Las Vegas brings in people of all kinds through the city’s various casinos. When they step inside one, they want to participate in as many games as possible. In these cases, the casino offers patrons a type of in-house credit, so they begin placing bets known as a casino marker. These tokens allow people to continue to participate in the various games without having to visit an ATM or make any withdrawals.
While having a marker can feel like you have unlimited money, there comes a time when it comes due. When it comes time to pay a casino marker, and you can’t pay it for whatever reason, you could face serious criminal charges. So if you defaulted on the casino marker, you need to know your options.
How Do I Get a Casino Marker?
Getting a casino marker is often a more complicated process than simply going to the front desk and asking a casino for a loan. It’s an application process that allows the casino to look into your financial history, determine if you can pay the loan back, and other factors that play into their decision-making process. Once approved, you can redeem the marker for chips or cash.
Usually, the marker comes due 30 days after it was issued. After that, the casino submits the marker to the bank, and if you don’t have sufficient funds, things can get dicey.
How You Default on a Casino Marker
For many people that take one out, it’s rarely a matter of willful criminal intent. The person in question usually becomes overextended without realizing it through a string of bad luck that results in defaulting on the loan. As the reality of the situation, you’re facing the prospect of having to either pay the marker back in full or face criminal charges.
Nevada law states that if the casino in question goes through the proper procedure to collect on a marker and does not succeed, your failure to pay is presumed intent to defraud the casino. If convicted, the charge carries a minimum of at least one year in prison.
Casinos will try to get you to pay them the money owed through every possible avenue before they go through the court system. They will send you a notice of refusal of payment, which gives you 10 days to pay your debt off or respond otherwise.
What You Need to Know About Hiring a Casino Marker Attorney in Las Vegas, NV
For people who have defaulted on a casino marker, you have options beyond paying what is owed in full or going to jail. An experienced criminal defense attorney in Las Vegas, NV, like Benjamin Nadig, can help protect your rights and ensure you get your day in court. Since defaulting on a casino marker falls into the same purview as a bad check, ensuring you have an experienced attorney in your corner can help when it comes to negotiating a fair payment plan to cover your debt.
Since Mr. Nadig has helped countless clients with their casino marker cases and has prosecuted cases from the other side of the courtroom, he has a unique perspective to offer his clients. If you find yourself in danger of defaulting on a casino marker and want to get the help you need, contact our offices for your initial consultation today.