Authorities normally keep a watchful eye on local casinos, as they suspect that criminals congregate at these gambling venues. Their reason for this is that criminals often choose to launder money at casinos, since there is already so much money passing hands between players, dealers and the casino itself. This week, it was discovered that a local meth manufacturer may have been playing at SkyCity casino in order to launder money, and local police are investigating the issue.
Roy Allan Duncan, well-known drug manufacturer, is a VIP player at SkyCity casino in Auckland. Over the years, he and his wife have spent hundreds of thousands of dollars at the venue – and police have reason to doubt that their winnings were genuine.
According to police reports, Duncan used a popular method for money laundering. He would deposit money into a poker machine and cancel the transaction before wagering on the game. As a result, he would receive his money back; however, it was not his money that he would receive. Since he received a cash out ticket, his ‘winnings’ consisted of other players’ deposits – successfully laundering his own money.
Duncan disputes these claims. He states that he is simply an experienced gambler who knows how to win at pokies. Unfortunately for him, this defence is unlikely to hold up in court, as new digital technology makes it impossible to predict the outcome of modern-day pokies.
