Bartender's Larceny Spree at Rivers Casino Exposed: $10,000 Stolen Over Six Months
Casino Bartender Allegedly Stealing $4,500 from Rivers Casino
Cashing in his chips on the wrong side of the law, Owen Kiggans, a bartender at Rivers Casino, stands accused of embezzling nearly $4,500 from the establishment’s coffers. With a gambling problem left unchecked, Kiggans opted for a risky game of stealing from the house.
When the House Always Loses
A red flag for Kiggans was raised when the casino's management noticed unusual discrepancies in his cash register totals for multiple weeks straight. Alerted by the irregularities, police was brought in for a thorough investigation.
Dive into the CCTV footage, and you'll find Kiggans slipping three Benjamin Franklins into his pocket as cool as a cucumber, attempting to pull a fast one past his employers. Cornered, he initially denied the allegations, but the evidence was damning, and he eventually confessed to the pilfering.
A total of $4,450 was stolen from the casino over a 24-day period. Kiggans shockingly admitted to having nabbed much more than that, claiming his thieving spree started around December of 2022 and may have netted him around $10,000.
The High Stakes of Gambling and Greed
Kiggans' path to his downfall was paved with the desperate moves of a man entrapped by the claws of gambling addiction. His reckless actions have caught the attention of authorities, and he now faces potential legal repercussions for his ill-gotten gains.
A Call to Action for Casinos
Incidents of employee embezzlement, whether in casinos or other businesses, can result in significant financial losses. While exact statistics on casino embezzlement may not be widely reported, such incidents are a common form of fraud across industries. To combat this issue, casinos can:
- Enact stringent internal controls, such as segregating duties and conducting regular audits.
- Enhance surveillance measures in high-risk areas with CCTV cameras and other technologies.
- Conduct thorough background checks on hires and provide ongoing training on ethics and consequences of fraud.
- Employ AI and machine learning systems for fraud detection.
- Foster a culture that encourages employees to report suspicious activities and protects them from retaliation.
- Collaborate closely with law enforcement to ensure swift investigations.
By embracing these measures, casinos can help minimize the risk of employee embezzlement and safeguard their assets from unscrupulous activities.
- Kiggans, the accused embezzler at Rivers Casino, allegedly stole from the casino's funds due to a gambling problem, choosing to gamble discreetly at the expense of his employers.
- As Kiggans' gambling addiction spiraled out of control, he resorted to stealing, racking up discrepancies in his cash register totals that were eventually caught by casino management.
- Owen Kiggans, a former bartender at Rivers Casino, faces legal repercussions for his theft, which started discreetly and totalled approximately $10,000 over several months.
- The high stakes of gambling and greed not only affect the gamblers but also created an opportunity for Kiggans, a casino employee, to commit a crime, underscoring the need for casinos to implement strict measures to combat employee embezzlement.
