Police say a person banned from Iowa’s Isle On line casino Resort Bettendorf wrongly gained entry to the property final Friday and tried to trade a counterfeit invoice with the cashier cage.
Police say 37-year-old Mark Hampton, a neighborhood Bettendorf resident, entered Isle On line casino shortly earlier than 6:30 pm CDT on September 2. Hampton, police contend, proceeded to the on line casino’s cage the place he tried to obtain roughly $100 in trade for a overseas forex invoice he claimed was price that quantity.
The affidavit says the defendant “tried to trade the counterfeit invoice for forex on the trade inside the on line casino.” After on line casino cashiers denied the transaction and confiscated the phony invoice, Hampton tried to exit the property however was detained by police.
Hampton admitted he was conscious that his privileges to gamble contained in the on line casino had been revoked. However, in want of money, he claimed he entered the on line casino solely to trade the overseas forex, which he maintained to authorities was respectable.
2021 Ban
Hampton has a prolonged prison report in Iowa. An internet courtroom search turned up 30 circumstances with him named as a defendant.
In 2021, the Isle On line casino, fed up with Hampton’s shenanigans, excluded him from additional entry to the gaming flooring. His ban went into impact in July 2021.
Hampton’s rationalization for searching for to trade his claimed respectable overseas invoice for $100 on the Isle On line casino raised eyebrows amongst on line casino safety and native regulation enforcement. Most banks and credit score unions provide overseas forex trade companies based mostly on present trade charges. On line casino cashier cages do too, however sometimes for a hefty price.
The Isle On line casino is operated by Caesars Leisure. The 35K square-foot former riverboat has 935 slot machines, 19 desk video games, and a Caesars Sportsbook. The resort options greater than 500 resort rooms, three eating places, and a 1,700-seat theater.
Earlier this yr, the on line casino grew to become one of many beneficiaries of a just lately handed two-year moratorium on new casinos within the state. The invoice, signed by Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds (R) in June, blocked a gaming growth in Cedar Rapids some 70 miles northwest of Isle On line casino.
Supporters of the moratorium argued that the halt in new gaming licenses will enable the present operators to expertise a managed and secure gaming market in wake of the pandemic and new industrial casinos opening in neighboring Nebraska.
Felony Cost Filed
After reviewing the affidavit in opposition to Hampton, state prosecutors representing Scott County filed a felony forgery cost in connection along with his forex trade scheme. Extra prices, together with trespassing, could possibly be filed later.
Hampton was launched from the Scott County Jail on his personal recognizance and is due in courtroom for a preliminary listening to on September 23.
An individual discovered responsible of a Class D felony, such because the one dealing with Hampton, might be punished with as much as 5 years in jail and a advantageous upwards of $10K plus curiosity and courtroom prices.