Casino sees some cash returned
Casino Regina is still betting a few more people who mistakenly got extra cash will come forward, but it’s also placing odds on the long arm of the law.
“We appreciate everyone that has come forward to repay,” Angela Gordon, Saskatchewan Gaming Corporation’s director of corporate affairs, said Friday.
“We have had some more (of the missing money) recovered,” she added. However, Gordon would not disclose just how much more of the $27,000 has been collected since the mistake hit the news last month, but noted there is still money outstanding.
“Because it is an ongoing investigation, the matter is sitting with the Regina Police Service and our legal counsel in terms of trying to recover, I can’t respond in terms of amounts at this point.”
News broke in late January that a cash machine at Casino Regina had been accidentally spitting out $20 bills instead of $5 bills. The mistake occurred on Oct. 26 when a casino employee loaded a kiosk with $20 bills instead of $5 bills.
For a day and a half until a casino patron reported the problem, people who went to redeem winnings or get change for a larger bill got much more than expected. The transactions ranged from $300 to $11,000.
As of Jan. 24, SGC was able to recover about $13,400 of money that went AWOL. It was recovered, in part, through video surveillance.
Gordon said it’s difficult to gauge exactly how many more people have come forward since the mix-up became public, but clearly there’s been a few.
“It certainly generated attention,” she said. “Between that and the recovery methods, we’re seeing that money returned.”
She said Regina police are also investigating, and that too might have brought out some people. She was unable to say if that investigation involves attempts to identify people from the casino’s security video.
A spokesperson for Regina police couldn’t be reached for comment Friday.
In January, SGC president and CEO Marty Klyne said civil legal action was also one of the options being explored to recover the money.
“That’s still being decided,” said Gordon, who added that SGC remains optimistic all the money can be reclaimed.
2008-02-15
