Bellagio robbed

An armed gunman stormed the Bellagio and stole $1.5m worth of casino chips early yesterday morning (Dec 15). Police reckon the same man may have struck a Las Vegas casino last week.

The thief entered the Bellagio at 3:50am local time, disguised in a motorbike helmet and wearing a black jumpsuit. He walked straight up to a craps table, where he held up the croupier before grabbing handfuls of chips – some worth as much as $25,000.

Police estimate the entire robbery took place in just three minutes and the crook was caught on video scarpering from the casino after the heist before fleeing the scene by motorbike.

The perpetrator may have a hard time cashing in on his caper, though, as the stolen chips can only be redeemed at the Bellagio and cannot be interchanged due to security measures. Some chips may also be fitted with tracking devices, though it is not clear whether the stolen high-value chips are traceable.

A spokesperson for MGM, who own the Bellagio, said: ‘Chips are not like cash – at some point they must be redeemed.’

Police said they suspected the thief was connected to a Suncoast Casino heist, which took place last week. The culprit stole around $12k during the robbery.

Yesterday’s Bellagio robbery was the tenth to take place in Las Vegas this year and the latest in a string of high-profile thefts to hit the gambling fraternity.