'Rinse Cycle' By Al O’Grady
In my last article, I wrote about what I do not like about the casino industry. I wrote about how the industry took advantage of those having addictions, mental handicaps or those acting out of desperation to meet their financial obligations. In the article, I tried to be fair and balanced with the industry, saying it does have self-exclusion programs for addicts and it does run PR campaigns to gamble within your limit.
But I still question if more can be done. Regarding those with mental handicaps, the industry will say – and rightly so – that it must treat those with handicaps equally under the law. Again, while that is true I still have a personal, ethical dilemma with taking money from someone at the blackjack table who cannot count to 21.
Finally, for those acting out of desperation trying to win some money for survival, the casino will say it caters to everyone and cannot tell people how to spend their money, even if it is their last dime. Again I agree that, as adults, we all must be accountable for our actions. But I must swallow a bitter pill, being part of an engine that dangles the carrot in front of noses of those less fortunate. These are all concerns that I have with the industry at large, but I am saving my biggest concern for the end and that has to do with money laundering.
If you were unaware of casinos and money laundering and you think I am giving a great idea to the criminal element, think again. Trust me, government regulators, casino operators, the police, and criminals (especially drug dealers) are very aware of using casinos to launder the proceeds of crime. I will not ignore the elephant in the room. This has been going on for years. What I truly do not know is if the problem is getting better or worse.
A Few Questions
I cannot speak for every casino operator, government regulator or police force. I can only comment what goes on in my circle. Some areas of the world are cracking down, while others are ignoring it. My employer provides anti-money-laundering training to its employees every year but I must wonder, Who was spearheading this? Was it the government regulator or the casino? I have no doubt it was the government regulator.
My next question is, if the government did not mandate this training would the casino take the initiative and provide it to its workers? My guess is no. Why would you do something that could negatively impact your profits? Which leads me to the conclusion, if you are not a part of the solution, you are part of the problem. Hence my problem working within this industry.
What If …
Let me give you a hypothetical scenario. What if you own a lumber company. Some guy who looks a bit flashy says he wants to build a deck and needs some lumber for his project. The lumber bill comes to $5,000 and he pays cash with crisp $100 bills. Are you going to ask him for ID or what he does for a living or where he got the money? Or are you going to thank him for the business and ask when he would like it delivered?
This example is a little more extreme, but let us imagine that you are a home builder. That same flashy guy wants you to build a home for $500,000 and he wants to pay cash in five $100,000 installments. You are fairly sure what kind of guy you are dealing with, but business has been slow and this keeps your employees working for the next two months. What would you do? This is an ethical dilemma for sure.
You may be of the viewpoint that this is just business between two parties and what is the problem? The problem is how was the money was obtained and how did it impact other people’s lives. Drug dealers profit from addicts. What did those addicts have to do to get that money? Was it theft, prostitution or some other crime? Do we still tolerate that lumber purchase in that way in civil society? I know it is naïve to think you will eliminate crime in the world, but you can slow it down in your own little corner by taking away the profit incentive.
Passion and Pitfalls
Whether it is a $5,000 buy-in at a $25 blackjack table or a $100,000 at an exclusive, VIP baccarat game, money laundering is money laundering. The amount does not matter. So I must make a choice. Do I want to be a part of this machine? If I am not part of the solution, then I am also part of the problem.
If I am truly passionate about the pitfalls of money laundering, then am I a hypocrite for working in this industry? Fair point. But as we all know, life is not black and white but various shades of gray. There are times when we must weigh the pros and cons and accept what we cannot control to make a living.
There is a variation of the serenity prayer, “God grant me the strength to change the things I can, the courage to realize the things I cannot and the wisdom to know the difference between the two.”
I cannot control the criminal element, but I can control the table I serve. If you are buying in with proceeds of crime, I will report it to my supervisor. I will not ignore criminal activity that may have exploited someone’s life, just so someone can get his gambling kicks or evade criminal prosecution by cleaning up his dirty money. That is something I can control.
I am not a saint. I am by no means perfect. Gambling is my vice in life, but I like to think that I do it responsibly. I play with money that I can afford. I view it as entertainment. If I win, great. If I lose, I will take it like a man. I feel the majority of players are like that too.
So while I know there are nefarious characters at the table involved in money laundering and giving the industry a bad name, I refuse to let the actions of a few stop me from trying to make a living. Fortunately, that does not mean I have to like it.
Good luck at the tables and do not forget to tip the dealer.
There are also a lot of roulette betting strategies as well as the various casino bonuses but they are for another edition of Casino Life Magazine.
*** This article was originally published in June 2025 Casino Life Magazine Issue 178 ***
