Las Vegas:
An armed bandit escaped on Tuesday on a motorcycle after stealing at least 1.5 (m) million US dollars in casino chips from the posh Bellagio resort and may have pulled a similar caper across town less than a week ago, police said.
The thief took Bellagio chips ranging in value from 100 to 25,000 US dollars and authorities plan to watch for anyone trying to cash high-denomination chips at the Italian-themed casino with a wall of famous fountains along the Las Vegas Strip.
Police say a man wearing a jumpsuit and a motorcycle helmet with white stripes walked into the casino with a gun, robbed a craps table then sped away on a motorcycle.
The culprit, however, might find it hard to redeem his loot at any other casino except Bellagio.
Police later released an 11-second video showing a man running through a casino entry lobby with a gun in his right hand.
At one point, he turned and pointed the weapon behind him.
Police suspect the same man wore a helmet, flashed a gun and sped away on a black sport motorcycle after robbing the Las Vegas Suncoast Hotel on December 9.
That heist netted less than 20,000 US dollars from a poker room cashier, police said. Police also released several photos on Tuesday of the robber at the Suncoast.
Estimates of the amount taken from Bellagio varied.
Lieutenant Clinton Nichols from Las Vegas Police Department said it could approach 2 (m) million US dollars. In a press release, police put the amount at about 1.5 (m) million US dollars.
Gordon Absher, spokesman for Bellagio owner MGM Resorts International, declined to discuss the investigation.
But he noted that casino chips aren't the same as cash.
Chips are unique to casino properties and are generally not interchangeable, although state regulations allow casino companies to redeem chips from sister properties with some restrictions.
Absher wouldn't say if MGM Resorts properties are among Las Vegas casinos that embed radio frequency devices in chips.
But police will be keeping a close eye on cashier cages in case someone shows up with a stack of 25,000 US dollars chips.
The thief took Bellagio chips ranging in value from 100 to 25,000 US dollars and authorities plan to watch for anyone trying to cash high-denomination chips at the Italian-themed casino with a wall of famous fountains along the Las Vegas Strip.
Police say a man wearing a jumpsuit and a motorcycle helmet with white stripes walked into the casino with a gun, robbed a craps table then sped away on a motorcycle.
The culprit, however, might find it hard to redeem his loot at any other casino except Bellagio.
Police later released an 11-second video showing a man running through a casino entry lobby with a gun in his right hand.
At one point, he turned and pointed the weapon behind him.
Police suspect the same man wore a helmet, flashed a gun and sped away on a black sport motorcycle after robbing the Las Vegas Suncoast Hotel on December 9.
That heist netted less than 20,000 US dollars from a poker room cashier, police said. Police also released several photos on Tuesday of the robber at the Suncoast.
Estimates of the amount taken from Bellagio varied.
Lieutenant Clinton Nichols from Las Vegas Police Department said it could approach 2 (m) million US dollars. In a press release, police put the amount at about 1.5 (m) million US dollars.
Gordon Absher, spokesman for Bellagio owner MGM Resorts International, declined to discuss the investigation.
But he noted that casino chips aren't the same as cash.
Chips are unique to casino properties and are generally not interchangeable, although state regulations allow casino companies to redeem chips from sister properties with some restrictions.
Absher wouldn't say if MGM Resorts properties are among Las Vegas casinos that embed radio frequency devices in chips.
But police will be keeping a close eye on cashier cages in case someone shows up with a stack of 25,000 US dollars chips.
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