A man has admitted stealing almost £10,000 of gambling chips from a city casino.
Gambling addict Mahmudul Hasan, 48, had been in Rainbow Casino, Summer Street, on Tuesday playing blackjack before he swiped the float from one of the tables. The box contained chips valued at £9,301.50.
Fiscal depute Felicity Merson said around 9pm Hasan returned to a blackjack table, lifted the float box and “concealed it within his jacket”.
Ms Merson said: “This was not spotted by anyone at the time but was captured on CCTV. It was coming up for 10.15pm when the accused returned without the float, exchanging gambling chips for cash totalling £700. It would appear this was some of the stolen chips.”
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Staff later noticed the missing float and checked CCTV before tracing Hasan at another casino. Police were contacted and Hasan was found with 29 £100 pink chips. He told police he put the float in a nearby bin where it was found to still contain £7,370.50 of chips.
Hasan, of Beacon Close, Birmingham, pled guilty to stealing a box of gambling chips and pretending to staff he lawfully possessed the chips and obtaining £700 by fraud by exchanging them.
Defence agent Stuart Murray said Hasan was a gambling addict and lost the money he had won on blackjack, adding: “An opportunity arose which he took to try and steal those chips.”
Sheriff Ian Wallace deferred sentence until May for reports.
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