Fake Gaming Chips Passed at Vegas Casinos Lead to Arrest

Police recently arrested a 54-year-old man on about 14 counts related to using phony gaming chips at three different Las Vegas casinos.

According to Las Vegas TV station KLAS, Gratis Woolen, Jr. was taken into custody earlier this month on charges of burglary, possession of illicit instruments, and other offenses.

Woolen was allegedly involved in a separate incident in a motel on the Las Vegas Strip on April 10. He was taken into custody by Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department (LVMPD) officers for the disturbance, KLAS reported.

Officers claimed that after running a background check, they discovered he had an outstanding warrant for his arrest related to the illegal chips.

After making an appearance in local court and securing a $1,000 bond, he was freed. Melissa Stratton, the Clark County judge, mandated that he be placed on an electronic monitoring system. He is expected back in court on Thursday.

Casinos Find Counterfeit Chips

The Nevada Gaming Control Board (NGCB) was notified by an employee of Harrah's Las Vegas Hotel and Casino in January 2023, which sparked the inquiry. At the gaming establishment, a female player had utilized a fictitious chip.

At the same time, a worker at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas informed the NGCB that another person was using phony $100 chips there. Woolen turned out to be that suspect, according to KLAS.

At the cashier's cage at the casino, he allegedly exchanged the fake chips for cash. 

Peeling stickers

A staff member from NGCB observed that the chips had a Golden Gate gaming property sticker on them when they were being examined.

A NGCB employee said in a report, "Some of the Golden Gate... stickers were peeling, which revealed a solid black face underneath the sticker." 

The chips were easily identified as counterfeit, as legitimate chips are a solid piece of ceramic without external decorations, such as stickers and paint.”

KLAS stated from the commission probe that "inserts of the counterfeit chips were off... and also had an abnormal 'bump' underneath" after more study.

Furthermore, in a separate occurrence, a cashier at the Linq Hotel + Experience examined a chip that the anonymous woman had given to that Las Vegas gambling establishment.

The clerk informed NGCB investigators that the chip "did not look like a good chip." She gave it to a manager of a casino. After examining it, he instructed her to inform the bearer to return it to the Golden Gate.

According to KLAS, it's still unclear whether Woolen made the chips or if he bought them from somewhere else.

The early news reports state that the female suspect has not yet been charged. Police withheld her name.