The guest this week is Bob Nersesian. Bob is a frequent guest to the show, and always entertaining. Bob is the lawyer who advocates for the players against the casinos, and has successfully sued many Vegas casinos on the behalf of players. His new book is called The Law for Gamblers: A Player’s Guide to Legal Survival in the Casino Environment. Today we discuss more listener questions as a continuation of last week’s show.
Click to listen – Alt click to download
Show Notes
[1:08] What legal action is available about a big win that was lost due to sticky VP buttons?
[6:20] Is it illegal when a slot player refuses to forfeit all the slot tickets that were won from a glitch, and cash out over the next several days?
[11:17] Bob Nersesian’s response to the recent accusation on a blackjack forum that Bob’s book is insufficiently in-depth.
[14:18] How much can you get paid for incorrectly wired progressive jackpot on a VP machine?
[19:20] Is it legal to accept a winning smaller than the jackpot amount in order to avoid reporting to the IRS?
[23:11] The real estate cost of the paperwork.
[24:57] The marijuana legalization strategy Richard’s father had in 1968.
[28:14] Does Bob Nersesian refer cases to other lawyers?
[32:43] Can a player bring complains to a Better Business Bureau for false promises on casino mailing?
[34:07] How frequently do Bob Nersesian’s judgements include punitive damages? Is NDA mandatory?
[41:55] A Nevada sports book posts an off number, and accept bets. Can the book cancel the bets?
[47:43] Locals sign false markers for International high-rollers who wish to conceal their income source. What if the casino pursues the marker signing local because the high-roller doesn’t pay?
[52:38] Is there a case when the lottery refuses to pay because the winner is not old enough?
[55:16] Are casinos allowed to discriminate according to zip codes?
Never miss another post
just a fans note. I’m not an AP – more a Walter Mitty and occasional punter, but I always enjoy the show. With Bob as a guest, you have a pretty awesome brain trust.
Bob and Richard, you asked Bob Nersesian what should happen if someone without a Social Security number–presumably a noncitizen–needs to complete a transaction with a casino, such as cashing over $10,000 worth of chips, for which a CTR is required.
The answer is in Title 31 Code of Federal Regulations Sec. 103.28 , “Identification required:”
“Before concluding any transaction with respect to which a report is required under Sec. 103.22, a financial institution shall verify and record the name and address of the individual presenting a transaction, as well as record the identity, account number, and the social security or taxpayer identification number, if any, of any person or entity on whose behalf such transaction is to be effected. Verification of the identity of an individual who indicates that he or she is an alien or is not a resident of the United States must be made by passport, alien identification card, or other official document evidencing nationality or residence (e.g., a Provincial driver’s license with indication of home address). Verification of identity in any other case shall be made by examination of a document, other than a bank signature card, that is normally acceptable within the banking community as a means of identification when cashing checks for nondepositors (e.g., a drivers license or credit card).”
Note the language, “IF ANY.” A person does not have to have a Social Security number or employment identification number to complete a reportable transaction. However, the person still has to show certain specified identification.
The CTR form and instructions can be found at https://www.occ.treas.gov/news-issuances/bulletins/2003/OCC2003-48a.pdf . Note that the instructions say to fill in the customer’s SSN, “IF ANY.” However, the instructions give no further explanation of what to do in case a customer has no SSN. It’s predictable that if a customer shows up without an SSN and tries to cash $30,000 worth of chips, the casino staff WON’T know what to do, there WILL be a big hassle, there will probably be a big delay, and the customer will probably have to retain a lawyer and get him on the phone with the casino manager, at a minimum.