. We want to go to Tunica. Seems I don't have any offers for HorseShoe or Grand/Harrah's. No rooms, no points to speak of (I never had many points), but I still had the coupon/postcard/offer in my hand for the suite and the date was still good. Well, no, you see... I'd used that back a couple of months ago... 2 nights.... Oh... Really??? Amazing how I could be home and there at the HorseShoe at the same time, huh?

I didn't stir up much of a stink, and I'm just small potatoes and didn't throw enough money around for any of the folks in marketing or the hosts to give a flying rats ass what happened to my room offer. Oh, and amazingly, according to their players club records, "I" didn't play during that 2 day stay -- I presume it's because my players cards were here with my doppelganger at home -- so I don't get anymore HorseShoe offers, neener, neener. In a nutshell, what Harrah's marketing saw was: I took their free suite and skunked them, not playing a dime while there.

I hate Harrah's anyway... but ... what I figure happened, is my puny points (for food, slot play, etc.) along with that free suite were given away as a comp by a host/ess to someone that week that I made reservations but canceled and couldn't go. They didn't think I'd ever notice or didn't care if I did....

THAT is what happens to small time player's points/comps... they siphon them off and pool them ....

And here I am on another rant... sorry...

But that gives you an idea of what can happen to casino player's points and why people/hosts, etc. would steal them ... Just imagine what they could do when they raid the high roller accounts??

[cynthial]

I had to go and take a look.

1. Neener-neener
A childish taunt or jeer pronounced with a nasal sneer, usually from a peer. Sometimes sung to the tune of "Ring-Around-the-Rosy" for really driving the point home.

2. Neener-neener
Word of jest or teasing. Similar to saying "ha-ha" or sticking a tongue out at someone.

3. neener-neener
An expression of mockery, the American pronounciation of traditional English "Nyah-Nyah". Spoken with same camber and tone in both languages.

4. neener-neener
a suffix attached to a name as a term of endearment. Derived from the Italian "-ina" for diminutive (feminine).

5. Neener-neener
Phrase meant in tease, usually said while tickling another.

[Mousey]

I had to go and take a look.

1. Neener-neener
A childish taunt or jeer pronounced with a nasal sneer, usually from a peer. Sometimes sung to the tune of "Ring-Around-the-Rosy" for really driving the point home.

You got it right! LOL

So by stealing that 2 free nights in a suite... (or maybe it genuinely was an 'oopsie' and that suite sat vacant on a weekend? errrrr.... I think not) they not only stole the 'nights' they stole my 'future' nights and reputation w/Horseshoe. Not that I care very much.... I had a free room elsewhere, for less coin in, anyway. (Did I mention I hate Harrah's? LOL) It's the principle of the thing....

That's why players find it necessary to carefully keep track of their points, and promos. Anyone who plays a LOT, should watch their player's accounts like a hawk...