Louisiana Casino Has Violent Robbery, Security Guard Recovers From Injuries

Posted on: December 7, 2019, 07:34h. 

Last updated on: December 8, 2019, 10:57h.

Ed Silverstein @casinoorgedsilv Read More
Expertise: Legal, Tribal Gaming.

Louisiana police are continuing to search for the trio of brazen bandits who assaulted a security guard Friday before fleeing with an undisclosed amount of cash from an unnamed Lake Charles casino.

One of three robbers who held up a Lake Charles, Louisiana casino Friday. The trio of bandits were still on the loose Saturday. (Image: Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s Office)

Two of the robbers hurt the security guard at the gaming venue during the heist. They grabbed his gun and fled the area.

A third suspect, armed with a handgun, demanded cash from a casino cashier. The robber later escaped with the loot.

The security guard’s injuries were not life-threatening, police said. But he required treatment at a local hospital.

The name of the casino was not released by the Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s Office. They did say the gaming property is located on Highway 397 in Lake Charles. There are multiple casinos in the region.

The robbery took place at about 2 a.m. Friday. Later, police released descriptions of the suspected criminals.

The suspect armed with the handgun is about 6 feet 3 inches tall. He was dressed in a gray hooded jacket with a pocket on the top left side and a black zipper. He also had on jeans and lighter-colored shoes.

The second suspect was also about six feet three inches tall. He was stocky. He was wearing black clothes and a black mask.

The third suspect was shorter than the other two. He also was dressed in black clothes.

He had a dark backpack with him during the robbery. He had a short haircut and what police call “patchy facial hair.”

Members of the public who may have witnessed the robbery or who might know something about the bandits are asked to call the Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s Office at 337-491-3605 or Crimestoppers at 337-439-2222.

Improper Cash Advances in Lake Charles

In May, David Allen Hass, 34, of Pasadena, Texas, was charged in connection with allegedly improperly using his company’s credit card in March to get $14,000 from an unnamed Lake Charles casino. In total, there were three separate cash advances leading to the arrest.

In May, Hass allegedly attempted to use the company credit card to get four more cash advances at another Lake Charles casino. Those transactions were denied.

Also, in January, a player, dressed in a camouflage jacket, caused about $500 worth of damage to a slot machine in Charenton, Louisiana’s Cypress Bayou Casino Hotel.

The casino’s surveillance cameras caught the alleged suspect in the act.

Declining Casino Revenue in Louisiana

In April, the Louisiana Department of Economic Development received a report from Spectrum Gaming Group that analyzed statewide legal gambling. Since 2008, casino gaming saw revenues decline by 1.5 percent, the report said.

One of the main reasons for the decline has been increased competition in nearby states, according to a recent report from Casino.org. The casinos in the Bossier City and Shreveport areas were hurt by Oklahoma’s tribal casinos, which are closer to the Dallas-Fort Worth metropolitan area.

Mississippi casinos also “continue to siphon Louisiana gamblers,” the report added. “The Mississippi Gaming Commission estimates that in 2018 there were 3.3 million visits by Louisiana residents to the Gulf Coast casinos, and 500,000 to the state’s Central Region casinos.”

Overall, Louisiana casinos are struggling with falling revenue. State figures show that in September, the most recent available month, each gaming property reported that revenue fell, according to New Orleans City Business.

Typically, the state’s casinos contribute some $700 million a year to Louisiana’s general fund, the report added.