January 21st, 2011 – by Glen Farmer
A report has recently shown that a 24 year old blackjack dealer who worked at the Mystic Lake Casino in Prior Lake, Minnesota has been slapped with an $18,720 fine for essentially cheating while working.
Jacob Edwin Christensen, 24, of Nisswa, was also put on probation for his crimes. Judge Diane Hanson gave him three years of probation and ordered 80 hours of community service after he had pleaded guilty to gambling fraud on January 6th. A single count of theft by swindle was dismissed in a plea agreement
Christensen’s crimes were fairly simple. As a blackjack dealer, Christensen had been paying acquaintances winnings even on losing hands. Security tapes showed that the dealer was paying on cards that looked like the losing hands. When police reviewed the surveillance, it showed that Christensen did pay a loser and neglected to take the lost wager.
According to the police report, multiple people benefit from Christensen’s ploy. An old friend from high school, a “good looking woman,” and his landlord’s daughter reportedly benefit from Christensen’s activities.
Initially, Christensen attempted to claim that he had “mispaid” the people due to him being busy and the work day being overwhelming in terms of volume. Ultimately he admitted that the entire affair was intentional and that he was simply attempting to help his friends.