Did that really just happen? Armed motorcyclist robs UK casino
It’s usually a getaway car that police put out an APB on, but the getaway vehicle in a recent casino robbery likely involved just two wheels. That’s the takeaway if the robber’s attire is any indication.
On Tuesday, a man wearing a motorcycle helmet, gloves, and dark clothing stormed into Casino Club in Luton, UK and threatened various staff member before swiping a bunch of cash. He then fled the scene through the smoking area, located in the back of the casino.
No one saw the man hop onto a motorcycle, so it’s not clear if he was actually a motorcyclist or if he simply used the helmet to disguise himself. To be fair, it’s also not clear if we should be talking about a “he” or a “she” since no once can be certain if it was a man or a woman.
This isn’t the first time a casino has been robbed by a motorcyclist. In a famous case just a few years ago, a man rode up to the lobby of Bellagio in Las Vegas, walked into the casino, and robbed the tables of millions in chips. He evaded police for months, but eventually the law caught up to him.
Casino robberies are more common than you think. While robberies with weapons aren’t exactly the norm, there are countless tales of players trying to cheat at the tables by marking cards, moving chips around between bets, and doing other brazen things that would get anyone thrown out of a casino.
Thankfully, casinos have cameras up on the ceiling. Known as the eye in the sky, they watch every inch of the casino gaming floor to catch would-be cheaters. But it’s not just the gaming floor that today’s modern casinos are keeping an eye on.
Modern Las Vegas casinos are designed with security in mind first. The Aria, for example, features more than 1,100 cameras throughout the casino. The casino uses a mix of high-def digital cameras and old pan-tilt-zoom cameras (they apparently have less of a delay than digital cameras and every millisecond counts). There are also another 50 cameras that take 360 images.
What makes Aria special is something called choke points. The casino is designed so that people have to pass through specific areas that give security a long, detailed look at the individual. That means a would-be robber would definitely be caught on camera entering or fleeing the casino and security would have no trouble zooming in, grabbing a detailed photo, and working with authorities to stop them.
But even with the most high tech security in place, would-be thieves will try anything to rip off the casino. Perhaps it’s the thrill of beating the system that drives them. Perhaps it’s the fact that, in the end, the house always wins that makes them justify their brash behavior. Whatever it is, involving innocent bystanders in their quest for stolen money isn’t cool at all, so we’re glad that more and more casinos are doing their best to stop and catch criminals.
What do you think? Does the recent motorcycle casino robbery make you think twice about playing live and drive you to online casinos instead? Or do you think land-based gambling sites are doing a great job of keeping criminals at bay? Sound off with your thoughts below. And if you like this article, feel free to share it.
